SYNOPSIS
Mark Morris Dance Company
One of the most celebrated dance companies in the world make the trip to London this April with an anticipated performance of “L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato” at the London Coliseum. The Mark Morris Dance Company are renowned in their home country of America, where countless sources cite them as leading the way in the contemporary world, with the Washington Post daring to call them the “Mozart of Modern Dance”. Meanwhile, on this side of the Atlantic The Times has described their performance of “L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato” as “just over two hours of blissful dance – and music”.
“L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato” is a classic pastoral ode from George Frideric Handel, which took its cues from John Milton’s poetry. It contains various movements and dramatis personae (L’Allegro – the Joyful man, Il Penseroso – the Contemplative man, Il Moderato and Chorus), with the first two of these consisting of dramatic dialog straight from Milton’s work. But over the years, various artists have added to the piece, with Charles Jennens initially adding a new poem to the work entitled “Il Moderato”. The Mark Morris Dance Company have since added their own stamp to the proceedings, making their production all the more unique, with 1988 seeing them choreograph a dance performance to go with the music and the poetry.
This version of “L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato” premiered to widespread praise, with many celebrating it as a landmark achievement for what was already a leading company.
The award winning Mark Morris Dance Group was first formed in 1980 and had great success during its first decade even before their rendition of “L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato”. They are the proud recipients of two Laurence Olivier Awards for their efforts, which have included countless celebrated works.
It has been ten years since this version of the famous piece has been seen on a London stage, making it a particularly special occasion for anyone that manages to witness the production on the stage of the London Coliseum. The occasion will be made all the more memorable by the Orchestra of the ENO, 24 dancers and a range of performers including Malin Christensson and Elizabeth Watts (Soprano), Mark Padmore (Tenor), Andrew Foster Williams (Baritone) and the New London Chamber Choir as the Chorus.
The Mark Morris Dance Company present “L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato” at the London Coliseum from Wednesday 14th April 2010 to Saturday 17th April 2010.
