David Nixon's Beauty
and the Beast
When creating a ballet
of Beauty and the Beast the story is obviously
the starting point, but which version of the story? We not only
have a wide variety of classic renditions of the tale but also
modern interpretations. The location and time in which the story
takes place has been wide ranging from the pre-Christian Mediterranean
to the outer space of science fiction. Characters change, e.g.
both the Cocteau and Disney films added characters to move the
plot along to their own ends. When translating a story from written
form to another medium there are always new opportunities and
restrictions that present themselves.
When starting a ballet from scratch any and all things are
possible, and the process of narrowing it all down is a difficult
proposition. As choreographer for the ballet, David Nixon must
be the first to formulate the concept to give a lead the other
collaborators can follow. He then likes to work with all the
co-creators (costume, set and lighting designers) as well as
production staff -who must make it all happen - to exchange and
refine ideas. Not only must there be an overall consistency but
the production must work within the realities of the theater,
dance and the budget.
In his ballet, David Nixon seeks to return to the enchanting
and magical aspects of the story and the values that the tale
explores. David wants the audience to be aware of the battle
between the forces of good and evil that drives this story as
well as life. Good (represented by La Bonne Fée) realizes
that evil (La Fée Misérable) has taken hold of
the Prince’s heart; the only way to cleanse that heart is
to put the ugly evil on the outside. When La Fée Misérable
is faced with this exterior, she no longer wants a part of the
Prince. However, after living hundreds of years seeing himself
as ugly, the Beast is decayed inside. Beauty’s presence
triggers something that allows the Beast to remember the joy
he once had and to try and attain it again. It is not so much
Beauty saying she loves him as his willingness to sacrifice his
life for her that permits his final transformation back to "handsome
Prince."
Having studied untold numbers of versions of Beauty
and the Beast, Mr. Nixon decided on the Art Nouveau period
as his setting for the ballet. Based in the classical tradition
of choreography, but not without invention, he seeks to provide
a well thought out story in dance, to challenge himself and his
dancers, while also maintaining a level of entertainment for
younger audience members.
This brand new production is packed with special effects,
many never used before by BalletMet, that have kept the production
staff busy learning new techniques or inventing them as the needs
arise. We are promised bungee cords, fireballs, a hologram, full
stage projections, on stage explosions, seven different settings
and seventeen scene changes. There is much that will come down
to the dress rehearsal when all the elements will come together
for the first time, in the context of the Ohio Theatre. At that
moment everyone’s work hopefully meshes and produces the
production we have all dreamed of. It is a time of excitement,
but also high stress for all involved.
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The Designs by Linda Pisano & Carla Risch
Chaffin
The first step for Linda Pisano
in her designing Beauty and the Beast was a meeting
with David Nixon. After reviewing a portfolio of her designs
for other productions Mr. Nixon asked her to design a costume
for The Beast and Beauty based on his concepts and a book of
Beauty and the Beast with drawings by Hilary Knight.
David had talked about seeing the Beast as a human trapped inside
an ugly form, had also used bird metaphors and suggested the
Art Nouveau period. There was an aesthetic of line in Art Nouveau
that Linda also found suitable and it is a period that allows
for some fantasy. It is interesting to note that Art Nouveau
is based on medieval motifs, patterns and color palette; and
it is the medieval period that is so often the pictorial setting
for stories such as Beauty and the Beast.
Before actually beginning to draw her designs Linda wanted
to do research on both birds and Art Nouveau. David was very
pleased with the designs she produced, particularly the headpiece
for the Beast. He had originally thought that it would have to
be a complete mask but Linda made the dancer’s face still
visible, trapped inside the enclosing talons of the Beast. With
minor changes (such as the shape of the cape) the designs were
approved and Linda returned to her research with more conceptual
ideas from David. This was also early in David’s creative
process and there were many designs that though initially approved
were finally rejected as the shape and story line of the ballet
developed. For example there were some bird creatures that were
changed to animals; then various other ideas were discussed until
evolving into pillows and sprites. Although fabric was actually
purchased for some of these rejected designs, it will be recycled
into costumes for an upcoming ballet.
Linda sought to establish the two worlds that exist in the
story, the real world of Beauty and her family and the enchanted
world of the Beast’s castle. Again this could be well serviced
by the Art Nouveau period which includes spirits and fairies.
Linda says that although there are some unpleasant characters
in the story that "as it is not all realistic, even the
ugly characters are beautiful in a way."
In any such endeavor it is important for there to be good
communication between the costume and set designers. Not only
must the styles match and the colors work together, but also
the dancers wearing the costumes should not blend into the scenery.
This is especially true of Beauty and the Beast
where the dancers interact greatly with the sets and in some
cases are a part of the set. The look of the Beast is actually
incorporated into the castle entrance at the end of act one.
Carla and Linda worked together on some designs, and on others
exchanged ideas and source materials.
"Beauty and the Beast is my first project
with BalletMet, and it's a big one." Pisano laughed. The
requirements of ballet costumes are different than those of other
theatrical forms. The costumes are very seldom just paraded across
the stage, and so it is important to consider the way that they
move and the different shapes they will make. "Shopping
for fabrics is quite a task," Pisano said. She gathers fabrics
from New York to California and sometimes even overseas. "I
use a lot of upholstery fabric from drapery shops," she
confessed, "In fact, the bridal gown belonging to Beauty
is actually a really wonderful chiffon drapery fabric. You just
never know what you are going to find." Although designs
may call for a heavy looking fabric, they must be light enough
to be able to be danced in. Silk is often the solution here.
Some characters have heavy beaten metal looking jewelry that
is actually lightweight leather manipulated into the desired
shape.
The process from design to completed costume is an interesting
one and a time of discovery. Sometimes it can be frustrating,
but more often Linda says that she is thrilled with how much
better a costume looks in real life than in her drawings. The
initial mock ups are made in muslin that does not flow or behave
like the finished costumes, but provides a good idea of the final
shape and allows for making changes.
Because of the flexibility, range of motion and breathing
room demanded for a dancer to be able to do what they have to,
costumes have to be constructed with seams in specific places.
It is important to understand the construction process as, for
example, final placement of seam lines can change the look of
the costume. Two dancers sharing a role may have different body
types and so this must also be taken into consideration; some
changes in design may be made to achieve the desired effect.
Linda also enjoys working closely with the construction of
the latex pieces, masks and wings as she has a background in
crafts. With wings it is important to consider the conflicting
demands of looking light but being durable, and headpieces must
allow for peripheral vision.
Carla Risch Chaffin not only designed the scenery for Beauty
and the Beast but painted it as well. She researched
everything from old storybooks to Art Nouveau jewelry. "I
work closely with the artistic director, costume designer and
lighting crew," she said. "It's a team effort."
On a typical day Carla spent eight hours with a paint brush in
hand. The biggest challenge of her job is time - or lack thereof.
"It's tough to get everything done in such a short amount
of time," she said. "It's been a crazy couple of months."
she added.
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The Story of David Nixon’s Beauty and the Beast
PROLOGUE
Once upon a time, in a land far away and in a time not so
different from our own, existed a young prince whose life was
caught up in a battle between good and evil. La Fée Misérable
has enslaved the willing heart of the young prince. Amidst the
terror of the court, the good fairy, La Bonne Fée, arrived
to guide the prince from evil. As the air filled with explosions
of light, innocent victims were caught in the crossfire and La
Fée Miserable stood triumphant over the prince. La Bonne
Fée could not break the power of La Fée Misérable
but she could cause the evil ugliness to come to the surface
leaving the Prince with a clean heart but a beastly exterior.
Faced with this reality, La Fée Misérable deserted
the Beast. As the Beast stared at La Bonne Fée, holding
a magnificent rose and a mirror, he heard her intone: When
the day comes that this rose is picked, you will know it for
both your hope and your doom. The man who picks this rose will
have three daughters. If one of the daughters, out of love for
her father, takes the curse of the rose upon herself and chooses
to live with you at the castle you will have one chance, and
only one, to overcome through love and tenderness the girl’s
fear of your outward ugliness and to gain her love. Love is the
only sacrifice that can break the enchantment.
ACT 1
In another time there lived a poor miner, Monsieur Despairé,
who had three daughters. Chantelle and Isabelle were lazy but
their younger sister, Beauty, was of radiant and gentle spirit
and worked very hard. One day the miner discovered a valuable
gem (placed there by La Bonne Fée) that could change the
family’s fortunes. Chantelle and Isabelle wished for the
riches they deserved; however, Beauty requested only a rose she
had drawn. The miner set off with his treasure, but on the way
was attacked by goblins who stole the gem. Lost in the forest,
he was led by La Bonne Fée to a beautiful garden. There,
by the fountain where he quenched his thirst, he saw a beautiful
rose. Feeling hope that at least Beauty may be happy, he plucked
the rose. Immediately a Beast appeared. He threatened M. Despairé
who ran to the fountain which became alive with the image of
his daughters. The Beast pointed to them and made M. Despairé
swear to have one of his daughters return to the castle. He sends
him home escorted by his magic Peacock. As he gazed once more
into the mirror and saw the lovely face of Beauty, all hope vanished
and the Beast realized his ugliness would never win over such
a lovely maiden. On arriving home the father was greeted by his
children who were very dismayed at the turn of events. As the
household went to sleep, Beauty - with her rose in hand - sneaked
out and commanded the Peacock to return with her to the castle.
On arriving at the massive castle doors Beauty was frightened
by the darkness and eeriness of her surroundings. The doors slid
open revealing a massive staircase that she began to ascend into
her new life.
Inside the castle, where daylight has long since been banished,
it was dark and cold. As Beauty entered, lights appeared magically
in the gloom revealing an immense room. All the while the Beast
had been watching Beauty; he eventually appeared. Rose in hand,
Beauty faced her jailer and was at first frightened by the hideousness
of the Beast and his wild behavior. As the encounter continued,
the Beast yearned more and more to touch the delicate
Beauty who, though curious, always pulled away from him. Finally
the Beast revealed his inner sorrow and loneliness to Beauty.
Seeing a moment to escape Beauty regarded the staircase; but
being stirred by the pain of the creature, she chose to stay
and help him. The Beast made one more attempt to caress Beauty
and plead with her to be his wife. With the pain of her refusal
he vanished.
Beauty was entertained by magical pillows. Amidst the play
the Beast returned to guide Beauty to her room.
ACT 2
Beauty was no longer frightened but was intrigued by this
wild yet passionate creature. One night in her dreams she came
upon a handsome prince. As they danced together, Beauty looked
into the eyes of the Prince and from time to time thought she
saw both the Prince and the Beast.
One day, in the garden, the Beast once again told Beauty how
much he loved her. Confused by her emotions Beauty could not
accept love, only friendship. Seeing a vision of her ailing father
in the fountain, Beauty begged the Beast to free her to visit
her family. He could not deny her wish and sadly granted her
request. The Beast gave her a mirror and a magic cape which instantly
transported her home. The Beast, once more alone, was no longer
filled with anger but with love - a love so strong that it would
kill the Beast if Beauty did not return.
Beauty, though content at home, longed to keep her promise
and return to the Beast. Her father was overjoyed to have her
home once again, but her sisters were more envious than ever.
Explaining to her father her wish to return to the castle, Beauty
prepared to leave. Her sisters, coached by La Fée Misérable,
decided to pretend that they could not possibly live without
her at home. Torn between emotions, Beauty agreed to stay. Gleefully
her sisters stole the magic cloak and mirror. Beauty cried herself
to sleep. La Bonne Fée intervened and sent Beauty a dream
in which she remembered her promise to the Beast and saw his
pain at her failure to return. He was dying.
Startled awake, Beauty ran out into the forest. Before she
realized what she was doing she became lost. La Bonne Fée
found her and restored the Beast’s gifts to her. Transported
back to the castle, Beauty found the Beast on the verge of death.
From out of the darkness La Fée Misérable and her
goblins appeared triumphant, taunting the Beast and threatening
to destroy Beauty. In a final moment of gained strength, the
Beast sacrificed himself for Beauty by intercepting a bolt of
fire meant for her.
Beauty, unable to accept the Beast’s death, begged La
Bonne Fée to save him. As Beauty turned her head, the
Beast was no longer; selfless love had broken the enchantment,
and the Beast had become the Prince once more. As Beauty gazed
into the Prince’s eyes, she realized the truth: that he
is her Prince, her Beast, her love. The palace returns to a place
of wonders, and the happy couple are joined by the others in
celebration of the triumph over evil. It is the Prince and his
Beauty who share the last dance of all.
As the tale recedes, the final words draw us to a close: To
judge by appearance is to miss the beauty of our inner souls....and
they lived happily ever after.
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The Music
A
majority of ballets today use music as a starting point; it can
be the source of movement ideas, emotions and concept for a ballet.
For Beauty and the Beast there was no usable, existing
score and, unfortunately, a commissioned score was not possible.
For his selection of music for the ballet Beauty and the
Beast, David Nixon set about the complex task of assembling
a collection of existing music that not only goes well together
but supports the different elements of the story at the appropriate
times. Most of the music is drawn from French composers who worked
at the same time as each other or who had influence over one
another. For the most part their careers also enter the Art Nouveau
period - also the period of inspiration for the production concepts.
Listing of music in program order.
| PROLOGUE |
|
|
| Honegger |
Pacific 231 |
|
| |
|
|
| ACT 1 |
|
|
| Fauré |
Pelléas and Mélisande
Suite |
2nd Movement |
| Bizet |
Petite Suite |
Marche |
| |
|
Berceuse |
| |
|
Impromptu |
| |
|
Galop |
| Debussy |
Images pour Orchestre |
Gigues |
| Britten |
Four Sea Interludes |
The Storm |
| Bizet |
Petite Suite |
Duo |
| Debussy |
Children’s Corner |
The Snow is Dancing |
| Poulenc |
Organ Concerto |
|
| |
|
|
| ACT 2 |
|
|
| Debussy |
Danse Sacrée et Profane |
|
| Debussy |
Petite Suite |
En bateau |
| Poulenc |
Sinfonietta |
1st movement |
| Honegger |
Mermoz Suite I & II |
|
| Saint-Saëns |
Organ Symphony #3 |
Final movement |
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Benjamin Britten was
born, appropriately enough, on St. Cecilia’s (the patron
saint of musicians) Day, November 22, 1913 in Lowestoft, England.
Best known as a composer of operas and song cycles, he was also
a conductor and an accompanist. He had the unusual ability to
capture the public’s interest in new works that were forward
thinking and original, although he never abandoned tonality.
His musical gifts were apparent from an early age; he studied
piano and composition with Frank Bridge for whom he dedicated
a later composition, Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge
(1937). He was a student at the Royal College of Music from 1930
- 33 but found it rather stifling and resented not being allowed
to study with Berg in Vienna. According to notes in the score,
his Simple Symphony from 1933-34 is entirely based
on material from works the composer wrote between the ages of
nine and twelve. (E.g. two themes in the first movement are taken
from the Suite for Piano No. 1 of 1926 and a song
written in 1923). Britten also studied composition with John
Ireland.
With his friend Peter Pears, the tenor, Britten followed the
poet Auden to North America (where they stayed from 1939 - 42
in New York) and received performances of his work at Carnegie
Hall.
Returning to England he settled in Suffolk and wrote the opera
Peter Grimes which was first performed on June
7, 1945. The suite of Four Sea Interludes from
this opera are impressionistic tone poems that wonderfully evoke
the atmosphere of the North Sea coast of Suffolk. Britten was
well suited to expressing these feelings. The Storm
(which links the two scenes in act 1 of the opera) was written
to depict the violent turmoil of a North Sea storm. Within a
broad rondo structure, based on a fugally treated presto con
fuoco refrain, a number of ideas heard previously in the
opera recur. The power of this music along with its calming end
seemed ideally suitable to Mr. Nixon for its positioning within
Beauty and the Beast. It provides a strong contrast
to the previous dance, and the several moments of calm work well
for the visions in the fountain.
The character Peter Grimes was derived from the poem by George
Crabbe, Poem in 24 Letters, set in Aldeburgh. Britten
founded the Aldeburgh Festival based on the beliefs of encouraging
amateurs as well as international performers. The first festival
took place in 1948 and continues to this day. In 1956, Britten
wrote the music for his only ballet, The Prince of the
Pagodas, for the Royal Ballet with choreography by John
Cranko.
Britten was the first composer to be named a life peer (Lord
Britten of Aldeburgh) in June 1976, ironically the year of his
death in December.
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The man we know as Georges
Bizet was actually born Alexandre Césare Léopold
Bizet in 1838 in Paris. A child prodigy, he became a student
at the Paris Conservatoire when he was just ten, as a pupil of
Zimmerman and then Halévy (whose daughter he later married).
He was also an adoring disciple of Charles Gounod. In 1857 he
won the Prix de Rome before he was twenty.
Although best known today as the composer of Carmen,
success for that opera did not come until after Bizet’s
death. He was in fact better known in his day for his non-operatic
compositions such as Jeux d’enfants, Petite
Suite and incidental music to L’Arlésienne.
He was also an accomplished pianist who astonished even Franz
Liszt, but he rarely appeared in public and composed only a few
pieces for the piano.
Of the 12 original pieces in Jeux d’enfants
(written for piano duet in 1871) Bizet orchestrated five of them
to make his Petite Suite. David Nixon found this
music truly inspiring to choreograph the scenes for Beauty’s
family.
Bizet died at Bougival in 1875.
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Achille-Claude Debussy
was born in 1862 at St. Germain-en-Laye. Having little formal
education he learned to play the piano from Mme. Mauté
de Fleurville. His abilities led him to the Paris Conservatoire
in 1872 where he was in no way an exceptional student. During
the summers of 1880 and 1881 he worked as pianist to Mme. von
Meck, Tchaikovsky’s patron. Failing to win the Prix de Rome
on his first attempt, he succeeded in 1884.
Absorbing all the influences of music that preceded him and
declaring the influence of the ‘symbolists’ a dead
end for composers, Debussy evolved an idiom of his own. Critics
have called him "the father of musical impressionism"
likening his music to the painters of the same name, a comparison
he grew to dislike. He eventually titled himself ‘musicien
français’.
Debussy developed cancer but lived until 1918, dying in Paris.
He wrote music criticism under the name of M. Croche.
The Petite Suite was first performed as a piano
duet March 1, 1889 and was later orchestrated by Henri Büsser.
En Bateau, from this orchestrated suite, was chosen
by David Nixon to accompany Beauty’s awaking from her dream
to the new joy of her life and the appearance of the sprites.
In 1899 Debussy married Rosalie Texier, but deserted her 5
years later for Mme. Emma Bardac, the wife of a banker whom he
married in 1908. Their daughter, Claude-Emma, better known as
Chou-Chou, was the inspiration for his Children’s
Corner suite from which David Nixon has extracted The
Snow is Dancing. Composed for piano in 1906-08, Children’s
Corner was orchestrated by Debussy’s close friend
André Caplet, conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra
who conducted the first performance in 1910.
Danse Sacrée et Profane was the result
of a commission from the Pleyel firm who wanted to promote a
new type of harp having no pedal. In this work Debussy has borrowed
from Iberia, using a piano piece by Portuguese composer Francisco
de Laceda and a Spanish motif. The piece premiered Nov. 6, 1904.
The relaxed and mystical quality of the music lends itself admirably
to help illustrate Beauty’s dream of the Prince.
Although listed as the first section of his orchestral Images
(not to be confused with the two sets of Images for
piano), Gigues (1909-12) was actually the last
section that Debussy composed. This is not the sort of jig one
would expect but a whole tone adaptation in a slow tempo based
on a distortion of the Scottish folk song "The Keel Row."
Originally titled Gigues Tristes it is Debussy’s
portrait of England as a place of haunting melancholy scarcely
relieved by bursts of jollity. Mr. Nixon has used this sense
of melancholy and anguish as the fitting setting for M. Despairé’s
fateful encounter with the goblins and La Feé Misérable
who eventually steal his precious gem.
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Gabriel Urbain Fauré was born in Pamiers, France, May 12,
1845. The son of a butcher turned school teacher, he found his
early interest in music by improvising on the harmonium in the
local church. From 1854 - 66 he studied on full scholarship at
the École Niedermeyer, Paris under Niedermeyer and Saint-
Saëns. Fauré held the position of organist at a number
of churches before becoming professor of composition at the Paris
Conservatoire in 1896, a post he had been refused earlier because
he was considered too revolutionary by Ambroise Thomas. His pupils
included Ravel, Nadia Boulanger and Enescu. From 1905-20 he was
director of the Conservatoire initiating many reforms which have
influenced French music. In addition Fauré was music critic
for Le Figaro from 1902 to 1921.
In 1920 Fauré resigned from the Conservatoire on account
of deafness; he died November 4, 1924, in Paris and was accorded
a state funeral at which was played the adagio from Pelléas
et Mélisande.
Pelléas et Mélisande was commissioned
as incidental music to the play by Maeterlinck to be presented
at the Prince of Wales Theatre in London in 1898. The work was
orchestrated by a pupil of his, Charles Koechlin and survives
today as an orchestral suite which was first heard at the Concerts
Lamoureux in Paris on February 3, 1901, a song from the original
production having been lost. The movement David Nixon uses is
called Fileuese and was originally played before the third
act of the play. Here it is used for our first view of Beauty’s
home life.
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Arthur Honegger, although born at Le Havre, France in
1892 was of Swiss parentage. He studied at the Zurich Conservatory
from 1909-11 and went on to the Paris Conservatoire in 1911 where
he studied composition with Widor and orchestration with d’Indy.
He was also declared a member of Les Six but had little
affinity for the group (see Poulenc), declaring himself to have
"a taste for the chamber music and symphonic music in its
most serious form."
Honegger died in Paris in 1955.
Pacific 231 (1923) which premiered in 1924 brought
widespread renown for Honegger. With this music he looked "not
so much to imitate the sounds of a locomotive, but to translate
visual impressions and physical enjoyment with a musical construction."
Mr. Nixon was looking for music that would make a strong statement
and remove any preconceived ideas of the story an audience may
have. This composition will certainly set us on the right track
as the opening music of Beauty and the Beast.
Although Mermoz Suites I & II are used to
depict Beauty’s return to her home, it is very different
music than the Fauré and Bizet used the first time we
encounter the family. This is an intentional choice by Mr. Nixon
who wishes to underline the changes that Beauty has undergone
since spending time with the Beast and how her relationship with
her family must necessarily be altered. Mermoz
(1943) was written as the music to a film of the same name. Honegger
wrote more than forty film scores, a trend of French composers
that began with Saint-Saëns.
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Francis Poulenc was
born at number two, Place des Saussaies in Paris, January 7,
1899 to an affluent family; he never knew poverty during his
life. He was taught to play the piano by his mother and at 15
began to study with Ricardo Viñes who encouraged his ambition
to compose and introduced him to Satie, Auric and others. Mme.
Poulenc wished her son to enter the Paris Conservatoire, but
her industrialist husband preferred he continue his normal education.
He found notoriety in 1917 as one of a number of composers -
Les Nouveaux Jeunes - encouraged by Satie and Cocteau.
In 1920 the critic Henri Collet selected six of these young composers,
including Poulenc (the youngest), dubbing them Les Six.
As a group, these composers gave concerts together and drew inspiration
from Parisian folklore, i.e. street musicians, music-halls and
circus bands.
The Organ Concerto was begun in April and finished
in August of 1938, a commission from Princesse Edmond de Polignac
to whom it is dedicated. A private playing of the work in her
home preceded the first public performance of this the third
of his four keyboard concertos. Poulenc turned to Bach for his
inspiration and to organist Maurice Duruflé (who played
the premiere of the work) for technical advice. It is an eclectic
work with wide ranging moods and styles, a very strong selection
with which to introduce Beauty to the Beast and his awesome palace.
Poulenc’s Sinfonietta from 1947 is the
result of a commission from the B.B.C. for the tenth anniversary
of the Third Programme. It utilizes material from a string quartet
of the same year that Poulenc, dissatisfied, threw in a Paris
sewer. The work has a youthful quality which Poulenc may not
have relished; ". . . I was dressing too young for my age,"
he said of the work. It has been noted that much of the thematic
material is based on French ballet music. It is therefore quite
an appropriate choice to include in this very musical score for
Beauty and the Beast.
Poulenc died in Paris in 1963.
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Camille Saint-Saëns
was a musical prodigy who as a child was comparable to Mozart.
He was discovered to have perfect pitch at two, at five he played
the piano part of a Beethoven violin sonata and could read an
opera score, he waited until 8 to study harmony, by 10 1/2 he
had given a piano recital in Paris and two years later he entered
the Paris Conservatoire studying organ and composition. From
1853-77 he was organist at several churches. Saint-Saëns
was a professor at the École Niedermeyer 1861-65 where
his pupils included Fauré and Messager. He became in demand
as a solo performer on the piano and organ and toured often to
give concerts. Saint-Saëns is credited with reviving interest
in Bach in France and was also a champion of French composers,
founding the Société nationale de musique in 1871.
Saint-Saëns was born in Paris in 1835 and died in Algiers
in 1921. In his later life Saint-Saëns traveled widely and
absorbed the local color into his works.
In 1852 he met Liszt and was greatly influenced by him. Liszt
produced Saint-Saëns’ Samson et Dalila
at Weimer in 1877, and his Symphony No. 3 (1886,
the ‘Organ’) was dedicated to Liszt’s memory.
The music was commissioned by the Royal Philharmonic Society
of London and premiered there in 1886 with the composer conducting.
Although composed in the traditional four movements it sounds
as if it were in two due to the first two and the last two movements
being linked. David Nixon has chosen the final movement, which
concluding in the exultant key of C major, becomes confident
and resplendent, a fitting setting for the joy of the transformation
of the Beast to handsome Prince and the wedding celebration that
follows.
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Versions of Beauty and
the Beast as a ballet
La Belle et
la Bete
Choreography: Charles Didelot
Music: Federicci or C. Bossi
Original production presented at the King’s Theatre, London.
May 14, 1801. Revised as Khenzi I Tao; ili Krasavitsa I
chudovishche
Music: Antolini
Scenery: Canoppi, Tozelli & Kondrat’ev
Costumes: Babini
Revised version presented in St. Petersburg, August 30, 1819.
Didelot was a celebrated dancer of his day. Following the performance
of his most famous choreography, Flore et Zéphire,
in London, Didelot was hired in the triple capacity of dancer,
choreographer and teacher of the Russian Imperial Theaters. He
died in Kiev, 1836.
Beauty and the Beast
Choreography: Carlo Coppi
Music: Georges Jacobi
First presented January 4, 1898, Alhambra Theatre, London. Ms.
Casaboni as Beauty and Miss Julie Seale as the Beast.
Alen’kii tsvetochek
Choreography: Nikolai Legat
Music: Thomas Hartman
Libretto: Pavel Marzhetzkii after story by Sergei Aksakov
Scenery: Konstantin Korovin
Premiere production, December 16, 1907, Maryinski Theater, St.
Petersburg.
Alen’kii tsvetochek
Choreography: Alexander Gorski
Music: Thomas de Hartman
Libretto: Gorski after story by Sergei Aksakov
Premiere, Bolshoi Theater, January 1, 1911.
Beauty and the Beast
Choreography: Helen Bird
Music: Mozart
First performed at the Manchester Ballet Club, February 14, 1945
Featured Marion Dunkley as the Beast.
Beauty and the Beast
Choreography: Ruth Page
Music: Tchaikovsky arr. by Friedrich Wilckens
Costumes: Nicolai Remisov
First performed July 11, 1949 as a pas de deux at Kansas State
Teacher’s College, Pittsburg, Kansas. Full company premiere,
Chicago Opera Ballet, October 29, 1949 at Pabst Theatre, Milwaukee,
Wisconsin.
Beauty and the Beast
Choreography: John Cranko
Music: Ravel. Excerpts from Mother Goose Suite
Scenery & costumes: Margaret Kaye
This elaborate, extended pas de deux featuring the meeting, courtship,
flight and remorse, the final return and breaking of the spell
was first presented by the Sadler’s Wells Theatre Ballet
in London, December 20, 1949. The dancers were Patricia Miller
and David Poole. First US presentation November 14 1951, Denver.
A version for B.B.C. television was made in 1953.
Beauty and the Beast
Choreography: J. Marks
Music: Bela Bartok
Costumes: James Croshaw
First performance by San Francisco Contemporary Dancers Company
March 13, 1958 at San Francisco Contemporary Dancers Center.
Beauty and the Beast
Choreography: Lew Christensen
Music: Tchaikovsky arr. by Earl Bernard Murray
Scenery & costumes: Tony Duquette
The original production premiered at the San Francisco Opera
House May 23, 1958 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the company.
It was such a success that it was presented every season until
1967. In 1974 Mr. Christensen mounted a version of his Beauty
and the Beast at Marine World/Africa USA as a part of the
San Francisco Ballet’s fund raising activities. The performance
took place in a circus ring and the dancers were joined by llamas,
monkeys, birds and a tiger. Beauty and her Prince made their
final exit atop an elephant. A new production with designs by
Jose Varona was presented in 1982. At that time a pas de six
was added in act 2 and Robert Gladstein was assistant choreographer.
The ballet was released as an A.B.C. film with narration by Haley
Mills in 1966.
Beauty and the Beast
Choreography: John Auld
Created for Ballet Gulbenkian, Portugal, 1967/68
Beauty and the Beast
Choreography: Peter Darrell
Music: Thea Musgrave
Decor: Peter Marshall
First performance November 19, 1969. Scottish Theatre Ballet
at the Sadler’s Wells Theatre, London. Tatsuo Sakai and
D.D. Washington in the leads. Based on the story of Mme. de Villeneuve.
Beauty and the Beast
Choreography: Richard Kuch
Performed May 26, 1971, Riverside Church, New York. Maslow-Gain-Kuch
Dance Group.
Beauty and the Beast
Choreography: I. Keres
Performed in Wiesbaden, 1972.
Beauty and the Beast
Choreography: Wayne Eagling
Music: Vangelis
Scenery & Costumes: Jan Pienkowski
First performed December 2, 1986 by the Royal Ballet, at The
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Maria Almeida as Beauty, Anthony
Dowell as the Beast who was replaced during the performance by
Johnathon Cope due to an injury to Mr. Dowell’s arm.
La Belle et la Bete
Choreography: Phillipe Tressera
Music: Mahler
Scenery & Costumes: Alain Lagarde
Make up: Andre Malbert
First Performance June 15, 1989. Europa Ballet, Teatro Olimpico,
Vicenza.
Beauty and the Beast
Choreography: Bruce Wells
Music: Delibes (Excerpts from Sylvia & La Source)
Scenery: Lewis Folden
First performance April 20, 1990. Ballet Omaha, Orpheum Theater,
Omaha.
The production centered around Libra, goddess of Justice and
Cupid, god of love.
Choreography: Graeme Murphy
Music: Carl Vine, Phil Buckle, Jack Jones, Southern Sons and
Ministry.
Scenery: Kristian Fredrikson
Premiere by Graeme Murphy’s Dancers, Metro Theatre, Sydney,
Australia. February 1993. The Beast becomes, among other things,
a rock star (Rock Beast) and a corporate workaholic.
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Versions of Beauty and
the Beast in Other Media
La
Belle et la Bete. Best known of Jean Cocteau's surrealist
movies, Paris 1946. In the film, when the Prince asks Beauty
if she is happy, Cocteau has her close her eyes and answer "I
shall have to get used to it." Cocteau states "For
ordinary beauty could not easily take the place of the terrible
beauty that had won her heart. The whole meaning of the
story lies in this little sentence, and in secret disappointment
which the audience shares with Beauty." Music by Georges
Auric. The score for the film was lost until rediscovered in
1992.
La Belle et la Bete - Live performance composed
by Philip Glass as an accompaniment to the Cocteau film. Not
only did Glass compose music for the film but also had singers
replace the original dialogue with song.
Beauty and the Beast. An A.B.C. Films release
1966. Produced by Gordon Waldear, featuring San Francisco Ballet,
choreography of Lew Christensen, music of Tchaikovsky, narration
by Haley Mills. 50 mins.
Beauty and the Beast produced by Shelly Duvall.
A Faerie Tale Theatre Production 1984.
Beauty and the Beast. One act opera with music
by Vittorio Gianini and text by Robert A. Simon. Broadcast on
radio 1951.
Beauty and the Beast. Opera in three acts by
Frank Di Giacomo. Premiere 1974, Opera Theatre of Syracuse.
Dessert of Roses. Opera by Robert Moran based
on the story of Beauty and the Beast. Premiere, Houston
Grand Opera 1991
Beauty and the Beast. A musical for children
with music by Michael Valenti and lyrics by Elsa Rael, published
in 1994.
Beauty and the Beast. A major television production
of the fairy tale was aired in 1977.
Beauty and the Beast. A C.B.S. television series
featuring the Beast who lived in the sewers of New York whose
‘beauty’ was a lawyer. Series ran for two years in
the late 80’s (1987-88).
Beauty and the Beast. The Disney cartoon/musical
reworked the story somewhat and added characters including Gaston
whose impact on the story is obvious. Story by Linda Woolverton.
Music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman. Released 1991.
Beauty and the Beast. For the debut of Walt
Disney Theatrical Productions, Disney transformed their successful
cartoon into a stage musical that opened on Broadway April 7,
1994 after a tryout in Houston in the fall of 1993. Additional
lyrics were supplied by Tim Rice.
A touring ice show of the Disney version also exists.
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