Slovene National Theatre Opera and Ballet Ljubljana
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30 Nov 2024
6 Dec 2024
Six performances of "Don Quixote", a romantic ballet by choregrapher Denis Matvienko, set to the music by Ludwig Minkus and inspired by the titular character of the classic novel "The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha" by Miguel de Cervantes. Produced by Slovene National Theatre Opera and Ballet Ljubljana.
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24 Jul 2024
Giacomo Puccini's "Madama Butterfly", a Japanese tragedy in two acts, performed in the Italian language. Directed by Vinko Möderndorfer. Produced by Slovene National Theatre Opera and Ballet Ljubljana.
at the Pula Summer of Culture
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14 May 2024
19 May 2024
Six performances of ballet Giselle by the ballet company of the Slovene National Theatre Opera and Ballet Ljubljana.
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27 Mar 2024
13 Apr 2024
Five performances of "Romeo and Juliet", a Slovene production of the classical ballet by choreographer Renato Zanella and the ballet ensemble of Slovene National Theatre Opera and Ballet Ljubljana.
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20 Mar 2024
13 Apr 2024
Nine performances of "Romeo and Juliet" by ballet ensemble of Slovene National Theatre Opera and Ballet Ljubljana, choreographed by Renato Zanella.
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5 Jul 2023
Croatia Zagreb National Theatre of Croatia Zagreb
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21 Mar 2023
26 Mar 2023
Italy Trieste/Trst
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7 Mar 2020
Slovenian ballet dancers of Slovene National Theatre Opera and Ballet Ljubljana and Association of Ballet Artists of Slovenia, supported by the Slovenian Cultural Centre in Berlin (Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia Berlin),
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6 Mar 2020
A music event with Matjaž Kumelj, Darja Švajger, and Silvina Buchbauer with ballet dancer of the Slovene National Theatre Opera and Ballet Ljubljana and Association of Ballet Artists of Slovenia, with actores Urs Remond and Aleš Valič, pianists Jaka Pucihar and Boris Bergmann. Supported by the Slovenian Cultural Centre in Berlin (Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia Berlin),
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26 Sep 2019
The ballet drama Doctor Zhivago, produced by the Slovene National Theatre Opera and Ballet Ljubljana,
at the Balet Fest Sarajevo
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13 Jul 2019
The ballet performance Giselle, produced by the Slovene National Theatre Opera and Ballet Ljubljana,
at the Mittelfest
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19 Nov 2018
Choreographies by the dancers of the Slovene National Theatre Opera and Ballet Ljubljana, Slovene National Theatre Maribor, and the Association of Ballet Artists of Slovenia, hosted by the Slovenian Cultural Centre in Berlin (Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia Berlin),
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6 Jun 2018
The ballet drama Doctor Zhivago, produced by the Slovene National Theatre Opera and Ballet Ljubljana
at the RE:PUBLIKA 1918-2018 FESTIVAL Brno
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28 Mar 2018
Symphony of Sorrowful Songs, directed by Tomaž Pandur and produced by the Slovene National Theatre Opera and Ballet Ljubljana,
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21 Mar 2018
24 Mar 2018
Symphony of Sorrowful Songs, directed by Tomaž Pandur and produced by the Slovene National Theatre Opera and Ballet Ljubljana,
at the Bogotá Latin American Theatre Festival
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14 Mar 2018
18 Mar 2018
Symphony of Sorrowful Songs, directed by Tomaž Pandur and produced by the Slovene National Theatre Opera and Ballet Ljubljana,
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11 Jan 2018
25 Jan 2018
Swan Lake ballet produced by Slovene National Theatre Opera and Ballet Ljubljana with the Stadttheater Klagenfurt orchestra. Choreography by Lynne Charles, set design by Vadim Fiškin and Miran Mohar, costumes by Uroš Belantič.
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26 Sep 2017
Cactuses and Five Tangoes, performed by the soloists of the Slovene National Theatre Opera and Ballet Ljubljana with music by accordionist Marko Hatlak and FUNtango,
at the Balet Fest Sarajevo
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11 Dec 2016
TAKE IT SLO(w) SONNTAG, or Ein kultureller Brunch events including a photo exhibition by Urban Cerjak, a literary reading and discussion with Davorin Lenko, a reading with poet Andrej Hočevar and the music programme: the lieder interpreted by Martina Burger (soprano) from Slovene National Theatre Opera and Ballet Ljubljana, Luka Ortar (bass-baritone) (SNG Maribor), and Vladimir Mlinarić (piano) from Ljubljana Academy of Music, organised by Periskop in cooperation with the Slovenian Cultural Centre in Berlin (Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia Berlin),
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17 Jul 2015
18 Jul 2015
La Bohéme, performed by the Slovene National Theatre Opera and Ballet Ljubljana
at the Thurn und Taxis Festival
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18 Jun 2015
28 Jun 2015
Meta Grgurevič, JAŠA as set designers and Ana Savić Gecan, costume designer, selected by Barbara Novakovič Kolenc, and students of the Faculty of Architecture, University of Ljubljana and Academy of Theatre, Radio, Film and Television (AGRFT) presented at the Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space (PG). Produced by Slovenian Theatre Institute and Muzeum Institute, in cooperation with Slovene National Theatre Drama Ljubljana and Slovene National Theatre Opera and Ballet Ljubljana, supported by the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia Prague
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7 May 2015
13 May 2015
Swan Lake, produced by the Slovene National Theatre Opera and Ballet Ljubljana with the orchestra conducted by Živa Ploj Peršuh,
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16 Jan 2014
Niccolò Piccinni's opera buffa La Cecchina or The Good-Natured Girl, co-produced by the Slovenian Chamber Music Theatre, Cankarjev dom, Academy of Music, and Slovene National Theatre Opera and Ballet Ljubljana,
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2 Dec 2012
Ballet ensemble of the Slovene National Theatre Opera and Ballet Ljubljana
at the Adria Arts & Culture Festival
History
The beginnings of Slovene opera performances can be traced back to 1867 when the Dramatic Society was established. The society opened possibilities also for operatic productions which were at first very modest (singspiels, operettas, stage music). Important impulses were given by the singer, conductor and composer Fran Gerbič who improved the music capacities of local actors and musicians.
In 1892 the new building was built. The building hosted two theatres: the German State Theatre (as conductors served in German theatre such conductors as Gustav Mahler and Fritz Reiner) and the Slovene theatre, which now operated on the professional basis. The Slovene ensemble was without an orchestra but with the help of military band they performed also operas and operettas. Both ensembles prepared their own productions and the relation between them was of a positive rivalry.
In 1918 the opera gained a professional orchestra and a ballet ensemble. The most important artistic director was the composer and conductor Mirko Polič. He enlarged the orchestra and ensemble and staged many contemporary operas (I. Stravinsky, S. Prokofiev, E. Krenek, D. Shostakovich, P. Vladigerov, Marij Kogoj) and the basic German repertoire (R. Wagner, R. Strauss).
After the Second World War, the opera continued with successful work. Of special importance was the guest appearance on the Dutch Festival and in Paris with the performance of Prokofiev's opera The Love for Three Oranges. In 1957, the recording of it, under the baton of the renowned Slovenian conductor Bogo Leskovic for the renowned label Philips and rewarded with the grand prix du disque.
Programme
Opera
As the central Slovene music theatre company, the SNG Opera and Ballet Ljubljana stages an annual season of opera, ballet and concerts, plus some additional programmes featuring various classical and contemporary music theatre works. Each season, around 150 performances by the opera and ballet ensembles take place.
The Opera Company of the SNG Opera and Ballet Ljubljana also presents an annual programme of international opera featuring its own orchestra and regular appearances by visiting international guest conductors, directors or performers. Each season it prepares 3 to 5 new productions and reprises of jolder productions. They perform mostly Italian opera of 19th century and operas form verismo period. Ensemble of soloists consists mainly of Slovene singers but at the premiers perform often also the foreign artists.
Ballet
The Ballet Company of the SNG Opera and Ballet Ljubljana prepares on average 3 new performances per year. Guest dancers and choreographers are often invited to work with the company and various productions are staged in collaboration with overseas companies. The Ballet Company prepares standard ballet pieces (Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, Minkus) and lately also combines modern dance techniques with standard ballet practices.
Venues
The majority of the performances are staged in the neo-Classical opera house, designed by Czech architects Jan V. Hrasky and Anton Hruby and built in 1892. The building has undergone renovations with the addition of a new annex which doubled the building's size to 10,000 square metres (architects Jurij Kobe and Marjan Zupanc). The doors re-opened for the 2011/2012 season.
Larger productions are also staged at Cankarjev dom Culture and Congress Centre, sometimes in co-operation with Slovene National Theatre Maribor that houses also opera and ballet ensemble. The significant co-productions have comprised Faust, Aida, Don Quixote, Prince Igor, Rusalka, and the Rhine Nymphs.
International cooperation
After the Second World War, the Opera made extensive tours which led the ensemble in Holland, France, Russia, Czech and Slovak Republic. Frequent were guest appearances in near Trieste, Klagenfurt, Zagreb and Graz. In 2012 the Ballet ensemble presented itself in South Korea.
In the last decade opera company tries to re-establish international contacts by preparing joint productions. Its partners have been Festspielhaus from Austria's St Poelten, Volkstheater Rostock, the Slovene National Theatre Maribor, Teatro Verdi Trieste, the Croatian National Theatre of Zagreb, the Glyndebourne Festival (Dvořak's Rusalka) and Opera Comique from Paris.
See also
Slovene National Theatres
- Slovene National Theatre Drama Ljubljana
- Slovene National Theatre Maribor
- Slovene National Theatre Nova Gorica
External links
- SNG Opera and Ballet Ljubljana website
- The stage virtual tour
- SNG Opera and Ballet Ljubljana YouTube channel
- SNG Opera and Ballet Ljubljana architecture - the history of the building from the Theatre Architecture in Central Europe web database