Dante Sonata (1940)

MUSIC

Franz Liszt, orchestrated by Constant Lambert (Fantaisie, quasi Sonate: d’après une lecture de Dante, from Années de Pélérinage: Seconde Année-ltalie, 1848)

SCENERY & COSTUMES

Sophie Fedorovitch, after John Flaxman (1755-1826)

DANCERS

Children of Light*: Margot Fonteyn, Pamela May, Julia Farron, Michael Somes; Children of Darkness*: June Brae, Joy Newton, Robert Helpmann; and corps de ballet

*These designations did not appear in the opening night programme but were added later.

FIRST PERFORMANCE

Vic-Wells Ballet, Sadler’s Wells Theatre, London, 23 January 1940

New Stagings / Productions

Sadler’s Wells Ballet, 1946

STAGING

Sadler’s Wells Ballet

DANCERS

Children of Light: Margot Fonteyn, Pamela May, David Paltenghi; Children of Darkness: Beryl Grey, Robert Helpmann

FIRST PERFORMANCE

Royal Opera House, London, 20 March 1946

Royal Ballet, 1970

STAGING

Royal Ballet; Tribute to Sir Frederick Ashton; solo for Pamela May only

DANCERS

Monica Mason

FIRST PERFORMANCE

Royal Opera House, London, 24 July 1970

Ballet for All, 1972

STAGING

Ballet for All; excerpt only

FIRST PERFORMANCE

Spa Pavilion, Felixstowe, 13 October 1972

Birmingham Royal Ballet, 2000

NEW PRODUCTION

Birmingham Royal Ballet

REPRODUCED BY

Jean Bedells, Pauline Clayden, Pamela May

DANCERS

Children of Light: Monica Zamora, Andrea Tredinnick, Wolfgang Stollwitzer; Children of Darkness: Asya Verzhbinsky, Dominic Antonucci

FIRST PERFORMANCE

Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Birmingham, 14 April 2000