Pulcinella by Richard Alston Resource Pack This pack was compiled for Rambert by Jane Pritchard have not been rewritten for the new specifications for exams in AS and A level Dance from 2017 onwards, although it is hoped that these notes will be a starting point for further work. It draws on material from two earlier packs on the work; a general Pulcinella pack compiled in conjunction with Yorkshire Dance Centre to support education projects undertaken when the work was premiered in Leeds in January 1987 and a second produced in September 1987. The second, by Sarah Rubidge and Richard Alston, was compiled to enhance the appreciation of the stage production. Although these new notes acknowledge that Pulcinella was created for the stage they take account of the evolution of the production and acknowledge that it is only now seen on video and not in live performance. Practical workshops with Rambert are available in schools or at Rambert’s studios. To book, call 020 8630 0615 or email [email protected]. This material is available for use by students and teachers of UK educational establishments, free of charge. This includes downloading and copying of material. All other rights reserved. For full details see http://www.rambert.org.uk/join-in/schools-colleges/educational-use-of-this-website/. Photo credits: Figure C, D, E, F, G, H, I, N, O, P, S, U: Catherine Ashmore Figure B: Anthony Crickmay Figure R: Merlin Hendy Figures J, L, M, T: Robert Hill/BBC Figure K, P: Angela Taylor Rambert Pulcinella resource pack p2 Pulcinella by Richard Alston Resource Pack Contents Characters/Synopsis page 6 Context of the creation page 7 The dance page 10 Movement vocabulary page 17 Richard Alston, choreographer page 20 Howard Hodgkin, designer page 22 Peter Mumford, lighting designer page 27 Music for Pulcinella page 31 Cast page 32 Performance recording page 33 Bibliography page 35 Rambert Pulcinella resource pack p3 Pulcinella Choreographed by Richard Alston (1987) Music Pulcinella by Igor Stravinsky Sets and costumes designed by Howard Hodgkin Lighting designed by Peter Mumford The running time of Pulcinella is approximately 40 minutes Assistant to Howard Hodgkin, Paul Hallam Cloths painted by Liz Reed Costumes executed by Carolyn Fey, Sasha Kier and Phillip Reynolds, dyed by Audrie Gie Music: Boosey and Hawkes Music Publishers Ltd, London The production was sponsored by National Westminster Bank Pulcinella was created for Ballet Rambert on 13 January 1987 at the Leeds Grand. It was performed as the second half of a double bill with Oedipus Rex by Igor Stravinsky performed by Opera North. Television recording of Rambert Dance Company in Pulcinella produced and directed by Bob Lockyer recorded 12-16 September 1988 at Elstree was first transmitted on BBC2 in the Dancemakers series on 22 October 1988. A video of the recording was released in 1991 by NVC Arts. The video also includes Rambert Dance Company performing a second work to a score by Igor Stravinsky, Soldat choreographed by Ashley Page, created in 1988. (Both works are part of the Company’s policy at that period to use live music and involve leading painters and sculptors in the creation of dance works). Rambert Pulcinella resource pack p4 Naples, Pulcinella’s home, is also the setting for a ballet I particularly love, Bournonville’s Napoli. Bournonville filled his Naples with lively step-crammed dancing, animated mime scenes and abundant high spirits. I have tried to crowd all these elements into Pulcinella and at the same time keep up with the music, which doesn’t hang about and demands that the story be told simply and fast. Richard Alston on Pulcinella 1988 The real problem for me was to find some kind of visual language which was not literally representational, did not refer to the Commedia dell’arte and which did evoke Naples. The act drop and the costumes were the most difficult – also Picasso was always lurking over my shoulder, but, in so far as we all succeeded, it was Stravinsky that got us through. Howard Hodgkin on Pulcinella 1988 The idea appealed to me enormously, as Pergolesi’s Neapolitan music had always charmed me by its popular character and Spanish exoticism. The prospect of working with Picasso, proposed for the décor and costumes, whose art was infinitely precious and close to me, the memory of our walks and of our numerous impressions of Naples, the real pleasure which I had derived from Massine’s choreography for Les Femmes de Bonne Humeur, all combined to overcome my hesitation when faced with the delicate task of breathing new life into sparse fragments and constructing a whole from unrelated pieces by a musician for whom I had always felt a special inclination and affection. Igor Stravinsky on Pulcinella Spring 1919 Rambert Pulcinella resource pack p5 Characters Pulcinella Pimpinella, his wife Rosetta Caviello (in love with Rosetta) Isabella Cinzio (in love with Isabella) Prudenza Florindo (in love with Prudenza) Friends and neighbours of Pulcinella and Pimpinella Synopsis Meanwhile Pimpinella, who has caught Pulcinella Richard Alston’s production is derived from the flirting too often, has persuaded three friends to commedia dell’arte narrative of the 1920 disguise themselves as ‘Pulcinellas’. She thinks Massine/Picasso/Stravinsky Pulcinella ballet but that an excess of attention might teach her rivals a simplified and, as Stephanie Jordan noted in Ballet lesson. Of course the women are terrified and their Review Spring 1987 p.12, ‘given more room for boyfriends dumfounded thinking that they are dancing; he rhythmicizes the mime into dance seeing ghosts. phrases and then leaves himself time at the end for the dance to blossom and for the celebration of the When the fake ‘Pulcinellas’ unmask and the real lovers’ reconciliations’. Pulcinella returns all is cleared up. The women ask forgiveness of their lovers, who in turn ask The scene is set in Naples. forgiveness of Pulcinella, his wife and neighbours. Pimpinella reclaims Pulcinella and everyone Rosetta, Isabella and Prudenza are bored with their celebrates. lovers and become infatuated with a good-looking local rogue, Pulcinella. Pulcinella amuses himself by responding to their attentions to the irritation of his wife, Pimpinella, and to the rage of the women’s lovers, Caviello, Cinzio and Florindo. They threaten Pulcinella but Pimpinella and her friends see them off. That night, however, the three men lie in wait for Pulcinella and catch him on his way to visit the women, they beat him. The quick-witted Pulcinella, able to see no other escape, keels over and ‘dies’ to his assailants’ astonishment. They are appalled at what they have done and sneak off moments before Pulcinella’s ‘corpse’ is discovered by the three young women. They are distraught and turn for support to their partners who have returned. All become alarmed when they notice that the ‘corpse’ has disappeared. Rambert Pulcinella resource pack p6 The Creation of Pulcinella In 1981 Richard Alston was invited to choreograph a production of Pulcinella re-using Pablo Picasso’s original designs for the 1982 Brighton Festival, the theme of which was to be ‘Picasso in the Theatre’. Copyright problems associated with the designs left that project unrealised and Rambert’s original contribution to the Festival was Robert North’s Pribaoutki. Alston, however continued to think about the idea of choreographing Pulcinella and discussed the idea with the artist, Howard Hodgkin, whom he met in 1981 while working on his own version of The Rite of Spring. Alston thought that Hodgkin would be the perfect designer for Pulcinella as the music possessed ‘a sharp brightness, an almost cold, clear edge’, something he saw reflected in Hodgkin’s use of colour. It is interesting to note that in the early 1980s Hodgkin created a group of paintings inspired by Naples, the home-town of Pulcinella. In the early 1980s there was no opportunity to realise this project but Alston and Hodgkin collaborated on Night Music for Ballet Rambert in 1981. For this, as with Pulcinella six years later, both found a starting point in the music, for Night Music, a series of Mozart Divertimenti. Alston created a notion for the production, a party attended by Mozart and certain colleagues from his life, but he wanted to present this in a non referential way. After discussing the ideas further with Hodgkin a setting was created in which the artist used colour and form to evoke a garden. The setting with its bold splashes of colour and textured silver bore all the excitement of Hodgkin’s gallery works yet complimented Alston’s choreography. Figure A: Flyer advertising premiere incorporating collage In 1985 Hodgkin was invited to design a work for by Howard Hodgkin. Opera North with the brief that it should be a companion to the dark (and static) Oedipus Rex. In simplifying the story-line Alston changed some The original suggestion from Opera North was The characters so that he has a principal couple Rite of Spring but Hodgkin was interested in (Pulcinella and Pimpinella), three pairs of lovers collaborating on a second production with Alston. instead of Massine’s two and where Massine had a He knew that Alston would not want to reuse a cast of fathers, doctors and other identified score he choreographed four years previously, characters Alston has the remainder of the therefore the artists returned to the idea of Company play anonymous Friends and Pulcinella and plans for a collaboration between Neighbours. With his original cast Alston was able Ballet Rambert and Opera North (see figure A) to repeat Massine’s idea of ‘Four Little Pulcinellas’ were set in motion. Pulcinella was to involve all the who masquerade as the hero.