Per Gyunt

What one can expect from The Ballet Theatre of Zürich? Only a masterpiece! When I was seeking for a ballet “Per Gyunt” I hoped to enjoy my senses with not just a music that is fantastic, but also high-level dancing as well as directing.  “Per Gyunt” staged in 2008 on a stage of Zürich did not delude mzy expectations.

The plot is build up on the constant inside fight of the main hero.  He was a son of a poor widow, who lived in his fancies and tried to make other people believe in the veracity of his stories.  He was presented  with the opportunity to join the dim world of fables he fantasized about.  During the wedding of his beloved girl, being irritated with the refusal to dance with him, that he received from a beautiful Solveign, he kidnapped the bride and skipped to the forest.  If he had felt true feelings for the girl, he wouldn’t have got bored with her. She was too up to the Earth for his freedom fighting soul, unframed and egocentric. He left her, but he had no chances to get back to the life he was leading, as he was expatriated. Only the forest and its inhabitants could accompany him…if he had been allowed to join them.  Seduced by the daughter of Troll King he agreed to become the Prince, but in the last minute he repudiated the agreement. He built a bungalow to live in alone, but Fortune is favourable to him. Solveign found him in the forest and told him that she had left her family to live with him. Doom, punishing for his previous mistakes, sent to him the Princess of Trolls, who has a son of Per Gyunt. He had to leave the forest and the country, not telling a word about the reasons to Solveign, as he didn’t want to mud her, a pure creature, with the dirt of his sin.  He left Norway for mysterious lands of the East.  He enjoyed a lot f adventures and at the end of life decided to visit the places that are rich in reflections of his youth. His mother died before his living Norway. He expected no one to be waiting for him, but found Solveign who finally rescued his soul. He died in her laps.

For the sake of the audience, many parts of the original poem were omitted, but those that were shown, abounded in feelings. Each emotion was not shown it was converted through the hearts of the dancers. Each movement, gesture,  eye conveyed  an emotion.  The choreography was not overfilled with  pas, this gave a special tenderness to the dances.  The director used some interesting tricks that gave freshness to the ballet. They were trick of different kinds, for instance the costumes he used gave cream lightness to the girls, dancing during the wedding party, the sand covering the stage it the third act, let the dancers benefit as the clouds of dust, accompanying the legs in the gracious jump, gave an effect of mistery.

Though I was impressed by the dancing and directing, I think, they would be feeble without the music of Edvard Grig. The composer, that created a masterpiece, the music that was definitely influenced by folk music. He succeed in depicting the poetry of nature. The music in this ballet, is not only background but a character, who  kindly let us feel the breath of grief, love, happiness, torture and finally peace.

This ballet is worth watching. You will never regret the two hours you’ve spent on this performance, I assure you.