Bayerisches Junior Ballett München

Stimmenstrahl Trio

Choreography
Music »Stimmenstrahl Trio« (2017) Ausschnitt aus »Vespers« (1915)

The number three is significant and holds many important associations in most cultural, religious, numerological and spiritual traditions. A trinity doctrine is the idea that one God exists as (or in) three equally divine entities. In numerology, the number 3 speaks about the lessons that one has to learn in order to move forward in life. It can also be symbolic of the birth-life-death cycle or the mind-body-soul connection.

For Maged Mohamed, the holy trinity as it is revered in diverse religious practices around the world was a continual source of inspiration throughout the creation of the piece. Jacopo Salvatori’s commissioned score drives the ballet forward with an electronic beat that arrives at a choral excerpt from Sergey Rachmaninov’s «Vespers». A favourite of Rachmaninov himself, the acapella chant “Bogoroditse Devo” (Rejoice, O Virgin) has been hailed as one of the greatest musical achievements in the Russian Orthodox Church: “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.”

The word “Stimmenstrahl” can be translated as a “ray of voice”. The voices of the original cast inspired Maged Mohamed throughout his creative process. Featuring a cast of one woman and two men, «Stimmenstrahl Trio» offers a contemporary perspective on classical ballet today, pushing the neoclassical form into an extended and extreme physicality. Mohamed empowered the original cast to contribute their improvised and personal expressions of movement, which gives the ballet an authenticity that remains to this day.

ABOUT MAGED MOHAMED
Maged Mohamed began his career at the Cairo Opera before moving to Europe to dance at the Meininger Theatre, Semperoper Dresden and the Bavarian State Ballet. He first attracted international attention for his choreographic work with his short film «7 years before», which amassed awards at the Nice International Film Festival and others. In recent years, Maged has worked with dancers on the cusp of their professional careers, creating new works for the Ballet Academy of the University for Music and Performing Arts Munich, the Zurich Dance Academy and the Bavarian Junior Ballet Munich.

First premiered on 19 November 2018 as part of a matinée by the Heinz-Bosl-Stiftung at the Nationaltheater Munich