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Chapter 30 - Designing and Dancing Britten

from Part IV - Wordsmiths, Designers, and Performers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 March 2022

By
Lucy Walker  and
Kevin Salfen
Edited by
Vicki P Stroeher  and
Justin Vickers
Vicki P Stroeher
Affiliation:
Marshall University, West Virginia
Justin Vickers
Affiliation:
Illinois State University
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Summary

The authors summarise the collaborative work of Benjamin Britten (1913–76) and, in turn, artist John Piper (1903–92) and choreographer John Cranko (1927–73). Britten relied on having an early visual conception of whatever dramatic work he was undertaking. Piper’s work as a stage designer was therefore a crucial part of Britten’s creative process, as specific examples in this essay demonstrate. Britten’s inexperience with dance meant that in his largest collaboration with Cranko, the full-length ballet The Prince of the Pagodas (1957), he leaned to an unusual extent on the choreographer for the overall conception and even for the character and length of individual numbers. Both working relationships reveal the extent to which Britten’s creative process was fuelled by collaboration.

Keywords

British art (twentieth century)British dance (twentieth century)stage designballetartistic collaborationJohn PiperJohn CrankoBenjamin Brittenclassical music (twentieth century)
Type
Chapter
Information
Benjamin Britten in Context , pp. 264 - 271
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

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