The Royal Ballet is bringing back Glen Tetley's Pierrot Lunaire for the first time in 20 years, as part of the centenary celebrations of the American choreographer. The ballet, set to Arnold Schoenberg's atonal song cycle, is based on poems by Albert Giraud and features a distinctive vocal style halfway between song and speech.
Dancers Marcelino Sambé and Joshua Junker will alternate in the lead role of Pierrot, a sad clown from commedia dell'arte given unexpected emotional depth. Both dancers initially struggled with the challenging score, with Sambé admitting he was 'horrified by it' at first. However, working with Christopher Bruce, a famed interpreter of the role in the 1960s, helped him connect to the character's vulnerability and human traces.
Junker sees the piece as a journey from innocence to adulthood, with the antagonist Brighella representing Pierrot's internal shadow. The ballet is a pioneering example of blending modern dance with classical steps, a style Tetley brought to the UK when he helped Ballet Rambert transition into a modern dance company.
These performances will be unusual in that Pierrot Lunaire will be presented as a standalone work rather than part of a double or triple bill, creating what Junker describes as 'a very intimate experience' with close focus on the dancers and live music.
