Concerts with works by

Ballet by Demis Volpi after Hermann Hesse

Demian

Demis Volpi creates his first full-length ballet for the Hamburg Ballet loosely based on Hermann Hesse’s "Demian" – a coming-of-age novel which, during the course of the 20th century has cyclically resurfaced, usually in times of major global political conflict. In the novel a man looks back on his childhood and youth, pondering on the events which have shaped him and the beliefs and forces from which he emancipated himself. Questions about the essence of good and evil, the inevitable encounter with one's own demons and the inner struggle which is reflected in the larger, global strife form a profound foundation for exploring fundamental questions about life, the world and one’s place in it. Do we face the darkness, the foreboding, the restlessness? Or do we block them out? What choices to we make? And: will the ground we thought was safe actually hold us? Choreography: Demis Volpi Music: N.N. Libretto: Maurice Lenhard Dramaturgy: Vivien Arnold Set: Stefanie Braun Costumes: Thomas Lempertz Lighting Design: Bonnie Beecher PREMIERE : Hamburg Ballet, State Opera, Hamburg, July 6, 2025