| The premiere of Rhapsody was given by The Royal Ballet in 1980—dedicated ‘by gracious permission’ to Ashton’s friend Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, in celebration of her 80th birthday. Created for the legendary Mikhail Baryshnikov – appearing as a guest artist with the company – alongside Royal Ballet principal Lesley Collier, the ballet fuses the bravura of Russian technique with the lyricism of English (and thus Ashtonian) style. Set to Rachmaninov’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, it is a plotless yet richly expressive piece that celebrates virtuosity and exudes musicality: from the male role’s explosive leaps, turns and insouciant flair, to the ballerina’s fleet-footed precision and grace, and intricate ensemble patterns for six men and six women. The ballet stands as a fitting tribute to Ashton’s career—an enduring masterwork of classicism and radiant artistry. |
MUSIC
Sergei Rachmaninov (Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini, opus 43, 1934)
SCENERY
Frederick Ashton
COSTUMES
William Chappell
DANCERS
Lesley Collier, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Bryony Brind, Angela Cox, Gillian Kingsley, Karen Paisey, Genesia Rosato, Gail Taphouse, Michael Batchelor, Stephen Beagley, Antony Dowson, Ross MacGibbon, Ashley Page, Andrew Ward
FIRST PERFORMANCE
Royal Ballet, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, 4 August 1980
New Stagings / Productions
Royal Ballet, 1995
STAGING
Royal Ballet
REPRODUCED BY
Patrick Caulfield
DANCERS
Viviana Durante, Tetsuya Kumakawa
FIRST PERFORMANCE
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, 27 April 1995
Ballet de l’Opéra National de Paris, 1996
STAGING
Ballet de l’Opéra National de Paris
REPRODUCED BY
Grant Coyle
DANCERS
Carole Arbo, Manuel Legris
FIRST PERFORMANCE
Palais Garnier, 25 October 1996
Royal Ballet, 2005
STAGING
Royal Ballet
REPRODUCED BY
Christopher Carr, Grant Coyle
DANCERS
Leanne Benjamin, Carlos Acosta
FIRST PERFORMANCE
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, 11 March 2005
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