Room of Cooks 1997
Choreographer Ashley Page
Music - Orlando Gough
Having received critical acclaim south of the border with The Royal Ballet where the piece was nominated for a prestigious Olivier Award, Ashley Page premieres this highly charged work in Scotland. A physical manifestation of the Steven Chambers painting of the same name, Room Of Cooks is a dark, brooding piece exploring the relationships between a woman, her husband and her lover. The intensely sexual tone of the piece is underscored by a sense of foreboding, and the tension of the piece is augmented by Orlando Gough’s atmospheric score.
Agon 1957
Choreographer George Balanchine
Music - Igor Stravinky
Agon (from the Greek meaning ‘contest’) is the third of the three ‘Greek’ ballets by Stravinsky and Balanchine, and is widely regarded as the quintessential collaboration of neo-classicism between these two iconic figures of the 20th Century. Responding to Stravinsky's daring reinvestigation of 17th century French court music, Balanchine plays with the classical vocabulary, pushing it to the edge of technical and expressive possibilities. The result is an explosive showcase of dance full of sensual tension and electrifying geometrically challenging structures.
Stravinsky took his inspiration for Agon, his first foray into serialist composition, from the composers of the 2nd Viennese School amongst whom was composer Anton Webern. He also introduced Balanchine to the music of Webern, which in turn, provided the choreographer’s inspiration for Episodes, performed by Scottish Ballet at last year’s Edinburgh International Festival. It’s a fascinating journey, which yielded some of the greatest dance works ever made
In Light and Shadow 2000
Choreographer Krzysztof Pastor
Music - Johann Sebastian Bach
Born in Poland, Krzysztof Pastor danced with the Dutch National Ballet for a decade and cut his dance-making teeth by choreographing for small ballet groups in Europe. He gained international renown with his choreography to Shostakovich’s Chamber Symphony, which he created for DNB in 1992. Recently appointed Resident Choreographer of the Dutch National Ballet, a Company known for its unique repertoire, outstanding artistic and technical achievement, and strikingly individual choreographers, In Light and Shadow is the most evocative work that Pastor has created for them in recent years.
Inspired by a range of Baroque dances and painters including Vermeer, Rembrandt and La Tour the ballet focuses, as the title suggests, on the interplay of light and shadow as über-contemporary lines are juxtaposed with the rich and celebratory music of Bach. Beginning with a delicate, reflective duet to the aria from Bach’s Goldberg Variations, the ballet opens out into a rich tapestry of explosive solos, duets and ensemble work to Bach’s Third Orchestral Suite, described by Pastor himself as a suite of dances inspired by the spirit of the Baroque period, and as detailed as Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel Fresco where ornate features contrast with light and shadow.
Othello 1971
Choreographer Peter Darrell
Music - Liszt - Faust Symphony
The founder of Scottish Ballet, the late Peter Darrell, created Othello for Galina Samsova's New London Ballet in 1971. A master of the dramatic ballet, Darrell brought Othello into Scottish Ballet repertoire in 1977. Since then it continued to delight new audiences with its skilful blend of classical ballet and intense drama.
Othello choreographed to the haunting music of Franz Listz's A Faust Symphony, takes a fresh look at Shkespear's tragedy through the eyes of the villain Iago. In this fast moving and terse drama, the jealous Iago's evil machinations bring the ballet to a tragic drama with the destruction of the once powerful hero, Othello.