Golden Apples of the Sun

By Martha Duffy

Ashton returns with a dazzling frolic for the Royal Ballet

Nearly a quarter of a century ago, Sir Frederick Ashton wrote: "The older I get, the less interested I am in ballets of the pests, persecutions and cynicism of contemporary life, and frankly I only like ballets which give an opportunity for real dancing." He is 75 now, and those words may well stand as his artistic creed. For the Royal Ballet, he has whirled up Rhapsody, a dazzling, sun-drenched frolic that premiered last week as part of England's birthday tribute to the Queen Mother. There is no plot except from the music, Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini for piano and orchestra.

This is not a gambol for just any dancers. The work is dominated by Mikhail Baryshnikov, who is appearing as a guest artist. Ashton has created unexampled leaps and spins (and combinations of the two), as if he saw in Baryshnikov the spirit of Paganini, who raised violin virtuosity to a demonic level, and of Rachmaninoff, who did much the same for the piano. The charm of the work is that it never becomes the visual equivalent of piano busting, a mere showcase.

Baryshnikov appears first, dressed in gold, before a simple colonnade. He dances the theme and is then joined by his friends, six girls and six boys, who start to perform harmonious variations. These have a serenity and symmetry that recall court dancing. Baryshnikov's solos--some intricate, others almost blasting in their power--are threaded throughout. Like a young god, he summons up one girl (Lesley Collier) for himself. They dance divertissements that are like games. Baryshnikov is thrown high into the air. He lands, turns and gives the audience a shrug similar to the one Puck gives at the end of Ashton's The Dream. The rhapsody is over.

There are brief references to that masterpiece of innocence, The Sleeping Beauty: Collier might be Princess Aurora as she appears in the vision scene. Mostly, though, the ballet stays close to the music and its own fresh nature. That makes the gaudy, tacky costumes, designed by William Chappell, all the harder to understand. Baryshnikov has a golden garter and a necklace. The other men have little glitters sewn onto their tights. The women look less camped up, but they do wear quantities of rhinestones. The kindest conclusion is that it was all intended to convey some imaginary land where, as Yeats said, there are "silver apples of the moon and golden apples of the sun."

The true tribute to Rhapsody is that one does not leave thinking what on earth will they do with it after Baryshnikov has gone? Although no other dancer will be able to execute all his cadenzas of flight, the Royal still has a good addition to its repertory. Rhapsody is valuable for the members of the corps because they must stretch into an expansive, lyrical style while dancing complicated steps. The ballerina part is lightly glamorous, but it requires a whipping allegro technique. Ashton, as usual, has thought of the company as well as the star.

He has been associated with the Royal Ballet almost since its beginning in 1931 and has created dozens of works for it, including Symphonic Variations, Daphnis and Chloe, La Fille Mai Gardee and A Month in the Country. In this century there has been only one comparable partnership, George Balanchine's with the New York City Ballet. Since Ashton's rather premature retirement as director in 1970, the Royal has lacked direction and has had difficulty developing young stars. It would be good if he worked with the company more often. After last week's premiere, Ashton commented that nowadays something special is required "to set one off." Rhapsody owes its existence in part to Baryshnikov ("It was thrilling, really. I have never worked with anyone who has such a brilliant technique"). But Ashton has nothing else planned now: "I could do the Blue Danube tomorrow. I have the craft. But to do an other ballet, I want a strong pulse, an idea or very suitable music. That sets me off." --By Martha Duffy

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