Tchaikovsky: Sleeping Beauty

Michael Beyer
2022-04-10

A ballet by Christian Spuck
9
122 min

Sleeping Beauty was premiered in St. Petersburg with Tchaikovsky’s immortal music in 1890. In his version for the Ballett Zurich, Christian Spuck revives the classic in his own artistic style. With a great deal of humor, he addresses the complex process of growing up, relating themes such as generational conflicts with one’s parents, the difficulties of becoming a mature adult, and, last but not least, love and sexuality. Whenever possible, he frees the characters from their traditional role cliches. Petipa’s original version becomes a model that Christian Spuck occasionally cites yet repeatedly questions and counteracts with irony and occasionally irritating moments.