Miroslav Krleža – Leo Mujić
THE GLEMBAYS
Neoclassical ballet about the destruction of one Agremerian Patrician family
Adaptation, choreography, direction and music selection by Leo Mujić
Music by Ludwig Van Beethoven, Sergei Rachmaninoff
Miroslav Krleža's most famous dramatic text, The Glembays, received its first ballet version in the previous season to the selected music by Ludwig van Beethoven and Sergei Rachmaninoff. But the story of this ballet starts earlier than the texts indicate, as the choreographer, director and libretto writer Leo Mujić looked to Miroslav Krleža's prose texts from the cycle about the Glembays to create it. Before events culminate at the celebration of the anniversary of the Glembay Bank, we get to know many details from the lives of the familiar characters, which lead to the total collapse of this rich patrician Zagreb family. The story starts rapidly progressing to its tragic ending following Leone's return to Zagreb after 11 years – he had decided not to take over the family business, and had instead turned to art. He cannot resist sarcastically narrating the family's history, which begins with a crime committed in 1790 and continues with illicit business and personal transactions, and theatrical means of degeneration. Immediately at its premiere at the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb, the play was an instant success, becoming one of the most performed dramas of Croatian drama literature, and its ballet version has continued this tradition in the best possible way. The ballet adaptation of such a literary classic was not only a great challenge for the choreographer, his assistants, and the entire ensemble but also for those who are well-acquainted with this famous literary family.
I read The Glembays through emotions. I am interested in the relationships between the characters, their personalities, fetishes, value systems, the father-son conflict, the addiction to the mother and the obsession with the stepmother... This production conveys these elements spectacularly by translating one of the most significant Croatian dramas into ballet form. (Leo Mujić)
Mujić is undoubtedly a great master of group dance, continually creating new visual sensations with his dance combinations. Euphony of various formations makes use of every single note and is always perfectly efficient, whilst the ensemble feels this to the bone, dancing as if they all were in the leading role. — Jutarnji list
Glembajeve čitam kroz emocije, zanimaju me odnosi među likovima, karakteri, njihovi fetiši, sustav vrijednosti, sukob oca i sina, ovisnost o majci i opčinjenost maćehom… Upravo to balet sjajno prenosi… prevodeći u baletno djelo jednu od najznačajnijih hrvatskih drama. (Leo Mujić)— Večernji list
Mujić je nedvojbeno veliki majstor skupne plesne kombinatorike iz koje se neprestance stvaraju uvijek nove likovne senzacije. Muzikalnost najrazličitijih formacija koristi svaku notu, uvijek je u funkciji bez imalo praznog hoda, a to ansambl i te kako osjeća i pleše kao da je on u glavnoj ulozi.— Jutarnji list
