L'Allegro il Penseroso ed il Moderato
On September 6, 2003, I saw the Mark Morris Dance Company's performance of L'Allegro il Penseroso ed il Moderato, which is "considered by many to be one of the 20th century's finest achievements in dance" ![[WWW]](/www/moin/htdocs/classic/img/moin-www.png){kind=small}
Cal Performances blurb.
As I wrote to my friends, I was psyched about going because:
1) L'Allegro "encompasses the work and inspiration of four artists over a span of 350 years: the thoughtful poems of John Milton, the glorious music of George Frideric Handel, the glowing watercolors of William Blake, and of course, the masterful choreography of one of the most acclaimed artists of our time."
1a) There hasn't been a performance of L'Allegro here in a long while.
2) I got into Mark Morris because of his intense engagement with classical music. "Mark Morris has said that he likes music better than dance. The mere fact that the Mark Morris Dance Group always performs to live music is remarkable." according to Joan Acocella (http://www.newyorker.com/critics/television/?020318crte_television)
3) Morris is particularly into J. S. Bach -- though he might be *too into Bach* for a dancer/choreographer -- if it is possible. Again from Acocella's *New Yorker* piece:
Morris's concern with music has resulted in some choreographic curiosities. All his work hews close to its music, but every now and then he creates a piece so faithful to its score, and so devoid of any other reference, as to deserve the term "music visualization." The score in question is usually an old, structurally tight composition—often Baroque, often by Bach, whom Morris more or less worships. In the nineteen-eighties, when Morris was a controversial figure, a number of critics complained about these pieces, saying that he was just Mickey-Mousing the music. (In early Disney cartoons, Mickey would sometimes dance atop a line of music notation, and he would stop and start, go high and go low, when the notes did.) To this, Morris replied that music can never design steps: "People forget that somebody actually choreographed what Mickey Mouse does." Likewise, he had choreographed his dance, and if reviewers thought it bore some resemblance to Bach he thanked them for the compliment.
4) I like people who are into Bach.
5) But I also like music other than that of Bach, believe it or not -- which is good in this case -- because L'Allegro involves the music of HANDEL and not Bach.
Nuf said.
Bach, Yo-Yo Ma and Mark Morris
Mark Morris and Yo-Yo Ma collaborated on Falling Down Stairs by setting the 3rd suite for solo cello by J. S. Bach. I was intrigued by the DVD/video, naturally. Mark Morris is certainly fun to watch. Sometimes I got the impression that he was making fun of Yo-Yo Ma and smirking all the way through. It was a great pleasure to see how Mark Morris works with his dancers. I don't know how much of that process has been captured on video of film.
Links for Falling Down Stairs:
On Morris' own dancing
I've been intrigued by opportunities to see Mark Morris himself dance. It's often said, "Well, he's no longer the dancer he used to be without his former dancer's build." Still he must have an incredible musical sense -- and his lack of the perfect body for dance brings him (a bit more) down to my level (though he will always be on a totally different plane).
On this topic from Guardian Unlimited:
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Nearly as classic too is Morris's new solo for himself, Peccadillos. It has become a critical cliche to marvel at the delicate grace of which Morris's big bulky body is capable and the speed with which he can modulate style and emotion. But in this little piece we see these qualities afresh.
