Britten's Requiem Aeternum...

by Gwen Herat

At the Royal Opera House, London

I was too late for the first of the three short ballets, Ceremony of Innocence, The Age of Anxiety and Aeternum collectively linked and boarded by the Royal Ballet for their autumn opening.

The sweeping cold wind was not that kind but the excitement of three short ballets non-stop by three leading choreographers of the day, was the main reason why all were scrambling to the ROH theatre.

I had already seen The Age of Anxiety but Aeternum was totally a different kettle of fish. A war story turned into a legend by England's foremost composer, Benjamin Britten whose hatred for the cold war drove him away to the US along with another, poet Auden who made it good there.

While in England with warfare raging around him, he composed a masterpiece which is still very popular in the concert halls and conducted by leading conductors of the day. Today's third part of the ballet was named Aeternum from his composition of Sinponia Da Requiem.

Choreography

When Christopher Wheeldon took over the choreography of Aeternum, he was determined to discover very passionate music and after a long study, he turned his attention on Benjamin Britten after listening to The Prince of the Pagodas.

Wheeldon had been around when Kenneth MacMillan created this ballet for the first time. His next step was to choreograph Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge. Then he fell in love with Britten's music because he discovered the rhythmic complexities.

Aeternum, created in 2013, was very significant in that it was the birthday of a great national composer and very important for Royal Ballet to honour the centenary of his birth. So, choreographer Wheeldon chose Sinfonia De Requiem for Aerternum.

Wheeldon opted to work out in a different way than the usual as the structure of the music pushed him to do so. Yet, even to novices such as me, it appeared that the movements in the ballet were on strain especially in the underlying theme of death staring in the face with gestures, positions and movements. It was obviously different to MacMillan's Requiem that I had seen long ago.

At its premiere in 2013 Aeternum won the prestigious Olivier Award for the Best New Dance Production. Royal Ballet Principal, Marienela Nunez also won an Olivier for outstanding achievements in dance, partly for her performance in the ballet. She deserved it as I can see how well she danced with wider resurgence in her chosen art.

The first two movements of the Sinfonia made Britten to offer treatment he had already explored in his previous scores but what I cannot understand is why Wheeldon failed to settle for a lesser demanding score than the Sinfonia.

The scripting of the 20-minute score has been derived from its opening drum beat, followed by cello theme with recurrent strains reaching upwards and the next moment falling back.

Iconic power

The exegesis elements so typical of Britten generate development. Impelled by galloping rhythms the movements gradually accumulate thrills and spills on the doomed funeral march and the savage dance of death that Wheeldon highlighted by the generated sounds in the score.

Both Wheeldon and Britten collaborated their iconic power to produce a very complicating story in warfare accurately. A texturally enriched resumption of the great score and the rise and fall of the farewell gestures, fades with light drum rhythm as a gentle rhythm string counterpoint.

Choreographer, Christopher Wheeldon's emergent style has now moved into the theatre with power impact.

Aeternum is the finale to the three short-ballets at the ROH and boarded by the Royal Ballet. It is perfect in every aspect that speaks very highly for contemporary and modern ballet. The risk in such performances is whether in times to come, they will replace classical ballet that dates back to hundreds of years. Wheeldon has proved that modern dance can, with no restriction, take on classical music with aplomb.

Then, who is going to be the loser? Pray, no one will.

Credits

Choreography - Christopher Wheeldon

Asst. Choreographer - Jacquelin Barret

Music - Benjamin Britten

Set Designs - Jean-Marc Puissant

Lighting - Adam Silverman

Cast-Lead dancers - Marianela Nunez, Fredrick Bonelli

Christopher Wheeldon is only 41 years old but his career is enormously fantastic.

His choreographic career includes: Royal Ballet, New York City B, Atlantic Troupe (his own), Bolshoi B, Royal Danish B, San Francisco B and Covent Garden - Main stage.

He has won almost all international awards for choreography. He contributed to the closing ceremony of the London Olympics in 2012.

He does a wonderful balancing act between classics and modern. He could have been a brilliant dancer but opted for choreography.