| Created for a public presentation of Marie Rambert’s pupils at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, Capriol Suite was one of the first works that Ashton choreographed entirely of his own volition, without the input of Rambert. Inspired by the music he selected for the ballet, Ashton also studied Elizabethan paintings and sonnets, and adopted elements of English folk dancing that he saw at the Royal Albert Hall—drawing these influences together to create a free and modernised evocation of 16th-century dances that shows evidence of his later style. Rambert said of the ballet that ‘the perfection of pattern, the freshness of steps and the complete correspondence to music make it a small masterpiece’ (Dancing Times, December 1940). |
MUSIC
Peter Warlock, on themes from Thoinot Arbeau’s Orchésographie
COSTUMES
William Chappell
DANCERS
Basse-Danse: Pearl Argyle, Prudence Hyman, William Chappell, Robert Stuart
Pavane: Diana Gould, Frederick Ashton, Harold Turner
Tordion: Andrée Howard, Harold Turner
Mattachins: Frederick Ashton, William Chappell, Harold Turner, Robert Stuart
Pieds en I’air: Pearl Argyle, Diana Gould, Frederick Ashton, William Chappell
Bransles: Ensemble
FIRST PERFORMANCE
Marie Rambert Dancers, Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, 25 February 1930
New Stagings / Productions
Camargo Society, 1931
STAGING
Camargo Society
FIRST PERFORMANCE
Apollo Theatre, London, 25 January 1931
Vic-Wells Ballet, 1937
NEW PRODUCTION
Vic-Wells Ballet; Pavane only; directed by D H Munro
DANCERS
Elizabeth Miller, Harold Turner, Frederick Ashton
FIRST PERFORMANCE
BBC Television, Alexandra Palace, London, 11 October 1937
Sadler’s Wells Theatre Ballet, 1948
NEW PRODUCTION
Sadler’s Wells Theatre Ballet; choreography rearranged for six couples
SCENERY & COSTUMES
William Chappell
DANCERS
Basse-Danse: Maureen Bruce, Stella Farrance, Michael Boulton, Pirmin Trecu
Pavane: Jane Shore, David Poole, Hans Züllig
Tordion: Patricia Miller, Michael Boulton
Pieds en I’air: Jane Shore, Stella Claire, David Poole, Hans Züllig
Mattachins: Michael Boulton, David Blair, David Gill, Pirmin Trecu
FIRST PERFORMANCE
Sadler’s Wells Theatre, London, 5 October 1948
Royal Ballet, 1970
STAGING
Royal Ballet; Tribute to Sir Frederick Ashton; Mattachins only
FIRST PERFORMANCE
Royal Opera House, London, 24 July 1970
Ballet for All, 1972
STAGING
Ballet for All, in Birth of the Royal Ballet; Mattachins only
FIRST PERFORMANCE
Spa Pavilion, Felixstowe, 13 October 1972
Ballet Rambert, 1983
NEW PRODUCTION
Ballet Rambert
REPRODUCED BY
Elisabeth Schooling and Sally Gilmour
SCENERY & COSTUMES
William Chappell
DANCERS
Basse-Danse: Catherine Becque, Elisabeth Wright, Hugh Craig, Paul Melis
Pavane: Frances Carty, Albert van Nierop, Bruce Michelson
Tordion: Catherine Becque, Hugh Craig
Mattachins: Hugh Craig, Paul Melis, Albert van Nierop, Bruce Michelson
Pieds en I’air: Mary Evelyn, Frances Carty, Albert van Nierop, Bruce Michelson
Bransles: Ensemble
FIRST PERFORMANCE
Sadler’s Wells Theatre, London, 9 March 1983
Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet, 1987
NEW PRODUCTION
Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet: as for Ballet Rambert above
DANCERS
Basse-Danse: Sandra Madgwick, Sheila Styles, Michael O’Hare, Vincent Redmon
Pavane: Margaret Barbieri, Joseph Cipolla, Alain Dubreuil
Tordion: Sandra Madgwick, Michael O’Hare
Pieds en I’air: Margaret Barbieri, Clare French, Joseph Cipolla, Alain Dubreuil
Mattachins: Sam Armstrong, Russell Maliphant, Michael O’Hare, Vincent Redmon
Bransles: Ensemble
FIRST PERFORMANCE
Sadler’s Wells Theatre, London, 9 January 1987
New York Theatre Ballet, 2004
NEW PRODUCTION
New York Theatre Ballet
REPRODUCED BY
Amanda Eyles
COSTUMES
William Chappell
DANCERS
Basse-Danse: Keiko Nakamura, Ron Spiess, Elena Zahlmann, Ricky Resijan
Pavane: Melissa Beaver, Steven Melendez, Tobias Parsons
Tordion: Danielle Genest, Ricky Resijan
Pieds en l’air: Melissa Beaver, Kathleen Byrne, Steven Melendez, Tobias Parsons
Mattachins: Steven Melendez, Tobias Parsons, Ricky Resijan, Ron Spiess
Bransles: Ensemble
FIRST PERFORMANCE
Florence Gould Hall, New York NY, 23 April 2004
Copyright © 2004 by David Vaughan. ‘Work note’ © Frederick Ashton Foundation.
This listing is part of a chronology that was originally published in Vaughan’s Frederick Ashton and His Ballets (Alfred E Knopf 1976; 2nd ed., London: Dance Books, 1999) and includes new productions added since then, and up until 2007