A stimulating crucible against war on the subject of Purcell

Despite being convinced I had tickets to the TNC, where they were premiering a contemporary opera in co-production with the KVS in Brussels and other European theaters, the repetitive electronic music that poured through the open doors of the Sala Grande into the foyer fifteen minutes before the performance was supposed to begin made me doubt. But no. It was the first theme of this elemental and anecdotal historical approach to the Carthaginian general who became the eponym of the conquerors who brought war, and death, around the world, mixed with a supposed revision of the opera's plot. Dido and Aeneas by Henry Purcell. Ultimately, the aim of the proposal is to denounce war and those who practice it (there is nothing current) in a rabidly contemporary staging where we find text, singing, dance, projections and even live painting.

With a libretto that, in the wake of post-dramatic theatre, renounces a plot or a story, what makes the proposal more than good is the dynamic and frankly successful musical salad with comings and goings from electronic music to African ethnic songs, passing through hip hop and the lyricism of the Ah, BelindaAll in all, a fine concert. A well-balanced musical compendium of classicism (harp, kora, violin), three magnificent lyrical voices, the authenticity of the African songs (which unfortunately aren't translated), and the atmosphere of both DJs. All of this served by a multiracial staging with highly physical dances and appropriate projections. Hannibal, A piece that young audiences would do well to know about, premiered in a hall at the KVS, with the audience standing upright (they could dance) around the screens and the musicians' podium. Good luck!