Some of the dancing is pleasant if rather routine. He asks them to leave, saying he is unwell. [19], In addition, In light of the impact of the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic on the performing arts, Stuttgart Ballet released a recording of a performance online, with Friedemann Vogel as Crown Prince Rudolf, Elisa Badenes as Baroness Mary Versera, Alicia Amatriain as Countess Marie Larisch, Miriam Kacerova as Empress Elisabeth and Adonhay Soares da Silva as Bratfisch.[20]. Countess Larisch produces Mary's letter and teases Rudolf with it. The performance came shortly after Hurricane Harvey, which led to the company switching theatre. An unlikely plot for a full-length ballet, but in fact it is; choreographer Kenneth MacMillan’s Mayerling. Mayerling is a ballet choreographed by Kenneth MacMillan to the music of Franz Liszt, arranged by John Lanchbery, scenario by Gillian Freeman and designed by Nicholas Georgiadis. MacMillan's first full-length, three-act ballet, Romeo and Juliet (1965), to Prokofiev 's score, was choreographed for Seymour and Christopher Gable, but at Webster's insistence the gala premiere was danced by Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev. Scene 1: A royal shoot in the countryside. Scene 2: Rudolf’s apartments at the Hofburg. He expresses his deep unhappiness at being pressured into marriage. Mayerling is based on the true story of the deaths of Crown Prince Rudolf and his teenage mistress Mary Vetsera in 1889. [17] The most recent one, released in 2019, with Steven McRae as Crown Prince Rudolf, Sarah Lamb as Baroness Mary Vetsera, Laura Morera as Countess Marie Larisch, Kristen McNally as Empress Elisabeth, Meaghan Grace Hinkis as Princess Stephanie and Mayara Magri as Mitzi Caspar. Kenneth MacMillan choreographed a complex work around the psychologically tormented heir to the Habsburg Empire, Crown Prince Rudolf. But there are also 4 pas de deux scenes that look to me to be as hard and dangerous and impressive as ballet can be. The pair are discovered by the Emperor, who demands that Rudolf return to his wife. Many reviewers found the ballet overly long and the historical background of the story difficult to follow. However, Mary Clarke in the Guardian defended the complexity of the work: "Easy, after one or two viewings, to say this or that scene must go. Rudolf turns his attention to his Hungarian friends and his regular mistress, the courtesan Mizzi Kaspar. Bratfisch, soon realizing he has lost their attention, leaves. Four Hungarian officers, friends of Rudolf, enter and forcefully argue the separatist cause of their country. Rudolf shares a drink with Count Hoyos and Prince Philipp of Coburg, attended by his valet Loschek. [1][2], Prologue: The cemetery at Heiligenkreuz before dawn, Scene 1: The ballroom at the Hofburg Palace, Vienna. ... Laura Morera, Steven McRae and Leanne Benjamin in rehearsal for Mayerling, World Ballet Day 2018. Watch the TV premiere of Liam Scarlett's first full-length ballet for The Royal Ballet. He kills a member of the court, narrowly missing his father. The ballet was created in 1978 by Kenneth MacMillan for The Royal Ballet and it will be performed Friday, Saturday and Sunday with a live orchestra. Mayerling is a modern ballet created by McMillian in 1978. Mayerling is a classic of the Royal Ballet repertory, with its emotional depth, haunting imagery, and one of the most demanding roles ever created for a male dancer. cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, the impact of the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic on the performing arts, http://www.rohcollections.org.uk/production.aspx?production=4585&row=0, http://www.theartsdesk.com/dance/theartsdesk-moscow-sergei-polunin-triumphs-mayerling, "Review: After Flood, Houston Ballet Returns With a Romantic Masterpiece", "The Stuttgart Ballet premieres new production of Kenneth MacMillan's Mayerling", "Message to spectators of the performances of Mayerling at the Palais Garnier", "Stuttgart Ballet – Mayerling – streamed archive recording of Stuttgart premiere", Extract performed by Steven McRae and Sarah Lamb, NY Times review by Anna Kisselgoff 25 April 1983, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mayerling_(ballet)&oldid=992551951, Articles with unsourced statements from May 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Lady in waiting to Empress Elizabeth and former mistress of Crown Prince Rudolph, Private cab driver to Crown Prince Rudolph, also a popular entertainer, A high-class prostitute and Crown Prince Rudolph's regular mistress, This page was last edited on 5 December 2020, at 21:42. Rudolf meets Countess Marie Larisch, a former mistress, and Baroness Vetsera. Countess Larisch calls on her friend Baroness Vetsera. The Empress presents the Emperor with a portrait of his 'friend' Katherina Schratt. Kenneth MacMillan’s three-act 1978 dance-drama “Mayerling” contains no less than five major female roles — assignments calling for powerful acting as well as stellar technique. The Royal Opera House collections have archive information from twelve performances of this ballet, including the premiere and subsequent revivals. The police arrest several people before leaving. T he role of Crown Prince Rudolf in Mayerling offers its interpreters one of the greatest dramatic challenges in ballet. In 1984, while remaining chief choreographer of the Royal Ballet, he became associate director of the American Ballet … Rudolf reassures them and instructs them to leave. Prostitutes compete for the men's attention and Stephanie flees the tavern in disgust. Desperate for maternal affection he tries to embrace the Empress, only to be coldly rebuffed. Bratfisch enters with Mary. Countess Larisch tells Mary's fortune using a pack of cards and informs her that her romantic dreams will come true. * The Royal Ballet performs different programs at the Orange County Performing Arts Center, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, through Sunday. Rudolf notices their amorous exchange and becomes bitterly resentful. Show less This dark and intense ballet was created for The Royal Ballet in 1978 and is regarded by many as among Kenneth MacMillan's finest works. During the Emperor's birthday celebrations Count Taaffe confronts Rudolph over an incriminating political pamphlet on the Hungarian cause. [4][5], The original production was, in general, well received by critics, however there were some reservations. Kenneth MacMillan was knighted in 1983 and. The Royal Ballet's interpretation of Franz Liszt's Mayerling arrives on home video in this performance featuring Irek Mukhamedov, Viviana Durante, and Lesley Collier in the lead roles and featuring The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House conducted by Barry Wordsworth. [12], The Royal Ballet released three DVDs of Mayerling. Scene 3: Rudolf’s apartments at the Hofburg. It is 40 years since Mayerling was created, and this ballet, which opened the Royal Ballet’s season at the Royal Opera House on Monday night, still has the power to shock. [7], In 2017, Houston Ballet became the first North American company to perform Mayerling. And with the full-length Isadora, he sought to breach the barrier between ballet theatre and the theatre of the spoken word. "[6], In 2013, Stanislavsky Ballet danced Mayerling for the first time, with Sergei Polunin as Rudolf. The Empress discovers Countess Larisch and Rudolf alone together and angrily dismisses the Countess, unaware Mary is waiting outside. On May 18th, 2019, the curtain will rise on a spectacular new production of Kenneth MacMillan’s, Friedemann Vogel and Diana Ionescu as Crown Prince Rudolf and Crown Princess Stephanie. About The Royal Ballet: Mayerling Based on the true story of the deaths in 1889 of Austro-Hungarian Crown Prince Rudolf and his teenage mistress Mary Vetsera, and set in the brilliant backdrop of the Viennese palace, "Mayerling" brings to life the vividly absorbing … MacMillan died of a heart attack on 29 October 1992, backstage at Covent Garden at a revival of Mayerling. A firework display distracts everyone except the Empress and 'Bay.' The ballet is based on the Mayerling incident, a series of events surrounding the apparent murder–suicide of Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria (21 August 1858 – 30 January 1889) and his lover, Baroness Mary Vetsera (19 March 1871 – 30 January 1889). The ballet was dedicated to the Royal Ballet's founder choreographer Sir Frederick Ashton and premiered at the Royal Opera House, London, on 14 February 1978. The full ballet is also available on DVD as performed by The Royal Ballet, Kirov Ballet, and the Australian Ballet. 1 Link to post Share on other sites. Finding favour with the Royal Ballet's founder, Ninette de Valois, he rapidly rose to prominence as a choreographer. Scene 5: Rudolf’s apartments at the Hofburg. [10], The Paris Opera Ballet was originally scheduled to debut Mayerling in May 2020,[11] but the performances had to be cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. In a mounting frenzy Rudolf makes love to Mary. Royal Ballet Mayerling ★★★★★ London, Royal Opera House 28 April (Watson) & 1 May (McRae) 2017 Gallery of pictures by Foteini Christofilopoulou www.roh.org.uk. And yet, the company has never had a full-length work by MacMillan in its repertory. Rudolf hides again but Mitzi tells the Count where he is hidden. Neoclassical ballet. [16] Another DVD, recorded in 2009 and released in 2010, starred Edward Watson as Crown Prince Rudolf and Mara Galeazzi as Baroness Mary Vetsera. Since its premiere in 1978, Mayerling has been one of the most technically and emotionally demanding roles for male dancers, with choreography that pushes the boundaries of classical ballet. Could be HBO’s nominee to succeed Game of Thrones, possibly PBS fodder for the next The Crown, and certainly an unlikely plot for a full-length ballet, but it’s the last; choreographer Kenneth MacMillan’s Mayerling. Sir MacMillan received his knighthood in 1983. Mary and Rudolf meet in secret for the first time. Princess Stephanie is getting ready for her wedding night. The ballet is a charming and enchanting production and is the perfect introduction to ballet for younger audiences. Cast for The Royal Ballet's Mayerling: ... Perhaps he has been working with McGregor on his new full -length? She finds Mary absorbed by a portrait of Rudolf. Mayerling, set to the music of Franz Liszt, tells the story of Austria-Hungarian Crown Prince Rudolf who is obsessed with death. The ballet premiered on 14 February 1978, at the Royal Opera House, danced by The Royal Ballet, with David Wall as Prince Rudolf and Lynn Seymour as Vetsera. An opulent, decadent court filled with political intrigue and hypocrisy, a syphilitic, drug and sex addicted crown prince with a death obsession who meets his match in a teenager. Photos. "Mayerling", choreographed by Kenneth MacMillan ("Romeo and Juliet") and performed by the Royal Ballet, tells the story of the tragic love affair between the mentally-ill Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria-Hungary and his 17-year-old mistress Mary Vetsera, which ended in a murder-suicide at the royal lodge of Mayerling on January 30, 1889. Friedemann Vogel was cast as Rudolf. Kenneth MacMillan was born in Dunfermline in 1929. The first, released in 2008, featured Irek Mukhamedov as Crown Prince Rudolf, Viviana Durante as Baroness Mary Vetsera, Lesley Collier as Countess Marie Larisch and Darcey Bussell as Mitzi Caspar. He shoots her. [18] The recording with McRae was broadcast on BBC Four in 2020. Having retired from the ball, Empress Elisabeth is being attended by her ladies-in-waiting. Other works include Mayerling (1978), La Fin du Jour (1979), Gloria (1980), Isadora (1981), Wild Boy (1981) for American Ballet Theatre, Quartet (1982), Orpheus (1982), Valley of the Shadows (1982), and Requiem for Royal Ballet. Scene 2: The Empress’s apartments at the Hofburg. "Mayerling", choreographed by Kenneth MacMillan ("Romeo and Juliet") and performed by the Royal Ballet, tells the story of the tragic love affair between the mentally-ill Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria-Hungary and his 17-year-old mistress Mary Vetsera, which ended in a murder-suicide at the royal lodge of Mayerling on January 30, 1889. Colonel 'Bay' Middleton hands the Count a joke cigar, to Rudolf's intense amusement. The Count and Mitzi leave together. Houston Ballet is the first American ballet company to perform MAYERLING. It is also not recommended for children under 12. His friends rush in again, and collapse in despair when they find Rudolf's dead body. The Royal Ballet season opens with a plunge into glittering darkness. In a despairing mood, Rudolf proposes a suicide pact to Mitzi. Alone, he shoots himself. Rudolf asks her to commit suicide with him. Mary enters after the Empress has left. This article is about the ballet based upon the, Gillian Freeman, 'The making of Mayerling', in. Tamas Detrich has therefore chosen one of the Scottish choreographer’s most powerful and dramatic works: Mayerling, a ballet in three acts chronicling the last anguished days in the life of Crown Prince Rudolph, heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. View more news and features. But patience and understanding bring rewards; every scene tells something about Rudolf and the Court of Vienna in his time. On January 30th, 1889, Rudolph, the only male descendant of the 600 year … Rudolf enters and threatens Stephanie with a revolver before forcing her. Music for the ballet was compiled from existing works by Franz Liszt, arranged and orchestrated by John Lanchbery who also conducted the orchestra during the ballet's first season. Rudolf and Stephanie enter the tavern in disguise. Marcia Haydée and Egon Madsen as Archduchess Sophie and Emperor Franz Joseph I. Alicia Amatriain as Marie Countess Larisch and Friedemann Vogel, Julliane Franzoi, Clemens Fröhlich and Mizuki Amemiya, Daiana Ruiz und Riccardo Ferlito, Miriam Kacerova as Empress Elisabeth and Friedemann Vogel, Julliane Franzoi, Daiana Ruiz, Alicia Garcia Torronteras, Aurora De Mori and Martina Marin, David Moore and Jessica Fyfe as Crown Prince Rudolf and Crown Princess Stephanie, Hyo-Jung Kang as Marie Countess Larisch and David Moore, Anna Osadcenko as Mary Vetsera and David Moore, Something old, something new, something classic, something blue.