Desdemona

DESDEMONA
Two-act ballet

Music director and conductor: Ričardas Šumila
Director and choreographer: Anželika Chol ina
Conductor: Julius Geniušas
Set designer: Marijus Jacovskis
Costume designer: Olga Filatova Kontrimienė
Hair and makeup designer: Dalia Žakytė
Lighting designer: Audrius Jankauskas
Premiere: May 26, 2023
Performed by the theatre’s ballet company and invited ballet artists

Anatolijus Šenderovas’s ballet *Desdemona* is based on William Shakespeare’s tragedy *Othello*, in which the psychological worlds of two very different characters—Othello and Iago—collide. Othello, commander of the Moorish army, was a general in the Venetian army defending Cyprus against an Ottoman invasion. He married Desdemona, a Venetian woman much younger than himself. They became engaged against her father’s wishes. Iago, Othello’s army ensign, driven by a desire for revenge, maliciously stokes his commander’s jealousy, claiming that Desdemona is unfaithful to him with Othello’s friend Cassio. Inflamed by jealousy, Othello’s imagination paints a picture of his wife’s infidelity. In a fit of blind rage, the Moor kills the only woman dear to him.

Because its themes of passion and jealousy are eternally relevant, Shakespeare’s tragedy remains relevant today and has inspired many different interpretations on the dramatic stage. By contrast, these themes have been explored far less often through choreography. In this context, choreographer Anželika Cholina’s perspective on the tragedy of *Othello* stands out. Her production *Desdemona* differs in many respects from its first staging at LNOBT in 2005. We hear a different version of the musical score, more closely connected to the plot of Shakespeare’s tragedy through the choreographer’s libretto. In A. Cholina’s production, the artists of the small Kaunas Musical Theatre ballet company perform several roles each, creating not only an effect of scale but also expressing the theatrical miracle of characters’ transformations.

The ballet *Desdemona* focuses more deeply on the characters’ feelings and emotions, with music and choreography closely intertwined. The score features a prominent percussion section, demanding exceptional concentration to bring out the finest nuances. The performance also features live music by renowned jazz percussionist Arkadijus Gotesmanas, who took part in the ballet’s first production. The theatre’s ballet company performs in the ballet.