Dangerous Liaisons
Resource Pack
Dangerous Liaisons
Introduction Dangerous Liaisons length ballet. The movement vocabulary is very classical and is concerned with the quality, fluidity and execution of classical ballet. Since its creation in 1996 it has been reworked quite significantly but the general look and structure of the production has remained the same. The letters in the ballet are key to the action and plot. The audience needs to watch, think and follow the letters, noting who they get passed to and from. Originally there was a narrator who guided the audience through the plot, filling in detail and clarifying situations. However, during the process of reviving the ballet this role was removed resulting in a less linear production. The audience instead is left with an impression rather than an account.
An Introduction by David Nixon My ballet, Dangerous Liaisons, was first inspired by the movie of the same name and thereafter the original story by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos. I was first struck by the number of main dramatic roles in the piece compared with most stories and the fact that a story about sensuality in the written word, could be captured in movement. The story, though complex, can be distilled into some very simple plots. The two main characters the Marquise de Merteuil and Vicomte de Valmont are both predators, of the most decadent type, of less artful victims. They are the products of extreme luxury and total liberty, a time when idle minds had time to plot the ruination of others within their society. There remains one powerful difference between our two lead characters; Valmont, being a man, is in a more natural and accepted position for gaining a reputation for ruining women whereas the Marquise, as a woman, is in the unnatural position for the era and responds by making herself into a weapon of revenge against the male sex. The ballet, though true to most of the tale, does take a more segmented approach.
Dangerous Liaisons
The Story The story is set in late eighteenth century France. When we enter into our story the Marquise and Valmont are no longer lovers but friends in their games of love, sharing strategies and tales of successful liaisons; in some ways competing with each other in this game of controlled and well-choreographed seduction. The Marquise is still simmering from a previous affair with Gercourt who left her for another women. With his recent announcement of marriage to the virgin Cecile de Volanges, the Marquise has seen her perfect opportunity for revenge. Enlisting the help of her partner in crime, Valmont, she unveils her plan of announcing that he has already set his eye upon the happily married and God-fearing Madame de Tourvel. Although the Marquise is irritated, she takes advantage of the situation to set a wager. She offers herself for a night of pleasure as a reward, once Valmont has accomplished his goal. There is however, one condition; the prize will be forthcoming only when she has proof in a written letter. Valmont, true to his sex, accepts the challenge with relish therefore setting into action the downfall of all involved. The Marquise devises another plan and introduces the young Cecile to the young and dashing Chevalier court his prey. Neither plan bears fruit: Danceny proves to be all poetry and no action and Madame de Tourvel proves to be more resistant than expected to
The Marquise decides that a shake up is necessary and very sneakily letters Danceny has been writing to Cecile. Shocked, Madame de Volanges sends Danceny away and follows in the country, Madame de Rosemonde to recover. Valmont agrees to deliver letters secretly between Danceny and Cecile, giving him an
Dangerous Liaisons
opportunity to return to the country where he continues his pursuit of Tourvel as well as now e poor Cecile. All eventually goes to plan. Valmont seduces Cecile by force and then she later learns to enjoy her sensual nature. Madame de Tourvel falls madly in love with Valmont and, though tortured over the prospect, gives in and becomes his lover. Finally the Marquise takes the young Danceny as the latest in her string of amusements and pleasures. Without the original deal our story may have ended quite differently. However, when the Marquise receives the triumphant letter from Valmont describing his unprecedented love-making and feelings for Madame de Tourvel she becomes inflamed with jealousy and sets a course of revenge. When Valmont demands his reward, she mocks him for being in love and tells him he is no longer in a position to receive his prize. The only possible way of redeeming himself, she adds, would be to give up Madame de Tourvel. Succumbing to his pride Valmont breaks off with the woman he perhaps truly loves knowing that this will more than likely be the death of Tourvel. In an emotional rage he returns to the Marquise to demand his reward and discovers Danceny as her new lover. He soon sets things straight with Danceny sending him off to his preferred love Cecile. An outraged Marquise refuses Valmont and declares war upon hi rage, challenges Valmont to a duel. Valmont emotionally tired of the journey on earth and perhaps having some realization of the evils of his life allows himself to be killed by Danceny
Danceny, now privy to the truth of the matter, seeks out guidance from Rosemonde and chooses to reveal a few of the letters. On returning to society, the Marquise is an outcast and having been totally humiliated retires from public life, loses her fortune in a legal suit and becomes disfigured by small pox.
Dangerous Liaisons
Set Design The set for Dangerous Liaisons was designed by David Nixon and locates the ballet in the same period as the novel. The set consists of one large room of an upper class mansion and is in keeping with the French Rococo tradition. The Rococo style is highly ornate and decorative with extremely high ceilings and colour schemes emphasising white, ivory and gold. This creates a luxurious setting which conveys the wealth and splendour of the time and characters. The set stays more or less the same throughout the performance but has sections which spin to reveal different rooms. Central to the design are semi-circular French windows which open outwards (away from the audience). These are mirrored, but clever lighting techniques can make them totally transparent allowing us to glimpse dancers behind them on occasions. The spinning sections are used to locate the action in different rooms. One revolves to create a bedroom with a four-poster bed and are a combination of mirrors and plain walls. Furniture also helps to locate the action as a desk, chair, Chesterfield settee and chaise lounge are used as props. The walls of the room are made of thin gauze decorated with landscape paintings based on the work of Jean Honore Fragonard. When specially lit they appear to dissolve which, like the use of mirrors, helps create an atmosphere of secrecy and deceit. A secret door in one of the walls extends this theme into the literal.
Dangerous Liaisons
Costumes
The costumes for Dangerous Liaisons were designed by David Nixon and based on the silhouette of the period and setting: French fashions of the 1770s The fabrics used are very rich and elaborate, representing the wealth and status of the aristocracy. In keeping with the period, the female dancers costumes consist of corsets with full skirts. The corsets are very fitted and structured, fastening with lacing down the back. The skirts are cartridge pleated: very tightly packed pleats which can be recognised by the distinctive figure-8 folds providing authentic shaping to the period garments. The skirts also have padding at the hip to accentuate their small waists. The fabrics used are furnishing fabrics. Organza (a finely textured see-through material) is also used along with frills, ruffles and bows to demonstrate the extravagance of the time. This is emphasised through the use of rich colours and gold. Embroidery and hand painting has also been used creating a textured, layered effect that accentuates the fluid movements. The men do not have any costume changes which helps the audience identify the characters more easily. Like the women, their costumes reflect the fashion in France at the time and consist of white shirts, cream tights and shoes, black breeches, silk waist-coats and tailored coats. The principals (Valmonte, Danceny and Gercourt) also wear cravats. The waist-coats are silk brocade and the tailored coats are made of silk in a range of rich gold, blue and purple colours. These fan out from the waist finishing mid-thigh. Lace is used to edge the coats giving an intricate embroided effect and again on the cuffs.
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The Music problem when creating a ballet is to find a musical language, which goes with the kind of movement he or she is hoping to create. David Nixon was first drawn to Viv The Four Seasons as a possible score for his ballet as it is from a period very close to the setting of Choderlos de
Les
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and for its very rhythmic and dramatic qualities. Upon repeated listening, however, David found several of the lighter, more frivolous sections to be so listened to a wider range of music from the period, eventually settling music. As with most composers of his time, Viva proportion, rich counterpoint, great splendour and a highly ornamented melodic line. There is a breaking away from the severity of Medieval and early Renaissance music with its emphasis on the use of great vocal and instrumental colour. During the Baroque period the orchestra began to take shape, with strings, woodwind, brass and percussion - though still not an orchestra in the modern symphonic sense. Ensembles of several groups of instruments or of one or more instruments together with an orchestra led to the development of the musical form known as the concerto (three movements, two allegros with a slow movement in between). Vivaldi was a prolific composer and a pioneer of orchestral music. His expressive lyricism and deep emotional content quickly distinguished him from his predecessors.
Les Liaisons Dangereuses for three reasons. First, the story is very much a product of its time, concerned as it is with sexual adventures among the French nobility. The setting demands music which is formal and elegant, yet full of rhythmic vitality. Second, any story about seduction is also about showing off, or at the very least about behaviour designed to attract a prospective
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lover. The use of baroque concertos allows the showing off to take place not only on stage but also in the orchestra. Third, all attempts at seduction have the same end result in view. airly narrow he uses a limited range of keys, and there are certain rhythmic and harmonic figurations which are immediately identifiable hallmarks of his style. Yet for all that, each piece of music in this ballet has its own unique energy and musical material, just as each incidence of love-making is subtly different in pace and emotion from all others.
The selection of music used is:
The Four Seasons, "Summer", Concerto in G minor. Opus 8 No. 2 RV 315. Ist, 2nd and 3rd movements.
The Four Seasons, "Autumn", Concerto in F major. Opus 8 No. 3. RV 293. 2nd movement.
The Four Seasons, "Winter", Concerto in F minor. Opus 8 No. 4. RV 297. 1st and 3rd movements.
Concerto a 5 Cello Concerto in C minor. Opus 20 No. 3. RV 401. 1st and 2nd movements. Concerto " La Notte" for flute, strings and harpsichord in G minor. Opus 10 No. 2. RV 439 1st and 2nd movements.
Concerto for 2 violins in D major. Opus 21 No. 8. RV 511. 3rd movement. Concerto for 2 violins in D major. RV 513. 3rd movement. Concerto a 6 for 2 violins, strings and continuo in A minor. Opus 58 No. 2. RV 523. 2nd movement.
Concerto for 2 violins in B flat. Opus 9 No. 9. RV 530. 1st, 2nd movement. Concerto in G minor for 2 cellos, strings and continuo. Opus 58 No. 3. RV 531. 1st and 3rd movements.
Concerto in F for 3 violins, strings and continuo. Opus 23 No. 1. RV 551. 2nd movement.
Concerto in B minor for 4 violins. Opus 3 No. 10. RV 580. 2nd movement.