Welcome to Cathedral,
With Cathedral, an evening with Arvo Pärt, Marcos Morau created a unique world in 2019, blending his alienating and complex movement language with striking imagery. A classic in our repertoire, it honors Scapino’s longstanding relationship with the award-winning choreographer.
Beyond that, Cathedral is a poignant work that resonates with our times: exploring life in a world dominated by digital technology. A performance by a leading dance artist, it aligns with our focus on the theme of nature – nurture and challenges audiences to reflect deeply.
Nanine Linning
Synopsis
Imagine a room with a door at the bottom, from which a series of characters emerges—familiar, yet distant. These characters represent our inner world. Cathedral is a lost place in our minds, a timeless space where life consists of levels, of doors that open and close, of situations that unfold endlessly and gradually approach us. Images—sometimes unsettling, beautiful, tragic, or comedic—create a setting where the characters, fragmented and inorganic bodies, propel themselves in search of beauty and survival.
Cathedral is a poetic and mystical work about humanity and its need to believe in something or someone, a constant search for a new spirituality to navigate our world. It offers a glimpse into an unknown and uncertain future.
A choral work about our small tragedies and the great absurdities of contemporary life, always tinted with melancholy and humor, always balanced between lightness and tragedy. The piece explores fundamental human questions, touching on Christ, the universe, art, progress, and the digital age we live in.
Today, we experience history at such a rapid pace that I believe we can no longer keep up with it. In my Cathedral, I wanted to express all my thoughts about the constant search for answers to survive in this world.”
- Marcos Morau
Podcast
In our digital introduction, we invite you into the world of Cathedral. In approximately 10 minutes, presenter Yannick Wagenaar delves into the work of choreographer and theater maker Marcos Morau, the selected music of Arvo Pärt, and the story behind Cathedral.
This podcast is designed to prepare you for your theater visit and offer a glimpse of the magic and meaning behind the dance performance. After listening, you’ll experience the production with completely new eyes and ears.
Marcos Morau
Marcos Morau (Valencia, 1982) studied photography, movement, and theater in Barcelona and New York. He creates worlds and imaginary landscapes where movement and imagery intersect.
For the past fifteen years, he has led the company La Veronal as director, choreographer, and designer of sets, lighting, and costumes. With La Veronal, he has presented performances in theaters and festivals worldwide. In addition, he is frequently invited by various companies to create new works that blur the boundaries between scenic art and dance, always with a strong focus on dramaturgy.
His pieces for La Veronal portray contemporary humanity, exploring their fears and questioning the world and their destiny.
Interview with choreographer Marcos Morau “A playroom where broken toys come to life.”
After the eclectic mix of musical styles in Pablo—his previous production for Scapino Ballet Rotterdam—Spanish choreographer Marcos Morau chose a single composer for Cathedral: Arvo Pärt, the Estonian artist renowned for his ethereal, serene compositions. “When you use Mozart or Schubert, as a choreographer you have an ocean of complexity at your disposal. With Pärt, you have half a glass of water. So you need to be very precise in how you use that water.”
Morau has been listening to Pärt’s music for a long time, though primarily for inspiration. “But purely to spark ideas. I never thought I would actually use his compositions in a production. Arvo Pärt is, after all, a cliché. His music has been used by so many filmmakers, theater directors, and choreographers and”—he mimics wringing out a towel—“squeezed dry.”
Still, Morau isn’t concerned with applying Pärt’s music in a way that’s different from others. “I’m not trying to be different; I’m trying to be myself. Since my last production for my own company, La Veronal, Pasionaria—which takes place on a fictional planet of the same name—I’ve become very interested in the future. In how thrilling or terrifying the path ahead will be in the coming decades and centuries.”
He acknowledges that the combination of Pärt’s music and a focus on the future isn’t immediately intuitive. “To me, Pärt’s music is closely tied to the ’80s and ’90s. You watch footage of the Balkan wars, and his music almost automatically comes to mind. My challenge with Cathedral is to explore how his music relates to a surreal world.”
Childlike Imagination
When it comes to shaping the surreal, futuristic world of Cathedral, Morau prefers not to reveal too much. “I don’t want to explain or impose ideas on my audience. That doesn’t mean I hide behind the abstraction of my work. I like to create frameworks and provide clues, but it’s up to the audience whether they choose to follow those suggestions.”
“Cathedral,” says Morau, “is something that exists in my mind—a childlike imagination. It’s a playroom where mostly broken toys come to life, as if in a nightmare. You realize that these toys, or characters, move differently, less organically, and relate to one another in unfamiliar ways.”
This vision connects to his personal outlook on the future. “I think we’re on the right track in some areas, but I also have concerns. I fear that with our growing focus on individuality and self-reliance, we’re losing our connection to others. This is reflected in politics and in how we engage with the arts. But I don’t want to be a pessimist. I believe there’s still time to change course. That’s also the message in my work: Look, this is where we’re headed. You still have the chance to change direction and focus on what really matters.”
Dancing with Your Mind
As in his productions for La Veronal, Morau uses his self-developed movement method, KOVA, in Cathedral. “It’s much more than a dance technique,” he explains. “You can think of it as a toolkit, but it’s also a state of mind. I ask the dancers to avoid any organic movement, to reject the first movement that comes to mind. As dancers, we tend to choose familiar ‘paths.’ Often it’s dance first, think later, but I want the opposite: think first, dance later. I want their minds to be in control, with every movement preceded by a deliberate thought process. This can be very frustrating for the dancers because they initially believe there’s no alternative to the way they’re used to moving.”
Isolations—the ability to move each body part independently—play a key role in this method. “I want the dancers to transform into creatures, like robots or androids, where every movement is consciously directed and controlled.”
Astronauts
Morau aims to make his audience think. “I’m not interested in creating beauty within the comfort zone. My productions are not about ‘sitting back and enjoying.’ I hope that after seeing Cathedral, people will ask themselves questions about where the world is headed and their role in it.”
Interestingly, his focus wasn’t on themes like nature or climate change but rather on religion—“an important aspect of my upbringing”—as well as the universe, art, progress, and the digital age. “But don’t expect me to pose questions about these themes, let alone provide answers. As an audience member, you’ll recognize certain elements that you can relate to—a pietà, a meteorite, astronauts—but they are just elements. My work is like a trip, like a dream: when you wake up, everything feels important, yet at the same time, everything feels irrelevant.”
Text by Astrid van Leeuwen
Lorena Nogal
Lorena Nogal (Barcelona, 1984) trained as a dancer at the Institut del Teatre in Barcelona. She danced with IT Dansa, performing works by renowned choreographers such as Ohad Naharin, Jirí Kilyán, and Nacho Duato.
Since 2008, she has been part of the artistic team of La Veronal as a choreographic assistant and dancer. Together with Marcos Morau, she has also collaborated with companies such as Compañía Nacional de Danza, GöteborgsOperans Danskompani, and Beijing Dance Theater. As a freelance dancer, she worked with Gelabert-Azzopardi and Plan B Danza, among others. In 2016, she was awarded “Best Dancer” by the critics of Catalonia.
In 2018, she launched the project HOTEL col·lectiu escènic with several dancers. Nogal also creates her own works, such as The Prom for IT Dansa.
The dancers of Cathedral
The music of Cathedral
Fratres – for strings and percussion
Variationen zur Gesundung – von Arinuschka – for piano
Sarah Was Ninety Years Old – for 3 voices, percussion, and organ
Darf ich… – for solo violin, bell (ad lib.), and strings
Cantus in Memory of Benjamin Britten – for string orchestra and bell
Für Alina – for piano
Summa – for string orchestra
Spiegel im Spiegel – for violin and piano
Tabula rasa: I. Ludus – for violin, viola, string orchestra, and prepared piano
My Heart’s in the Highlands – for alto, violin, viola, cello, and piano
© Universal Edition A.G., represented by Albersen Verhuur B.V.
Arvo Pärt
Arvo Pärt (Tallinn, 1935) is one of the most performed living composers. This unique status is owed to the Estonian composer’s subtle and meditative music, which can evoke the sensation of catching a glimpse of eternity.
His music is one that does not shy away from beautiful sounds, unlike the experimental and less accessible works with which Pärt began his career in the 1960s. At that time, he was considered one of the leading figures of the Soviet avant-garde under the regime of the Soviet Union, which ruled the Baltic states from 1940 to 1991. The authorities were at a loss with his music, and Pärt was criticized for his “sensitivity to foreign influences.”
Partly due to this power struggle, Arvo Pärt became silent around 1970. Except for film music, no notes left his pen. He delved into early music, studying Gregorian chant from the Middle Ages and polyphonic vocal music from the Renaissance. In 1972, he also turned to the Orthodox Church, which became an important source of inspiration for him.
I have discovered that it is enough if a single note is played beautifully.”
- Arvo Pärt
In those years, Pärt developed a highly personal compositional technique that he named ‘tintinnabuli,’ derived from the Latin word tintinnabulum meaning bell or little bell. It is music that returns to the basics of tonality, the pure triad, as found in the sound of a struck bell. The first works that exemplify this are Für Alina, Fratres, Cantus in Memory of Benjamin Britten, and Spiegel im Spiegel. In the latter work, Pärt allows the violin to follow each ascending line with a descending one. The first melody consists of two notes, the next three, and so on, creating an almost infinite reflection. This work, as well as Fratres, appears in various films, documentaries, ballet, and dance performances.
Though Arvo Pärt had found his own style, the Soviet authorities once again made it difficult for him, this time because of the religious nature of many of his compositions and the stylized bell sounds. In 1980, he was forced to leave Estonia with his family. After a year in Vienna, they moved to Berlin, where they stayed until returning to the now sovereign Estonia in 2010. And still, Pärt’s music remains sovereign, with a calm concentration that invites contemplation. “This music is about silence. The sounds exist to surround the silence,” says the composer. A cathedral of sound, impressive in its clear simplicity.
Text by Filip Leussink
Beauty in simplicity characterizes the music of Arvo Pärt. The sometimes few notes are placed in such a beautiful and intelligent way that he can stretch them over a long period and still maintain the tension.”
– Conrad van Alphen, Artistic Director of Sinfonia Rotterdam
Sinfonia Rotterdam
Sinfonia Rotterdam, the dynamic chamber orchestra of Rotterdam, has made a name for itself under the leadership of chief conductor Conrad van Alphen with its expressive way of making music, bringing energy and intensity to both old and new works.
The orchestra has its own series in Rotterdam and The Hague and performs not only in the major concert halls of the Netherlands but also in outdoor settings and unusual venues. It has toured internationally across Europe, Russia, and several South American countries. In 2025, Sinfonia Rotterdam will celebrate its 25th anniversary.
The performances at Theater Rotterdam are accompanied live by Sinfonia Rotterdam and soprano Channa Malkin (in collaboration with IVC). On tour, a recorded version of the orchestra is used to accompany the dancers.
Creatives
Director
Marcos Morau
Choreographer
Marcos Morau & Lorena Nogal
Set Design & Costume design
Silvia Delagneau
Dramaturgical Assistant
Carmina S. Beldak
Lightning Design
Marten K. Axelsson
Props and Special effects
Juan Serrano Sebastiá
Puppets
Ricardo Verge
Video Projections
Justin Bekker
Musical Performance
Sinfonia Rotterdam with singer Channa Malkin (in collaboration with IVC)
Credits
Artistic Director
Nanine Linning
Ballet masters
Débora Soto
Bonnie Doets
Federica Dadamo
Lorena Nogal
Marina Rodríguez
Costume Atelier
Petra Finke
Mara Wap (kleedster)
Production
Manon Paap
Tjeu Schellekens
Technical production
Guido Verschoor
Technical Team
Bjørn van Doesburg (Head of Technical Department)
Tommy Everts (light)
Marcel Wijngaards (sound)
Behrooz Vasseghi (Stage Manager)
Evert Achthoven (Transport, Stage Assistant)
Musicians
Violin
Cordelia Paw (concert master)
Marina Meerson
Inger van Vliet
Viola
Katya Woloshyn
Eduard Ataev
Cello
Oliver Parr
Contrabas
Peter Leerdam
Timpani/Percussion
Arjan Roos
Piano
Caecilia Boschman
Singer
Channa Malkin (in collaboration with IVC)
With special thanks to
Scene Photos
Bart Grietens (2024)
Hans Gerritsen (2019)
Campaign Image
Stef Nagel
Portrait Photos
Khalid Amakran
Interview Marcos
Astrid van Leeuwen
SubsidySponsors
Ministerie van Onderwijs, Cultuur & Wetenschap
Gemeente Rotterdam
Sponsors
Brighter World
STOER
Preferred suppliers
De Jong Tours
Peitsman licht & geluid BV
Winter Audio Service
Wonderland & Geschikt
Coming soon
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