Famous ballet by Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis “Zorba the Greek” premiered at the National Opera of Ukraine.
The history of the ballet dates back to 1946, when a novel by the most translated 20th century Greek writer and philosopher Nikos Kazantzakis was published. Then, in 1964 Michael Cacoyannis shot a film with the same title which won three Oscars.
The ballet “Zorba the Greek” appeared twenty years ago in a staging of balletmaster Lorka Miasin, the son of prominent Leonid Miasin, who used to work with entrepreneur Dyahilev in Paris. Now Lorka Miasin is 64 years old. His staging of “Zorba the Greek” in Kyiv is his 15-th.
The ballet is about contradiction between civilizations. The ballet is performed against the background of grand ruins of pagan Greece with a Christian temple standing among them. American tourist John falls in love with Greek girl and Greek Zorba – with an American woman. John and Zorba become friends after both women die, and as a result archaic Greece and modern America became closer through love.
At the premiere the part of Zorba was played by unsurpassed Maxym Motkov, who danced with another Ukrainian ballet star Olena Filipyeva.
The ballet is slightly different from the film in terms of plot, but the music is very similar – after all composer Mikis Theodorakis based the ballet on the soundtrack to the film. The most famous music theme “Zorba’s Dance” became immensely popular and it is likely to be the culmination of the ballet.
NATIONAL OPERA HOUSE (50 Volodymyrska, 2791169). Sept. 14, 7 p.m. Tickets Hr 20 to Hr 200.
