Transfigured Night

Set to the music of Arnold Schönberg, Transfigured Night is a journey from inner chaos to light and enlightenment. Originally created for the Göteborg Ballet, it raises the question of how much and in what way we can carry each other’s burdens.

``Saarinen’s piece is a real delight, the music and the lighting design -- contribute to making a total artwork.``

Danza & Danza (Italy), 2002

Info

Duration

30 minutes

Premiere

March 2, 2002, Göteborg Opera, Sweden

Production

Göteborg Ballet, Also in the repertoire of Finnish National Ballet (2005)

Creative team

Choreographer
Tero Saarinen

Lighting designer
Mikki Kunttu

Costume designer
Rachel Quarmby-Spadaccini

Choreographer’s Assistant
Sini Länsivuori

Credits

Choreography Tero Saarinen
Music Arnold Schönberg
Lighting design Mikki Kunttu
Costume design Rachel Quarmby
Choreographer’s Assistant Sini Länsivuori

``With his uniquely nervy, somewhat “rough” style, Saarinen embodies an existential bewilderment. The repetitive giddiness returns in Transfigured Night where Mikki Kunttu’s expressive lighting and Rachel Quarmby’s knitted woollen costumes unite the earthbound Scandinavian style and the explicitly transparent.``

- Svenska Dagbladet (Sweden), 2002