Phạm Thu Hằng, soloist at the Việt Nam National Opera & Ballet, will perform in Dó. Photo courtesy of the European Union in Việt Nam

HÀ NỘI – Vietnamese ballet dancers will perform Dó with as well as a version of Four Seasons to celebrate Europe Day on May 9 at Hà Nội Opera House. 

The music in Dó serves as a link between the past and the present of European classical music, introducing Vietnamese audiences to Vivaldi’s legendary Four Seasons, recomposed by famed composer Max Richter. 

Europe Day is the anniversary of the Schuman Declaration for European unity, which provided peace, prosperity, and freedom. The day is also an opportunity to commemorate past achievements, look ahead to shaping the future, and inspire partnerships forged beyond Europe's borders.

EU ambassador to Việt Nam Julien Guerrier said: "In this sense, cultural exchanges like the ballet Dó unite us by giving a common sense, beyond aid, trade or politics, to the essence of the beauty of art.

"We want to promote the unique and refined music from the European continent and Việt Nam’s increasing artistic talents that we have witnessed over recent years.

"We are proud to demonstrate this EU and Việt Nam cultural cooperation and cherish it in the unique Dó."

With the version by Richter, the legendary Four Seasons has familiar melodies but also encompasses new layers of instrumentation and daring structural experiments.

Richter stands as one of the most prodigious figures on the contemporary music scene, with ground-breaking work as a composer, pianist, producer and collaborator. From synthesisers and computers to a full symphony orchestra, Richter’s innovative work encompasses solo albums, ballets, concert hall performances, film and television series, video art installations and theatre works. 

The music will be performed live by musicians from the Việt Nam National Symphony Orchestra, the Sun Symphony Orchestra and the Việt Nam National Opera and Theatre under the baton of Đồng Quang Vinh.

Written in 1723, the timeless Four Seasons paints vivid countryside scenes, while also conjuring up a world of sounds depicting natural phenomena and human life.

Set to provide a bridge for cross-cultural exchange, the piece Dó, choreographed by Meritorious Artist Phan Lương and choreographer Vũ Ngọc Khải, is a synthesis of European classical music, images and stories from Vietnamese culture, expressed with the artistic language of contemporary ballet.

The ballet also brings forth a sense of movement, flexibility, newness and convergence – core values championed by the European Union. 

Through the artistic inputs of Lương and Khải, the dances and movements form an emotive response to Four Seasons and depict a diverse range of soulful expressions of the symphony of life.

Winter constitutes not only a conversation with the world of nature, but also an inner journey in search of meaning and purpose; while Autumn reflects moments of calmness under a vast open sky.

Summer revolves around the most wondrous and eventful years in one’s life through weather systems, perturbation, and tranquillity.

The ballet ends where seasons begin – Spring, when all things bloom, are reborn, with all worries left behind, and nature and humans coming together in harmony. 

The ballet will begin at 8 pm on May 10. Ticket information can be found on the EU in Việt Nam page on Facebook. — VNS