The Vienna State Ballet’s final premiere under the direction of Martin Schläpfer presents three Viennese debuts – with world premieres by a younger generation of choreographers.

Alessandra Corti explores the theme of human identity and takes her inspiration from processes of tension that can be read as prismatic phenomena or as collective experiences. The title of her piece, Aerea – a palindrome without a beginning or an end – alludes to its ethereal and elusive nature. Its music is based on Rewriting Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony – Michael Gordon’s humorous and disconcerting take on a classic.

High is Louis Stiens’s title for his creation, referring to the overwhelming sight of the summer sun, early in the morning after staying up all night. The artist surveys the present with seismographic intensity, seeing the past within it and creating his unsettling dance pieces out of the clashes between these periods. For his debut in Vienna, he will be inspired by the music of Swedish composer Lisa Streich. – A giddy flight of fancy from the skies to the dance hall. 

“Max Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 is a powerful expression of our delight in being alive. Based solely on the musical twists in this composition, my ballet is a kind of snapshot of ourselves: where are we coming from, where are we right now, where are we heading?” This is how Martin Chaix describes the starting point for his choreography M to M.