Edward Clug's contemporary choreography is based on the legendary oratorio Carmina Burana by German composer Carl Orff (1895-1982), which illustrates the twists and turns of human life subject to the whims of fate. The cantata uses a medieval collection of poetry found in a Bavarian monastery, which deals with various themes: the impermanence of success and wealth, the fleeting nature of life, the coming of spring, and the pleasures and miseries of drink and lust. The central symbol of the oratorio, the wheel of fate, turns, transforming joy into bitterness and hope into mourning. The main visual element in Edward Clug’s choreography is the circle – the simplest and at the same time the most complete natural form. Carmina Burana premiered at Les Grands Ballets Canadiens in Montreal in October 2019. The LNO orchestra, choir and soloists also take part in this grand production by the Latvian National Ballet.

The Artistic Director of Maribor Ballet Edward Clug is an internationally renowned Romanian contemporary ballet choreographer. He has left his distinctive artistic signature on productions of the world’s most important ballet theaters and festivals, and he has received numerous awards. The first opportunity for the Latvian public to get to know the choreography of Edward Clug was in 2016, when the Latvian National Ballet staged the contemporary ballet Peer Gynt with music by Edvard Grieg.