Eugen Doga

Eugen Doga has created several major works for the theater: the music series “Dialogues of Love”, and three ballets: “Luceafarul”, based on Mihai Eminescu’spoem, “Venancia”, inspired by Latin-Americanmotifs, and “Queen Margot”.

Music cycle "Dialogues of love"

The music cycle "Dialogues of Love"for the opera stage was composedto the verses of the Romanian poetry genius Mihai Eminescu and his lover, poetess Veronica Micle.

Their names remained forever inseparably linked as a symbol of love, with its dazzling take-offs and crushing blows, its irresistible power and magical illusions, –they remained a story of immortal and eternal love.

Eugen Doga composed more than 70 works to their poems, which have developed into a romantic music cycle about the dramatic love story of these poets.

“They have amazingly musical verses,” says Eugen Doga. “There’s no need to invent anything there, everything is in their verses! His work is dedicated to her and was inspired by her image, and her poems are the response. These are dialogues of two poetic worlds.”

Ballet "Luceafarul"

The ballet "Luceafarul" based ona poem by Mihai Eminescu is a dramatic love story of the earthly princess and the son of the Sun.

The ballet is set in a royal palace, in the chambers of the princess, as well as in the kingdom of a heavenly Lord, inaccessible to earthly passions, and in seaside grove. The ballet’s music serves the main idea of the plot of Eminescu’s poem; the symphonic development of the fantastical images of the ballet includes vocal parts and a choir, the alternation of extensive mass scenes with solo and duetones.

The ballet has been staged various times, including at the Bolshoi Theater.

“At the turn of the millennium I was asked what I would take to the 21st century. I replied that I was ready to give up everything and would take only the ballet “Luciafarul ”. I really like this work. It took me two and a half months and eleven years to create it,"said Eugen Doga in an interview.

Ballet "Venancia"

The music of “Venancia” contains the frantic rhythms of Latin America, sad melodies of the great empires of the pre-Columbian era, elements of carnival and the symbol of passion – tango.

The ballet’s music was composed in 1989. Prior to this the composer had traveled for several yearsaround Latin America, visiting Nicaragua, Brazil, Argentina and Honduras, with a pencil, a tape recorder and a video camera, studying the unique folklore of these countries, an incredible variety of song and dance styles in that part of the world. "This music is very rich, it is the origin of all European music in combination with ancient Indian folklore," wrote Eugen Doga.

Observations, recordings, and sketches became a source of inspiration when creating the ballet’s music.

This is a ballet about love, about the heroic struggle for justice and freedom, about the struggle between good and evil.

Ballet "Queen Margot"

The ballet "Queen Margot" is about the incredible life and love story of Queen Margarita de Valois of France, the famous Queen Margot. About her life, Alexander Dumas wrote one of the most famous novels in the history of mankind, thanks to which the whole turbulent era of upheavals and wars in the 16th century France is embodied in the name of Queen Margot.

The idea of the ballet was inspired by the film based on this book, the soundtrack to which Eugen Doga had composed. "... It’s curious how humans function: we are mostly directed toward the future, but a huge part of us is in the past, and only a fraction of us is in the present. Collaborating on the movie "Queen Margot" allowed me to focus my creative efforts in the past, many centuries ago. This was a good opportunity, since the breath of our ancestors is still alive in each one of us. Our brain and muscles are driven by the blood pulse of soldiers, winegrowers, shepherds, lovers and disappointed young inhabitants of the Carpathians, the Apennines, the Pyrenees ... "– wrote Eugen Doga in the preface of the movie’s soundtrack CD.

The musical "Maria Mirabela"

Also, Eugen Doga is planning to create a musical based on “Maria Mirabela”. The animated filmwith the same name was released in 1981. It won several awards, including the prize for best film music (Piatra Neamt, Romania, 1982) and first prize in the category of animated films in 1982 at the International Film Festival in Giffoni (Italy).

The animated film about the adventures of two girls who help animals and meet with magical characters immediately became a classic and received wide acclaim. The film’s music and songs are popular and are often performed in concerts.