“Responsively choreographed to meet musical shapes and textures”
Circa dares to create a physical score for the towering masterpiece of the symphonic repertoire – Beethoven’s 9th Symphony.
In this first-time collaboration between the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Circa, ten world-class circus artists under the direction of Yaron Lifschitz will present Beethoven’s music in its physical form – with emotionally-charged choreography intricately woven to reflect the score. Extreme skill and dramatic acrobatics play out in this grand celebration of humanity, where the lines between movement, music, dance and theatrics are blurred and boundaries are pushed.
About
World premiere Melbourne 2020
Performers 10
Duration: 70 minutes
Reviews
★★★★★ “Circa’s interpretation of the 9th was visceral… shifting between shadow and light, contorting into living sculptures both grotesque and elegant, and all too human” – Limelight Magazine, AUS | View
★★★★1/2 “Lifschitz created an extremely sympathetic embodiment of the score, impressively executed by 10 performers” – The Age, AUS | View
★★★★1/2 “A rich and thrilling demonstration of the emotional and choreographic potential of contemporary circus, juxtaposing moments of almost balletic grace alongside jaw-dropping feats of strength and skill, set to one of the greatest pieces of orchestral music ever written” – Arst Hub, AUS | View
“Responsively choreographed to meet musical shapes and textures.” – The Australia, AUS | View
Featuring
February 2020 season with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
Benjamin Northey conductor
Yaron Lifschitz director
Circa Contemporary Circus
Maija Kovaļevska soprano
Jacqueline Dark mezzo-soprano
Paul O’Neill tenor
Warwick Fyfe bass
MSO Chorus
Acknowledgments
Created by Yaron Lifschitz and the Circa Ensemble
Beethoven 9 with Circa was commissioned by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra to celebrate Beethoven’s 250th birthday in 2020
Director Yaron Lifschitz
Associate Director Todd Kilby
Costume Designer Libby McDonnell
International Representation
Allen Moon / David Lieberman Artists’ Representatives USA, Canada, Central & South America
Antonin Coutouly / Book Your Show France
Danielle Kellie / Circa Australia & New Zealand
Shaun Comerford / Circa Commercial Projects
Wolfgang Hoffmann / Aurora Nova Worldwide booking & coordination
Yaron Lifschitz / Circa New creations & big dreams
Circa acknowledges the assistance of the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body and the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland.
Photo by Laura Manariti.
Tour Dates
| Date | City | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 22nd - 25th January 2025 | Santiago, Chile | Fundacion Teatroamil |
Past Dates
| Date | City | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 21st - 22nd February 2020 | Melbourne, Australia | Arts Centre Melbourne |
| 10th - 11th June 2022 | St. Pölten, Austria | Festspielhaus St. Pölten |
| 31st December 2023 - 1st January 2024 | Luxembourg City, Luxembourg | Grand Theater |