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At a bar inspired by Manet’s painting, the barmaid leaves her counter to dance with the waiter Valentin. When the can-can dancers arrive, she retreats behind the bar; Valentin then falls for La Goulue, leaving the barmaid heartbroken. After the others leave, she resumes the pose of Manet’s painting.
The premise of the ballet is that the chess pieces become animated and act out human emotions. The main conflict of the story concerns the Red Knight's love for the Black Queen. In the Prologue, two chess players are shown, ready to do battle. The player in gold represents Love and chooses the red side. The player in black represents Death and takes the black side. The ballet proper begins with the Red Pawns assembling on the chessboard. The Red Knights arrive on the scene, afterwards joined by the Black Knights. The Black Knights prostrate themselves at the entry of the Black Queen, who fills them with fear. The Black Queen makes advances to the Red Knight and tosses him a rose, and the Red Knight becomes infatuated with the Black Queen. The Red King and Red Queen arrive, with the old Red King requiring assistance. An initial "game" between the two sides finishes as the Black Queen has the Red King in a "check" position. This game leads to a duel between the Red Knight and the Black Queen, where the Red Knight is victorious over the Black Queen. However, he cannot bring himself to kill her because of his love for her. In one moment, he turns his back and recalls the rose from the Black Queen. The Black Queen takes advantage and fatally stabs the Red Knight. The funeral cortège for the Red Knight is described as "Death leading, Love at the end of the procession". The Black Queen then turns on the Red King, and the Black forces surround him. The Red King has one last moment of recalling his youth before the Black Queen stabs him in the back with a spear, in the final "checkmate".
Job: A Masque for Dancing is a one-act ballet produced in 1931. The scenario is by Geoffrey Keynes, the choreography by Ninette de Valois, and the music by Ralph Vaughan Williams. The ballet is based on the Book of Job from the Hebrew Bible and was inspired by the illustrated edition by William Blake. The music was first given in concert in 1930 and the ballet had its stage premiere on 5 July 1931. It was the first ballet to be produced by an entirely British creative team. It was taken into the repertoire of the Vic-Wells Ballet and its successors, and has been intermittently revived.
The Prospect Before Us is a one act comic ballet in seven scenes, choreographed for the Vic-Wells Ballet by Ninette de Valois to music by William Boyce arranged by Constant Lambert.
A ballet conceived from William Hogarth’s A Rake’s Progress paintings. Its eight numbers include a reception, dancing lesson, orgy, gambling den, scenes outside prison and a madhouse.
At a bar inspired by Manet’s painting, the barmaid leaves her counter to dance with the waiter Valentin. When the can-can dancers arrive, she retreats behind the bar; Valentin then falls for La Goulue, leaving the barmaid heartbroken. After the others leave, she resumes the pose of Manet’s painting.
The premise of the ballet is that the chess pieces become animated and act out human emotions. The main conflict of the story concerns the Red Knight's love for the Black Queen. In the Prologue, two chess players are shown, ready to do battle. The player in gold represents Love and chooses the red side. The player in black represents Death and takes the black side. The ballet proper begins with the Red Pawns assembling on the chessboard. The Red Knights arrive on the scene, afterwards joined by the Black Knights. The Black Knights prostrate themselves at the entry of the Black Queen, who fills them with fear. The Black Queen makes advances to the Red Knight and tosses him a rose, and the Red Knight becomes infatuated with the Black Queen. The Red King and Red Queen arrive, with the old Red King requiring assistance. An initial "game" between the two sides finishes as the Black Queen has the Red King in a "check" position. This game leads to a duel between the Red Knight and the Black Queen, where the Red Knight is victorious over the Black Queen. However, he cannot bring himself to kill her because of his love for her. In one moment, he turns his back and recalls the rose from the Black Queen. The Black Queen takes advantage and fatally stabs the Red Knight. The funeral cortège for the Red Knight is described as "Death leading, Love at the end of the procession". The Black Queen then turns on the Red King, and the Black forces surround him. The Red King has one last moment of recalling his youth before the Black Queen stabs him in the back with a spear, in the final "checkmate".
Job: A Masque for Dancing is a one-act ballet produced in 1931. The scenario is by Geoffrey Keynes, the choreography by Ninette de Valois, and the music by Ralph Vaughan Williams. The ballet is based on the Book of Job from the Hebrew Bible and was inspired by the illustrated edition by William Blake. The music was first given in concert in 1930 and the ballet had its stage premiere on 5 July 1931. It was the first ballet to be produced by an entirely British creative team. It was taken into the repertoire of the Vic-Wells Ballet and its successors, and has been intermittently revived.
The Prospect Before Us is a one act comic ballet in seven scenes, choreographed for the Vic-Wells Ballet by Ninette de Valois to music by William Boyce arranged by Constant Lambert.
A ballet conceived from William Hogarth’s A Rake’s Progress paintings. Its eight numbers include a reception, dancing lesson, orgy, gambling den, scenes outside prison and a madhouse.