Siddharta

The spiritual journey of the Indian prince Gautama Siddharta and his emergence as the Buddha are the subject of this ambitious ballet, commissioned by the Opéra National de Paris and premiering at the Opéra Bastille in 2010. Choreographed by Angelin Preljocaj to a score by Bruno Mantovani, the story follows Siddharta's progress to enlightenment in 16 tableaux, beginning with sequences portraying his unhappiness amidst the extravagance of his father's court coupled with the appearance of a spirit called the Awakening, who invites him to abandon luxury for an ascetic life, followed by scenes of him and his cousin Ananda undergoing testing and temptation until Siddharta merges with the Awakening and is recognized as the enlightened one. Unhappily, it would be almost impossible to discern what is being represented onstage without program notes. While the scenario demands deeply spiritual music and dance, Mantovani's conventionally modernist score and Preljocaj's athletic but inexpressive choreography come across as fairly commonplace. Granted, there are virtues in both Claude Lévêque's spartan set, dominated by a huge glistening globe, and Olivier Bériot's costumes, especially the women's flowing gowns (the men just wear tight-fitting trousers). And certainly Nicolas Le Riche (Siddharta) and Stéphane Bullion (Ananda) are impressive, as is Aurélie Dupont as the spirit. But while the orchestra plays well for Susanna Mälkki, the corps de ballet suffers from the unimaginative choreography. Despite fine camerawork and excellent sound (Dolby Digital 5.1 and PCM stereo on DVD, and DTS-HD 5.1 and PCM stereo on Blu-ray), this premiere by one of Europe's most prestigious companies is a disappointment. Not recommended. (F. Swietek)