ROH, Recorded Live
The Royal Ballet brings its celebrations of 70 years at the Royal Opera House to a close with a mixed programme of works by its founder choreographer Frederick Ashton.
Choeography: Frederick Ashton
Conductor: Emmanuel Plasson
Starring: The Royal Ballet
Frederick Ashton was Founder Choreographer of The Royal Ballet. His works define the English style of ballet – characterised most notably by precise, fleet footwork, sensuous épaulement (the way the shoulders are held) and gorgeous line of delicate simplicity. His many works for the Company are arguably its greatest legacy.
The Royal Ballet celebrates this heritage through a mixed programme of three of Ashton’s most loved – and most characteristic – works. The Dream (1964) is an enchanting adaptation of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream to music by Mendelssohn. Symphonic Variations (1946) is Ashton’s first masterpiece, and a breathtaking, abstract work on the beauty of pure movement. Marguerite and Armand (1963), inspired by the celebrated dance partnership between Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev, is a tragic love story of great lyrical beauty.
(3hr 0min)