Dance
The Midsummer Marriage (Royal Opera House)
A grand alliance
Giannandrea Poesio
Witithin contemporary musical culture, the relationship between opera and dance is an interesting yet controversial issue. Although the two art forms have co-existed and complemented each other since their early days, many musicologists and opera- lovers tend to dismiss the so-called 'opera ballets' as a superfluous and easily dispos- able artistic subspecies (does anyone remember the heated discussion that con- cluded the study day on Verdi's ballets less than a year ago at the Royal Opera House?).
While it is true that some composers were forced to add a choreographic sequence to their works in order to appease the whims of powerful patrons who wanted to admire the legs of their pro- teges, it is also true that many other com- posers chose deliberately to rely on the dance idiom to enhance the action and structure of their operatic works. The bal- lets, therefore, were not just an ornamental surplus but served a specific purpose, con- ferring a particular character as the action developed.
In Rossini's Armida (1817), for instance, the dances underline the unearthly nature of the sorceress' retinue; in his William Tell (1829), the long series of solos, duets and ensembles is intended as a touch of local colour, a popular component of many Romantic works. Similarly, in Puccini's opera-ballet Le Villi (1884), the ghosts' reel — phrases of which occur in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera — sum- marises the legend on which the plot is based.
To cut these sections, as is often the case nowadays, is to alter the structure of the work and to overlook a significant aspect of the composer's work. After all, ballet music by Verdi, Rossini and Donizetti has been used by some of the greatest choreogra- phers of our century, such as George Bal- anchine (Donizetti Variations, 1960), Kenneth MacMillan (The Four Seasons, 1975), Frederick Ashton (Pas de Legumes, 1979), who were fully aware of the artistic potential.
Still, things change dramatically in 20th- century operas. Although the choreograph- ic insertions to be found in works such as Schonberg's Moses and Aron (1932) or Britten's Gloriana (1953) and Death in Venice (1973) serve the same purpose as many 19th-century opera ballets, no one ever dares question their artistic value. On the contrary, the same directors and pro- ducers who are so keen to dispose of the ballet in either William Tell or La Favorita (1840) spend a great deal of time and money searching for a suitable choreogra- pher who can provide an interesting high standard for those dances. In addition, dance has become a usual component in opera productions with a modern approach. Dancers or dancing extras often fill the stage in order to provide a scenic effect that bears no relation to the opera's content.
This is not the case with Michael Tip- pett's The Midsummer Marriage, currently at the Royal Opera House, which prompt- ed the above considerations. Throughout the three acts of the opera, dance plays a significant role, either on its own — as in the case of the Ritual Dances in Act Two, originally choreographed by John Cranko in 1955 — or as a complement to the singing and the theatrical action.
Ron Howell, the choreographer, refers to a specific post-modern vocabulary that suits the music incredibly well. What is more interesting is the way in which he has managed to overcome the restrictions imposed by the libretto without betraying the essence and, most importantly, the function of the dances. Unlike his illustri- ous predecessor who opted for a more bal- letic/narrative version fully documented by an abundance of visual sources, Howell keeps away from a literal reading of the prescribed symbolism of the dances (the battle of the sexes and the four elements).
The result is a fluid continuum, with no apparent interruption between one dance and the other, where the stylised move- ment of the dancers (all dressed the same but still retaining some gender traits) pro- vide the symbolic imagery. At the same time, the choreography of the Ritual Dances differs neatly from the rest of the dancing and the movements accompanying the action, thereby revealing a good deal of creativity. In my opinion, neither the danc- ing nor the scenic movements detracted Blast. I forgot to ask for a receipt.' from the opera: if well balanced, dance and opera can easily live together.
Rupert Christiansen will review The Mid- summer Marriage next week.
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