Horoscope (ballet)
Encyclopedia
Horoscope is a ballet
created in 1937 by Frederick Ashton
with scenery by Sophie Fedorovich and music by Constant Lambert
. It is based on astrological
themes, and is reminiscent of Gustav Holst
's The Planets
in its musical exploration of the mystical. The story of the ballet concerns a young man and woman who were born in the disjoint Sun
signs of Leo
and Virgo
. However, both have their Moon
in Gemini
, and they are able to overcome their fate and become lovers.
It had its first performance by the Vic-Wells Ballet at Sadler's Wells Theatre
on 27 January 1938, starring Margot Fonteyn
and Michael Somes
, and it made stars of both principal dancers, but particularly Michael Somes, who was described by one critic as potentially the finest British male dancer of the half century. At that time Constant Lambert was conducting an affair with the young Margot Fonteyn, but they later separated. The ballet has been described as a symbolic representation of this affair. Other roles were danced by Richard Ellis and Alan Carter (the Gemini), and Pamela May
(the Moon).
The ballet was praised by the critics: Francis Toye
called it ... perhaps the most successful modern ballet that has been produced at this theatre for a long time. Arnold Haskell
wrote: With Horoscope, ballet, now truly indigenous in England, readies a splendid maturity.
Horoscope was to be Lambert's last original work for 14 years, during which time he concentrated on conducting and touring.
The full score was lost in the Netherlands
, only nine numbers surviving. The Vic-Wells Ballet was touring there in 1940 when German forces occupied the country, and they had to escape hurriedly, leaving behind scenery, costumes, and the full scores to both Horoscope and The Wise Virgins (an arrangement of Bach
's music by William Walton
). The work had had only 29 performances and was never revived.
The nine surviving numbers are:
For many years, the music for Horoscope was known only in the form of an abridged concert suite of five numbers that contained, according to contemporary commentators, the best of the music. Lambert himself recorded three of the movements ("Dance for the Followers of Leo", "Valse for the Gemini" and the "Invocation to the Moon and Finale") in 1945, with the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. That was the first recording of any of the music from the ballet. In 1949, Lambert recorded two more numbers, "Saraband for the Followers of Virgo" and "Bacchanale", with the Philharmonia Orchestra
. The five-movement Horoscope Suite was later recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra
under Robert Irving
(1953) and the English Northern Philharmonia
under David Lloyd-Jones
(1990).
In March 2003, the nine surviving numbers were recorded complete for the first time, by the BBC Concert Orchestra
under Barry Wordsworth
.
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 1937 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...
with scenery by Sophie Fedorovich and music by Constant Lambert
Constant Lambert
Leonard Constant Lambert was a British composer and conductor.-Early life:Lambert, the son of Russian-born Australian painter George Lambert, was educated at Christ's Hospital and the Royal College of Music...
. It is based on astrological
Astrology
Astrology consists of a number of belief systems which hold that there is a relationship between astronomical phenomena and events in the human world...
themes, and is reminiscent of Gustav Holst
Gustav Holst
Gustav Theodore Holst was an English composer. He is most famous for his orchestral suite The Planets....
's The Planets
The Planets
The Planets, Op. 32, is a seven-movement orchestral suite by the English composer Gustav Holst, written between 1914 and 1916. Each movement of the suite is named after a planet of the Solar System and its corresponding astrological character as defined by Holst...
in its musical exploration of the mystical. The story of the ballet concerns a young man and woman who were born in the disjoint Sun
Sun (astrology)
The sun is considered a very important part of astrology. It, as well as the Moon, are the most important of the astrological planets, and the two of them are often referred to as the luminaries. In Greek mythology the sun was represented by Apollo, the god of light, and Helios, the god of the sun...
signs of Leo
Leo (astrology)
Leo is the fifth astrological sign of the Zodiac, originating from the constellation of Leo. In astrology, Leo is considered to be a "masculine", positive sign. It is also considered a fire sign and is one of four fixed signs ruled by the Sun.Individuals born when the Sun is in this sign are...
and Virgo
Virgo (astrology)
Virgo is the sixth astrological sign in the Zodiac, which spans the zodiac between the 150th and 179th degree of celestial longitude. Generally, the Sun transits this area of the zodiac between August 23 to September 22 each year...
. However, both have their Moon
Moon (astrology)
The Moon is the Earth's companion satellite. The Moon is large enough for its gravity to affect the Earth, stabilising its orbit and producing the regular ebb and flow of the tides. The Moon is also familiar to us for its different phases, waxing and waning in appearance in an unchanging cycle...
in Gemini
Gemini (astrology)
Gemini is the third astrological sign in the Zodiac, which spans the Zodiac between the 60th and 89th degree of celestial longitude. Generally, the Sun transits this area of the zodiac between May 21 to June 20 each year...
, and they are able to overcome their fate and become lovers.
It had its first performance by the Vic-Wells Ballet at Sadler's Wells Theatre
Sadler's Wells Theatre
Sadler's Wells Theatre is a performing arts venue located in Rosebery Avenue, Clerkenwell in the London Borough of Islington. The present day theatre is the sixth on the site since 1683. It consists of two performance spaces: a 1,500 seat main auditorium and the Lilian Baylis Studio, with extensive...
on 27 January 1938, starring Margot Fonteyn
Margot Fonteyn
Dame Margot Fonteyn de Arias, DBE , was an English ballerina of the 20th century. She is widely regarded as one of the greatest classical ballet dancers of all time...
and Michael Somes
Michael Somes
Michael George Somes CBE , was a leading English ballet dancer. He was a principal danseur of the Royal Ballet, London, and was the frequent partner of Margot Fonteyn....
, and it made stars of both principal dancers, but particularly Michael Somes, who was described by one critic as potentially the finest British male dancer of the half century. At that time Constant Lambert was conducting an affair with the young Margot Fonteyn, but they later separated. The ballet has been described as a symbolic representation of this affair. Other roles were danced by Richard Ellis and Alan Carter (the Gemini), and Pamela May
Pamela May
Pamela May OBE, was a Trinidad born British dancer and teacher of classical ballet. Most noted as one of the earliest members The Royal Ballet, she was regarded as a versatile dancer; dancing all the established 19th century classical repertoire, and creating roles in new ballets by Ninette de...
(the Moon).
The ballet was praised by the critics: Francis Toye
Francis Toye
John Francis Toye was an English music critic, teacher, writer and educational administrator. After early efforts as a composer and novelist, and service in naval intelligence in World War I, he became music critic of The Morning Post from 1925 to 1937, which he combined with teaching singing and...
called it ... perhaps the most successful modern ballet that has been produced at this theatre for a long time. Arnold Haskell
Arnold Haskell
Arnold Lionel Haskell was a British dance critic who founded the Camargo Society in 1930. With Ninette de Valois, he was influential in the development of the Royal Ballet School, later becoming the school's headmaster.He became fascinated by ballet when his mother prevailed on him to come with...
wrote: With Horoscope, ballet, now truly indigenous in England, readies a splendid maturity.
Horoscope was to be Lambert's last original work for 14 years, during which time he concentrated on conducting and touring.
The full score was lost in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, only nine numbers surviving. The Vic-Wells Ballet was touring there in 1940 when German forces occupied the country, and they had to escape hurriedly, leaving behind scenery, costumes, and the full scores to both Horoscope and The Wise Virgins (an arrangement of Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
's music by William Walton
William Walton
Sir William Turner Walton OM was an English composer. During a sixty-year career, he wrote music in several classical genres and styles, from film scores to opera...
). The work had had only 29 performances and was never revived.
The nine surviving numbers are:
- "Palindromic Prelude" (Lambert claimed that the theme (which, as the name implies, can be played in either direction) was dictated to him by the ghost of Bernard van DierenBernard van DierenBernard Hélène Joseph van Dieren was a Dutch composer, critic, author, and writer on music.Van Dieren was the last of five children of a Rotterdam wine merchant, Bernard Joseph van Dieren, and his second wife, Julie Françoise Adelle Labbé...
, who had died in 1936.) - "Dance for the Followers of Leo"
- "Saraband for the Followers of Virgo"
- "Man's Variation"
- "Woman's Variation"
- "Bacchanale"
- "Valse for the Gemini"
- "Pas de Deux"
- "Invocation to the Moon and Finale".
For many years, the music for Horoscope was known only in the form of an abridged concert suite of five numbers that contained, according to contemporary commentators, the best of the music. Lambert himself recorded three of the movements ("Dance for the Followers of Leo", "Valse for the Gemini" and the "Invocation to the Moon and Finale") in 1945, with the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. That was the first recording of any of the music from the ballet. In 1949, Lambert recorded two more numbers, "Saraband for the Followers of Virgo" and "Bacchanale", with the Philharmonia Orchestra
Philharmonia Orchestra
The Philharmonia Orchestra is one of the leading orchestras in Great Britain, based in London. Since 1995, it has been based in the Royal Festival Hall. In Britain it is also the resident orchestra at De Montfort Hall, Leicester and the Corn Exchange, Bedford, as well as The Anvil, Basingstoke...
. The five-movement Horoscope Suite was later recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra
London Symphony Orchestra
The London Symphony Orchestra is a major orchestra of the United Kingdom, as well as one of the best-known orchestras in the world. Since 1982, the LSO has been based in London's Barbican Centre.-History:...
under Robert Irving
Robert Irving (conductor)
Robert Augustine Irving, DFC*, was a British conductor whose reputation was mainly as a ballet conductor.Born in Winchester, England, the son of mountaineer and author R. L. G. Irving, he was educated at Winchester College and New College, Oxford, graduating with a degree in music...
(1953) and the English Northern Philharmonia
Orchestra of Opera North
The Orchestra of Opera North is the orchestra that plays for the English opera company, Opera North....
under David Lloyd-Jones
David Lloyd-Jones
David Matthias Lloyd-Jones is a British conductor who has specialised in British and Russian music. He is also an editor and translator, especially of Russian operas.- Biography :...
(1990).
In March 2003, the nine surviving numbers were recorded complete for the first time, by the BBC Concert Orchestra
BBC Concert Orchestra
The BBC Concert Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London, one of the British Broadcasting Corporation's five radio orchestras. With around fifty players, it is the only one of the five which is not a full-scale symphony orchestra....
under Barry Wordsworth
Barry Wordsworth
Barry Wordsworth is a British conductor.From 1989 to 2006, Wordsworth was principal conductor of the BBC Concert Orchestra, and now holds the title of conductor laureate. From 1990 to 1995, Wordsworth was music director of the Royal Ballet, Covent Garden. He began his second tenure in that post in...
.