Set to Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony, Léonide Massine’s Les Présages heralded the birth of ‘symphonic ballet’ and provoked a storm of controversy. Valerie Lawson looks at this pivotal moment in ballet history. Monte Carlo, winter, 1933. The idle rich Massine’s choreography for Les Présages In July 1933, Les Présages was presented congregated at the Café de Paris, newly blended devilishly diffi cult ballet steps with in London. There, the leading British music redecorated in the art deco style. They daring lifts, and stylised, angular movements critic Ernest Newman was overwhelmingly wondered if summer would bring the regulars of the arms and hands in the manner of in favour, fi nding: “It is really the music of to the casino town by the sea – Coco Martha Graham and Mary Wigman, a dancer the symphony that (Massine) has translated Chanel’s lover, the Duke of Westminster, who formed part of the German expressive into a ballet, and this in such a way that, Winston Churchill or the Aga Khan. But at movement along with her teacher, Rudolf incredible as it may appear to anyone who the back of their minds, impossible to ignore, Laban and Kurt Jooss. Articulating the has not seen Les Présages, the inner life were much bleaker thoughts – the political theories of Laban, Nina Verchinina explained of the work, as an organic piece of musical tide in Germany and the economic fragility that when she danced Les Présages, she thinking, is not diminished but actually of the western world. Hitler was newly was conscious that “space exists and one enhanced”. installed as chancellor, the Reichstag had must feel it as a presence, and every Les Présages had evolved from a few gone up in fl ames and in the United States, movement is executed inside the space”. tentative, experimental ideas. In 1916 Franklin D Roosevelt said of the Depression, But all this was merely detail in comparison in St Petersburg, choreographer Fyodor “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” to the mini volcano that erupted two months Lopukhov maintained that dance steps In a decade, the principality of Monaco later, when the ballet was presented at the could parallel and refl ect musical structure would be invaded, fi rst by the Italians, Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. and tonality. In 1923 at the Maryinsky then by the Germans. René Blum, the There, Les Présages sparked a controversy Theatre, he presented Dance Symphony to co-founder of the Ballets Russes de Monte worthy of the old Diaghilev Ballets Russes Beethoven’s Fourth Symphony. Among the Carlo, would be deported and end his life days, simply because it was danced to a dancers was . in Auschwitz. symphony. Critics, musicians and angry Early twentieth century dance pioneer Early in 1933, Blum and his associates were balletomanes proclaimed that the use of a Isadora Duncan used concert music as the planning the ballet company’s grand spring symphony for a theatrical dance work was foundation of her work, although the use of season at the Salle Garnier, named in honour sacrilegious. A symphony, they grumbled, such ‘pure’ music, written to be played and of its architect, Charles Garnier. The opening was a complete and pure thing in itself. heard, was considered “radical, offensive, production was to be Les Présages, a Dance despoiled its intent and perfection. and even sacrilegious to traditionalists”, revolutionary new creation in four movements Ballets Russes historian Katherine Sorley wrote Duncan’s biographer, Peter Kurth. by the Russian choreographer and Ballets Walker recalled the controversy as “one of Russes’ maitre de ballet, Léonide Massine. The creation of an abstract choreographic the most serious pro and con discussions The cast was as starry as a cloudless night. counterpart to the structure of music had involving music and ballet critics and Led by Nina Verchinina as Action, the second a precedent in Massine’s Perpetomobile of devotees that has ever resulted from any movement, Passion, was danced by 1928, according to Massine’s biographer choreographic development”. The debate fourteen-year-old and David Vicente Garcia Marquez. “Indeed many and discussion raged for years as factions Lichine. Next was Tatiana Riabouchinska of his earlier ballets contained the seeds formed for and against what came to be as Frivolity and Leon Woizikowsky as Fate, that blossomed into Les Présages: known as ‘symphonic ballet’. Choreographers a fi gure whose frantic, martial movements choreographic counterpoint, asymmetry, Serge Lifar and George Balanchine argued anticipated the war to come. With its juxtaposition of styles, contrast between that a symphony required no choreographic avant-garde decor by André Masson the qualities of weight and lightness, mass elucidation, although from the 1940s they and a Tchaikovsky score, the premiere movement, abstraction”. used symphonies and concerti for their on April 13 was a triumph. own ballets. Les Présages sparked a controversy, simply because it was danced to a symphony. Critics, musicians and angry balletomanes proclaimed that the use of a symphony for a theatrical dance work was sacrilegious. A symphony, they grumbled, was a complete and pure thing in itself. Dance despoiled its intent and perfection. Major Sponsor of the national Education Programme

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Adding beauty and richness to our history, Massine himself explained how he drew his Massine’s third symphonic ballet Symphonie PREVIOUS PAGE as The Hero (on fl oor), Tatiana our culture and our community, The inspiration for the ballet from a visit to Fantastique, to Berlioz’s symphony of the Riabouchinska as Frivolity & Nina Verchinina ancient Sicilian ruins. In his autobiography same name, followed three years later. Photography – Hugh P. Hall collection 1939-1940 Australian Ballet is one of this country’s My Life in Ballet, he wrote of his interest Again, the critics argued passionately for National Library of Australia nla.pic-vn3915162 in the mass and volume of the structures, and against the use of symphonic music for THIS PAGE greatest treasures. That’s why NAB is proud Curtain call with David Lichine, , along with their blending of rounded and ballets. The most sympathetic, Fernau Hall, Tatiana Riabouchinska & Nina Verchinina in Les to be a Lead Sponsor of The Australian Ballet angular forms. “Ever since my visit to Sicily wrote that Massine’s innovation was already Présages, Colonel W. de Basil’s Covent Garden Russian Ballet, Melbourne 1940 • Photography – Hugh P. Hall I had been pondering over the problem making an impact on such choreographers collection 1939-1940 National Library of Australia and to support their Education Programme. of how one could create a correct ballet as Agnes de Mille and Antony Tudor. nla.pic-vn3915167 interpretation of a symphonic work. I felt Choreartium The Australian Ballet archive Les Présages came to Australia with the Photography – Nanette Kuen that Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony … could fi rst Ballets Russes tour of 1936, where Major Sponsor of the national provide me with the right material on which it was an immediate success. The Argus, to base my experiment. Education Programme the newspaper of the day, pronounced it “I envisaged my interpretation as a “virile, provocative, iconoclastic ballet” Those who know Ashton’s choreography will corresponding in balletic form to the and “a thorough going piece of callisthenic be fascinated to see in Les Présages one symphony in musical form. In short, I was abstraction” which roused the audience to of his trademark movements – the ballerina taking on myself the responsibility of a pitch of frenzy. being lifted by her partner and walking on interpreting the meaning of Tchaikovsky’s air. Some critics have also seen echoes of Choreartium and Symphonie Fantastique symphony through plastic statement, Les Présages’ arm movements in Ashton’s followed in the 1938 Ballets Russes tour, exposition and denouement”. Symphonic Variations and Balanchine’s with the latter chosen by public ballot to be Stravinsky Symphony in Three Movements. In the words of Massine’s biographer, among the ballets in the fi nal performance One footnote on the infl uence of Les Les Présages was “ballet’s turning point, of the Melbourne season. Sorley Walker, Présages is the spectacular moment when ushering in the currently accepted aesthetic who wrote a history of the Ballets Russes, the ballerina stands in profi le, in arabesque, of abstraction and non-representational saw Massine’s “gift to the future as ballets and is lifted in that position into the air. dance”. Massine went on to create two that had no purpose other than to parallel Forever after, this lift was known as the more ballets to symphonic works, the fi rst or extend the subtleties of the score, a novel ‘présage’ lift. being Choreartium, danced to Brahms’ approach that has become a commonly Symphony No. 4 in E Minor. British writer accepted defi nition of choreography …” Like many of Massine’s ballets, Les Arnold Haskell believed that Choreartium Présages was mothballed for decades – Les Présages also set a precedent in its represented “the birth and the triumph of until Rudolf Nureyev invited Tatiana Leskova second movement pas de deux, lighting pure dancing ... now no music is beyond to revive it for the Paris Opera Ballet in the the way for countless twentieth century the reach of ballet”. 1980s. The Joffrey Ballet in the United romantic pas de deux that have no raison States followed suit, along with the Dutch d’etre but the dancing itself. Among the National Ballet. Now, The Australian Ballet choreographers who created such pas de is showing how Massine’s once risky deux for symphonic or concerto ballets choices led to the harmonious marriage was Frederick Ashton, a former student of music and dance for future generations. of Massine.

Valerie Lawson is an arts writer for The Sydney Morning Herald Kirsty Martin Les Prèsages – Photography Justin Smith Prèsages – Photography Martin Les Kirsty

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