S. Hurok Presents; A Memoir of the Dance WorldHurok, Sol
History
S. Hurok Presents; A Memoir of the Dance World
Hurok, Sol
Ballet -- History
My unforgettable memories of the present production are topped by the
inspired interpretation of the title role by Margot Fonteyn, who
alternated moods of subtlety and childlike simplicity with brilliant
fireworks, always within the ballet’s frame. There is the shining memory
of Beryl Grey’s magnificent Lilac Fairy, the memory of the alternating
casts, one headed by Moira Shearer, entirely different in its way. There
is, as a matter of fact, little difference between the casts. Always
there were such ensemble performances as the States had never before
seen. Over all shone the magnificence of Oliver Messel’s scenery and
costumes.
The full-length _Swan Lake_ (_Le Lac des Cygnes_), actually in four
acts, was a revelation to audiences for years accustomed to the
truncated second act version. Its libretto, or book, is a Russian
compilation by Begitschev and Geltser. It was first presented by
Sadler’s Wells in the present settings and costumes by Leslie Hurry,
with the original choreography by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov,
reproduced by Nicholas Serguëeff, on 7th September, 1943.
This production replaced an earlier one, first done at the Sadler’s
Wells Theatre, on 20th November, 1934, with Alicia Markova as the Swan
Queen, and the scenery and costumes by Hugh Stevenson.
On the 13th April, 1947, it came to Covent Garden, with an increased
_corps de ballet_, utilizing the entire Covent Garden stage, as it does
at the Metropolitan Opera House.
As always, Margot Fonteyn is brilliant in the dual role of Odette-Odile.
In all my wide experience of Swan Queens, Fonteyn today is unequaled.
With the Sadler’s Wells company, there is no dearth of first-rate Swan
Queens: Margot Fonteyn, Moira Shearer, Beryl Grey, Violetta Elvin.
Altogether, in case the reader has not already suspected it, _Swan Lake_
is, I think, my favorite ballet. It is not only a classical ballet; it
is a classic. The haunting Tchaikowsky score, its sheer romanticism, its
dramatic impact, all these things individually and together, give it its
pride of place with the public of America as well as with myself. Here
my vote is with the majority.
The third full-length work, so splendid in its settings and so bulky
that its performances had to be limited by its physical proportions only
to the largest stages, was _Cinderella_, which took up every inch on the
great stage of the Metropolitan Opera House. _Cinderella_ was the first
full evening ballet in the modern repertoire of Sadler’s Wells. A
three-act work, with choreography by Frederick Ashton, to the score by
Serge Prokofieff, its scenery and costumes are by the French painter,
Jean-Denis Malclès.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account