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‘Circe’s Enchantments from Human to Animal, finally free—an Operatic Stage’ condenses the multimedia spectacle of opera into a physical composition, celebrating its grandeur and displaying a modern interpretation of its name sake ‘Ballet Comique de la Reine’ from 1581.
The Original Story 1581
The original 1581 ‘Ballet Comique de la Reine’ tells the story of the enchantress Circe turning people into animals as a display of power, before being defeated by the king and the four sisters of virtue—Prudence, Temperance, Justice, and Fortitude.
A Modern Story 2024
Swantje Schulz’s three-part miniature stage however performs a version in which Circe helps the four to find their lost sister, Passion. Circe’s magic gives humans one last chance to be guided by their instinct and hearts, establishing her instead as the hero of this tale. The stage freely combines Romantic philosophies with the architecture of Italian theaters, making the stage, orchestra pit, and audience equal parts of the operatic experience.
