BEETHOVEN 7

In BEETHOVEN 7, Sasha Waltz explores Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 in A major (Op. 92). The music was composed in 1812. This symphony resonates with themes of its time that remain relevant today: the failure of a revolution, the (forced) return to old traditions, and the tension between the desire for social transformation and the accompanying loss of freedom and prospects for the future.

In 1812, Beethoven wrote the following question in his diary: “[I]s the true human being / a slave to his surroundings or free?” and—personally disappointed—witnessed the political ideal of freedom fail amid the French Revolution and the European Restoration. At the same time, his work is a defining expression of an aesthetic ideal of artistic freedom.

The dance company Sasha Waltz & Guests was founded in Berlin in 1993 by Sasha Waltz and Jochen Sandig and celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2023. To this day, numerous artists and ensembles from the fields of architecture, visual arts, choreography, film, design, literature, fashion, and music—with backgrounds in more than 60 countries—have participated as “Guests” in over 100 productions, “Dialogues” projects, and films.

Sasha Waltz & Guests operates within an international and national network of production and touring partners that is constantly evolving, and since its founding has performed at over 300 international venues and festivals in more than 50 countries and 180 cities. From its current repertoire of 12 active productions, the company presents approximately 80 performances per year. In addition to its Berlin-based performances, national and international guest performances, and the maintenance of its repertoire, Sasha Waltz & Guests is also very active in the area of Education & Community—building on the children’s and youth dance company founded in 2006, the platform “ZUHÖREN – Third Space for Art and Politics,” which has been active since 2016, and various initiatives in the field of knowledge transfer.

Sasha Waltz & Guests is supported by the Senate Department for Culture and Social Cohesion.

sashawaltz.de

Cast: 

Concept and choreography: Sasha Waltz

Costumes: Bernd Skodzig

Lighting: Martin Hauk

Dramaturgy: Jochen Sandig

Music: Ludwig van Beethoven

Live music: Beethoven Orchestra Bonn