The gestation of the ballet The Night of San Juan (Barcelona evenings), with music by Roberto Gerhard, started in 1936, under the influence of the arrival in Spain of the Ballets Russes de Monte-Carlo. The work, never released due to the Civil War, merges tradition and avant-garde, placing the action in the summer solstice celebrations in the Pyrenees. Gerhard incorporated popular Catalan songs, like “Noche de San Juan” or “Patum de Berga”, in a modern style. Joan Junyer designed sets inspired by Pyrenean landscapes, traditional architecture and Romanesque art. Although it is believed that Léonide Massine choreographed the work, there is no documentary evidence. This production recovers the unpublished version for piano that Gerhard played in private and includes a new choreography by Antonio Ruz based on popular dances and avant-garde ballet..
