Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana performed at Sava Centar, Belgrade

If the either the name Carl Orff or the title Carmina Burana rings no bell, then watch the clip below for your aha-moment.

Carmina Burana may be interpreted in many ways, but tonight Draga took me to the Sava Centar in Belgrade, to witness an exquisite triathlon of performance, even a somewhat minimalist interpretation of what I would have filled with pyrotechnics and bungee ropes. But then, I’m not very refined and have the sophistication of the gates of Gaza.

Costumographer Mirjana Stojanovic-Mauric, arguably refined and sophisticated, chose to dress the choir in black and gave them rose-red props; ties for the gents and shoes for the ladies. The result was an obvious visual tension between the two that was continued in their stands and poses, designed by choreographers Sonja Vukicevic and Leo Mujic.

My knowledge of dance doesn’t extend beyond plié and pirouette, but the dynamics between men and women takes not a lot of explaining. Two young and half naked men spun around two young and scantly clad ladies, all with enviable gym-tones and an agility that seemed out of this world.

The lead vocalists had no problem filling the 4,000 seat house and in the pit the orchestra was overshadowed only by the vast wingspan of the passionate conductor Zeljka Milanovic, and perhaps the oxytocin levels of the audience.

Kudoes troupe!
　
Performed by: the Choir and Orchestra of Serbia’s National Theatre’s at Novi Sad.
Director: Sonja Vukicevic
Sets: Miodrag Tabacki
Soprano: Snezana Savicic-Sekulic, k.g., Danijela Jovanovic
Tenor: Igor Ksionzik, Aleksandar Tolimir
Baritone: Vasa Stajkic, Ivan Nikolic, Nebojsa Sogorovic