To conclude its 25th anniversary season, Nashville Ballet will present the awe-inspiring audience favorites Afternoon of a Faun and Carmina Burana April 29 through May 1 in TPAC's Jackson Hall, in conjunction with The Nashville Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, the Nashville Children's Choir and guest vocalists.
One of the most recognizable pieces of classical music in the world, Carmina Burana will be performed live by 75 children from the Nashville's Children's Choir, 205 singers from The
Nashville Symphony Orchestra Chorus, 65 musicians from The
Nashville Symphony Orchestra and three featured guest vocalists, alongside 30 dancers from Nashville Ballet. Members of the Nashville Children's Choir will perform from the Loge seating section of Jackson Hall. Musicians from The
Nashville Symphony Orchestra will fill the orchestra pit and spill onto the corners of the stage, and The
Nashville Symphony Orchestra Chorus will sing from risers upstage behind the dancers.
"Staging such an enormous production is a perfect way to end our 25th anniversary season on a memorable note," Nashville Ballet Artistic Director and CEO
Paul Vasterling said. "All of the local organizations that contribute to our production illustrates just how much talent and culture Nashville has to offer."
The opening piece of Carmina Burana, O Fortuna, is likely the most familiar portion of the piece. It is often heard in action scenes from movie trailers, feature films and video games because of its strong percussive elements, ancient lyrics and ominous tone.
The iconic instrumentation was written by German composer Carl Orff in 1937, to accompany poetry written in the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries that challenges conventional values and religious leadership of the time. The poems examine the cycle of life and question the source of life's pains. Fortuna in the production is visually represented by the Wheel of Fortune, which determines the fates of human beings.
The poems of Carmina Burana were recorded on parchment, animal skin which was often written on, erased and reused many times. The parchment material inspired portions of Vasterling's choreography and former Nashville Ballet company member Eric Harris' costume designs in the production.
"The imagery of the Wheel of Fortune and the parchment both spoke to me when choreographing this piece, because they are both illustrations that we are all part of something bigger, a greater whole," Vasterling said.
Immediately before Carmina Burana, Nashville Ballet will present Afternoon of a Faun, choreographed by Salvatore Aiello in 1988, based on the ballet originally created by Vaslav Nijinsky in 1912. Afternoon of a Faun tells the story of a faun who encounters four nymphs in the forest. The faun falls in love with one of the nymphs, but is left heartbroken when the nymph does not reciprocate his love.
"At its heart, Afternoon of a Faun illustrates the awakening of desire for these characters who were inspired by ancient Greek mythology," Ballet Master Tim Yeager said. "Aiello's choreography illustrates abstract concepts like desire, rejection and personal discovery so tastefully and gracefully that we chose to present his recreation of this classic ballet."
Carmina Burana and Afternoon of a Faun will be staged at TPAC's Jackson Hall Friday, April 29 at 7:30 pm.; Saturday, April 30 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, May 1 at 2 p.m. Tickets start at $30.
Ticket Information
Nashville Ballet tickets for all performances can be purchased in person at the TPAC box office in downtown Nashville, by phone at (615) 782-4040, online at
www.nashvilleballet.com or at the new TPAC Box Office at the Green Hills Mall concierge desk. Groups of ten or more receive a discount. For information on group sales or to purchase group tickets, please call Logan Heinsch at (615) 297-2966 x10.
About Nashville Ballet
Nashville Ballet is the largest professional ballet company in Tennessee. As the second largest producing arts organization in the Middle Tennessee area, Nashville Ballet presents a varied repertoire of classical ballet and contemporary works by noted choreographers, including original works by Artistic Director
Paul Vasterling. Nashville Ballet and the
Second Company NB2 (a pre-professional training company) serve nearly 70,000 adults and children annually through performances and our outreach and community engagement programming. Our curriculum-based outreach program brings dance education to community centers, colleges, public libraries, eight resident schools, and public elementary and middle schools over a 15-county region throughout Middle Tennessee. The School of Nashville Ballet provides world-class instruction in ballet for the dancers of tomorrow.
Nashville Ballet is funded in part from grants made available through the Metropolitan Nashville Arts Commission, the Tennessee Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as the Ingram Charitable Trust. Additional funding is also provided by HCA Tri-Star, The Martin Foundation, Regions Bank, Bridgestone Americas Trust Fund, and the Andrew Woodfin Miller Foundation.
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