This year's production of David Nixon's Beauty and the
Beast will be a little different from the last time Columbus
audiences saw the ballet. Patrons this spring will see new characters
and hear new music, some of which will sound a little familiar.
David Nixon reconstructed much of the ballet with Northern
Ballet Theatre. In addition to fulfilling dramatic requirements,
the changes accommodated many of the practical concerns the company
had regarding touring, dancers and musicians. Unlike BalletMet,
NBT has an extensive touring schedule that not only involves
the dancers, but an orchestra of 22-30 members which determines
which musical arrangements can be played for performances.
A number of choreographic changes have been made in the ballet:
adding new dances with new characters and leaving others out.
For example, Nixon almost entirely rechoreographed Act II, leaving
only the opening and the final dances intact. Appearing for the
first time in the ballet is a group of ghostly knights and maidens
who occupy the Beast's castle in Acts I and II. In rehearsal,
Nixon worked with the dancers so that their movement describes
characters that were once alive, but now waft through dark corridors
mere shadows of their previous selves. The women droop forward
as their partners support them in off-kilter balances that recall
the style of Romantic Era ballerinas.
Many of the new dances are accompanied by different music,
although French composers, Debussey in particular, are featured.
The ballet now begins with an extended prologue features new
music accompanying dancing goblins, ladies and gentlemen. This
version of the opening has allowed Nixon to explore more of the
narrative and deliberately uses a piece of music that will be
recognized by many patrons. This was one of Nixon's goals in
finding new musical accompaniment for parts of his ballet. Instead
of Honegger's Pacific 231, the Prologue is danced to The
Sorcerer's Apprentice by Paul Dukas (1865-1935), which most
audience members will recognize from television commercials and
Walt Disney's Fantasia.
In addition to Dukas' Apprentice in the Prologue, Nixon
also brought in works by Jules Massenet (1842-1912) and Modest
Mussorgsky (1839-1881), who's Pictures at an Exhibition is
also widely performed and recorded. These composers still adhere
to Nixon's original concept for the ballet, utilizing the styles
of the art nouveau period in the music and decor. According to
Northern Ballet Theatre's John Longstaff, "all the music
has French connections, and was composed within the period c.
1875-1938, the earliest music being the pieces by Bizet [from
Act I] and Mussorgsky…and the most recent being the Poulenc
Organ Concerto [which closes the first act]."
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Choreographer's Notes on
Beauty and the Beast
I originally developed a production of Beauty and the Beast
because I wanted to create a ballet which would be suitable for
the whole family. I wanted to recapture the themes of the traditional
fairytale, with its age-old battles of good against evil and
its familiar array of magical characters, such as goblins and
fairies. I know that some people may find this very traditional
approach to the fairytale old fashioned, but I felt that this
was the only way to recapture the warmth and safety we feel when
we return to the familiar - like returning to the family home.
As with all fairytales there are many different interpretations
and, however far-fetched or unbelievable the story or characters,
there is always a moral message to be found. It is my hope that
you enjoy this ballet for what it is, and that in watching it
you too may once again find the child within.
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Beauty and the Beast (2004) - Scenario
Prologue
Once upon a time there lived a handsome prince whose heart
had been bewitched by an evil fairy, La Feé Misérable.
She had turned the prince into an evil man, enslaving the people
of his court. When the good fairy, La Bonne Feé, arrived
at the castle she was dismayed by La Feé Misérable's
wicked deeds. The two fairies took to the heavens to battle -
the forces of good against evil. The prince, caught in the crossfire,
was turned into a monstrous beast and La Feé Misérable,
confronted by his ugliness, fled the castle. The court also took
flight, leaving the beast alone in his misery. La Bonne Feé
took pity upon the beast, and revealed an image of his former
self with a beautiful girl holding a rose, but warned him that
this happy ending will only come to pass if he wins her heart.
The image disappeared to be replaced once again by his beastlike
reflection.
Act One
A miner, Monsieur Desparé, lives with his three daughters
in a little house on the outskirts of a forest. Two of the daughters
are lazy and believe themselves to have been stolen at birth
from a wealthy family. All of the work is left to the youngest
daughter, Beauty. One day Monsieur Desparé returns home
in great excitement, having discovered a beautiful jewel in his
mine. The two lazy daughters decide to accompany him to the city,
where they intend to buy all of the luxurious possessions they
feel they deserve and Beauty decides to join them to keep her
father company.
As the family travels through the strange forest it becomes
very dark. Suddenly a beautiful fairy appears in the company
of goblins. Although she seems friendly the fairy, La Feé
Misérable, and her goblins attack the family and steal
the precious jewel. In the confusion Beauty finds herself alone.
She wanders through the forest until she finds a beautiful rose
and then, to her astonishment, a magical giant peacock appears
before her and takes her further into the forest. Some distance
away Monsieur Desparé is still searching for Beauty but,
now that the jewel is gone, her sisters no longer want to go
to the city and insist that she must be dead.
Beauty, in the meantime, has arrived at the door of a huge
castle and, as the doors magically open, she climbs cautiously
up the imposing staircase into her new life.
She finds herself in a dark and cold hall. Suddenly a beast
leaps out and seizes the terrified Beauty. Her attempts to escape
are futile and, in the ensuing struggle, Beauty picks up the
rose. As the beast takes it from her he sees their reflection
in the mirror and remembers the image shown to him by the good
fairy.
Trying his best not to frighten her he motions to her to join
him. Statues which stand around the room suddenly come to life
to serve a wonderful banquet.
As they eat the beast becomes anxious and frightens Beauty,
but her gentleness encourages him to open his heart to her and
tell her of his pain. Suddenly realising how ugly he must look
to her he loses his courage and, hiding his face, he motions
to her to leave. But as Beauty climbs the staircase she gazes
down upon the beast and, moved by his suffering, she returns
to him. The beast cannot bear her to look at him, but slowly
he becomes encouraged. However, Beauty is still frightened and
pulls away and the beast, distraught, flees.
Exhausted by her terrifying ordeal she falls asleep on enchanted
pillows. The beast returns to find her sleeping and watches over
her from a distance.
Act Two
Beauty has spent many weeks in the castle and has watched
the beast slowly change, becoming more gentle and less frightening.
One night she dreams of a mirror in which the beast is indeed
a prince who steps out of the mirror's depths. Beauty awakes
to find herself in the great hall and sees that the beast is
watching her. Confused about the strange dream she joins the
beast for their usual dinner. The beast is in a playful mood
and Beauty suddenly finds herself close to him, but as she reaches
out to take him in her arms a vision of her father appears in
the mirror. Confused and scared she begs the beast to let her
go to her father and he sadly agrees. He gives her a magic cloak,
to transport her to her destination, and an enchanted mirror
and she departs for home. The castle once again takes on a gloomy
atmosphere, this time not of anger but of despair.
Once back at home Beauty realises she misses the beast and
thinks constantly of him. Her sisters have prevented her return
with feigned tears and tantrums. Seeing his beloved daughter
brooding Monsieur Desparé tells her to return to the castle.
Her sisters overhear and decide to steal the magic cloak and
mirror to transport themselves to the castle, where they intend
to claim their much desired wealth. Beauty follows them out into
the woods where the sisters, fighting over the magic cloak and
enchanted mirror, destroy both items. Fearing that she may have
lost her only route back to her beast Beauty falls to her knees
in despair. La Bonne Feé appears before Beauty and, seeing
true love in her eyes, decides to return her to the castle.
Sad and alone the beast has given up all hope of Beauty's
return. La Feé Misérable and her goblins have returned
to taunt him. Beauty returns to find the beast caught up in a
net. The goblins seize her and, just as the evil fairy is about
to stab her, the beast leaps in front of Beauty and takes the
mortal blow himself.
Instantly the spell is broken and La Feé Misérable,
defeated, flees from the castle as La Bonne Feé arrives
to claim victory. To Beauty's amazement the handsome prince from
her dreams steps from the mirror. Anxiously looking for the beast
she looks into the prince's eyes and realises that he is her
beast. The two embrace and joyfully prepare for their wedding.
And, as in all fairytales, they lived happily ever after…
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Beauty and the Beast (2004)-Music Compiled by John Longstaff
ACT ONE
1. Dukas: The Sorcerer's Apprentice*
2. Fauré: Andantino quasi Allegretto (Pélleas et
Mélisande)
3. Bizet: Three movements from 'Jeux d'enfants'
i. March (Trompette et Tambour)
ii. Impromptu (La Toupie)
iii. Galop (Le Bal)
4. Debussy: Gigues (Images pour orchestre)
5. Debussy: The Snow is Dancing (Children's Corner)
6. Poulenc: Concerto for organ, strings and timpani
ACT TWO
7. Debussy: Danse sacrée et danse profane
8. Massenet: from 'Cendrillon'*
i. Le Sommeil de Cendrillon
ii. Marche des Princesses
9. Massenet: Andante from 'Thaïs'*
10. Debussy: Dr. Gradus ad Parnassum (Children's Corner)*
11. Mussorgsky: from 'Pictures at an Exhibition'*
i. Samuel Goldenberg and Schmuyle
ii. The Market Place at Limoges
iii. Catacombs
iv. Baba Yaga - the Hut on Fowl's Legs
v. The Great Gate of Kiev
12. Saint-Saëns: Finale (Symphony no. 3 'Organ')
*indicates music that was previously not part of the ballet
All items except nos. 6 and 7 orchestrated by John Longstaff
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John Longstaff on Beauty
and the Beast
The relationship between the dance steps and the music is
of paramount importance in any ballet production, for if the
two are not closely connected the audience is likely to be aware
of a conflict between what is seen and what is heard. BalletMet's
productions over the last decade or so illustrate the various
ways of using music available to a choreographer. There have
been new productions of traditional ballet scores (Romeo and
Juliet, Swan Lake); a dance reworking of opera (Madame
Butterfly), and the usage of already composed music which
originally had nothing to do with the subject matter of the ballet
but was found to be dramatically suitable (Dracula, Beauty
and the Beast).
For the last procedure to be successful musically, some unifying
factors are desirable. In Beauty and the Beast, all the
music has French connections, and was composed within the period
c. 1875 - 1938, the earliest music being the pieces by Bizet
and Mussorgsky (who is allowed into this selection by virtue
of the most famous orchestration of his piece being by the French
composer Maurice Ravel), and the most recent being the Poulenc
Organ Concerto.
Each piece of music chosen for Beauty and the Beast falls
into one of four categories.
1) Piano music - the works by Bizet, Debussy (Children's
Corner) and Mussorgsky were all originally written for solo
piano or piano duet. The French never had a strong symphonic
tradition, preferring operas, ballets and smaller character pieces
- also there is a peculiarly French habit of writing for piano
first and producing orchestral versions almost as an afterthought.
Bizet orchestrated Jeux d'enfants himself - Debussy's
friend André Caplet orchestrated Children's Corner
and many orchestrations have been made of Pictures at an Exhibition.
2) Dance and the theatre - the items by Massenet are
taken from ballet divertissements in operas, and the remaining
Debussy pieces are dances of one sort or another - Gigues
being a surprisingly doleful reworking of the English folk-song
'The Keel Row' and Danse sacrée et danse profane
are two short pieces for harp (a virtuosic solo part) and strings.
Only the Massenet was intended for conventional ballet dancing,
but it isn't difficult to discover dance rhythms in the other
pieces.
3) Literature - the Fauré comes from incidental
music to a play by Maurice Maeterlinck, and The Sorcerer's
Apprentice is based on a ballad by the German poet Goethe,
which many will remember for being brilliantly interpreted by
Walt Disney in his film Fantasia.
4) The organ - the arresting opening of Poulenc's Organ
Concerto is an ideal sound for introducing the Beast into
the story; and the subtly shifting moods of the concerto - sometimes
frightened, sometimes angry, at other moments tender, and at
times happy - are well suited to depicting the emotions of the
leading characters. The triumphant conclusion of Saint-Saëns'
Organ Symphony is a fitting end to this fairy-tale, as
the re-emergence of the organ at the wedding scene shows that
this most magnificent of instruments can depict true happiness
as well as the unpleasantness earlier!
John Longstaff
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