Previously on the blog I’ve looked at long-running ballets at the Alhambra Theatre in London. The Alhambra was one of the greatest ballet-producing theatres in London during the late 19th and early 20th century. The other main theatre, was the Empire Theatre.
Background
The Empire Theatre opened in 1884, and began producing ballets in that same year. Two of their first productions were Coppélia and Giselle, with the Empire staging the London premiere of the former. Neither ballet was particularly successful, and both were condensed. No ballet produced at the Empire caused a stir until 22nd December 1887, when two ballets premiered. These ballets were both choreographed by the Empire’s new Ballet Mistress, Katti Lanner.
Lanner (1829-1908) was the daughter of a popular Austrian composer, Joseph Lanner. She had made her debut age 14 at the Vienna Court Opera, and danced across Austria and Germany through the 1840s into the 1860s. Her own company, the Viennese Ballet Company, was formed in 1869. She appeared in America in 1870 and 1873, settling in London in 1875. She became director of the National Training School of Dancing in 1876, and also worked as Ballet Mistress at Her Majesty’s Theatre (the predecessor to the theatre now called His Majesty’s Theatre, home to The Phantom of the Opera).
She took up the post at the Empire in 1887, which was planning to reopen as the Empire Theatre of Varieties. The theatre had struggled to compete with the ever-popular Alhambra, and were hoping that the theatre would be boosted by the reopening. Luckily for Lanner, her ballets were popular, and she continued to choreograph for the Empire up until 1907.
Over the Empire’s years many popular dancers would appear on its stage. Emma Bessonne, Carlotta Brianza, Enrico Cecchetti, Elena Cornalba and Emma Palladino all danced at the Empire in the 19th century, while in the 20th century the ballerinas included Lydia Kyasht and Phyllis Bedells. Yet the dancer most associated with the Empire is their prima ballerina, Adeline Genée (1878-1970). The Danish-born Genée did a lot for British ballet during the Edwardian period, and her fame later spread to America and Australia. She later went on to co-found the Royal Academy of Dancing.
The Empire continued producing successful ballets, with Genée triumphing in Coppélia in 1906. The success dimmed slightly in the 1910s, following the departure of Genée and the death of Lanner. Fred Farren and Lydia Kyasht stepped up to choreograph, but the ballets began to have shorter and shorter runs. The final ballet, Pastorale (1915), was little more than a tableau. Prima ballerina Phyllis Bedells left the theatre on the 31st December 1915, and the company was disbanded.
As the world moved into the 1920s, motion pictures became more and more popular. Like so many theatres, the Empire struggled to keep up with the new technology, and closed in 1927. The final production, Lady Be Good, starred Fred Astaire and his sister Adele, repeating their New York success. With that, the Empire was partially demolished, and reopened as a movie theatre in 1928.
Round the Town
Premiere: 26th September 1892
Weeks in the Repertory: 66 Weeks
In addition to a resident choreographer and Ballet Mistress, the Empire had found a resident musical director and composer in Leopold Wenzel. Born in 1847, Wenzel had worked in Paris in the early 1880s, before taking up his post at the Empire in 1889. He would stay at the theatre until 1904, composing for much of the Empire’s Golden Era.
Round the Town was an ‘up-to-date’ ballet, following a trend at the time. The historical and mythological ballets were replaced by dances that represented a certain place, or a certain idea (see my Alhambra post for a ballet about women who smoke). This ballet was split into five scenes, each at a different place in London: Covent Garden, The Royal Exchange, The Thames Embankment, Outside the Empire, Inside the Empire. The audience following a tutor and a group of his pupils as they journeyed around London, ending up in the Empire Theatre itself.
Credited for the ballet are Katti Lanner and George Edwardes, a principal shareholder of the theatre. The costumes for the ballet was by C. Wilhelm, or William John Charles Pitcher. Wilhelm worked at both the Alhambra and the Empire, and had an impressive career spanning decades. The scenery was by Telbin and Bruce Smith.
The tutor, Dr Birch, was danced by John Ridley, who performed with the Empire from the late 1880s-late 1890s. His pupils were danced by Messieurs Artelli, Bertram, Griffiths, Lewington, Perkins, G. Vincent and F. White. Frank Mortimer, a carpenter, was danced en travesti by Malvina Cavallazzi, while his wife (Jane) and daughter (Nellie) were danced by May Paston and Miss E. Howard respectively. A kind-hearted working class man, John Borough, was danced by George Vincent. This was presumably the same George Vincent who danced one of Birch’s pupils. A poor man, Mr Rapless, was danced by Willie Warde.
The tone of the ballet was rather dark in places, with the third scene featuring Jane attempting to kill herself and Nellie. Luckily Dr Birch comes to their rescue, and manages to convince Mortimer, who hasn’t treated them very well, to get himself together and turn his life around.
By the 5th scene, however, all of this is forgotten, as we get to see a ballet within a ballet. The ballet taking place at the Empire in Round the Town features dancers representing countries of the British Empire, alongside dancers representing cities and towns across the UK. The ballet ends with the appearance of Britannia. Arguably the funniest of these was Cowes, a seaside town home of the Cowes Regatta, being represented by a danced with a yacht. You may be wondering how this fits into the ballet, and truth be told it doesn’t seem to, but it’s an excuse for spectacle. Dancers representing countries was a recurring theme of British ballet over that time period, with the Alhambra’s Entente Cordiale (1904) being a prominent example.
Reviews of the ballet predicted the work’s popularity, though weren’t raves. The Morning Leader (27th September) highlights the use of a real horse in the first scene, along with a ‘Covent Garden polka’ danced by Bettina De Sortis. They compliment Willie Warde as Rapless and praise the lavish production of the final scene. The Globe (27th September) was much in agreement, also praising Malvina Cavallazzi as Mortimer.
The Daily News (27th September) was quite neutral on the ballet, pointing out that the plot of Mortimer and his wife seemed to be ‘tacked on as a kind of moral to the ballet’. They do praise Wenzel’s score, with all the reviewers complimenting his work. The Pall Mall Gazette (27th September) mention the dancing of a ‘cancan religioso‘, predicting angry patrons would write into the papers about sacrilege. They also detail the dancing to the song Ta-ra-ra Boom-de-ay, which had been made popular that year by Lottie Collins. The reviewer calls it a ‘fascinating, abominable dance’, and gives us an insight into just how much trends influence the ballets of the time.
A second edition of the ballet premiered on the 29th May 1893. Cavallazzi, Paston and Ridley remained in their roles. Fred Flexmore and Katie Seymour joined the cast, and the final scene was rearranged so Marie Savigny and Felicita Carozzi could taking the starring parts. The Royal Exchange scene was changed for one that took place in Trafalgar Square. The shoeshiners had previously sung the 1891 song ‘Never Introduce your Donah to a Pal‘, but that was deemed out of date, and was replaced by the 1892 songs ‘Daddy Wouldn’t Buy Me a Bow Wow’ and ‘Daisy Bell‘.
The newspapers who reported on the change noted the ballet kept entertaining audiences, and was deemed a ballet that all following ones had to live up to. The second edition lasted until Saturday 16th September 1893, just short of the ballets’ 1st anniversary. In a time when ballets weren’t kept in a rotating repertory, this was a wonderful achievement.
An even more wonderful achievement came in 1895, when the ballet was revived. Premiering on the 28th January, the ballet used the same choreography as the second edition, featuring the Trafalgar Square scene. Reviewers welcomed back the familiar ballet, noting how this ballet was one that deserved to be revived. The revival seems to have lasted until May, when newspaper advertisement for the ballet end. It had been proven that a ballet could be popular enough for a second edition and a revival, and there was only one place left to go (but more on that later)…
Faust
Premiere: 6th May 1895
Weeks in the repertory: 65
I know the run of Faust was a week shorter than that of Round the Town, but I have chosen to put them this way for a reason. Based on the popular legend, Faust was another ballet choreographed by Katti Lanner. The scenario was by C. Wilhelm, who was also responsible for the design of the production. Scenic manufacturing was done by Joseph Harker, A. Glendenning, and Karl Lautenschläger. An organ was built specially for the scene that takes place outside a church.
The ballet was split into 5 scenes, largely following the version of the story by Johann Wolfgang van Goethe. Instead of Leopold Wenzel composing the music, the first two scenes had music by Meyer Lutz, and the others by Ernest Ford (1858-1919). Wenzel had left the theatre in 1894, though would return by early 1896. Ford had worked for the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company as a musical director, and following his time at the Empire he would become a singing and composition teacher.
Meyer Lutz (1829-1903) had an association with Empire manager George Edwardes, having worked at another of Edwardes’ theatres, the Gaiety, for many years. Lutz was very familiar with the story of Faust, having composed an opera based on Goethe’s play in 1855, four years before Gounod’s more popular opera. From looking over the reviews of our Faust, it seems Lutz composed new music for this adaptation.
A cast list for the ballet was printed in Ivor Guest’s Ballet in Leicester Square (1992, p.173):
Faust: Malvina Cavallazzi
Margaret: Ada Vincent
Valentine: May Paston
Siebel: Cora
Martha: Miss F. Banbury
Lisa: Miss E. Tree
Wagner: Will Bishop
Charlatan: George Vincent
Innkeeper: John Ridley
Pedler: Mr C. Perkins
General: Mr Lewington
Mephistopheles: Francesca Zanfretta
Cleopatra: Constance Collier
Helen of Troy: Miss M. Ford
Phryne: Miss Huxley
Aspasia: Miss Dillon
Lais: Miss Morland
Fantasy: Elena Cornalba (billed as Hélène Cornalba)
As you can see, many dancers from Round the Town participated in this production. If you read my Alhambra post, you may also recall a offhanded mention to L’enfant prodigue, a mime-play performed in London in 1891. Jane May, the play’s Pierrot, went on to perform in an Alhambra ballet in 1905. Her Phrynetta in L’enfant prodigue was Francesca Zanfretta, our Mephistopheles.
The Sketch (24th April) published a pre-premiere chat with Katti Lanner, in which we can learn more about the ballet, and her style of working. Lanner says she works by assembling the company and doesn’t write steps down ahead of time. During the rehearsals she works in tandem with the composer, and the designs for costumes are submitted for approval. She reveals it takes on average 10 weeks to create a grand ballet, and that the company rehearse four hours a day off-site before moving to the Empire for technical and dress rehearsals.
The production was reviewed positively, though it was the dancers and scenery that took home the raves. The Westminster Gazette (7th May) calls Lutz’s music ‘woefully barren’, and the reviewer hopes that Ford would be asked to write new music for the first two scenes. The Globe (7th May) disagrees, writing Lutz’ music is ‘appropriate and tuneful’, suggesting it was palatable, but not outstanding. Ford’s compositions were reviews more positively. The Daily News (7th May) was negative about them both, comparing the music unfavourably to Gounod’s opera, which may be the root of the problem.
Of the dancers, Cavallazzi, Ada Vincent, Bishop, Cornalba and Zanfretta were singled out for praise. The same Globe review calls Faust Cavallazzi’s best role to date, and Cornalba (who didn’t really have a part and just showed up to dance) encored her pas twice at the premiere. Bishop won acclaim for his ‘grotesque’ dance, and Zanfretta’s mime was praised highly.
The first big cast changes occurred in October 1895. Zanfretta took time away from the Empire, spending the month in Paris. She returned to the theatre in November, being re-engaged for an ‘indefinite period’ (The Entr’acte, 2nd November). Whoever her replacement was was not deemed enough of a name to be advertised, and Cornalba, Bishop and Cavallazzi had the top billing.
Cornalba, despite not particularly having a proper role that drove the story forward, was dancing the ‘star ballerina’ part. She left the Empire in October 1895, and by November 1st the theatre was advertising her successor: Lydia Nelidova. Nelidova (1863-1929) was a Moscow-trained ballerina who had come to England as a guest artist. Later in life she opened a school in Moscow. Her daughter, who also danced under the name Lydia Nelidova, was part of the Ballets Russes from 1912-1913.
A New Years look at the Empire (in The Sketch, 1st January 1896) revealed some more interesting information about Faust. Over sixty stage-hands were employed at the theatre, and the atmosphere at the theatre was so busy that the dancers of the company were not allowed to leave their dressing rooms between matinee and evening performances. The final scene featured dancers performing as angels, and a long flight of stairs led to an door in the scenery for them to enter the stage.
By mid-January, the ballet had been taken off the programme, but newspapers that reported on it noted it would most likely come back. A new ballet, La Danse, premiered on January 25th, and the Round the Town revival premiered on the 28th.
The second edition of Faust premiered on Monday 9th March 1896. The biggest difference between the editions was the music – in this edition, music from Gounod’s opera was used. This had been speculated on by newspapers as far back as January, so it didn’t seem to be too much of a surprise. Zanfretti had left the Empire, and May Paston took over the role of Mephistopheles, while Miss F. Banbury stepped into Paston’s old role. A new dancer, Edvige Gantenberg, made her debut at the Empire.
This second edition lasted until around 26th September 1896, as that was when the ballet ceased to be advertised in newspapers. A new ballet, Monte Cristo, premiered in October, and signalled the return of Wenzel to the Empire.
Round the Town Again (no, really…)
Premiere: 8th May 1899
Weeks in the Repertory: 70
Round the Town Again was a spiritual successor to Round the Town, reuniting choreographer Katti Lanner, composer Leopold Wenzel and designer C. Wilhelm. The Empire’s attempt to engage a prima ballerina had finally paid off, as starring in Round the Town Again was Adeline Genée. Genée had previously been engaged at the Royal Danish Ballet, and had danced in Munich and Berlin. She had made her Empire debut in the aforementioned Monte Cristo, and had cemented her place as the Empire’s star.
Like its predecessor, Round the Town Again was an ‘up-to-date ballet’ in 5 scenes. The settings for the scenes were Charing Cross Station, Bond Street, Hyde Park, the foyer of the Royal Opera House, and a masked ball at the Royal Opera House. The music for the ballet was more arranged than composed by Wenzel, as he pulled together popular songs that had taken London by storm in the preceding years. These included selections from musical comedies The Belle of New York, A Greek Slave, A Gaiety Girl and A Runaway Girl.
The cast of dancers included Genée, Francesca Zanfretta, Will Bishop, Ada Vincent, May Paston, Mademoiselle Cora, J.B. Fox, George Vincent, Amedeo Santini and John Ridley. In the Hyde Park scene young students of Lanner appeared, while the management went above and beyond for the first scene, which depicts soldiers returning home from a conflict (sometimes identified as the Wars in Sudan). Real soldiers from London’s Wellington Barracks appeared alongside the corps de ballet, and the dancers cast as drummer boys were given proper percussion lessons. Advertisements for the ballet promised 250 coryphées and auxiliaries.
Reviews for the ballet were largely positive, and even contained praise for the one things ballets tend to lack: a coherent plot. It seems to have been a step-up from previous Empire successes, as reviewers noted both the choreography and decor was more elaborate than usual. They also agreed that the ballet would have a long run, though the Daily Telegraph (9th May) noted that the Empire gave everything a long run, and Round the Town Again would get one even if it wasn’t good.
…no such beautiful ballet, so rich in detail, so humorous in action, so lavish in splendour, so superbly mounted, has ever been produced in this country.
The Morning Leader, 10th May 1899
The final scene, A Masked Ball at Covent Garden, was singled out for its decadence. The plot, which mainly consisted of conflict between two couples, had wrapped up in the fourth scene, and the team were free to go all out. Popular dances were represented by dancers in detailed costumes, and the audience reportedly adored it. Unfortunately, these dances included dancers who were representing black people, and those contemporary reviews often include slurs against black people. It seems these dances were inspired by minstrel shows.
The ballet remained strong throughout 1899, and it became a treasured pride of the Empire. The Australian Cricket Team, who visited England in the Summer, were invited by Empire management to watch the ballet, and from all accounts very much enjoyed it. The premiere spot on the programme for ballet was the second-to-last act on the variety bill, usually around the 10:15pm mark of the evening. Round the Town Again remained in this spot for a remarkable amount of time, being the only ballet on the bill.
A second edition of the ballet premiered on the 29th January 1900. For this edition the first two scenes were changed. Instead of soldiers returning from war, the first scene depicted soldiers departing the Wellington Barracks to go fight (the Second Boer War had begun in October 1899). The second scene now took place at the Carlton Hotel in London. This hotel was ran by César Ritz, and had opened in 1899. It no longer exists today, having been demolished in the 50s after World War II bombing had damaged it.
Reviews of the second edition focused on the first scene, which had been inspected by a military expert to make sure it wasn’t embellishing for the sake of embellishing. This seems to have resulted in a very real scene, that probably hit close to home for some of the audience. I don’t want to divert too much, but the Second Boer War was a very contentious one, and opposition to it was strong even in Britain. The reviews note that apart from this there are no strong political messages in the ballet, something that seems to have plagued other light entertainment in London.
Generally the second edition was deemed better than the first, and it continued to run until Saturday 8th September 1900. This news was important enough to be featured in the front-page gossip of the London Evening News (8th September). The ballet was replaced by the new production Sea-Side, the first new Empire ballet since Round the Town Again premiered.
The Empire in the 20th Century
Of the Empire’s 20th Century ballets, only two passed a run of 50 weeks: Les Papillons (1901) and A Day in Paris (1908). This is not a bad thing in itself, and was an overarching trend in London ballet. The Alhambra also had shorter runs of ballets in the Edwardian Era (1901-1910). Multiple ballets still achieved second editions and revivals, and as mentioned, the Empire produced positively-received productions of classic ballets Coppélia (in 1906) and Sylvia (in 1911).
After Genée left the Empire in late 1907, she was succeeded by Russian dancer Lydia Kyasht (1885-1959) and then British dancer Phyllis Bedells (1893-1985). Her returns to the theatre in the Summers of 1908 and 1909 were heartily received, and in Britain she was the most well-known ballerina. A dancer named Little June was briefly the prima ballerina, succeeding Bedells in 1916, but by this point ballet was not the theatre’s priority.
Choreographers of the 20th-century Empire included Lanner, Fred Farren, Genée’s uncle Alexandre, Genée and Kyasht themselves, and Edouard Espinosa. After Wenzel left the theatre employed many varying composers were brought in, and more ballets were set to music by classical composers, particularly during the Kyasht years.
As previously mentioned, the Empire’s ballet company disbanded during the First World War. The success of the Ballets Russes had changed British attitudes towards ballet and the Empire (and the Alhambra) were unable to impress. A last-ditch effort was made with a patriotic ballet (Europe) that premiered just over a month after Britain entered World War 1, but by this point it was becoming clear that the Empire was no longer the ‘home of ballet’.
Secondary Sources
Beaumont, C.W. (1956). The complete book of ballets. Pitman.
Foster, A. (2019). A Directory of Diaghilev Dancers. In Dance Research: The Journal of the Society for Dance Research, 37(2), 181-205.
Guest, Ivor. (1992). Ballet in Leicester Square. Dance Books.
Madeleine's Stage 