Three by Rambert

Synopsis

Three dances recorded at The Studio in Denmark

Intimate Pages: The musical and thematic basis for choreographer Christopher Bruce’s ballet "Intimate Pages" was the String Quartet No. 2 by the Czech composer Leo Janáèek. Bruce even borrowed the quartet’s title for his choreographed work. A victim of unrequited love, the composer wrote this delicate and finely crafted work in 1928, the last year of his life. For a little over a decade he had been corresponding with a young married woman he had met in 1917, having written in the intervening period over six hundred letters. The ballet conveys both the joy and the anguish expressed in the music.

Lonely Town, Lonely Street: Robert North’s jazz ballet "Lonely Town, Lonely Street", in which he himself takes part, is a passionate portrait of a lonely person in the big city. The work takes its title from the popular music of Bill Withers on which it is based, and from the stage design by Andrew Storer, whose set with fire escapes represents a rundown neighbourhood in a North American metropolis. The titles of the compositions alone give an indication of the stage action: "Song for Guy", "Lonely Town, Lonely Street", "Another day to run", "Let me in your life", "I don’t want you on my mind", "Who is he and what is he to you", "Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone" and "You".

Sergeant Early’s Dream: Woven into the musical accompaniment of English, Irish and American folksongs, Christopher Bruce’s dance work "Sergeant Early’s Dream" tells a story of migration to the New World from the Old. The thoughts of the emigrants are filled with sadness as they give up their familiar surroundings, the family home, friends and neighbours and ultimately their roots. Yet they discover that they carry within themselves their own culture, and it is this which gives them a sense of identity and belonging. Consequently the ballet - built around contrasts and marked rhythms - recurrently conjures up fleeting references to a past life: the folklore of the Old World and the harsh lives, the loves and the tragedies of the people they knew there.

Language

English

Country

Germany

Year of release

2002

Year of production

1986

Subjects

Dance

Keywords

choreography; dance performance; modern dance; Ballet Rambert

Distribution Formats

Type

DVD

Format

Region 2 PAL

Price

£19.99

Availability

Sale

Duration/Size

101 min

Year

2002

Production Company

Name

Arthaus Musik

Web

http://www.arthaus-musik.com External site opens in new window

Distributor

Name

Arthaus Musik

Web

http://www.arthaus-musik.com External site opens in new window

Phone

017 37 64 56 00

Fax

017 37 64 40 65

Address

c/o Select Music and Video Dist Ltd
3 Wells Place
Redhill
Surrey
RH1 3SL

 

Available from retail outlets