COLLABORATIVE CREATIONS FOR THE ALHAMBRA AND THE EMPIRE
2001; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 24; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1081/dnc-100103141
ISSN1532-4257
Autores Tópico(s)Historical Studies of Medieval Iberia
ResumoClick to increase image sizeClick to decrease image size Acknowledgments Notes * “The Playhouse,” The Illustrated London News, October 18, 1884, notes the change to “miscellaneous entertainment whereof ballet will still be the chief staple of attraction.” The ballets on the opening program were “The Rustic Ballet” from Blackeyed Susan choreographed by Joseph Hansen, and “La Kermess; or Fair Folk” from The Beggar Student, probably choreographed by Aime Bertrand, although some authorities suggest it was also by Hansen. * The company, named after the theatre in which it was based in London, also toured extensively in the United States. Details of the company's activities (with, inevitably, very few references to the opera ballets) is given in Harold Rosenthal (ed.), The Mapleson Memoirs: The Career of an Operatic Impresario (London: Putnam, 1966). * An advertisement in the Era Almanack for 1881 and 1882 read, “The Ballet—Special Attractions: It is worthy of note that the NATIONAL TRAINING SCHOOL FOR DANCING offers decided advantages to the Managers in making their arrangements. Its Pupils can be engaged singly or in any number required, the terms being liberal, whilst the highest efficiency is guaranteed. Their success at Her Majesty's Opera, Drury Lane, the Alhambra, Olympic, Imperial, the Royal and Brighton Aquariums, the Crystal and Alexandra Palaces, the new Theatre Royal, Glasgow, and throughout the United States render comment futile. During the months of January, February, March, August and September Her Majesty's Ballet Company can be arranged for; and negotiations can be entered into at all times for Premiere Danseuses of the highest order. Particulars to be had of Madame Katti Lanner, the Directress, at Cleveland Hall, 54 Cleveland Street, Fitzroy Square, W.” † Between 1881 and 1896 Lanner annually contributed choreography to the big Drury Lane pantomimes (a task usually shared with John D'Auban). Other theatres where she choreographed ballets for the pantomimes were the Olympic, Crystal Palace, and the Adelphi, London, and the Princes Theatre, Manchester. Other London theatres at which she choreographed musical productions included the Comedy, the Gaiety, the Strand, the Prince of Wales, and the Avenue. ‡ Joseph Hansen is listed as second danseur comique for the 1864–65 season, régisseur de ballet and mime comique for the two seasons 1865–67, becoming deuxième maître de ballet in 1867. He remained officially involved with the Monnaie until 1874 and returned there during the 1876–77 season. It seems likely that he choreographed some opera ballets there at other times. * Hansen choreographed the divertissement Les Filles d'Eve, to music by Rosenboam, at the Théâtre Gaîté, Paris, on August 16, 1875. † La Chatte Blanche (The White Cat) had been acclaimed at the Théâtre National in Paris in 1852. Justamant had mounted his production at the Gaîté, Paris, on April 16, 1870. The principal ballerina, Margaritta Roseri, from Justamant's production, led the ballet in Hansen's London production, but she was joined by local dancers, Clara Geresh and Emily Allcroft, in other leading roles. The “Grand Musical Fairy Spectacular” was first performed on December 2, and came abruptly to an end after eight nights when, as The Era on December 26, 1875, reported, the orchestra refused to continue to perform without payment. ‡ Henri Desplaces (1842–1877) was an established dancer at the Paris Opéra before going to the Théâtre de la Monnaie, Brussels, as principal dancer in 1849. He served there as ballet master (1851–1853 and 1858–1861) and embarked on his role as ballet master of the Royal Italian Opera in 1853. During Desplaces' earlier career with the Royal Italian Opera he created and mounted a number of significant ballets, the most famous of which (because of its original score by Arthur Sullivan) was L'Ile Enchantée (1864). From December 1864 onward he also choreographed for the pantomimes and some other productions at Covent Garden, but much of his career remains undocumented. * A few works exceeded this time span, notably Lanner's Monte Cristo at the Empire which, when first performed in October 1896, ran for one-and-three-quarters hours including one eight-minute interval. Such mammoth productions unbalanced the variety program and it began to be performed across the two ballet “slots” in the program, separated by variety turns. Later still, the two parts were danced in alternate weeks. Eventually, it was reduced to just two tableaus, “Marseilles” and the jewel divertissement of “The Riches of the Cave.” * “Ce seul décor à transformation dans le genre de celui des Walkyries de l'opéra Sigurd. La musique dans le style et la coupe de celle du divertissement des 24 heures Gioconda.” Jacobi Collection, London Theatre Museum, Box 27. * Among the other tunes Wenzel incorporated into the score were “Round the Town” from the opera burlesque Joan of Arc (lyrics J. L. Shine and Adrian Ross, music F. Osmond Carr); “For He's a Jolly Good Fellow”; “The Man that Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo” by Fred Gilbert; the Gus Ellen coster song “Never Introduce Your Donah to a Pal” by A. E. Durandeau and Albert E. Ellis; four bars of “Highland Laddie”; and in the fifth tableau “Our Empire,” “Heart of Oak,” “The Minstrel Boy,” “The Ash Grove,” the Australian National Anthem, and a Canadian boat song.
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