The Cellist

The Cellist is a one-act ballet about British cellist Jacqueline du Pré, choreographed by Cathy Marston, with the scenario devised by Marston and Edward Kemp. The music was written by Philip Feeney and incorporated scores du Pré was best known for. The ballet is Marston's first Royal Ballet main stage production, and premiered on 17 February 2020 at the Royal Opera House,[1] with the title role danced by Lauren Cuthbertson. The work is set in England during the 1960s and 1970s.[2]

For the novel by Daniel Silva, see The Cellist (novel).

The Cellist
ChoreographerCathy Marston
MusicPhilip Feeney
LibrettoCathy Marston
Edward Kemp
Premiere17 February 2020 (2020-02-17)
Royal Opera House
Original ballet companyThe Royal Ballet
DesignHildegard Bechtler
Bregje van Balen
Created forLauren Cuthbertson
Genrecontemporary ballet

Production

Conception

Choreographer Cathy Marston had worked with The Royal Ballet since 1997, but never on its main stage until The Cellist.[3] She first had the idea of using a dancer as a cello when she was making Dangerous Liaison for the Royal Danish Ballet as she wanted to avoid props. She then considered to make a ballet with a cello.[4] When Royal Ballet artistic director Kevin O'Hare asked Marston to give suggestions for a ballet,[5] which would be her first main stage production for the company,[3] her sister, a drama teacher who let her students improv with a cello, proposed using Jacqueline du Pré as the subject.[4][5] Du Pré was regarded as one of the best cellists of all time, but her career was cut short due to multiple sclerosis (MS), and she died at age 42.[5] Marston's mother having MS was not a factor in choosing du Pré.[3]

Development

Before Marston started working on the ballet, she and O'Hare met du Pré's husband Daniel Barenboim in Berlin to have his blessing.[5][6] Marston recalled Barenboim "was both charming and charmed by the idea,"[1] and according to O'Hare, Barenboim said, "Make me handsome," at the end of the meeting.[7] Barenboim allowed Marston to portray him as the conductor, even though he was usually the pianist when he and du Pré performed together.[5] Marston also read books about du Pré and took cello classes "to get a sense of the instrument," but believed that she would not continue after the ballet was complete.[1] She spoke to both people who knew du Pré and people with MS, including her mother.[3][8]

Marston devised the scenario of the ballet with Edward Kemp,[9] a frequent collaborator of her, and Kemp also served as the dramaturg.[4] She had no intention of exploring du Pré's private life,[5] and wanted to focus on the "love and loss" between her with her cello,[1] therefore the ballet is deliberately titled The Cellist.[4] The ballet also explores "what it means to be an artist and find your voice" rather than "technical quality."[8]

Like Dangerous Liaison, Marston chose to use a male dancer to personify the cello,[3] and described the role as "the instrument, and music personified, and to some extent fate."[4] The corps de ballet is used as "A Chorus of Narrators" and appears as the orchestra, the audience,[9] friends,[10] and MS symptoms which Marston said was "from an experiential rather than a scientific point of view," especially the "long period of anxiety" du Pré had before her diagnosis.[1]

The music was a commissioned score by Philip Feeney, which incorporated some of the music du Pré was best known for.[4] Originally, Elgar's Cello Concerto was not included, but Marston decided to include a scene with Barenboim conducting du Pré the concerto, which never happened. Upon Barenboim's approval, Feeney rewrote the score.[4] In the final product, the Elgar concerto is featured prominently.[1] At the premiere, solo cellist Hetty Snell performed in the orchestra pit.[11]

The set was designed by Hildegard Bechtler and was inspired by the inside of a cello. Bregje van Balen, a former dancer, designed the costumes.[4]

Dancers

In the original production, Lauren Cuthbertson was cast as du Pré (credited as "The Cellist).[12] Marston had wanted to work with Cuthbertson since 2002, when a 17-year-old Cuthbertson stepped in last minute to dance the central role in a new Marston piece.[8] Cuthbertson did in-depth research,[5] studied cello and spoke to MS patients in preparation for the role.[13]

Marcelino Sambé portrayed "The Instrument",[12] and Marston commented, "His body is so supple, movement just bursts out of him. If you were going to personify music – that’s him."[8] Barenboim ("The Conductor") was danced by Matthew Ball.[12] Ball said playing Barenboim was "quite intimidating," and his portrayal was from "a slightly more innocent time."[5]

Other dancers who had performed at the premiere included Royal Ballet School student Emma Lucano as the young cellist,[14] Thomas Whitehead as her father,[12] Kristen McNally as her mother,[15] Anna Rose O'Sullivan as her sister,[16] and Gary Avis as a teacher.[12] The second cast include Beatriz Stix-Brunell as the Cellist, Calvin Richardson as the Instrument and Ball as the Conductor.[17]

Critical reception

The Cellist received positive to mixed reviews. In a five-star review, The Telegraph's Mark Monahan wrote, "Magical, supremely romantic (Romantic, even), and stirring right from the start, The Cellist – co-created with dramaturg Edward Kemp – is a supreme case in point."[12] Lyndsey Winship of The Guardian gave it four stars, and commented, "The Cellist is most effective as a portrait of a woman’s deep love affair with music."[15] Will Gompertz of the BBC also gave it four stars and called it "beautiful".[18] The Times's Debra Craine gave it three stars and was more critical: "too long and sags in the middle,"[19] while the Evening Standard's Emma Byrne commented that the corps de ballet was "cluttered, distracting – and unnecessarily busy."[20]

Accolades
Year Award Category Recipients and nominees Result Ref.
2021 National Dance Awards Best Classical Choreography Cathy Marston Won [21]
Outstanding Female Classical Performance Lauren Cuthbertson Won [21]
Beatriz Stix-Brunell Nominated [22]
Outstanding Male Classical Performance Marcelino Sambé Won [21]

Videography

A performance on 25 February 2020 was relayed in cinemas.[18] In June that year, in response to the impact of the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic on the performing arts, the Royal Opera House released the footage of the full ballet online.[10]

References
  1. Nepilova, Hannah (7 February 2020). "New ballet 'The Cellist' explores Jacqueline du Pré's life in dance". Financial Times.
  2. Farah Nayeri (28 February 2020). "A Cellist's Tragic Tale, Told in Dance: A new production at the Royal Ballet depicts how illness robbed Jacqueline du Pré of her talent and her life". The New York Times.
  3. Alberge, Dalya (12 January 2020). "Jacqueline Du Pré's life inspires new Royal Ballet production". The Observer.
  4. Parry, Jann (4 February 2020). "Cathy Marston on The Cellist & Mrs. Robinson – new works for The Royal Ballet & San Francisco Ballet". DanceTabs.
  5. Nayeri, Farah (28 February 2020). "A Cellist's Tragic Tale, Told in Dance". New York Times.
  6. Winship, Lyndsey (14 May 2019). "Dances with Jacqueline Du Pré and Dante in the Royal Ballet's new season". The Guardian.
  7. Pullinger, Mark (3 October 2019). "A cellist, Inferno, fire and ice: Kevin O'Hare on running The Royal Ballet". Bachtrack.
  8. Winter, Anna (19 February 2020). "Choreographer Cathy Marston: 'For ages, narrative ballet wasn't cool. Now I'm getting a lot of offers'". The Stage.
  9. Levene, Louise (18 February 2020). "The Cellist — Marcelino Sambé rescues this Jacqueline du Pré ballet". Financial Times.
  10. Weiss, Deborah (8 June 2002). "Royal Ballet – The Cellist – streamed recording". Dancetabs.
  11. Crompton, Sarah (23 February 2020). "The week in dance: The Cellist/Dances at a Gathering; Message in a Bottle – review". The Observer.
  12. Monahan, Mark (18 February 2020). "The Cellist, Dances at a Gathering, Royal Ballet, review: a heartbreaking love letter to Jacqueline du Pré and the magic of music". The Telegraph.
  13. Etchingham, Julie (17 February 2020). "English cellist Jacqueline du Pre's life brought to the Royal Ballet". ITV News.
  14. Gilbert, Jenny (19 February 2020). "The Cellist/Dances at a Gathering, Royal Ballet review – A grand love affair with a cello". The Art Desk.
  15. Winship, Lyndsey (18 February 2020). "The Cellist review – a joyfully giddy tribute to Jacqueline du Pré". The Guardian.
  16. Sable, Joy (19 February 2020). "Dance review: Dances at a Gathering/The Cellist". The Jewish Chronicle.
  17. Weiss, Deborah (22 April 2020). "Dances at a Gathering, The Cellist (world premiere), The Royal Ballet, Royal Opera House". Dance For You Magazine.
  18. Gompertz, Will (22 February 2020). "The Cellist: Will Gompertz reviews the Royal Ballet work inspired by Jacqueline du Pré". BBC.
  19. Craine, Debra (18 February 2020). "The Cellist review — this ballet has scope and intimacy but sags in the middle". The Times.
  20. Byrne, Emma (18 February 2020). "Dances at a Gathering/The Cellist review: Passion and pain in story of musical genius Jacqueline du Pré". Evening Standard.
  21. Watts, Graham (27 June 2021). "National Dance Awards Announced at a virtual ceremony from the Cervantes Theatre in London". Critic's Circle.
  22. Watts, Graham (7 May 2021). "Nominees For 21st National Dance Awards Announced". Critic's Circle.
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