Melvyn Tan and Churen Li’s performance at this year’s Charleston Festival recreates two of the most scandalous landmarks of modernism, Stravinsky’s ‘The Rite of Spring’ and Debussy’s ‘The Afternoon of a Faun’ performed live in the Festival Tent on two concert Steinway pianos.
The event will feature original choreography by Russell Maliphant performed live by Royal Ballet principal dancer Reece Clarke, and bespoke costuming by Kim Jones’s DIOR Men. This reimagining of Nijinsky’s landmark modernist performance of ‘Afternoon of a Faun’ will be the centrepiece of a live performance by celebrated pianists Melvyn Tan and Churen Li and accompanied by dramatic readings from award-winning actor David Morrissey.
These two works of modernist music caused near-riots when performed over 100 years ago and changed how the world thought about music and dance. The performance will be accompanied by dramatic readings by a guest reader.