The Taming of the Shrew (Ballet)
The Taming of the Shrew is a ballet in two acts (ten scenes) by John Cranko . Not only did the choreography come from him, but also the libretto. It is based on the comedy of the same name by William Shakespeare . Kurt-Heinz Stolze wrote the music for it based on melodies by Domenico Scarlatti . The work was premiered by the Stuttgart Ballet on March 16, 1969 in the Great House of the Württemberg State Theater in Stuttgart . The soloists of the main characters were Richard Cragun , Marcia Haydée , Susanne Hanke , Egon Madsen , Heinz Clauss and John Neumeier . A performance lasts about two and a quarter hours (with a break between the two acts).
people
- Baptista, a rich nobleman
- Katharina, his older daughter
- Bianca, his younger daughter
- Bianca's suitor
- Gremio
- Lucentio
- Hortensio
- Petrucchio, a nobleman
- Two joy girls
- A host
- A tailor
- The priest
- Four servants of Petrucchio
action
The ballet took place in the Italian cities of Padua and Verona in the 17th century.
first act
First scene: in front of Baptista's house in Padua
Baptista's daughters could hardly be more different. There is the younger Bianca, a fun-loving girl who exudes temperament and is desired by many men. The older Katharina, on the other hand, is almost always in a bad mood and has hair on her teeth. It goes without saying that no man is interested in her. That's why she doesn't like that her sister is serenaded by three admirers. It is the Stutzer Hortensio, the student Lucentio and the somewhat aging Gremio who are after them. Baptista makes it clear to the three, however, that he will only give Bianca his marriage blessing once Katharina has got under the hood.
The noise outside Baptista's house woke the neighbors from their sleep. They call for an end to the nightly disturbance of the peace.
Second scene: In a tavern
After none of Bianca had the hoped-for success, Hortensio, Lucentio and Gremio go to the inn. There they get to know the nobleman Petrucchio. This is upset because two prostitutes stole all of his money. The three suitors prevented from doing so suggest that he ask the rich Baptista for his older daughter's hand. It is to be expected that she will bring a worthwhile dowry into the marriage. Petrucchio's features immediately brightened. He doesn't want to waste any time.
Third scene: In the courtyard of Baptista's house
Baptista is visibly relieved that a suitor has finally been found for his stubborn daughter. While he is negotiating with Petrucchio, Hortensio, Lucentio and Gremio - disguised as music, singing and dance teachers - openly flirt with Bianca. After much back and forth, Katharina finally agrees to marry Petrucchio.
Fourth scene: In front of Baptista's house
Little by little, more and more guests arrive to take part in the wedding feast. Bianca's admirers are also among them. Each of them watches the other two with great jealousy. Some of the guests can hardly believe that a man has been found for Katharina and take the whole thing as a joke, especially since the husband behaves very strangely, even horribly. At the height of the celebration, Petrucchio kidnaps Katharina in front of all the guests.
Second act
First scene: The journey to Petrucchio's house
While Petrucchio is heading for his home with the scratchy Katharina, rain pours down incessantly on the two of them and the storm ruffles their hair.
Second scene: In Petrucchio's house in Verona
The young couple arrives at Petrucchio's house completely drenched. Katharina can't wait to taste the meal that has been prepared. But her husband now begins to beat her with her own weapons in order to turn the wild kitten into a mild cat. He refuses to eat her and makes her starve.
Third scene: Carnival in Padua
In order to outdo his rivals, Lucentio persuades two delightful girls to slip into the same disguise as the Bianca he adores and to pretend to be her. The deception succeeds because everyone is masked in the carnival. In their exuberance, Hortensio and Gremio are immediately married to the prostitutes.
Fourth scene: In Petrucchio's house
Katharina is deeply unhappy. She starves and freezes while being humiliated more and more by her husband. But gradually she begins to give up her resistance.
Fifth scene: The trip to Bianca's wedding
Katharina and Petrucchio have received an invitation to Bianca's wedding. On the way to Padua, Katharina realizes what a wonderful person her husband is. His cheerful nature begins to jump over to her.
Sixth scene: Bianca's wedding
All wedding guests are amazed at the great change Katharina has gone through. She and her husband give the impression of a happy couple in love. It looks completely different with Lucentio and Bianca. With them, you get the impression that two people have found each other who don't want to match at all. The connection between Hortensio and Gremio and the two prostitutes also does not suggest a good future.
Remarks
John Cranko dedicated the ballet to his long-time Stuttgart artistic director Walter Erich Schäfer . This had given Cranko the idea of choreographing a ballet from the piano sonatas left by Domenico Scarlatti. Cranko quickly warmed himself to the plan and found in his friend Kurt-Heinz Stolze the ideal composer to arrange the sonatas for orchestra. But Stolze did not strictly adhere to the templates. Sometimes he varied some of the themes of the sonatas, and sometimes he simply took up a few typically formal schemes by Scarlatti and processed them in the spirit of the Concerto grosso of the time. Some critics have called "The Taming of the Shrew" the first ballet comedy of the 20th century. It is typical of ballet that Cranko used some of the film's stylistic devices for his choreography, e.g. B. the slapstick technique.