La nit de Sant Joan

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Image courtesy of Liceu

The production La nit de Sant Joan (Soirées de Barcelone), the second ballet of composer Robert Gerhard (1896-1970), with scenography by Joan Junyer and storyline by Ventura Gassol, would not be performed in 1939 due to the vicissitudes of the Spanish Civil War. The work was created because of the madness for dance that erupted at the beginning of the 20th century, with the backdrop of the European image of an exotic Spain and the great success that Manuel de Falla had in this field.

Inspired by the mythical night of the summer solstice—nit de Sant Joan—and the celebrations with fire from the Catalan Pyrenees, the music is modern, yet with a folk feeling, evoking melodies from our folklore, where the frenetic beats describe torch dances, the parade of magical figures and the erotic movements of couples who, in intimate union, end up marrying at dawn.  

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