Ovations for the World Premiere of Ensemble Dialogos in St. Donat

Katarina Livljanić and Pino De Vittorio conjure pure magic in the Myth of Ariadne and Theseus

Zadar has harvested yet another remarkable achievement thanks to the decision by the organizers of the Musical Evenings in Saint-Donatus to entrust Katarina Livljanić—an internationally renowned artist from Zadar—with curating a series dedicated to early music concerts, once a hallmark of the festival.

In recent years, Livljanić, a musicologist and professor at the prestigious Schola Cantorum in Basel, has brought carefully selected artists to Zadar, always distinguished by her exceptional artistic vision. Last Saturday, under the ancient stones of Saint-Donatus where she herself grew up, she transformed the space with the world premiere of her latest musical and theatrical project.

The audience's response—thunderous ovations and cries of "Bravo, Kate!" from enthusiastic locals—was extraordinary for an early music concert. But then, what Livljanić does with early music and ancient texts is anything but ordinary. She transforms them into captivating contemporary performances that go far beyond mere attempts to reconstruct or faithfully reproduce the past.

This was evident once again in her mesmerizing performance of Ariadne Alive, produced by the Dialogos ensemble, featuring two of her long-time collaborators: violinist Albrecht Maurer and flutist Norbert Rodenkirchen.

The artistic dedication and perfectionism of musicians are clearly demonstrated by Maurer's decision, as he himself explained, to acquire a new viola da braccio, specifically for this project. Its sound, better suited to the Renaissance period, blended beautifully with the lute strings played by Bor Zuljan, the internationally acclaimed Slovenian lutenist and Basel professor. This instrumental trio, through brilliant improvisational mastery, created music that transcended time and stylistic boundaries, echoing the myth of Ariadne, her thread, betrayal, love, and misfortune—stories sung across centuries.

For this project, Livljanić drew inspiration from early Italian translations and poetic interpretations of Ovid from the 14th to the 16th centuries. In her previous works rooted in the Middle Ages, her musical language was firmly anchored in that era. Here, however, she shifted to an early Renaissance style, which proved particularly effective in the syncopated rhythms and dance-like frottola melodies.

The minimalist staging and participation in the script, contributed by Olivier Lexa, powerfully amplified the emotional intensity. Yet Ariadne's story would be incomplete without Theseus—the hero who helped her slay her monstrous brother, the Minotaur. A wonderfully engaging and charismatic partner for Katarina Livljanić was Pino De Vittorio, a beloved artist already familiar to the Zadar audience from his performance last year. He began with a traditional song that evoked the mythic legacy of ancient Magna Graecia, steeped in legend. Whether it was his commanding stage presence—with a face and body like a thousand-year-old olive tree, both robust and gnarled—or his haunting singing, it was hard to say what captivated the audience more.

What was created and ignited in the fiery exchange between the two singers was no mere chemistry—it was pure magic. It was an artistic communion of the highest order, where human virtues and flaws are laid bare on the altar of fate, yet rise above even the gods who govern that fate. The performance carried on to a stirring finale, crowned by an encore that left the audience elated, celebrating the Art that alone can guarantee the immortality of human stories—stories that endure beyond time, death, and oblivion.