On Thursday, Feb. 27, The Fredericton Playhouse was host to the Atlantic Ballet of Canada’s Amadeus, a production depicting the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
W.A. Mozart was an Austrian classical composer, who is best known for such pieces as “Requiem – Lacrimosa” and “The Magic Flute,” among many others. Many of his pieces were written specifically for ballets, making the dance an interesting choice for a medium in which to tell his story. Amadeus, choreographed by Igor Dobrovolskiy, is a stunning, unique interpretation of Mozart’s life, inspired by the classical and enduring music of the composer.
Without being able to speak to the composer, Dobrovoloskiy worked to find pieces of Mozart’s spirit within his body of work. He works to understand, and portray the isolation and turmoil experienced by Mozart, and maintains the theme of isolation throughout the performance.
“It’s not easy to tell about somebody’s life without any words,” Dobrovolskiy explained. “It was a challenge.” He compared the interpretation of music to the style of choreography, clarifying that he worked to understand the life of the composer on many levels through not only his music, but also by reading books about his life.
Thomas Badrock, the principal dancer in Amadeus, who takes on the titular role, discussed how he had to pull knowledge that he’d gathered on Mozart and translate it into movement. Being able to accurately portray a character, let alone a historical figure, is exceedingly difficult to do, especially in a form of dance like ballet, where there are certain forms to follow.
“It was an honour to be able to portray this character, as he is an inspiration and a big part of the music industry,” explained Badrock, adding that he felt encouraged by the classical compositions to embody its, “emotion and character.”
This ballet was carefully created to cultivate a sense of understanding of the life of Mozart, whose unique musical perspective continues to transcend time and touch the lives of many.