Les Patineurs (ballet)
Encyclopedia
Les patineurs is a ballet
created in 1937 with choreography by Frederick Ashton
, to the music of Giacomo Meyerbeer
arranged by Constant Lambert
, for the Vic-Wells company, with designs by William Chappell.
, London on 16 February 1937 with Margot Fonteyn
and Robert Helpmann
as the romantic couple, Harold Turner as the Blue Boy, June Brae and Pamela May as the patineuses, with Mary Honer, Elizabeth Miller, Joy Newton, Peggy Melliss, Richard Ellis, Leslie Edwards
, Michael Somes
and Paul Reymond.
The inspiration for the work came from Constant Lambert
, who had found an old programme for a 1849 Paul Taglioni
ballet Les plaisirs de l'hiver, ou, Les patineurs. Lambert chose vocal and dance numbers from two Meyerbeer operas, L'étoile du nord
and Le prophète
.
Originally the piece was announced with Ninette de Valois
to be the choreographer, but Ashton heard the score being played on the piano by Lambert and asked if he could take it on, while de Valois worked on the choreography for Gavin Gordon
's ballet The Rake's Progress
instead. Ashton (who had never been to an ice-rink in his life) was intent on show-casing the growing virtuosity of the young Wells company, with heavy technical demands on the dancers, especially the Blue Boy.
After a triumphant premiere, the work was performed by The Royal Ballet every season from 1937 to 1968 (except 1960), while the touring company performed the ballet most seasons from 1955 to 1965 and every year from 1969 to 1979, and then again in the 1980s by Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet. It has been seen in recent seasons at the Royal Opera House
and by 2011 had been performed 350 times there alone. Productions have also been mounted in the USA, New Zealand, Turkey, Canada, South Africa and Germany.
Les Patineurs was one of the first ballets to be televised complete, by the BBC
on 3 May 1937 from Alexandra Palace
.
According to Kavanagh, Les Patineurs is "a paradigm of an Ashton ballet, perfectly crafted with a complex structure beneath the effervescent surface".
, Charles Mackerras
, Eugene Ormandy
, Antal Dorati
, Robert Irving
and Hugo Rignold
as well as Constant Lambert himself conducting excerpts with the Sadler's Wells orchestra in 1939.
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 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 Giacomo Meyerbeer
Giacomo Meyerbeer
Giacomo Meyerbeer was a noted German opera composer, and the first great exponent of "grand opera." At his peak in the 1830s and 1840s, he was the most famous and successful composer of opera in Europe, yet he is rarely performed today.-Early years:He was born to a Jewish family in Tasdorf , near...
arranged 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...
, for the Vic-Wells company, with designs by William Chappell.
Performance history
Les patineurs was first performed by Vic-Wells Ballet at Sadler's Wells TheatreSadler'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...
, London on 16 February 1937 with 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 Robert Helpmann
Robert Helpmann
Sir Robert Helpmann CBE was an Australian dancer, actor, theatre director and choreographer.-Early years:He was born Robert Murray Helpman in Mount Gambier, South Australia and also boarded at Prince Alfred College in Adelaide. From childhood, Helpman had a strong desire to be a dancer...
as the romantic couple, Harold Turner as the Blue Boy, June Brae and Pamela May as the patineuses, with Mary Honer, Elizabeth Miller, Joy Newton, Peggy Melliss, Richard Ellis, Leslie Edwards
Leslie Edwards
Leslie Edwards was a British ballet dancer and ballet master. He was one of the final links with Ninette de Valois's original pre-war Vic-Wells Ballet...
, 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 Paul Reymond.
The inspiration for the work came from 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...
, who had found an old programme for a 1849 Paul Taglioni
Filippo Taglioni
Filippo Taglioni was an Italian dancer and choreographer and personal teacher to his own daughter, the famous Romantic ballerina Marie Taglioni. He is the son of Carlo and father of both Marie and Paul...
ballet Les plaisirs de l'hiver, ou, Les patineurs. Lambert chose vocal and dance numbers from two Meyerbeer operas, L'étoile du nord
L'étoile du nord
L'étoile du nord is an opéra comique in three acts by Giacomo Meyerbeer. The French-language libretto was by Eugène Scribe....
and Le prophète
Le prophète
Le prophète is an opera in five acts by Giacomo Meyerbeer. The French-language libretto was by Eugène Scribe.-Performance history:...
.
Originally the piece was announced with Ninette de Valois
Ninette de Valois
Dame Ninette de Valois, OM, CH, DBE, FRAD, FISTD was an Irish-born British dancer, teacher, choreographer and director of classical ballet...
to be the choreographer, but Ashton heard the score being played on the piano by Lambert and asked if he could take it on, while de Valois worked on the choreography for Gavin Gordon
Gavin Gordon (composer)
Gavin Gordon was a Scottish bass singer, actor and composer, best known for his 1935 Hogarthian ballet The Rake's Progress.-Biography:Gavin Gordon was born in Ayr, Scotland in 1901, as Gavin Muspratt Gordon Brown...
's ballet The Rake's Progress
The Rake's Progress (ballet)
The Rake's Progress is a short 1935 ballet, based on the drawings of William Hogarth, with music by Gavin Gordon , choreography by Ninette de Valois, and set design by Rex Whistler....
instead. Ashton (who had never been to an ice-rink in his life) was intent on show-casing the growing virtuosity of the young Wells company, with heavy technical demands on the dancers, especially the Blue Boy.
After a triumphant premiere, the work was performed by The Royal Ballet every season from 1937 to 1968 (except 1960), while the touring company performed the ballet most seasons from 1955 to 1965 and every year from 1969 to 1979, and then again in the 1980s by Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet. It has been seen in recent seasons 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...
and by 2011 had been performed 350 times there alone. Productions have also been mounted in the USA, New Zealand, Turkey, Canada, South Africa and Germany.
Les Patineurs was one of the first ballets to be televised complete, by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
on 3 May 1937 from Alexandra Palace
Alexandra Palace
Alexandra Palace is a building in North London, England. It stands in Alexandra Park, in an area between Hornsey, Muswell Hill and Wood Green...
.
According to Kavanagh, Les Patineurs is "a paradigm of an Ashton ballet, perfectly crafted with a complex structure beneath the effervescent surface".
Ballet numbers
The sections of the ballet, which lasts about 25 minutes, are:- Entrée
- Pas des Patineurs
- Variation
- Pas de deux
- Ensemble
- Pas de trois
- Pas de deux/patineuses
- Ensemble
- Galop finale
Recordings
The score was recorded many times in the thirty or so years after the premiere, under conductors such as Jean MartinonJean Martinon
Jean Martinon was a French conductor and composer.-Biography:Martinon was born in Lyon, where he began his education, going on to the Conservatoire de Paris to study under Albert Roussel for composition, under Charles Munch and Roger Désormière for conducting, under Vincent d'Indy for harmony,...
, Charles Mackerras
Charles Mackerras
Sir Alan Charles Maclaurin Mackerras, AC, CH, CBE was an Australian conductor. He was an authority on the operas of Janáček and Mozart, and the comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan...
, Eugene Ormandy
Eugene Ormandy
Eugene Ormandy was a Hungarian-born conductor and violinist.-Early life:Born Jenő Blau in Budapest, Hungary, Ormandy began studying violin at the Royal National Hungarian Academy of Music at the age of five...
, Antal Dorati
Antal Doráti
Antal Doráti, KBE was a Hungarian-born conductor and composer who became a naturalized American citizen in 1947.-Biography:...
, 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...
and Hugo Rignold
Hugo Rignold
Hugo Henry Rignold was an English conductor and violinist, who is best remembered as Musical Director of the Royal Ballet and conductor of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra ....
as well as Constant Lambert himself conducting excerpts with the Sadler's Wells orchestra in 1939.