Arabesque
In dance dialog with Al-Andalus
In music, dance and poetry, this program tells stories from Al-Andalus, the Moorish-ruled Spain of the Middle Ages: of the beauty of Moorish princesses or the full moon nights in the Alhambra, of the Palace of Joy or the interpreters of Toledo.
From the 8th to the 15th century, the Moors ruled a large part of the Iberian Peninsula, and so Christians, Muslims and Jews necessarily had to coexist here somehow. Naturally, this coexistence was not entirely free of conflict, but there were always long periods of genuine peace, characterized by tolerance and respect among the religious groups, secured by treaties and alliances - and so these centuries of Moorish rule are often referred to by historians or philologists as "The Miracle of Al-Andalus".
And surprisingly enough, it was precisely the coexistence of cultures that brought about a special flowering of the sciences and arts that was second to none - a coexistence that made buildings such as the Alhambra, the most subtle poetry and the most stirring music possible in the first place - and that gave rise to a special festive culture in which music, dance and poetry absolutely belonged together!
We would now like to share this blossoming with visitors to our concerts. So you can look forward to a festival full of music - from Renaissance Moresca to Ravel's Bolero -, you can look forward to the storyteller John Rogers with Hispano-Moorish stories by Goethe, Irving and Nasruddin, and you can look forward to the fascinating dance performances by Dani Niemietz, who will translate this coexistence of cultures into dance styles ranging from belly dance to contemporary dance via flamenco dialect. In short: experience the wonder of eight centuries of three cultures living together in three arts in our program!
Contributors
Dani Niemietz - dance
John Rogers - narrative artist
Inés Pina Pérez - baroque recorders
Juan González Martínez - baroque trombones (cond.)
Miguel Bellas - Spanish guitar, theorbo
Lea Suter - 16-foot harpsichord
Peter Kuhnsch - percussion
