| Originally entitled Paris after the Delius tone poem to which it was choreographed, Nocturne was renamed in order to capture the essence of the ballet, which, as the programme note explained, ‘concentrated on a human drama to which the night life of a great city forms the background’. This drama – essentially a love triangle – was, Ashton once said, to some extent autobiographical, and is brought to life through a series of sophisticated solos and duets, interspersed with ensemble pieces and interjections from what Ashton’s biographer David Vaughan describes as ‘a kind of ironic and sinister chorus’. Demonstrating real choreographic assurance, and also reflecting Ashton’s flourishing working relationship with Margot Fonteyn at the time, the ballet has since disappeared from the repertory. |
MUSIC
Frederick Delius (Paris, Ein Nachtstück: The Song of a Great City, 1899)
SCENERY & COSTUMES
Sophie Fedorovitch
DANCERS
A Spectator: Frederick Ashton; A Young Man: Robert Helpmann; A Rich Girl (later called A Young Girl): June Brae; A Poor Girl (later called A Flower Girl): Margot Fonteyn; Maskers, Revellers: corps de ballet
FIRST PERFORMANCE
Vic-Wells Ballet, Sadler’s Wells Theatre, London, 10 November 1936
New Stagings / Productions
Sadler’s Wells Ballet, 1946
STAGING
Sadler’s Wells Ballet
DANCERS
as above except A Young Girl: Pamela May
FIRST PERFORMANCE
Royal Opera House, London, 18 March 1946
Royal Ballet, 1970
STAGING
Royal Ballet; Tribute to Sir Frederick Ashton; excerpt only
DANCERS
A Poor Girl: Margot Fonteyn; A Spectator: Michael Somes
FIRST PERFORMANCE
Royal Opera House, London 24 July 1970
Copyright © 2004 by David Vaughan
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