Coppélia

An Introd u ction
Ch oreog raph y: Ninette d e V alois, after Lev Ivanov and E nrico Cecch etti
Mu sic: Léo D elib es
Scenario: Ch arles Nu itter and Arth u r Saint-Léon, after E .T.A Hoffman’s D er S an d m an n
D esig n: O sb ert Lancaster

A Royal O pera Hou se E d u cation Resou rce

 Contents

Introd u ction 2

Backg rou nd 3

Ch aracters 9

Th e Story and th e Mu sic 10

Léo D elib es, Composer (18 36 -18 91) 23

D ance: look for… 25

Interview s w ith d ancers 33

D esig n and P rod u ction 39

O sb ert Lancaster, D esig ner (1908 -198 6 ) 39

Th e role of th e P rod u ction team 41

Th e Royal Ballet 45

Th e O rch estra of th e Royal O pera Hou se 46

1
 Introd u ction
Th is pack is prepared for stu d ents from K ey Stag e 2 u pw ard s. Most of
th e material is aimed particu larly at K ey Stag e 2 and 3 and is su itab le
for u se in areas of stu d y req u ired b y th e National Cu rricu lu m. How ever,
th e approach ad opted is eq u ally appropriate to old er stu d ents and
many of th e activities w ill ch alleng e all, inclu d ing ‘A’ level stu d ents.

Th ere is ample material to su pport a prog ramme of learning covering

h alf a term, or even a term, and across more th an one art form.
Teach ers pressed for time w ill find th at it is ad vantag eou s to focu s on
selected aspects.

Stu d ents attend ing a live performance of th e b allet sh ou ld b e familiar

w ith th e story and , id eally, sh ou ld b e introd u ced to a nu mb er of ‘anch or
points’ - featu res to look for and moments to listen for. F ollow ing th e
performance th ere are activities to eng ag e stu d ents in th e process of
evalu ating and reflecting on th e w ork of art.

F or convenience, tasks and activities are often g rou ped rou nd a specific
art form, b u t it is important to stress th at b allet involves several arts.
Listening w ith ou t th e visu al d imension, or focu ssing on d esig n elements
ind epend ently of th e mu sic or th e d ance, are valu ab le approach es in
raising stu d ents’ aw areness b u t th ey sh ou ld b e reg ard ed as means to
an end . In b allet th e w h ole is mu ch more th an th e su m of th e parts.

To make most effective u se of th is pack it may w ell b e necessary to

d isseminate th e material among specialist or oth er teach er colleag u es.

A teach ing pack d evised for th e Sch ools’ Matinee in 2006

2
 Backg rou nd
C o p p élia’s first performance at th e Th éâtre Impérial d e l’O péra (th e
P aris O péra) on 25 May 18 7 0 came ju st a few month s b efore th e
ou tb reak of th e F ranco-P ru ssian w ar. At th e time of its premiere it
seemed th at no-one w as aw are of th e d ifficu lties th at lay ah ead w ith in
th e next few month s. P aris, th e prid e of E u ropean civilisation, seemed
as carefree a city as ever, w ith visitors soaking u p th e P arisian d elig h ts.

P aris h ad alw ays b een at th e forefront of th e d ancing w orld . It w as

d u ring th e reig n of Lou is X IV th at b allet reach ed its pinnacle, making
th e sig nificant transition from b eing part of cou rt entertainment, to an
art form w ith its ow n place in th e th eatre. Ballet continu ed to flou rish
and ind eed , it w as on th e P aris stag e th at Romantic Ballet w as first
b rou g h t to th e w orld ’s attention (L a S ylp h id e, 18 32 and G iselle, 18 41).
How ever, b y th e 18 6 0s th e pu b lic’s interest in b allet h ad started to
w ane and a new b allet w as commissioned in an attempt to revive th e
flag g ing interest in th is art form. L a S o u rce (18 6 6 ), an amalg amation of
amazing stag e effects, a popu lar score and virtu oso d ancing h ad little
lasting impact on th e d ance w orld , b u t it d id b ring tog eth er a very
su ccessfu l creative team: Arth u r Saint-Léon, b allet master to th e
Imperial Th eatres in Ru ssia, Ch arles Nu itter, arch ivist at th e P aris O péra
and Léo D elib es, a you ng , g ifted mu sician. É mile P errin, th e d irector of
th e P aris O péra asked th is team to w ork tog eth er ag ain to prod u ce
C o p p élia.

Th e scenario for C o p p élia is b ased on a story w ritten b y E TA Hoffman

called D er S an d m an n , a macab re and sinister tale of a mech anical toy
and its protective inventor. In Hoffman’s orig inal story th e d oll actu ally
comes to life u sing F ranz’s spirit w h ich is w ith d raw n from h im. Ch arles
Nu itter’s version is sig nificantly more lig h t-h earted ; Sw anild a

3
impersonates th e d oll and tricks its inventor D r Coppéliu s into b elieving
Coppélia really h as come to life.

D elib es b eg an w ork on th e score for C o p p élia d u ring th e P aris

E xh ib ition of 18 6 7. It w as to b e h is first complete solo b allet score, and
u nb eknow n to h im at th e time w as to h erald h is d eb u t as a h ig h ly
su ccessfu l and th ou g h t of composer. How ever, D elib es w ou ld h ave to
w ait anoth er th ree years b efore h e h eard h is score at th e b allet’s
premiere. Th e d evelopment of th e b allet w as su ch a slow process
b ecau se Saint-Léon w as req u ired to retu rn to Ru ssia for most of th e
year, and w as th u s restricted to b eing ab le to w ork in P aris for ju st a
few month s in th e su mmer. Th en Ad èle G rantzow , th e d ancer creating
th e lead role of Sw anild a, fell seriou sly ill h alfw ay th rou g h th e b allet’s
preparation. A y ou ng d ancer, 15 year old G iu seppina Bozzacch i, w as
ch osen to take on th e role, b u t th e search to find th e rig h t d ancer h ad
resu lted in mu ch valu ab le creative time b eing lost, in ad d ition to w h ich ,
ch ang es w ere th en mad e to th e ch oreog raph y in ord er to take fu ll
ad vantag e of Bozzacch i’s skills and innocent ch arm. How ever, w h en
th e cu rtain finally rose b efore some of th e lead ing fig u res of P arisian
society (th e au d ience w as h onou red b y th e presence of Napoleon III
and th e E mpress E u g énie), C o p p élia w as an immed iate su ccess and w ell
w orth th e w ait! Th e w ell th ou g h t-ou t and mu sically ad vanced stru ctu re
of th e score w ith its g enerou s amou nt of expressive ch aracter b lend ed
perfectly w ith th e ch oreog raph y. D espite h aving never h ad any stag e
experience in a principal role Bozzacch i w as not at all overw h elmed and
perh aps d rew h er confid ence from th e oth er lead d ancers, th e comical
E d ou ard D au ty , th e first D r Coppéliu s and E u g énie F iocre w h o
appeared en travestie in th e role of F ranz. E n travestie in b allet,
w h ereb y male roles w ere d anced b y females, w as very common from
th e mid 19th Centu ry onw ard s, as th ere w as consid erab le preju d ice
ag ainst male d ancers. It w as Serg ei D iag h ilev, w h o in b ring ing some of
Ru ssia’s finest d ancers, ch oreog raph ers and artists to th e West in th e
early 20th Centu ry, restored th e male d ancer to h is rig h tfu l place in
4
E u ropean Ballet. How ever, th e trad ition of F ranz b eing d anced b y a
w oman h eld at th e P aris O péra u ntil after World War II.

D espite its instant triu mph th ere

w ere initially only 18
performances of C o p p élia. Th e
invasion of F rance b y th e
P ru ssian army and th e sieg e of
P aris preclu d ed any oth ers.
Bozzacch i h ad d anced th e lead
role in all 18 sh ow s b u t sad ly th e
career of th is d azzling you ng
talent w as to come to an ab ru pt
end . Sh e contracted smallpox
w h ilst b esieg ed w ith h er family
u nd er P aris’ tig h t P ru ssian
control, and d ied on h er 17 th
b irth d ay. Bozzacch i’s d emise
came less th an th ree month s

Miyako Yosh id a as Lise after th e su d d en d eath of Saint-

P h otog raph © Bill Cooper
D esig ns © O sb ert Lancaster Léon in th e Septemb er. D espite
th e u ntimely d eath s of its
ch oreog raph er and lead b allerina, and th e d ifficu lties cau sed b y th e w ar,
C o p p élia d id g o on to flou rish . It h ad re-ig nited interest in b allet as its
h u mou r, vig orou s national d ances and b rig h tness b roke w ith th e
Romantic b allets of th e time w ith th eir sad , eth ereal creatu res and d imly
lit scenes. P erh aps also th e fact th at C o p p élia w as particu larly relevant
to th e interests of th e time h elped : au tomata w ere all th e rag e in 18 70s
P aris and a w h ole d istrict of th e city w as g iven over to th eir
constru ction. C o p p élia w ent on to b ecome one of th e most popu lar
b allets in th e P aris repertoire, reach ing its 100th performance in 18 8 4
and h as tod ay b een performed at th e P aris O péra more often th an any
oth er b allet in its h istory.
5
Th ere h ave b een many su b seq u ent prod u ctions of C o p p élia, w ith
ch oreog raph y and d esig n b y d ifferent people, alth ou g h most u se th e
D elib es score.

Ch ronolog y of selected prod u ctions of C o p p élia:

18 70 premiere at th e P aris O péra

18 8 4 Mariu s P etipa’s prod u ction, St P etersb u rg

8 Novemb er one Act version at th e E mpire Th eatre, Lond on

18 8 4

11 March 18 8 7 first New York prod u ction b y American O pera at

th e Metropolitan O pera Hou se

18 94 E nrico Cecch etti and Lev Ivanov’s revision of th e

P etipa ch oreog raph y for th e Maryinsky Th eatre in
St P etersb u rg

14 May 1906 fu ll stag ing of th e b allet at th e E mpire Th eatre,

Lond on

1910 first Ru ssian b ased performance in America, w ith

th e d eb u t performance of Anna P avlova at th e
Metropolitan O pera Ballet

21 March 1933 Nich olas Serg eyev’s tw o Act version (after P etipa
and Cecch etti) for th e V ic-Wells Ballet, d esig ns b y
E d w in Callag h an

15 April 1940 th ree Act version for th e Sad ler’s Wells Ballet,
d esig ns b y William Ch appell.

1946 Ch appell red esig ned C o p p élia for Th e Roy al Ballet

6
 Company in 1946 , sh ortly after its move to th e
Royal O pera Hou se, b u t th is prod u ction received
consid erab le criticism

2 March 195 4 fu ll-evening version of C o p p élia at th e Roy al O pera

Hou se stag ed b y Ninette d e V alois w ith new
d esig ns b y O sb ert Lancaster

1973 P ierre Lacotte’s reconstru ction of th e orig inal

Saint-Léon for th e P aris O péra

1974 Balanch ine and D anilova’s prod u ction for New York
City Ballet

1975 Roland P etit’s version for Ballet National d e

Marseilles

1975 P eter Wrig h t restag ed th e 195 4 prod u ction for th e

Royal Ballet New G rou p (w h ich w as to b e renamed
Sad ler’s Wells Royal Ballet in 197 6 )

1979 P eter Wrig h t’s new prod u ction for Sad ler’s Wells
Royal Ballet (now Birming h am Roy al Ballet) w ith
d esig ns b y P eter Snow

1995 P eter Wrig h t’s prod u ction for Birming h am Royal

Ballet

2000 Ninette d e V alois’ 195 4 revision, restag ed b y

Anth ony D ow ell, w ith Ch ristoph er Carr and G rant
Coyle

Most stag ing s of C o p p élia prod u ced ou tsid e of F rance tod ay are b ased
on E nrico Cecch etti and Lev Ivanov’s revision of P etipa’s w ell-
d ocu mented 18 8 4 version, w h ich is th ou g h t to h ave closely follow ed th e
Saint-Léon orig inal. Th eir lavish prod u ction stayed at th e Mary insky
7
Th eatre u ntil 1926 . How ever, it w as not long b efore th is version mad e
its appearance in th e West.

In Lond on, th e V ic-Wells Ballet Company (of ju st six d ancers) g ave its
first fu ll-evening performance on 5 May 1931. Its d irector Ninette d e
V alois h ad a w ealth of d ance experience to b ring to th e company, and
w as eag er to d evelop new ch oreog raph y . How ever, sh e also firmly
b elieved th at it w as essential to g rou nd h er company’s repertory in th e
principal b allets of th e 19th Centu ry, w orks su ch as G iselle, C o p p élia, T h e
S leep in g B eau ty, T h e N u tcracker and S w an L ake. Th ese w orks w ere to
form a solid fou nd ation for b oth au d iences and d ancers alike.

In th e 1920s, d u ring h er time w ith Serg ei D iag h ilev’s Ballet Ru sses, d e

V alois h ad met Nich olas Serg eyev w h o b efore th e Ru ssian Revolu tion of
1917, h ad b een in ch arg e of notation at th e Maryinsky Th eatre, St
P etersb u rg . In 1933 sh e asked Serg eyev to mou nt C o p p élia for th e V ic-
Wells b allet. It w as h is first w ork for th e small company and initially h e
only mou nted Acts I and II. It w as not u ntil 1940 th at h e stag ed th e fu ll
version, w ith an ad d itional th ree d ances ch oreog raph ed b y Serg eyev
h imself. Th e d ancer Rob ert Helpmann created a memorab le
interpretation of th e comic role of Coppéliu s in th is prod u ction.

C o p p élia is still performed b y b oth larg e and small-scale companies

w orld -w id e. Th e cu rrent prod u ction of C o p p élia for Th e Royal Ballet is
th e 195 4 version w h ich O sb ert Lancaster d esig ned , w ith new scenery
and costu mes. Th e b allet w as loving ly restored in 2000 b y Sir Anth ony
D ow ell, former Artistic D irector of Th e Royal Ballet and pays trib u te to
th e g reat artistic vision of D ame Ninette d e V alois.

8
 Ch aracters
Sw anild a
a you ng g irl, eng ag ed to F ranz

F ranz
Sw anild a’s fiancé

D r Coppéliu s
an eccentric old toy-maker

Coppélia
th e life-size d oll of th e toy -maker

Th e Bu rg omaster
th e local mayor

Th e D u ke
Th e Innkeeper
Sw anild a’s friend s
O th er mech anical d olls in D r
Coppéliu s’ w orksh op, inclu d ing a
Ch inese D oll,
oll a Cru sad er D oll, th e
Saracen K nig h t D oll, th e Spanish
D oll and th e Scottish D oll
Th e Innkeeper
P easant g irls and b oy s Designs © Osbert Lancaster

9
 Th e Story and th e Mu sic
All of th e action takes place in a small tow n and th e d esig n, costu mes
and mu sic sh ow very clear E ast-E u ropean influ ences. Th e fact th at th e
precise place is not specified is common to many 19th Centu ry b allets.
Th ese places cou ld b e referred to g enerically as ‘Ballet-Land ’! Th e
lig h t-h earted , fu n tale of C o p p élia is told th rou g h non-stop d ancing and
mime.

Th e orch estra sets th e scene w ith a firm, jau nty melod y and jerky
rh yth ms (d otted - long notes follow ed b y sh ort notes) th rou g h ou t th e
prelu d e. Th e main tu ne is pu nctu ated w ith accents (strong b eats) and
staccato (sh ort, d etach ed notes) w h ich ach ieves a lig h tness of style,
associated w ith th e composer D elib es. Th e opening mu sic is noted for
its string s, w ood w ind , and h orns, typical of th e mu sic in th e 19th
Centu ry.

Act I
Th e Tow n Sq u are

O n th e b alcony of one of th e h ou ses arou nd th e ed g e of th e tow n

sq u are sits th e b eau tifu l Coppélia, read ing h er b ook all d ay long . A
you ng g irl, Sw anild a, comes ou t of h er h ou se and tries to attract
Coppélia’s attention; sh e w aves, cu rtseys and even d ances in front of
h er, b u t to no avail.

D elib es mu sically represents some of th e ch aracters, conveying th eir

mood and personality (leitmotifs). Th is reinforces emotional feeling s
and h eig h tens d ramatic effects onstag e. Sw anild a d ances an expressive
w altz in front of Coppélia, played softly b y th e u pper string s (violins
and violas).

10
 Activity 1 (see pag e 20)

Coppélia ig nores Sw anild a’s friend ly end eavou rs. Sw anild a finish es h er
d ance cross and fru strated at Coppélia’s aloof attitu d e and th en ru ns
off. Th e eccentric old toy-maker, D r Coppéliu s, comes ou t of h is
w orksh op h ig h ly amu sed at Sw anild a’s efforts to eng ag e w ith th e
b eau tifu l Coppélia w h o is, after-all “a d oll th at I mad e”.

D r Coppéliu s’ mu sical th eme is lig h t and playfu l, alth ou g h h e is perh aps

th e b allet’s most complex ch aracter.

F ranz and h is friend th en enter th e tow n sq u are. F ranz sees Coppélia

sitting on th e b alcony and h e too tries to attract h er attention. His
efforts are more th an friend ly th ou g h and h is amorou s interest in th e
g irl on th e b alcony alarms Sw anild a, w h o u nb eknow n to F ranz h as b een
ob serving h is flirtatiou s efforts. U nlike Sw anild a, h e is rew ard ed w ith a
response from Coppélia w h o, alb eit in a somew h at jerky manner,
retu rns h is b low n kiss!

Coppélia’s jerkiness is sh ow n mu sically th rou g h th e u se of exag g erated

rh yth ms (d ou b le d otted ), w h ich sou nd very u nstead y . Th is th eme
b ecomes very familiar as it recu rs in variou s g u ises th rou g h ou t Act II.

11
Sw anild a retu rns ch asing a b u tterfly and F ranz soon joins h er. Th e
oth er peasants enter th e sq u are w h ilst th ey are d ancing tog eth er.
Th ere is a tend er and playfu l moment as th ey b oth h ave th eir h and s
over th e b u tterfly, b u t th is d oes not last. F ranz catch es it and everyone
w atch es in d istaste as h e spears it w ith a pin and attach es it to h is lapel.
Th is seems to b e th e final straw for Sw anild a w h o mimes emph atically
th at sh e d oes not love h im. F ranz cannot see w h at th e prob lem is and
as Sw anild a storms off h e retu rns to h is friend s for a d rink.

Th e Bu rg omaster arrives to annou nce th at th ere w ill b e a celeb ration

for th e new ch u rch b ell and at its presentation th e D u ke w ill g ive b ag s
of money to all cou ples w h o are b etroth ed to b e married . A lively
mazu rka th en follow s.

A mazu rka is trad itionally a P olish folk d ance in triple time. Th is mu sic
w as h eard d u ring th e orch estral prelu d e, w ith th e melod y once ag ain
played lou d ly on violins and w ood w ind . Th e style of d ance b ecomes
very percu ssive as th e d ancers clap, stamp th eir feet, and click th eir
h eels (‘b od y percu ssion’) as part of th e g rou p celeb ration. Th e simple
accompaniment is d rone-like (long , su stained tone) at times.

Afterw ard s, th e Bu rg omaster attempts to b ring Sw anild a and F ranz

tog eth er, q u estioning w h eth er or not th ey w ill b e among st th e cou ples
receiving d ow ries.
12
Th e Bu rg omaster is mu sically represented b y a strong , ascend ing b ass
fig u re.

F or th e th ird time, Sw anild a repeats th at sh e d oes not love F ranz. Sh e

th en tests h is love and faith fu lness w ith an ear of corn; if it ru stles all is
w ell. Th e cou ple come tog eth er in a slow and somew h at sorrow fu l
d ance as Sw anild a continu es to sh ake th e corn for h er friend s to h ear,
w h ilst F ranz tries to reassu re h er th at all is w ell b etw een th em.

Th ere is a tend er and expressive violin solo at th is point. Th e virtu osic

solo is accompanied b y a g entle h arp, w ood w ind , and pizzicato b ass.

Sad ly for Sw anild a th e ear of corn remains silent b u t as sh e d eparts,

F ranz sh akes it one more time and amazing ly h ears a noise! Th e mu sic
sou nd s more h opefu l as it moves th rou g h a series of variations on th e
th eme, b ecoming more elab orate th rou g h ou t. F ranz ru ns after
Sw anild a and clearly sh e is reassu red as sh e rejoins h er friend s in a
mu ch h appier mood . E veryb od y d ances a Czard as for th e
Bu rg omaster, w h o th en d eparts, and Sw anild a and F ranz are reconciled .

Th e Czard as d ance stems from E ast E u ropean folklore and is a

trad itional Hu ng arian d ance of th e 19th Centu ry. It is w ritten in d u ple
time (or 2/2) and h as slow and fast alternating sections. C o p p élia w as
th e first b allet to contain a Czard as and D elib es w as prob ab ly
influ enced to inclu d e a nu mb er of national d ances in th e score as
nationalism w as popu lar at th e time. Th e initial tu ne of th e Czard as is
very b road and h eavy and u ses g race notes (a very q u ick note cru sh ed
into anoth er note), d otted rh yth ms, and accents to captu re a
nationalistic flavou r.
13
 Activity 2 (see pag e 20)

E vening d raw s in and D r Coppéliu s leaves h is h ou se for a stroll and

mayb e a d rink at th e inn. He is not aw are of some of th e tow n’s you ng
men h id ing and w atch ing h im. Th ey q u ickly su rrou nd th e old man,
teasing and jostling h im.

Th e tense, th reatening atmosph ere is conveyed th rou g h th e

compositional w riting and instru mental tech niq u es. Lots of repeated
g race notes, tremolo (repeated notes) string s are played and w e h ear a
sh ort 2 b ar ph rase passed arou nd th e w ood w ind and string s in variou s
g u ises, interspersed w ith part of th e jerky Coppélia th eme from earlier.

D r Coppéliu s attempts to ch ase th e you ng men aw ay. F eeling h ot and

b oth ered h e mops h is b row and in so d oing d rops th e key to h is h ou se
w h ich h e h ad w rapped in h is h and kerch ief. Th e innkeeper comes and
takes th e flu stered Coppéliu s off for a d rink. O ne of th e you ng g irls
find s th e key and led b y th e misch ievou s Sw anild a, th e g rou p of friend s
enter th e D octor’s h ou se. F ranz too is d etermined to find ou t more
ab ou t th e b eau tifu l Coppélia, b u t h e d ecid es h e w ill enter th e h ou se via
a lad d er u p to th e b alcony. Th e toy-maker retu rns and , on d iscovering
h is front d oor open, steals in to su rprise th e intru d ers.

Tow ard s th e end of th is Act, th e tension, excitement and expectancy

b u ild th rou g h ou t th e mu sic and th is can b e h eard on tremolo string s
and timpani rolls.

14
Act II
D r Coppéliu s’ Worksh op

Sw anild a and h er friend s enter th e d arkened w orksh op w ith amazement

and w ond er, if not a little trepid ation. D iscovering w h ere Coppélia is
resting , Sw anild a once ag ain tries to g et h er to respond : sh e and h er
friend s cu rtsey in g reeting , ru stle Coppélia’s skirt and finally , listen to
h er ch est to see if sh e is b reath ing .

Ag ain w e h ear th e mu sic from th e first w altz (Sw anild a’s th eme,
example 1) and Coppélia’s th eme from Act I, as sh e is revealed (example
3).

Th ey th en realise th at th e b eau tifu l g irl is actu ally only a life-size

mech anical invention. Sw anild a th en proceed s to make fu n of F ranz
w h o h as b een flirting w ith … a d oll! Th e oth er au tomata (mech anical
toys) and pu ppets are u ncovered and set in motion, and th e g irls d ance
arou nd th em.

D elib es’ orch estration perfectly complements th e mech anical natu re of

th e d olls th rou g h h is u se of tinkling g lockenspiel, h arp, and simple and
playfu l piccolo tu ne, w ith h ig h pitch ed trills on th e flu te. Th e
comb ination of instru ments is reminiscent of a mag ical, mu sic b ox. Th e
section of mu sic sou nd s rath er u nresolved at th e end , w h ich su g g ests
th at someth ing is ab ou t to h appen.
15
 Activity 3 (see pag e 20)

Th e enrag ed and slig h tly tipsy D r Coppéliu s b u rsts in on th eir d ancing .

He d rives th em all ou t w ith th e exception of Sw anild a w h o manag es to
escape h is clu tch es and takes Coppélia’s place. Worn ou t b y h is
exertions, th e toy -maker sits d ow n to rest.

F ranz th en makes an appearance at th e top of th e lad d er and enters

th rou g h th e w ind ow . Th e toy-maker allow s h im to enter b u t follow s th e
cau tiou s F ranz as h e tiptoes th rou g h th e w orksh op, Coppéliu s
period ically assu ming th e g u ise of one of h is d olls. He th en seizes F ranz
and th reatens pu nish ment b u t as a plan comes to mind h is manner
tow ard s h im ch ang es. Th ere is some friend ly b anter and F ranz is
offered a d rink.

At th e start of th e d rinking mu sic, w e h ear a forte (lou d ) strong ph rase

played b y th e string s, w h ich is th en follow ed b y th e w ood w ind , w h o
play a soft, lig h t answ ering ph rase. Th is represents th e tw o ch aracters.

Secretly th ou g h , F ranz is b eing d ru g g ed and D r Coppéliu s, h aving

b rou g h t Coppélia ou t on h er ch air, u ses h is mag ic b ook and tries to
transfer th e spirit of th e sleeping F ranz to th e d oll. Totally u naw are th at
Sw anild a h as sw apped places w ith h is preciou s invention, h e is at first
d elig h ted w h en th e mag ic w orks and sh e comes to life. Movements
b ecome very animated as th e stag e action clearly complements th e
mu sic.

Activity 4 (see pag e 21)

16
‘Coppélia’ (Sw anild a) soon find s h er misch ievou s streak and q u ickly
g ets ou t of h and , tau nting D r Coppéliu s. Sh e pu sh es over th e d olls, is
ru d e and ch eeky, and g enerally acts like a stroppy teenag er!

Th e rh yth ms b ecome far more relentless and u rg ent, w ith triplet

movement (3 notes spread over 1 b eat) and crescend o (g etting lou d er)
su rg es, clearly su g g esting th e action onstag e. We h ear a falling b ass
line w ith h ig h pitch ed w ood w ind flou rish es in b etw een as ‘Coppélia’
pu sh es over th e d olls. Th is lead s into D r Coppéliu s’ th eme from Act I.
D elib es play s arou nd w ith th e tempi (speed s) of th e mu sic, alternating
b etw een fast and slow passag es as th e toy-maker, alarmed at
‘Coppélia’s’ b eh aviou r, tries to control h er. O nce ag ain th e rh yth m h as a
sense of u rg ency w ith its accented , jerky rh yth ms.

D r Coppéliu s tries to teach ‘Coppelia’ th e Spanish (Bolero) and Scottish

(G ig u e) d ances. ‘Coppélia’ continu es to misb eh ave, tearing u p th e
mag ic b ook and messing w ith th e d olls u ntil finally sh e is cau g h t and
pu t b ack into th e cu pb oard .

Activity 5 (see pag e 21)

Coppéliu s’ relief and respite is sh ort-lived th ou g h as sh e escapes almost

immed iately and w ith th e arrival of h er friend s, th e w orksh op b ecomes
ch aotic once ag ain.

We h ear Coppélia’s th eme from Act I follow ed b y a sh ort b u rst of th e

au tomata mu sic. An expressive passag e continu es, w h ere F ranz and
Sw anild a meet u p and D r Coppéliu s is reu nited w ith Coppélia.

Th e real Coppélia is pu lled from th e cu pb oard and th e toy -maker is

d istrau g h t w h en h e realises th at th e ‘tab les h ave b een tu rned ’ and h e

17
h as b een tricked . F ranz aw akes from h is d ru g g ed slu mb er and h e and
Sw anild a are h appily reu nited .

Th e mu sic b ecomes more frantic w ith insistent rh yth ms and ascend ing
scales, su g g esting th e state of th e toy -maker. Coppéliu s is left in
d espair.

Activity 6 (see pag e 22)

Act III
Th e Tow n Sq u are

Th e new ch u rch b ell enters on a cart b ed ecked w ith g arland s of flow ers.
At th e presentation ceremony th e D u ke h and s ou t pu rses of g old to all
th e b etroth ed cou ples.

Th e mu sic is a mod erately fast march w ith lig h t trills (2 notes sid e b y
sid e alternated very q u ickly) h eard in th e w ood w ind and string s. Th e
b rass presents an ascend ing scale, w h ich is lou d and accented . After a
sh ort pau se in th e mu sic th e b rass instru ments play soft, close
h armonies. Th is q u asi-b rass b and style ind icates th e Bu rg omaster and
D u ke at th e presentation ceremony. Th e b rass th en play lou d ,
pu nctu ated ch ord s w h ich are answ ered play fu lly b y th e w ood w ind and
string s.

Th e fu ming Coppéliu s arrives and complains th at h is d olls h ave b een

b roken. Sw anild a attempts to console h im and offers h er ow n b ag of
money. P erh aps sh e feels responsib le?

Th e old man is placated w h en h e manag es to secu re not one, b u t tw o

pu rses of g old from th e D u ke! O nce th e financial aspect h as b een d ealt

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w ith , th e D u ke settles d ow n to b e entertained . Th e d ances inclu d e
‘Waltz of th e Hou rs’, ‘D aw n’, ‘P rayer’ and ‘Work’.

Brid eg room
D esig ns © O sb ert Lancaster

‘D aw n’ is ty pically orch estrated to conju re u p th e sou nd of d ay b reak

and variou s instru mental d evices are employed . Th e sh immering string s
u se tremolo, pizzicato and staccato, and th ere are w ood w ind flou rish es.
‘P rayer’ b eg ins w ith a lyrical melod y played b y mu ted string s, w h ich is
th en passed to th e w ood w ind . Th e style is calm, serene and expressive.
‘Work’ is th e antith esis of P rayer – lou d and b u sy . Th e b u syness is h eard
clearly th rou g h repeated semiq u aver (q u ick b eats) passag es, w h ich are
passed arou nd th e string s. Th e joyou s end ing reflects th e festivities.

Th e ob oe presents th e main tu ne at th e end ; an instru ment often u sed

in th e 19th Centu ry to d epict ru stic merrymaking scenes. Sw anild a and
F ranz d ance tog eth er accompanied b y an expressive viola solo. F ranz’s
celeb ratory solo is annou nced b y fanfare-like b rass mu sic, h ig h pitch ed
w ood w ind , repeated d otted rh y th ms, and d ru ms and cymb als. Th is is
follow ed b y Sw anild a’s solo b efore sh e once ag ain d ances a pas d e
d eu x (d ance for tw o people) w ith F ranz, w atch ed b y Coppéliu s from h is
b alcony.

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Th e marriag e of Sw anild a and F ranz is th e crow ing g lory of th e w h ole
celeb ration.

Activity 7 (see pag e 22)

Activities

1. Mu sic
Select a cou ple of th e ch aracters and compose a sh ort b u t recog nisab le
‘th eme tu ne’, like D elib es.
Th ink ab ou t th e style of th e melod y , th e rh yth m, th e timb re (q u ality of
sou nd - w h ich instru ment sh ou ld it b e play ed on?), th e speed , th e
volu me, etc.
Learn to play it and test oth ers in you r class. Can th ey g u ess w h o it
represents?

2. Mu sic
Notice h ow b oth th e Mazu rka and Czard as d ances incorporate ‘b od y
percu ssion’ into th e movement and mu sic. Create y ou r ow n rh y th mical
piece in g rou ps of 4 u sing d ifferent parts of th e b od y to create sou nd s
i.e. clicking fing ers, stamping feet, clapping h and s…

Ad d all of th ese sou nd s tog eth er to form a piece – th ink ab ou t th e

textu re of th e mu sic. You may d ecid e th at all of y ou ‘play’ in u nison
(altog eth er) or th ere may b e d ifferent sou nd s h appening at th e same
time, each of you ‘play ing ’ a d ifferent part.

P erform th is sh ort piece (16 b ars of 4 b eats) to th e rest of th e class.

3. Mu sic

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In small g rou ps, u se b oth pitch ed and u npitch ed percu ssion instru ments
to compose you r ow n mech anical d oll/mu sic b ox piece.
Select you r instru ments carefu lly , like D elib es. Wh at are th e b est
instru ments to u se? Wh at are th ey mad e of?
Compose a tu nefu l, repetitive melod y , and ad d oth er instru ments as a
simple accompaniment.

4. D ance
Create a solo d ance b ased on w h en Coppélia first ‘comes to life’. Sh ow
a contrast b etw een th e first part of th e d ance w h ich consists of jerky,
stiff movements and a more flu ent second part. Th en w ork w ith a
partner to d evise a d evelopment to th e d ance w h ereb y one person
assu mes th e role of D r Coppéliu s and tries to catch th e living d oll. U se
travelling steps b u t keep th ese q u ite contained w ith in th e space – small
h ops and leaps.
Note to teach er: More experienced stu d ents cou ld try to su pport or
even lift th e person assu ming th e role of th e d oll. E nsu re su fficient
safety tech niq u es h ave b een tau g h t b efore attempting th is aspect.

5. Mu sic
Research d ifferent styles of d ances d u ring th e 19th Centu ry and find ou t
more ab ou t th e mu sic.
Wh at w as th e pu rpose of th e d ances? Wh en w ere th ey performed ?
Wh ich cou ntries w ere th ey associated w ith ?
Wh at time sig natu re/metre (h ow many b eats per b ar) d o th ey u se?
Wh at’s th e tempo (speed ) and d ynamics (volu me)?
Wh ich composers w rote th em?
How w ou ld you d escrib e th e rh yth m and ch aracteristics of style?

Ch oose a specific d ance and compose you r ow n, apply ing you r

research .

21
6. D esig n
Before seeing th e b allet, d raw or paint you r ow n setting for D r
Coppéliu s’ w orksh op. Th e d esig n cou ld th en b e d eveloped into a
collag e or perh aps a 3D mod el. U se a larg e b ox and cu t aw ay th e top
and one of th e ad jacent w id e faces. You now h ave a ‘stag e’ th at you
can look into. P aint a b ackcloth d esig n onto th e b ack w all of th e b ox
and b u ild small mod els or stand u p fig u res and props to finish you r
w orksh op.

7. D ance
Create a d ance for tw o people u sing Sw anild a and F ranz’s th ird Act pas
d e d eu x as a stimu lu s. Th e overall movement q u ality sh ou ld b e slow
and tend er, w ith su stained transitions into and b etw een movements.
Incorporate moments of stillness, b oth tog eth er and apart, su pported
tu rns and b alances.
Inclu d e th e arab esq u e (a b alance on one leg w ith th e oth er lifted b eh ind
w ith a straig h t knee and pointed foot).

22
Léo D elib es, Composer (18 36 -
18 91)
D elib es w as an only ch ild , b orn into a mu sical family, at St G ermain d u
V al, F rance. Wh en h is fath er d ied in 18 47 th e family moved to P aris,
w h ere h e entered th e Conservatoire. He w as a ch orister and org anist,
and stu d ied composition w ith Ad olph e Ad am (w h o composed G iselle).
He b ecame a ch u rch org anist, b u t w as far more interested in th e
th eatre. He w rote song s, ch oru ses, and 15 lig h t operettas, one a year,
w h ich w ere often performed at O ffenb ach ’s th eatre Bou ffes-P arisiens.
Wh ilst employed as an accompanist and Ch oru s Master for th e Th éâtre
Ly riq u e h e w orked on G ou nod ’s F au st and Bizet’s T h e P earlfish ers.
D elib es’ sty le is often compared to Bizet’s for h armonic and orch estral
finesse.

In 18 6 4 h e w as appointed Ch oru s Master at th e P aris O péra, and w rote a

cantata A lg er celeb rating th e retu rn of Napoleon III from Alg eria.
F ollow ing th e w ork’s su ccess, D elib es w as commissioned to w rite th e
b allet mu sic for L a S o u rce, along sid e th e composer Leon Minku s and
w riters Nu itter and Saint-Léon. E ach composer w rote tw o Acts, w ith th e
su periority of D elib es’s mu sic contrib u ting to h is recog nition as a b allet
composer. L a S o u rce w as very popu lar as it h ad an oriental th eme,
w h ich w as fash ionab le at th e time.

It w as C o p p élia, premiered at th e P aris O péra in 18 7 0, th at b rou g h t

D elib es solo and notab le su ccess. Th e w ork certainly d ominated late
19th Centu ry b allet. Th e score revolu tionised b allet composition and set
a preced ent for th ose to follow . D iag h ilev w as complimentary
d escrib ing C o p p élia as th e most b eau tifu l b allet in existence, h aving no
eq u al in th e b allet repertory .

23
A year later, h e relinq u ish ed h is job at th e P aris O péra to concentrate
on composing . At th is time h e started to w rite few er b u t larg er scale
w orks. He extend ed h is teach er’s d evice of associating th emes w ith
ch aracters, w riting soph isticated th emes for C o p p élia. He fu rth er
d eveloped th is leitmotif id ea in th e b allet S ylvia. S ylvia w as presented in
18 76 as h is second fu ll-scale b allet, w h ich w as stag ed at th e P aris O péra,
and is reg ard ed b y many as h is finest b allet.

In 18 8 1 h e b ecame P rofessor of composition at th e Conservatoire and a

year later h e w rote six pastich e d ances for a prod u ction of Hu g o’s play
L e ro i s’am u se, th e play th at V erd i tu rned into th e opera R ig o letto .
How ever it w as in 18 8 3 th at D elib es’ operatic masterpiece L akm é
appeared at th e O péra-Comiq u e, and it is for th is w ork th at h e is
particu larly rememb ered . He w as h onou red for h is contrib u tion to mu sic
b y b eing elected to th e Institu te in 18 8 4 and h is final w ork, th e opera
K assya, w as completed in 18 91 ju st b efore h is d eath . Th e orch estration
w as finish ed b y Massenet and th e first performance g iven at th e O péra-
Comiq u e in 18 93.

D elib es raised th e stand ard of b allet mu sic in Western E u rope, at a time

w h en it w as in d ecline, and h is mu sic is th ou g h t to h ave influ enced
composers su ch as Tch aikovsky , Saint-Saens, D eb u ssy , and Stravinsky.

24
 D ance: look for…
Th e follow ing points w ill assist in id entifying key ch oreog raph ic
moments in C o p p élia. F or a more h olistic u nd erstand ing of th e b allet,
notice th e close relationsh ip th at exists b etw een th e d ancing and th e
mu sic (an early example is Sw anild a’s first d ance). F or D elib es, mu sic
and movement w ere integ ral parts. Bearing th is in mind h e w rote ly rical
melod ies to inspire th e movement, focu ssed on orch estral colou r and
tone to estab lish th e atmosph ere, and stru ctu red th e mu sic to serve th e
action.

Th e u se of mime, i.e. w h en d ancers u se g estu res to ‘tell’ parts of th e

story or to convey th eir th ou g h ts and feeling s, is fairly extensive in
C o p p élia alth ou g h not as mu ch as in 19th Centu ry classical b allets su ch
as T h e S leep in g B eau ty. Most of th e g estu res u sed are easy to
u nd erstand b u t a few are not so ‘read ab le’. Th e mime for ‘d oll’ is
represented b y moving th e h and s (palms inw ard s, elb ow s b ent) in tw o
continu ou s small semi-circles, and th en q u ickly moving th em u p and
d ow n at th e sid es of th e b od y accompanied b y q u ick rising u p and
d ow n on th e toes; pointing a fing er to th e ch est and th en b ang ing th e
fist of th is h and into th e palm of th e oth er represents “I mad e”; D r
Coppéliu s, d escrib ing h is creation as ‘b eau tifu l’ u ses th e b ack of h is
h and to circle u nd erneath th e ch in from one ear to th e oth er; F ranz
w ig g les h is tw o ind ex fing ers ab ove h is h ead to d escrib e th e toy-maker
as d evilish .

Th e lang u ag e of classical mime orig inated in F rance. Th erefore, ju st as

w ith F rench spoken lang u ag e, th e constru ction of mimed sentences is
not alw ay s th e same as in E ng lish . Look for w h en Sw anild a mimes “I
you love not” to F ranz. How w ou ld w e say th is in E ng lish ?

25
Activity
D ance
Create a d ance b ased on th e id ea of a toy-maker making w ood en toy s.
U se th e mime for ‘mad e’ - a fist b ang ing th e palm of th e h and – in you r
d ance. Can y ou perform th is action slow ly and th en mu ch faster?
P erh aps ad d you r feet stamping on th e g rou nd and pu t y ou r h and s
over you r ears to su g g est h ow noisy it is!
Consid er oth er activities th at w ou ld b e involved in making a w ood en
toy, su ch as g lu ing and painting . E xplore moving as th ou g h th e pot of
g lu e h ad b een spilt and th e floor w as very sticky; try initiating
movement from d ifferent parts of th e b od y , for example, lifting th e
knee or pu sh ing ou t th e h ip. U se larg e arm g estu res stretch ing h ig h
and low and across th e b od y from sid e to sid e as th ou g h painting th e
completed toy.
Ad d travelling movements to d evelop th is action, for example, ru nning
forw ard s q u ickly and arriving at a h ig h level and d ropping su d d enly to
th e floor; g alloping sid ew ays as th e arm moves across th e b od y. Link
th ese id eas into a flu ent d ance.

Th ere are also instances w h en th e

d ancers d o not u se classical mime to
tell parts of th e story, b u t th eir d ance
g estu res are clearly read ab le. In h er
first d ance, look for th e movement
w h ere Sw anild a w av es h er left arm h ig h
tow ard s h erself tw ice and th en points
at th e g rou nd ; sh e is g estu ring for
Coppélia to come d ow n from h er
b alcony.

D r Coppéliu s
D esig ns © O sb ert Lancaster
D r Coppéliu s is th e d ramatic focu s of
th e b allet. He is w h at is referred to as a ch aracter role. Th ere is little if
26
any d ancing for th ese roles, b u t th e mime d rama and th e costu me
d esig n and make-u p clearly convey th e personality of th e role and h elp
to move th e narrative on. A ch aracter su ch as D r Coppéliu s is often
d anced b y one of th e y ou ng er men in th e company , perh aps only in h is
mid -tw enties. How easy is it to b elieve th is w h en y ou see D r Coppéliu s
in fu ll make-u p and costu me?

Mech anical d olls are at th e h eart of Act II. D r Coppéliu s’ w orksh op is a

b it like th e Tard is – mu ch b ig g er on th e insid e th an it looks on th e
ou tsid e! Th e sty lised mech anical movements of th e au tomata fit very
w ell w ith th e u nremitting q u ality of th e mu sic. Look for th e
ch oreog raph ic contrast b etw een th e d olls and Sw anild a and h er friend s
arou nd th em: th e d olls perform simple, repetitive ph rases consisting of
ju st tw o or th ree movements, w h ereas th e g irls’ d ance, th ou g h not
particu larly complex in u pper b od y action, is so in terms of th e
q u ickness of th eir feet and certainly h as a more flu ent movement
q u ality .
Notice h ow Coppélia’s movements ch ang e as sh e su pposed ly receives
more of F ranz’s spirit. Initially h er g estu res are stilted w ith flexed w rists
and feet, b u t h er d ancing b ecomes more flu ent as th ou g h sh e h as tru ly
come to life.

Activities
D ance
Select one of th e d olls from th e b allet: th e Ch inese D oll, th e Cru sad er
D oll, th e Saracen K nig h t D oll, th e Spanish D oll and th e Scottish D oll.
E xplore moving in a stilted , slow manner u sing stiff limb s and simple
g estu res and steps. Select th ree d ifferent movements and link tog eth er
into a repeatab le ph rase. D ecid e h ow many times you w ill repeat th e
ph rase. D o you need any oth er movements to link th ese ph rases
tog eth er into a sh ort d ance? Really try to convey someth ing of th e
ch aracter of you r ch osen d oll w ith in you r d ance. P erh aps sh ow you r

27
d ance to a partner. Can th ey g u ess w h ich d oll you h ave u sed as
inspiration?
You may like to ch oose some of th e oth er d olls after seeing th e
performance.

D esig n
D esig n and d raw a costu me for you r ch osen d oll lab elling clearly th e
d ifferent materials you w ou ld like to u se.

C o p p élia is a lig h t h earted and entertaining b allet and th ere are several
moments of h u mou r: look for Sw anild a’s knocking knees w h en sh e
opens th e d oors of th e alcove to reveal Coppélia, and th e w ay sh e and
h er friend s h id e th eir faces in fear of repercu ssion w h en th ey ru stle th e
d oll’s skirt. So too th e exag g erated g estu res and facial expressions as
D r Coppéliu s ch ases F ranz arou nd h is w orksh op in th e second Act.
Th ese moments are all over-acted b u t th ey ad d to th e overall h u mou r
and fu n of th e tale.

C o p p élia h as clear overtones of th e romantic period and for th ose

familiar w ith G iselle it is interesting to note striking similarities b etw een
th ese tw o b allets:
• th e soft, flu ent q u ality of th e d ancing and th e rob u st peasants
typical of romantic b allets
• testing th e faith fu lness of love th rou g h th e g ame of “h e loves me,
h e loves me not” (G iselle) and th rou g h th e ru stling or silence of
an ear of corn (C o p p élia)
• th e larg e cart arou nd w h ich occu rs th e celeb ration of th e b ring ing
in of th e h arvest in Act I of G iselle, and th e cart u sed for th e
arrival of th e b ell in Act III of C o p p élia
• G iselle’s y ou th fu l d ance in Act I w h en sh e travels arou nd th e
stag e w ith b allo n n és (a h opping step w ith th e free leg stretch ing
ou t and b ack tow ard s th e su pporting leg ) and Sw anild a joining

28
 h er friend s’ d ance after listening to th e ear of corn, entering w ith
th is same step.

How ever, one very clear d ifference from G iselle is th at th ere are no
eth ereal, su pernatu ral creatu res, only an earth ly , mech anical d oll!

Activity
D esig n and stag e manag ement
A larg e cart is u sed . Wh at sort of prob lems mig h t th is present?
(consid er not only th e d ancers b u t th e tech nical crew also)
Th ink ab ou t events preced ing its arrival and immed iately afterw ard s. Is
a h orse u sed to pu ll th e cart?
Wh at fu rth er implications w ou ld th e inclu sion of a live animal h ave on
th e prod u ction?
Are th ere oth er b allets w h ich u se larg e pieces of movab le eq u ipment
and /or animals?

How ever, w h ilst C o p p élia’s roots lie in th e romantic style it is interesting

to note th at it also h as some of th e featu res of a classical b allet. Th e
classical style in b allet emerg ed at th e end of th e 19th Centu ry (in its last
d ecad e) w ith w orks su ch as T h e S leep in g B eau ty, S w an L ake and T h e
N u tcracker. C o p p élia w as created some 20 y ears b efore th e first of
th ese b allets and th u s is consid ered to b e a forw ard looking w ork. Th e
su b seq u ent points h elp to id entify some of th e featu res of a classical
b allet.

Classical b allets almost alw ays h ad some sort of celeb ratory event, b e it
a w ed d ing or b irth d ay , and C o p p élia is no exception. Th e th ird and final
Act is fu ll of d ances to celeb rate th e presentation of th e new b ell and
th e forth coming b etroth al of cou ples. Lots of d ifferent formations are
u sed for th e d ances, w h ich tend to b e symmetrical. Sometimes th ese
are presented in larg e g rou ps, g rou ps of 4 or pairs. Th ese conclu d ing

29
festive d ances, referred to as d ivertissem en ts (entertainments) create
an exciting visu al spectacle, allow ing th e tech nical virtu osity of th e
d ancers to b e exh ib ited . You mig h t like to consid er h ow mu ch of th is
Act w ou ld b e left, if all of th e celeb ratory d ances w ere removed .

Activity
D ance
Symmetry is a ch aracteristic featu re of classicism. In g rou ps of fou r to
six, ch oreog raph a d ance w h ich sh ow s d ifferent symmetrical patterns,
moving flu ently b etw een each one. Incorporate featu res of h armony
and straig h t lines.

Look ou t for th e Mazu rka in Act I, w h ich is ch aracterised b y cou ples

stamping th eir feet, clicking th eir h eels and a special tu rning step. As
w ell as th e precise footw ork, look for th e w ay in w h ich th e h ead and
sh ou ld ers are u sed , and th e sw ing ing action of th e arm. Th e Czard as is
also a d ance for cou ples, w ith a slow , melanch oly first section and a
more h ig h -spirited second part. Wh en performed in b allets th ese
d ances are not d anced as th ey w ou ld trad itionally b e, especially in th e
th ird Act of C o p p élia w h ere th e female d ancers w ear pointe sh oes in
one of th e national d ances, rath er th an b oots. Th e ch oreog raph er h as
taken th e main ch aracteristics of th e style, and created a d ance arou nd
th ese elements. Look ou t for th e Spanish and Scottish d ances of Act II
w h ich h ave also b een emb ellish ed from th eir trad itional form.

Activity
History and d ance
F ind ou t as mu ch ab ou t th e h istory and trad ition of th e Mazu rka d ance,
and th e costu me w orn b y men and b y lad ies.
Work w ith a partner to create y ou r ow n Mazu rka. F irst explore and
practise steps w h ich u se d ifferent parts of th e foot. F or example, can
you scu ff th e h eel, b ru sh ing th e foot forw ard and h op? Can you ju mp
30
and click you r h eels tog eth er in th e air? Wh at ab ou t a step w h ich u ses
th e h eel and th e toe in q u ick su ccession? Wh at are th e d ifferent w ay s
you and you r partner can spin tog eth er? Inclu d e strong sw ing ing
actions of th e arm.
O nce y ou h ave created you r Mazu rka, join u p w ith anoth er pair. Learn
each oth er’s d ance and th en ad apt and comb ine th e d ances to make
one long er one. F ocu s on th e floor patterns and th e d ifferent
formations th at you can make as a g rou p of 4 in ord er to ad d interest to
th e d ance.
Th e ab ove task cou ld b e repeated or u sed instead w ith reference to
anoth er national d ance for example, th e Czard as, or Bolero.

Act III – Th e Tow n Sq u are

P h otog raph © McD ou g all – G rou p Th ree P h otog raph y
D esig ns © O sb ert Lancaster

Th e solo d ance of Au rora (‘D aw n’) in Act III is very ty pical of th e

classical style of d ancing . Th e carriag e of th e u pper b od y is more
u prig h t, w ith th e limb s extend ing in straig h t lines. Notice th e fast,
intricate footw ork. Th e movements are precise and th ere is a sh arp
ed g e to th e u se of focu s and placement of th e arms. Th is is th e first
time in th e b allet th at th is pu re classical sty le is so evid ent. P reviou sly
th e q u ality of th e d ancing h as b een softer and more flu ent and th is
featu re, w ith th e long er skirts of th e g irls, is more reminiscent of th e
31
romantic sty le of b allet in w h ich C o p p élia’s roots lie, as mentioned
earlier.

By th e end of th e second Act, b oth Sw anild a and F ranz h av e

recog nised th eir follies and Sw anild a in particu lar h as lost h er
misch ievou s streak. Th eir pas d e d eu x in Act III is d esig ned to sh ow
th eir matu ration. Th ey are in love, and ab ou t to b e married . Th eir d ance
is very slow and tend er. Th eir love is sh ow n th rou g h th e w ay F ranz
su pports and lifts h is fiancée, w h ilst sh e in tu rn relies on h im to keep h er
safe in th ese movements.

Th is pas d e d eu x is fairly ty pical of th e classical format. Sw anild a and

F ranz move formally into th eir positions and present th emselves to th e
au d ience b oth at th e start and end of th e d ance. All th e oth er
ch aracters stop to w atch th eir d ancing . Th ey h ave some of th e most
spectacu lar steps and w ear d istinctive costu mes. Th ey first d ance
tog eth er and th en each performs a sh ort solo. U su ally th ou g h in a
classical pas d e d eu x th e d ancers come tog eth er ag ain to d ance and
end w ith a spectacu lar finish (cod a). How ever, th is d oes not h appen in
C o p p élia. Instead th ey each perform a second sh ort solo and th en d o
b riefly d ance tog eth er b u t th is is all part of th e final celeb ration
involving all of th e oth er d ancers.

Look ou t for th e you ng er d ancers performing , especially in Act III.

Th ese d ancers are stu d ents of th e Royal Ballet Sch ool and th is is an
exciting opportu nity for th em to perform w ith th e main Royal Ballet
Company on su ch a prestig iou s stag e as th e Royal O pera Hou se. Bu t
stu d ents are not th e only ones g iven new opportu nities to d ance in
C o p p élia: Sir Anth ony D ow ell commented on h ow h e w as ab le to g ive
new opportu nities to u p and coming d ancers.

32
 Interview s w ith d ancers
Will Tu ckett (WT) and Lu ke Hey d on (LH),
sh aring th e role of D r Coppéliu s.

Will Tu ckett

Lu ke Hey d on
Have you d anced th is role b efore?

WT: Yes, b u t it w as q u ite a w h ile ag o (?!?!) and b ecau se I’m terrib le at

rememb ering roles over a long period of time I’m su re it w ill feel q u ite
new w h ilst I’m re-learning it… th at said th ere is g enerally a moment
w h en I g roan th at I can b e so stu pid as b ig ch u nks come b ack in a flash !

LH: Yes ab ou t 7 years ag o.

How d o you learn a role? (vid eo, oth er d ancers, notation… )

WT: We learn roles as d ancers from notators and Ballet Masters. Th e

notators are responsib le for w riting d ow n th e steps and movements in a
b allet in a special form of w riting (it’s actu ally a little b it like w riting
d ow n mu sic and is even w ritten on th e same sort of paper and is very
accu rate). Th ey often w ork tog eth er w ith a Ballet Master w h o is th e
person th at w ill b e coach ing u s b efore w e g o on stag e and g o over
seq u ences and comb inations b efore th e reh earsals so th ey can b oth
h elp teach , as learning someth ing straig h t from th e notation can b e
q u ite slow . If th ere isn’t mu ch time to reh earse a b allet b efore a
performance w e w ill g o and h ave a look at a vid eo of w h en w e last
performed it th ou g h in ord er to jog th e b rain a b it!

LH: Mainly from a notator b u t also from a teach er w h o may h ave b een
involved in th e b allet previou sly or even from someone w h o h as
33
performed th e role. We d o u se vid eos b u t normally ju st to clarify any
q u eries or to g et th e feel of a piece.

Is th ere a w ay of learning a role th at you personally find easier th an

anoth er?

WT: I really h ate trying to learn someth ing from a vid eo as of cou rse
w h en you are looking at th e stag e from th e au d ience’s point of view it’s
all th e w rong w ay arou nd if you are th en try ing to d o w h at th e people
onstag e are d oing !!! All terrib ly confu sing ! A really g ood friend w h o
u sed to b e in th e company and d id lots of th e same roles as me u sed to
h ate me as ju st b efore th e cu rtain w ent u p I w ou ld alw ay s h ave a
TO TAL b lank and alw ay s need ed to ask h im w h at leg d o w e step on
first or w h ich cou nt in th e mu sic d o w e b eg in on etc. It u sed to end u p
w ith me d oing it rig h t and h im g oing w rong as I alw ay s manag ed to
confu se h im completely !!! I try not to d o th at anymore…

LH: Th e b est w ay I find is to b e tau g h t b y someone (teach er or notator)

in th e stu d io and repeating th e moves u sing th e mu sic to h elp to
d evelop a ph y sical memory .

How soon b efore th e first nig h t/performance d o you start reh earsing ?

WT: It d epend s on w h eth er it’s a b rand new sh ow or a revival b u t as w e

h aven’t d one C o p p élia for a w h ile w e’ll prob ab ly start reh earsing th e
main roles ab ou t five or six w eeks b efore th e first nig h t. It seems like
ag es b u t th ere are several d ifferent casts w h o are reh earsing oth er
th ing s at th e same time so it can b e q u ite h ard to g et everyone in th e
same place at th e same time. Th e last w eek or 10 d ays b efore th e first
nig h t w e w ill b e on stag e pu tting th ing s tog eth er w ith th e orch estra and
th en d oing everyth ing in costu me and make-u p and it g ives u s all a
ch ance to g et u sed to th e set and any props th at aren’t in th e reh earsal
stu d ios.
34
LH: It d epend s if it is a b rand new b allet (one th at is b eing created from
scratch ), it can take any th ing from 8 w eeks to th ree month s, w h ereas a
revival takes b etw een 2 - 4 w eeks.

C o p p élia w ill not b e th e only b allet th at th e Company is reh earsing at

one time. How easy or d ifficu lt is it to sw itch b etw een d ifferent roles
and d ifferent sty les of b allet?

WT: It can b e really h ard to sw itch b etw een d ifferent sty les of d ancing
in th e same d ay especially if y ou h ave to g o from mod ern to classical
w ork. Th e female d ancers find it particu larly d ifficu lt as in mod ern w ork
th ey are g enerally not h aving to g o u p on pointe as th ey d o in classical
b allet w h ich means th at th eir w eig h t is b eing u sed in a very d ifferent
w ay . I th ink it can g et q u ite confu sing for th eir b od ies! F or me sw itch ing
b etw een roles is not so h ard as th e ch aracters I play are u su ally totally
d ifferent so g oing from an evil sch eming F rench aristocrat to a mad -
h aired old d oll maker is less tricky th an you mig h t th ink… It’s really all to
d o w ith th e context and trying to b e tru e to th e ch aracter w ith in th e
story .

LH: It's actu ally not as d ifficu lt as y ou w ou ld th ink as th e b allets tend to

all b e very d ifferent and you treat th em as separate th ing s in th e same
w ay as at sch ool you w ou ld b e ab le to rememb er w h at you d id in
separate lessons. Sometimes you h ave to perform more th an one role
from th e same b allet w h ich can b e a b it more tricky b u t in some w ays
th e b etter y ou know th e b allet's roles it seems to h elp each of th e roles
you perform.

How d o you feel performing for an au d ience th at is entirely mad e u p of

you ng people and th eir teach ers as occu rs at a Sch ools’ Matinee?

35
WT: It’s alw ays a real privileg e b eing ab le to d o a Sch ools’ Matinee and I
th ink it is a real responsib ility. O ften th e au d ience you are performing to
h ave never b een to th e th eatre b efore and w e are th eir first exposu re to
not ju st d ance b u t th e w h ole ritu al th at a th eatre g oing pu b lic take for
g ranted and often th ere are very few ad u lts in th e au d ience to
d emonstrate w h at one mig h t normally view as “appropriate” b eh aviou r!
As a resu lt th e response from th e kid s is totally reactive and h onest to
w h at’s g oing on u p on th e stag e. Th ere’s noth ing as g ratify ing as
making eith er an au d ience g enu inely lau g h or taking th em w ith y ou on a
ch aracter’s jou rney and feeling th em live you r d ilemmas ou t w ith you . I
love cinema b u t y ou h ave to invest very little of y ou rself or you r
imag ination in it as an art form w h ereas on th e stag e an au d ience
makes an emotional investment and once y ou ’ve personally invested in
anyth ing you g enerally h ave an interest in w h at th e retu rn w ill b e!

LH: Th e experience of performing in front of sch ools is alw ay s a very

enjoy ab le one. Th ey tend to respond very w ell and you can g u arantee
th at th e applau se w ill b e enth u siastic b u t not too long . It's also
interesting to see d ifferent th ing s in th e b allets th at appeal to an
au d ience mad e u p of people w h o h ave seen very little b allet and it's
refresh ing compared to a more pred ictab le evening RO H au d ience.

How easy or d ifficu lt is it for a d ancer su ch as you rself to take on a role

like D r Coppéliu s w h o looks and acts fairly ancient! Wh at h elps y ou
particu larly in th e early stag es of reh earsing , to learn th e role?

WT: O ne of th e th ing s th at I th ink is important is to know h ow th e

ch aracter w ill b eh ave w h en h e is d oing someth ing small, someth ing
personal. Big , sh ow y-offy kind of th ing s are g enerally easier (slipping
over on a w et fish or h aving a silly ch ase or a sw ord fig h t etc.) If y ou
know h ow th e ch aracter sits d ow n, w alks, h old s a cu p or a g lass even if
it’s a b ig cartoon like ch aracter like Coppéliu s th en it starts to inform
everyth ing else th at h e d oes. Wh y d oes h e find it h ard to w ork w ith h is
36
h ammer on th e d olls? D oes h e h ave arth ritis in h is sh ou ld er? Was h e in
a terrib le d oll-making accid ent w h en h e w as y ou ng !?!?! Sou nd s silly b u t
if h is w orld b ecomes more d etailed , even if it’s only in my h ead th en h e
b ecomes more b elievab le and th e au d ience cares more ab ou t th e
situ ations u nfold ing . Th e h ard th ing ab ou t a role like th is th ou g h is th at
th ere are MILLIO NS of props to contend w ith ; b ottles, g lasses,
spectacles, key s, b ooks, lanterns, d olls, cloaks, h ats, w alking sticks… th e
list ju st g oes on and on and th ere is ALWAYS th e possib ility of
d ropping , forg etting or simply fu mb ling one of th em along th e w ay .
Horrib le! Th at’s w h y th e b etter I know D r Coppéliu s, th e more prepared
I am w h en h is h at falls off as h e u ses th e w rong key to open a d oor
w h ilst d rag g ing th e h alf-attach ed w rong costu me arou nd b eh ind h im… I
ju st h ave to th ink… ”Wh at w ou ld h e d o now ?!” O ften I h ave to ad mit th e
answ er is “G o for a pint.”

LH: I find performing old men reasonab ly easy (w h ich is a b it of a

w orry). I d o h ave to remind myself not to move arou nd too fast and it's
also not very easy to portray th e ch aracter of D r Coppéliu s as alth ou g h
you w ant to au d ience to not like h im on th e one sid e y ou also w ant
th em to feel sorry for h im and w arm to h im as th e b allet g oes on. I find
it all too easy to portray eld erly ch aracters b u t I find th at in reh earsal,
w ith ou t th e make-u p and costu me it's q u ite h ard to g et th e feel of th e
ch aracter and you h ave to forg et ab ou t g etting emb arrassed in front of
people and b e prepared to make a fool of you rself, once y ou g et past
th is and g et th e costu me and makeu p it actu ally b ecomes easier as you
lose y ou rself b eh ind th e ch aracter you apply. It also h elps to try to
pictu re you rself from th e ou tsid e b ecau se if you can convince you rself
you sh ou ld b e ab le to convince at least some of th e au d ience.

How long w ill it take to g et d ressed in th e costu me and make-u p for th e

role of th e toy-maker?

37
WT: Ag es. We h ave b rilliant make-u p and w ig people w h o patiently
spend prob ab ly ab ou t an h ou r or so applying plastic noses, b ald h ead
w ig s, w ig s on top of th e b ald h ead w ig s, lines to look crinkly and
ancient, eye make-u p so w e look mad and starey… th ey are u tterly
b rilliant. Bu t it takes ag es! And w h ilst th e costu me d oesn’t take too long
to g et on it takes q u ite a w h ile to g et u sed to as none of it fits properly
making Coppéliu s look even w eird er… oh and th ere’s a h u mp too th at
h as a h orrib le tend ency to slip arou nd from one sid e of y ou r b ack to th e
oth er… b u t th at’s a trad e secret!

LH: Th e make-u p, w ig and costu me take ab ou t 1 and 1/4 h ou rs to g et

on. Th is g ives me time to th ink ab ou t th e role and try to make su re I
d on't forg et th ing s.

38
 D esig n and P rod u ction

O sb ert Lancaster, D esig ner

(1908 -198 6 )
O sb ert Lancaster stu d ied at th e Slad e Sch ool of F ine Arts. He w as w ell
know n as a painter, cartoonist, au th or and d esig ner w orking w id ely in
th eatre, opera and b allet. His d esig ns inclu d e L a F ille m al g ard ée for Th e
Royal Ballet, C o p p élia and P in eap p le P o ll for Sad ler’s Wells Roy al Ballet
(now Birming h am Royal Ballet), H o tel P arad iso , Z u lrika, C an d id e and
A ll’s W ell th at E n d s W ell for variou s companies on tou r, T h e R ake’s
P ro g ress (first British performance), L ’Italian a in A lg eri and F alstaff for
G lynd eb ou rne and D o n P asq u ale for th e former Sad ler’s Wells O pera.
He w rote nu merou s b ooks, inclu d ing tw o au tob iog raph ical volu mes,
and w as cartoonist for th e D aily E xp ress from 1939, creating th e famou s
Littleh ampton family. He w as knig h ted in 1975 .

Costu me
Th e tu tu (stand ard b od ice and skirt w orn
b y female b allet d ancers) first b ecame
prominent in th e 18 30s w h en it w as w orn
at ankle leng th . Th e skirt b ecame
g rad u ally sh orter and b y th e end of th e
19th Centu ry it w as w orn ju st ab ove th e
knee. Th is allow ed more of th e
b allerina’s leg s to b e seen and also
facilitated g reater rang e of movement in
th e low er b od y . O ver th e years th e skirt
of th e tu tu h as b ecome sh orter and
P h otog raph © Bill Cooper
D esig ns © O sb ert Lancaster 39
sh orter to g et to th e mod ern d ay version w e now see, w ith th e skirt
stand ing ou t stiffly from th e h ips. Look ou t for th e tw o d ancers in th e
th ird Act w h o w ear a mod ern tu tu in contrast to th e knee leng th skirts
of th e oth er d ancers. Th is tu tu certainly w ou ld not h ave b een w orn
w h en C o p p élia w as first created .

Activities
D esig n/research

O sb ert Lancaster also d esig ned La F ille mal g ard ée for Th e Royal Ballet.
Are th ere any similarities b etw een th is b allet and Coppélia in terms of
th e d esig n and oth er featu res?

Was Lancaster ch osen as a d esig ner on any oth er b allets in th e

company’s repertory ?

Wh at mad e h im a popu lar d esig ner to collab orate w ith ?

Wh at featu res of th e d esig n ind icate th at Coppélia is not set in th e

present d ay?

Wh y d o you th ink th e ch oreog raph er of th is cu rrent prod u ction h as

g iven Sw anild a and Au rora (‘D aw n’) th e mod ern tu tu to w ear in th e final
Act (and of cou rse Coppélia w ears th is th rou g h ou t th e b allet)?

40
Th e role of th e P rod u ction team
Interview w ith Colin Maxw ell, P rod u ction
Manag er

How easy or d ifficu lt w as it to resu rrect O sb ert Lancaster’s d esig ns

from 195 4 and w h at ch alleng es w ere you presented w ith , w h en
prod u cing / recreating th e d esig ns for an existing b allet?

It w asn’t too d ifficu lt as w e h ad most of h is d esig ns and th ere w ere

g ood record s av ailab le su ch as old prod u ction imag es. We recreated
th e mod el from old d esig ns and b u ilt th e set from new . F ortu nately
th ere w as a g ood , finish ed , painted mod el w h ich ind icated th e
appropriate colou rs. (Sometimes d esig ners d on’t prod u ce fu ll d etails or
colou rs). P ainters h ad previou sly w orked on th e prod u ction and th is
w as important for u s, as th e team often ch ang es. Th ey w orked on
refresh ing th e sty le, u sing prod u ction ph otos and th e set w as painted
in-h ou se. Th e Act II w orksh op scene w as more d ifficu lt as th e
information w asn’t as compreh ensive or exact. O verall, w e w ere fairly

P h otog raph © McD ou g all – G rou p Th ree P h otog raph y

D esig ns © O sb ert Lancaster

41
familiar w ith O sb ert Lancaster’s sty le after w orking on L a F ille m al
g ard ée w h ich h elped .

Was it necessary to make any ch ang es to th e d esig ns, perh aps d u e to

th e availab ility of materials?

Th e b allet w as orig inally d esig ned in th e 195 0s so it w as necessary to

u pd ate it. Th e g reatest ch alleng e years later is retaining th e trad itional
style, b u t in tod ay’s mod ern setting .

Not a g reat d eal of ch ang e w as necessary as it is fairly trad itional in

style and painted canvas. Th ese d ays d esig ners u se d ifferent materials
of a more textu red natu re and th ere’s g reater u se of plastics and
scanned imag es. G enerally th ere’s a w id er availab ility and b etter q u ality
of materials now . Saying th at, th e q u ality of th e canvas now ad ays isn’t
so g ood , so w e’ve h ad to u se a h eavier material, w h ich th en h as cost
implications. In th e orig inal d esig ns, th ere w as a painted floorcloth
w h ich th e d ancers u se to d ance on. Wh en th is w as u pd ated to a viny l
d ance floor Sir Anth ony D ow ell req u ested th at th e colou r b e b row ny-
g rey, to coord inate w ith th e set. Th e d ow nstag e b u ild ing w as
incong ru ou s w ith th e rest of th e b u ild ing s, so th e painters u nified th e
style and colou rs w ere also altered slig h tly to retain th e style.

Th e lig h ting isn’t as soft as b efore. It’s g enerally b ecome sh arper and
more soph isticated d u e to ch ang es in eq u ipment over th e years. Joh n B
Read (lig h ting d esig ner) also mad e ch ang es su ch as streng th ening th e
sh ad ow s.

Wh at processes/stag es are involved in th e transition from mod el b ox to

th e O pera Hou se stag e? How long d id it take to move from th e mod el
b ox to th e realisation of th e d esig n?

42
G enerally it’s ab ou t a six month process from th e finish ed mod el.
D raw ing s are prod u ced in a special mod el room and d imensions and
measu rements ch ecked in d iscu ssion w ith painters and carpenters.
Th en th e d esig ns are costed , th e set is b u ilt and painted , and th e props
are mad e in th e prop d epartment. O nce onstag e th e ch oreog raph er
finalises d etails, th e set is tried ou t tech nically and th en lit. Memb ers of
th e prod u ction team/mod el room sit in on mainstag e reh earsals to
make su re th at everyth ing w orks. Basically th ere’s not mu ch time for
mistakes!

Th ere are a few tech nical ch alleng es and mech anical aspects th at need
to b e tested onstag e. Th ere are many d oors in th is b allet and th at’s
alw ay s a test, th ere’s a h orse in Act II, and w e also need to th ink ab ou t
potential risks. Th ere’s a level at th e b ack w h ich d escend s, a lad d er, and
th e h eavy mag ic b ook w as fou nd to b e too h eavy for th e d ancers and
h ad to b e lig h tened .

Interview w ith Joh n B. Read , Lig h ting d esig ner

With th e ever-increasing ad vancement in tech nolog y, d id th is allow

g reater freed om in d esig ning th e lig h ting for C o p p élia in 2000?

Th e lig h ting rig u sed for all prod u ctions in 2000 w as "state of th e art"
and th erefore w e w ere ab le to employ mod ern meth od s of lig h ting for
C o p p élia.
Most of th e eq u ipment w as controlled [au tomatically ] and w e h ad a
new rang e of colou r med iu m to u se w h ich w as not orig inally availab le.

Lig h ting levels w ere mu ch h ig h er, meaning th at th e intensity of lig h t

w as mu ch b rig h ter in 2000 th an w h en th e prod u ction w as orig inally
d esig ned . We h ave prob ab ly reach ed satu ration in terms of th is, so I d o
not expect th e lig h ting to ch ang e mu ch for th is revival.

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O f cou rse th e style of lig h ting d oes ch ang e freq u ently in u se of colou r
for example, so w h at w orks for one revival may not w ork for anoth er. It
is my policy to continu e to w ork on a prod u ction all th e time and to
make su b tle ch ang es th at h elp to keep th e sh ow looking fresh and
lively.

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 Th e Royal Ballet

Th e Royal Ballet is a larg e company, and cu rrently h as ab ou t 90

d ancers. Th e d ancers are d ivid ed into fou r levels - artists, first artists,
soloists, and principals..

Th e main b od y of th e company consists of th e artists, w h o make u p th e

co rp s d e b allet. F irst artists are senior co rp s d e b allet memb ers, w h o
are sometimes know n as co ryp h ées. Soloists are th e next level u p, and
th e most senior position is th at of principal. A female principal is often
called a b allerin a and a male principal is a d an seu r. At each prog ressive
level th ere are few er d ancers, and only th e most ou tstand ing ever
b ecome principals.

Th e d ancers start each w orking d ay w ith a morning b allet class w h ich

lasts for an h ou r and fifteen minu tes. Th is consists of a stru ctu red
series of exercise w h ich h elp th e d ancers to w arm u p th eir b od ies, focu s
th eir concentration and read ju st th eir centre of b alance, and w ork to
perfect th eir classical b allet tech niq u e. Class is follow ed b y a fu ll d ay of
reh earsals, and possib ly costu me fitting s. If th ere is an evening
performance th is w ill start at 7 :30pm, and finish at arou nd 10:30pm.

D ancers ty pically enter th e company b etw een th e ag es of 17 and 19, and

most retire at arou nd ag e 35 -40. Some w ill th en g o on to perform
ch aracter roles, w h ich req u ire a lot of acting b u t not so mu ch tech nical
d ancing . O th ers join th e artistic or manag ement staff of th e company,
or g o on to second careers in oth er field s.

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 Th e O rch estra of th e Royal
O pera Hou se

Th e O rch estra of th e Royal O pera Hou se comprises approximately 100

mu sicians and th ey are d ivid ed into fou r families of instru ments –
string s, w ind , b rass and percu ssion. Th ey w ork w ith many cond u ctors
and one in particu lar, th e Mu sic D irector of th e Roy al O pera Hou se,
Antonio P appano. Th ey are a u niq u e and d istinctive orch estra in th is
cou ntry , playing for b oth opera and b allet performances th rou g h ou t th e
season. Th ey h ave to b e very versatile and flexib le mu sicians. Most d ays
th ey w ill reh earse in th e morning or afternoon, perh aps a b allet, and
g ive an evening performance, w h ich may b e an opera. It takes 4-8
reh earsals for th e orch estra to prepare for a b allet performance.

Th e mu sicians perform in th e pit u nd er th e stag e and , mu ch to th eir

d ismay , most of th em aren’t ab le to see w h at’s h appening onstag e.
Th ere is also a slig h t sou nd d elay, so th e mu sicians h ave to listen
extremely carefu lly to each oth er and to w atch th e cond u ctor. New
‘state of th e art’ acou stic panels h ave b een fitted to h elp overcome th is
d ifficu lty . Th e seating arrang ements can b e q u ite complex and often
th ey h ave to move arou nd accord ing to th e sou nd req u irements, th e
w ish es of th e cond u ctor, and th e size of th e orch estra (some
prod u ctions h ave less play ers b u t many b ig w orks h ave extra mu sicians
ad d ed ). Wh en th e mu sicians perform th ey w ear formal cloth es, mainly
b lack.

In C o p p élia, th e orch estral force consists of string s, d ou b le w ood w ind

(inclu d ing piccolo and cor ang lais), a larg e b rass section of 4 h orns, 4
tru mpets (inclu d ing cornets), 3 tromb ones and tu b a, and a fairly larg e
percu ssion section - a typical Romantic orch estra. D elib es particu larly

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enjoyed w riting for w ood w ind and percu ssion. His ‘mu sical pairing ’ is
evid ent th rou g h ou t C o p p élia - treb le versu s b ass, string s versu s w ind ,
long su stained notes ag ainst many semiq u avers. He w as particu larly
respected for b eing an excellent orch estrator w ith some people
referring to h im as an ‘impressionist’ composer, reflecting th e style of
many painters and th eir u se of colou r.

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Th is resou rce w as created b y Rach el O sb orne, Su e With ers and RO H
E d u cation

Royal O pera Hou se E d u cation

D irect Tel: 020 7212 9410

D irect fax: 020 7212 9441
E mail: ed u cation@ roh .org .u k
Web site: w w w .roh .org .u k/d iscover

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