Orchestra Rehearsal, from Federico Fellini
Direction Federico Fellini

This show is an adaptation of Federico Fellini’s 1978 film Orchestra Rehearsal (1978). In the film, a classical music orchestra assembles in a parish youth club to rehearse; in this case, it is the jazz orchestra of the Hot Club de Portugal, and their rehearsal room is the stage of the CCB.

Fellini uses the orchestra, instruments, musicians and music as a metaphor for a society in crisis. Although Fellini claimed that he was not at all interested in politics, he constructed a film around an orchestra that rejects its collective nature, with each individual having their own egocentric vision of their role. They are united only in their aim to overthrow the person that they consider to be their common enemy: the conductor.

The film has been criticised by many people. Some saw it as an apology for fascism, while others described it as displaying a naive approach to politics. It was considered to be reactionary and conservative. But, for Fellini himself, Orchestra Rehearsal is none of this. «It is an ethical parable designed to arouse a certain feeling of shame in the people, to show that their disorganised madness can prompt the organised madness of the State, the dictatorship.» With this theme, we are also interested in understanding where the jazz musician’s freedom lies. Where is the collective and individual freedom?