Tuesday November 25th at 8.30 p.m. at Lingotto Auditorium
An ultimatum from 416 BC that seems to be a universal meditation on power, law, justice and freedom. Written and directed by Alessandro Baricco, with original music by Giovanni Sollima, Thucydides. Athens vs. Melos stages – on Tuesday November 25th at 8.30 p.m. at Lingotto Auditorium – the famous dialogue between Athenians and Melians from The Peloponnesian War by the great Greek historian. Together with the authors, Stefania Rocca and Valeria Solarino will embody the ambassadors of the two cities, with the accompaniment of 100 Cellos led by Enrico Melozzi: an orchestral army for a drama in which sound and acting join together into a single, powerful show. A Scuola Holden production, marking an unusual opening of Concerti del Lingotto to languages that connect words, stage and music.
Thucydides and the Peloponnesian War
The Peloponnesian War lasts fifteen years between Athenians and Spartans without any decisive victory. In 416 BC, the small island of Melos attempts to maintain its neutrality in the conflict. Athens doesn’t agree and sends its ambassadors with an ultimatum. The dialogue that follows is fierce. Athenians claim the law of the strongest, Melians appeal to justice and law. Thucydides tells the dialogue as a witness, transcribing the exact words and reconstructing the verbal clash with a powerful dramatic tension: an authentical theatrical pièce. By staging these pages, Baricco reveals their real nature.
A joining of words, music and theatre
Author, director and narrator on stage, Baricco writes a script in which Stefania Rocca and Valeria Solarino bring to life an ancient dialogue that still questions the present. However, the show’s visual protagonists are the 100 Cellos led by Enrico Melozzi. Their presence evokes the highlights of the story. Giovanni Sollima’s original music marks the rhythm of the debate, becoming part of the narration. More than a soundtrack, the score acts as a second dramatic voice and it rebuilds the scene into a collective ritual.