World premiere of the ballet play Maria Stuart by Bridget Breiner based on the drama of the same name by Friedrich Schiller. With music by Benjamin Britten & James MacMillan.
BALLET: MARIA STUART
In 1587, two women stand at the pinnacle of power in England in a world otherwise dominated by men. Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, alleged murderer of her husband, pretender to the English royal throne and leader of the Catholic opposition, meets her counterpart Elizabeth I. The Queen of England rules her country with an iron hand as the symbol of the virtuous regent and protector of the Anglican Church. A confrontation is inevitable. The personal conflicts between the two rivals only fuel the political tensions. A failed assassination attempt on Elizabeth leads to Mary, who ends up on the scaffold for high treason.
In his tragedy, Friedrich Schiller exaggerated the situation between the two female characters more than the historical sources would suggest, creating a gripping drama between politics, rivalry and femininity that is still relevant today. Ballet director Bridget Breiner takes Schiller's original as an opportunity to place precisely these themes at the center of her ballet piece. With works by Benjamin Britten and James MacMillan, English and Scottish forces of sound also come together musically, for which Bridget Breiner also convenes the BADISCHEN STAATSOPERNCHOR both scenically and musically. With her focus on strong women and the realization of great literary models for dance, she combines two characteristics of her successful choreographic career.
