14, 6, 46, 3, 2: No, these are not winning lottery numbers or a secret code for a safe. They represent the history of Compagnia Finzi Pasca.
The Hungarian public first encountered Daniele Finzi Pasca, the scion of a family that produced generations of photographers, when a 9 × 15-metre canvas painted by Salvador Dalí was revealed to the press at Müpa Budapest’s Festival Theatre. Once thought lost, it was discovered in 2009 in the props store of the New York Metropolitan Opera, before it was purchased and held under lock and key by a collector who wished to remain anonymous. Then again, those who follow contemporary circus could not have failed to be familiar with the work of Finzi Pasca’s company, which had already earned considerable international success. But after the Budapest performance of La Verità, the name of Finzi Pasca became etched in the memory of all those who went to see it.
14: The number of times Müpa Budapest has presented performances by the company
Compagnia Finzi Pasca first came in November 2013, and other visits thankfully followed. And what a debut that was! The surrealistic love story of La Verità unfolded in front of the vast canvas Salvador Dalí painted in 1940 for the Met’s ballet production, Mad Tristan. A year later, in Icaro, Finzi Pasca was teaching his audience the art of survival single-handedly, from the window of a hospital ward, and in 2016, the company celebrated the 150th anniversary of Chekhov’s birth with Donka, a production as spectacular as one would expect from them. The last time they came to Budapest was in 2017, performing a heart-wrenching, personal piece, Per te, Daniele’s loving farewell to his wife and fellow artist, Julie Hamelin. The list of Budapest appearances continues between 17 and 19 October, bringing audiences into the ethereal, surrealistic world of TITIZÉ – A Venetian Dream.
Daniele Finzi Pasca watching over the unfolding of the famous Dalí-canvas on the stage of Müpa Budapest © Kotschy Gábor, Müpa
6: The number of productions currently touring around the world
Compagnia Finzi Pasca has created more than 40 productions and has taken to the stage over 600 times. The company is currently touring six shows around the world: NUDA (2021), a story of twin sisters; 52 (2021), which is set in the non-existent streets of La Plata; Luna Park (2020), which offers an insight into the amusement park-like world of theatres; Bianco su Bianco (2014), which is centred around the all-conquering power of friendship; Icaro, whose success has been unabated for over thirty years; and their latest creation, TITIZÉ.
46: The number of countries they have performed in
Since its official formation in 2011, the company has travelled all over the world, from Canada to Argentina, Denmark to Greece, the United Arab Emirates to Ethiopia, India to Hong Kong, and Australia to New Zealand. Based in Switzerland, it usually has 25-30 permanent members, who now represent 15 different nationalities. Its large-scale productions also feature guest artists, whose number has passed 500 over the years.
3: The number of olympic games they have attended
The members of the company have taken part in three Olympic Games, albeit not as sportspeople (although our hunch is that they would have a fair chance of becoming medallists in gymnastics). They dazzled live audiences and television viewers by the billion at the closing event of the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics, at the closing ceremony of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, and at the opening of the Paralympics in the same city.
2: The number of joint productions with Cirque Du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil is, without a doubt, one of the best-known names in contemporary circus. But what some may not know is that Daniele Finzi Pasca directed two shows of the Canadian company, which was founded forty years ago: the 2005 production Corteo, a bittersweet carnival, and 2016’s Luzia, a dreamy vision inspired by Mexico.
COUNTLESS: The number of wonderful moments created for audiences
Of course, even if we could add up all the minutes of thunderous applause after each performance and combine it with the time Compagnia Finzi Pasca spent on stage, we would still fall far short of recreating the experience that viewers take away from these shows.
