Prize-winning poem turns into a ballet

by Gwen Herat At the Royal Opera House, London

Excessively contemporary and overly modernised for classical ballet. The Age of Anxiety took a different turn on the boards of the Royal Opera House with the coming of autumn. If this is modern ballet, certainly there is nothing left for imagination.

Internationally acclaimed poet, W.H. Auden whose Baroque Eclogue turned into ballet as The Ages of Anxiety was more than a brilliant and vibrant masterpiece that shook the firmament of contemporary movements as I had never seen before as I sank into my chair to savour this unexpected modern saga. Probably what intrigued me was the literary semblance it carried from a robust poem to world stage.

And movements outreached words. What I mean is that ballet overpowered the poem whose theme was war and the aftermath reflections of four ordinary, lonely, unacquainted people; Quant who is an ageing Irishman, Malin a retired medical officer from Canadian Air Force, Rosetta, Jewish buyer for a departmental store and Emble, a handsome teenaged naval recruit drunk in a bar in New York during wartime.

Historic process

To say in Auden's own words about The Age of Anxiety sans poetry, ‘When the historic process breaks down and armies organise with their embossed debates the ensuing void which they never can consecrate, when necessity is associated with horror and freedom with boredom, then it looks for the bar business.’

It is from this point and concept that Royal Ballet's The Age of Anxiety begins to unfolds the tribulence of warfare. Dancing is difficult for such characters and the foursome in it has varied interpretations to dance, three boys and one girl who dominate the whole scenario.

They are all sensitive and highly emotional and I could feel their breath floating across the boards to reach the audience that included me.

It was obvious that choreographer, Liam Scarlet had a massive responsibility in putting his dancers through their paces because one differed from the other. It appeared an all-male ensemble except for Sarah Lamb who replaced Laura Morera.

The pristine beauty of ballet lacked but compensated with male dancers who were tantalising, especially Tristan Dyer as Emble and the poem Baroque Eclogue came alive as did the magical stage lighting that set the stage for moving moods.

War story

Though it was a war story in dance, the spirit of modern ballet prevailed.

The poem leads Quant who is contemplating his reflection in a bar mirror while Malin reflects scintifically on man's place in nature and there is Rosetta who recalls the experiences from her past and Enble, the handsome young teenager as to what might have been.

There is a radio in the background announcing night raids and each character reacts in his own inimitable way. The dance moves on with Malin in the men's room and quant goes out to fetch more drinks leaving Rosetta and Emble sitting silently engaged in their own thoughts. The ballet takes a surprise symbolic and marvellous journey in seven stages where choreography facilities for them to move on foot, rail, air, bicycle and boat. They are separated or at times together in dance. The audiences appear to enjoy this silly dream.

There is so much of ‘action’ between these foursome but very little closeness. They dance with energy on their paths, twisting but solitary at times while I try hard to figure their chaotic reality.

My ultimate realisation on Anxiety as dance, was the concept of introducing the musical-subtlety in it. There was no doubt that those various metres produced by the different roads the couples took and their various means of transportation along with moods and the separateness that became oneness under alcohol and libidinal cravings.

I am still pondering whether I got it right?

W.H.Auden

The poet who at 32 migrated to the USA is a controversial figure. He was the most celebrated poet in England at such a young age.

He pushed the boundaries of artistic forms to a breaking point to come up with his long poem, Baroque Eclogue.

When he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1948 Auden realised the power of poetry to combat the ‘low, dishonest decade’ it had on young left-wing poets. He realised his dreams lay in the USA.

He met a handsome young teenager who was Jewish from Brooklyn and enjoyed an intense relationship.

He was Chester Kallman who may have been Emble in the ballet and later split up with Auden because of their romantic and erotic aspects were short lived.

Kallman found it difficult to remain monogamous in spite of Auden's insistence and hurt. But they remained very close friends for the rest of their lives.

Together they wrote the libretto for Stravinsky's opera, The Rake's Progress in 1951 and also collaborated on liberattos for two of Henze opera in the 1960s.

Auden was one of the world's best modern poets, he had so much classical music runing in his blood.Perhaps, this may have been the prime reason that Royal Ballet decided to choreograph and board his Pulitzer Prize winning Baroque Eclogue (The Age of Anxiety) giving new twists to the themes through dance. Earlier, it was the idea of Leonard Bernstein.

Credits

Choreography – Liam Scarlet
Music - Leonard Bernstein
Designs – John Macfarlane
Lighting – Jennifer Tipton

Cast – Bennet Cartside, Tristan Dyer, Steven McRae Laura Morera, replaced by Sarah Lamb.