''Adam Zero'' is a ballet with music composed by

Arthur Bliss Sir Arthur Edward Drummond Bliss (2 August 189127 March 1975) was an English composer and conductor. Bliss's musical training was cut short by the First World War, in which he served with distinction in the army. In the post-war years he qu ...

and choreographed by

Robert Helpmann Sir Robert Murray Helpmann CBE ( Helpman, 9 April 1909 – 28 September 1986) was an Australian ballet dancer, actor, director, and choreographer. After early work in Australia he moved to Britain in 1932, where he joined the Vic-Wells Ballet ( ...

in 1946.

Background

After

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, Bliss developed an interest in ballet after seeing the Ballets Russes of

Sergei Diaghilev Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev ( ; rus, Серге́й Па́влович Дя́гилев, , sʲɪˈrɡʲej ˈpavləvʲɪdʑ ˈdʲæɡʲɪlʲɪf; 19 August 1929), usually referred to outside Russia as Serge Diaghilev, was a Russian art critic, pa ...

in London. Bliss composed ''Adam Zero'' for the Sadler's Wells Ballet, in collaboration with

Michael Benthall Michael Pickersgill Benthall CBE (8 February 1919 – 6 September 1974) was an English theatre director. Michael Benthall was the son of the British businessman and public servant Sir Edward Charles Benthall and of the Hon. Lady Benthall, ''née ...

and Robert Helpmann, with whom he had seen success with ''

Miracle in the Gorbals ''Miracle in the Gorbals'' (1944) is a one-act ballet choreographed by Robert Helpmann to a story by Michael Benthall, with music by Arthur Bliss. The setting is the 1940s slums in the Gorbals area of Glasgow. It became a staple of the Royal Ball ...

''. The first performance at the

Royal Opera House The Royal Opera House (ROH) is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. It is the home of The Royal Ope ...

, Covent Garden in London on 6 April 1946 was conducted by

Constant Lambert Leonard Constant Lambert (23 August 190521 August 1951) was a British composer, conductor, and author. He was the founder and music director of the Royal Ballet, and (alongside Ninette de Valois and Frederick Ashton) he was a major figure in th ...

.Bliss A. ''Adam Zero – A Ballet. Piano Score.'' Novello, London, 1946. The premiere dancers included the following: *

David Paltenghi David Paltenghi (1919 – 4 February 1961) was a British ballet dancer, choreographer, director and film director. Early life David Paltenghi was born in 1919 in Christchurch, Hampshire (now Dorset), the son of a Swiss-Italian father and Englis ...

(The Stage Director) * June Brae (The Choreographer / The Ballerina) *

(Adam Zero) * Jean Bedells (The Designer) *

Julia Farron Julia Farron (22 July 1922 – 3 July 2019) was an English ballerina, best known as one of the earliest and all-time youngest members of The Royal Ballet, the leading ballet company based at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London. ...

(The Wardrobe Mistress) *

Gillian Lynne Dame Gillian Barbara Lynne (née Pyrke; 20 February 1926 – 1 July 2018) was an English ballerina, dancer, choreographer, actress, and theatre-television director, noted for her theatre choreography associated with two of the longest-runnin ...

(The Daughter) * Palma Nye (The Dresser) * Leslie Edwards (The Mime) * Gordon Hamilton (The Dog) Bliss considered ''Adam Zero'' his "most varied and exciting ballet score; the music is instinctively theatrical and strongly characterized." The orchestra is augmented by cor anglais, saxophone, tuba, two standard percussionists and two dance band percussionists, plus celesta and harp. It was revived as a ballet with choreography by Sergei Vanaev and conducted by Marc Niemann at the

Stadttheater Bremerhaven The Stadttheater Bremerhaven (Bremerhaven municipal theatre) is a theatre in Bremerhaven, Germany. Founded in 1867, it serves three genres: opera and other musical theatre, spoken plays, and dance. A theatre built on the present site in 1911 was la ...

in 2016.

Sections

* Fanfare Overture: ''Allegro Molto'' * The Stage: ''Andante sostenuto'' This section is prefaced by a quote from Shakespeare: "All the world’s a stage..." from '' As You Like It''. * Birth of Adam: ''Molto sostenuto'' * Adam’s Fates: ''Allegro moderato'' * Dance of Spring: ''Allegro spirito'' * Awakening of Love: ''Andante grazioso'' * Bridal Ceremony: ''Moderato ma tranquillo'' * Adam Achieves Power: ''Allegro spiritoso'' * Re-entry of Adam’s Fates: ''Allegro moderato'' * Dance of Summer: ''Allegro maestoso'' * Approach of Autumn: ''Larghetto'' * Night Club Scene: ''Moderato'' * Destruction of Adam’s World: ''Allegro molto'' * Approach of Winter: ''Andantino'' * Dance with Death: ''Largo maestoso'' * Finale – the stage is reset for the next life-cycle: ''Allegro moderato'' The complete ballet runs for around 40 minutes.

Synopsis

The ballet is an allegory of the cycle of man’s life; the world in which he lives is represented by a stage on which a ballet is being created: Adam is cast as the principal dancer, Omnipotence is represented by the Stage Director and Adam’s Fates by the Designer, Wardrobe Mistress and Dresser. Adam falls in love, marries, and achieves power, but his triumph is brief; his world crumbles about him, he is stripped of his glory, and a new generation (Understudy) takes his place. He seeks distraction in dissipation but everyone deserts him and he is left alone to face Death.

Recordings

* Naxos 8.553460: English Northern Philharmonia; David Lloyd-Jones, conductor (complete ballet). 1995.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Adam Zero Ballets by Robert Helpmann Ballets by Arthur Bliss 1946 ballet premieres