Tristan at Teatr Wielki - Opera Narodowa, Moniuszko Auditorium

With this ballet, Krzysztof Pastor won the hearts of Polish audiences and critics. “With its theme of deathdefying love, Wagner’s intoxicating music and the largest stage in Europe – the premiere of Tristan at Warsaw’s Teatr Wielki was a grand occasion”, wrote Maggie Foyer in Dance Europe magazine published in London. Pastor took on the most famous love story of our cultural tradition, giving it a very contemporary theatrical form. He originally created the ballet for the Royal Swedish Ballet and then produced it again in Warsaw, to great success. This is a magnificent, original show about the ecstasy of love, inspired by Mediaeval chivalrous romances. It is a story of unfulfilled love and death, about being torn between Christian morality and desire. The message turns out to have great relevance today, because the conflict between moral principles and passion is very much alive, absorbing us as much today as it did a thousand years ago. A huge role in this production is played by Richard Wagner’s music – its spaciousness, infiniteness, and passion. It was taken from two of the composer’s famous works: the musical drama Tristan und Isolde and the Wesendonk-Lieder cycle. The magnificent music and original choreography is supported by the wonderful dance interpretations of the Polish National Ballet’s soloists.