The Latvian National Ballet invites audiences to the premiere of the ballet Casanova on November 2. This production, which explores the life of the famous 18th-century lover, bon vivant, and intellectual Giacomo Casanova in all its splendor and diversity, is created by choreographer Kenneth Tindall, author of the scenario Ian Kelly, composer Kerry Muzzey, and set and costume designer Christopher Oram. The musical director of the new production is Mārtiņš Ozoliņš.
The lead role, Casanova will be portrayed by either Antons Freimans or Philip Fedulov. The cast also includes Jūlija Brauere, Annija Kopštāle, Elza Leimane, Jolanta Lubēja, Alise Prudāne-Spridzāne, Sabīne Strokša, Laine Paiķe, Emma Laguna, Raimonds Martinovs, Viktors Seiko, and others.
The world premiere of the Casanova ballet took place in March 2017 with the British company Northern Ballet, and the Latvian National Ballet is the fourth company to stage this neoclassical work. More productions are expected in the near future.
“The story of Casanova is intriguing in itself. I have always sought fresh, full-length ballets, which are unfortunately rare compared to one-act performances. When I learned that such a work was recently staged in England, I immediately began negotiations with the agent, which turned out to be successful. A British ballet critic, who knows our company very well, also recommended Casanova as the most suitable choice,” says Aivars Leimanis, the artistic director of the Latvian National Ballet.
"The charackter of Casanova has everything that would typically appeal to classical ballet, with room for huge corps de ballet numbers and Venetian masquerades. That was my initial attraction, but what really drew me into the story was researching the subject of Casanova and the 18th century. I realised that there was so much of his story I didn’t know! I was only aware of the sexual side of Casanova, how he’s become iconic – all the literature and the way we portray him in multiple forms of media. It was astonishing to learn that he was quite possibly a genius who spoke seven languages and translated the Illiad, started the first state lottery, and conversed with some of the greatest minds of the 18th century. I realised that there was so much more to him than I or other people were aware of. Trying to tell new stories in ballet is hugely important. But when you unearth something that people don’t necessarily know about, you can really make the audience think," says Kenneth Tindall, one of the brightest British choreographers of his generation, who has created more than thirty works and received critical acclaim as well as prestigious nominations.
The original scenario was co-written by Kenneth Tindall and British writer, playwright, and actor Ian Kelly. His 2009 biography of Casanova has been translated into more than twenty languages, including Latvian. The ballet's composer, American Kerry Muzzey, is a composer of film and contemporary classical music whose work can be heard both on stage and in movies and TV.