Prokofieff 2003: anniversary explorations of his ballets(January 2002)
2003 is the 50th anniversary of Serge Prokofieff’s death and this offers opportunities to explore his ballet output, which extends well beyond the ever-popular Romeo and Juliet and Cinderella. Of the four major ballets dating from his years of collaboration with Diaghilev during the 1920s and early 1930s, the most regularly performed is The Prodigal Son in Balanchine’s choreography, including recent stagings by the Royal Ballet in London, Rome Opera Ballet and the Ballet de l’Opera National de Paris. Le Pas d’Acier explores the radical theme of Bolshevik industrialisation in bracing Futurist fashion. Also inviting new choreographies are Chout (The Buffoon), demonstrating the composer’s irreverent wit, and On the Dnieper (Sur le Borysthène) with its warmth and lyricism pointing towards the later ballets. Prokofieff’s ‘lost’ ballet Trapeze As well as his works for Diaghilev, Prokofieff was commissioned in the 1920s by Boris Romanov’s Berlin-based Ballet Romantique to create a short dance score depicting circus life, entitled Trapeze. Romanov had collaborated with Prokofieff on the unfulfilled choregraphy for Ala et Lolly and the composer agreed to write the ballet on the understanding that it could co-exist as a concert work in its own right. His original score, cast in six movements, was composed in 1924 for oboe, clarinet, violin, viola and double bass. The ballet premiere was delayed by the financial collapse in Germany and an injury to the prima ballerina. The work’s concert premiere went ahead in Moscow a few years later bearing the title Quintet. Before its rescheduled ballet premiere, Romanov asked Prokofieff for two extra movements, which are familiar from their later use in the Divertimento, rearranged for orchestra. Specially for the Prokofieff anniversary in 2003, the two additional movements of Trapeze are being reconstructed from manuscripts. This will enable the ballet to be performed again in its original quintet scoring, making it eminently practical for dance companies to tour. Despite the circus setting of its original scenario, the music is some of Prokofieff’s most abstract and non-descriptive, close in its radical experimentation to the Scythian Suite and therefore inviting modern choreography. The running time of the complete eight movement Trapeze ballet is 25 minutes. Our new Prokofieff anniversary website will be launched shortly. In the meantime please contact us for repertoire advice and let us know of your planned special features for 2003 by email. Also visit the Prokofieff Association website and subscribe to its new journal, Three Oranges. > News Search |
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