A Month in the Country (ballet)
Encyclopedia
A Month in the Country is a narrative ballet
created in 1976 with choreography by Frederick Ashton
, to the music of Frédéric Chopin
(three works for piano and orchestra) arranged by John Lanchbery
. It is based on the play by Turgenev of the same name, and lasts for about 40 minutes.
, but a meeting with Isaiah Berlin
in the late 1960s helped him decide on the subject, and he took up Berlin’s suggestion of using the music of Chopin. During the preparation of the ballet, Ashton encouraged the dancers to see a production of the play in London with Dorothy Tutin
as Natalia.
The ballet was first performed on Thursday, February 12, 1976, by The Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House
, Covent Garden, with Lynn Seymour
and Anthony Dowell
in the leading roles; later interpreters have included Merle Park and Sylvie Guillem
as Natalia and Michael Coleman
, Mikhail Baryshnikov
, and Ivan Putrov
as Belaiev. The work was performed by the Royal Ballet every season from 1976 to 1979 and is regularly revived at Covent Garden.
It has also been seen on tour in New York and Havana. In 1995 Anthony Dowell mounted the ballet for the National Ballet of Canada
(the first time it had been performed by any other company).
The ballet was filmed for television in a performance at the Royal Opera House in 1978 with the original principals, and broadcast with an interview of Ashton by Robin Ray
.
Peggy Ashcroft
— after seeing a performance — told Ashton that she thought his adaptation was better than the original.
The work is dedicated to Sophie Fedorovitch and Bronislava Nijinska
.
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
created in 1976 with choreography by Frederick Ashton
Frederick Ashton
Sir Frederick William Mallandaine Ashton OM, CH, CBE was a leading international dancer and choreographer. He is most noted as the founder choreographer of The Royal Ballet in London, but also worked as a director and choreographer of opera, film and theatre revues.-Early life:Ashton was born at...
, to the music of Frédéric Chopin
Frédéric Chopin
Frédéric François Chopin was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist. He is considered one of the great masters of Romantic music and has been called "the poet of the piano"....
(three works for piano and orchestra) arranged by John Lanchbery
John Lanchbery
John Arthur Lanchbery OBE was an English, later Australian, composer and conductor, famous for his ballet arrangements.-Life:...
. It is based on the play by Turgenev of the same name, and lasts for about 40 minutes.
History
Ashton had the idea of a ballet based on A Month in the Country since seeing the play in the 1930s at the Westminster TheatreWestminster Theatre
The Westminster Theatre was a London theatre, on Palace Street in Westminster. It was originally built as the Charlotte Chapel in 1766, which was altered and given a new frontage for use as a cinema from 1924 onwards. It finally became a theatre in 1931 after radical alterations...
, but a meeting with Isaiah Berlin
Isaiah Berlin
Sir Isaiah Berlin OM, FBA was a British social and political theorist, philosopher and historian of ideas of Russian-Jewish origin, regarded as one of the leading thinkers of the twentieth century and a dominant liberal scholar of his generation...
in the late 1960s helped him decide on the subject, and he took up Berlin’s suggestion of using the music of Chopin. During the preparation of the ballet, Ashton encouraged the dancers to see a production of the play in London with Dorothy Tutin
Dorothy Tutin
Dame Dorothy Tutin DBE was an English actor of stage, film, and television.An obituary in The Daily Telegraph described her as "one of the most enchanting, accomplished and intelligent leading ladies on the post-war British stage...
as Natalia.
The ballet was first performed on Thursday, February 12, 1976, by The Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House
Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", after a previous use of the site of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The...
, Covent Garden, with Lynn Seymour
Lynn Seymour
Lynn Seymour is a retired Canadian ballerina and choreographer.She was born Lynn Springbett and studied ballet in Vancouver....
and Anthony Dowell
Anthony Dowell
Sir Anthony James Dowell, CBE is a retired English ballet dancer and former Artistic Director of the Royal Ballet. He studied at the Hampshire School and The Royal Ballet Schools, before joining the Royal Ballet in 1961...
in the leading roles; later interpreters have included Merle Park and Sylvie Guillem
Sylvie Guillem
Sylvie Guillem CBE is a French ballet dancer. She was the top-ranking female dancer with the Paris Opera Ballet from 1984 to 1989, before becoming a principal guest artist with the Royal Ballet in London. She is currently performing contemporary dance as an Associate Artist of London's Sadler's...
as Natalia and Michael Coleman
Michael Coleman
Michael Coleman may refer to:*Michael Coleman , Canadian performer, voice of numerous anime characters*Michael Coleman , English writer of books for children and young adults; candidate for the 1996 Carnegie Medal...
, Mikhail Baryshnikov
Mikhail Baryshnikov
Mikhail Nikolaevich Baryshnikov is a Soviet and American dancer, choreographer, and actor, often cited alongside Vaslav Nijinsky and Rudolf Nureyev as one of the greatest ballet dancers of the 20th century. After a promising start in the Kirov Ballet in Leningrad, he defected to Canada in 1974...
, and Ivan Putrov
Ivan Putrov
Ivan Putrov is a Ukrainian-born ballet dancer, an independent dance artist, he was a principal dancer with The Royal Ballet from 2002 until July 2010.- Biography :...
as Belaiev. The work was performed by the Royal Ballet every season from 1976 to 1979 and is regularly revived at Covent Garden.
It has also been seen on tour in New York and Havana. In 1995 Anthony Dowell mounted the ballet for the National Ballet of Canada
National Ballet of Canada
The National Ballet of Canada is Canada's largest ballet troupe. It was founded by Celia Franca in 1951 and is based in Toronto, Ontario. Based upon the unity of Canadian trained dancers in the tradition and style of England's Royal Ballet, The National is regarded as one of the premier classical...
(the first time it had been performed by any other company).
The ballet was filmed for television in a performance at the Royal Opera House in 1978 with the original principals, and broadcast with an interview of Ashton by Robin Ray
Robin Ray
Robin Ray was an English actor, musician and broadcaster, the son of comedian Ted Ray and the brother of actor Andrew Ray.-Career:...
.
Peggy Ashcroft
Peggy Ashcroft
Dame Peggy Ashcroft, DBE was an English actress.-Early years:Born as Edith Margaret Emily Ashcroft in Croydon, Ashcroft attended the Woodford School, Croydon and the Central School of Speech and Drama...
— after seeing a performance — told Ashton that she thought his adaptation was better than the original.
Story
The story concerns the emotional disturbance caused by the presence of a tutor in the home of a country Russian family. Natalia Petrovna, a bored wife, falls for the young tutor of Kolia, Belaiev. The ballet contains a series of pas de deux which carry the action forward: Natalia and her admirer Rakitin, Belaiev and Vera, Natalia’s ward, Belaiev and the maid Katia, and Belaiev and Natalia. In the finale, Vera summons the household to witness the embraces of Natalia and Belaiev; Rakitin tells Belaiev that both of them should leave the house. Alone on stage, Natalia despairs at the young man’s departure, but he returns unseen and unheard and leave her the rose she had given him.Music
The music is Chopin's- Variations on "Là ci darem la mano"Variations on "Là ci darem la mano" (Chopin)Frédéric Chopin's Variations on "Là ci darem la mano" for piano and orchestra, Op. 2, was written in 1827, when he was aged only 17. It was one of the earliest manifestations of Chopin's incipient genius...
in B-flat major - Fantaisie brillante on Polish Airs in A major
- Andante spianato et grande polonaise brillante
The work is dedicated to Sophie Fedorovitch and Bronislava Nijinska
Bronislava Nijinska
Bronislava Nijinska - February 22, 1972)) was a Russian dancer, choreographer, and teacher of Polish descent.Nijinska was born in Minsk, the third child of the Polish dancers Tomasz and Eleonora Nijinska . Her brother was Vaslav Nijinsky...
.