The Prince of the Pagodas

The Prince of the Pagodas is a ballet created for The Royal Ballet in 1957, by choreographer John Cranko, with music commissioned from Benjamin Britten. The ballet was later revived in a new production by Kenneth MacMillan in 1989, achieving widespread acclaim for Darcey Bussell's premiere in a principal role. The world premiere of Cranko's original production took place on 1 January 1957, at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, conducted by the composer. MacMillan's production premiering at the same venue on 7 December 1989. A recording of a slightly cut version of the score was produced with Britten conducting the orchestra of the Royal Opera House.

In 2011 a new production, set in Japan, was created by David Bintley. This was first performed by the National Ballet of Japan on 30 October 2011. It was first performed by Birmingham Royal Ballet on 30 January 2014 in The Lowry, Salford.

In January 1954, Sadler's Wells Ballet announced that Cranko was collaborating with Benjamin Britten to create a ballet. Cranko devised a draft scenario for a work he originally called The Green Serpent, fusing elements drawn from King Lear, Beauty and the Beast (a story he had choreographed for Sadler's Wells in 1948) and the oriental tale published by Madame d'Aulnoy as Serpentin Vert. Creating a list of dances, simply describing the action and giving a total timing for each, he passed this to Britten and left him to compose what eventually became The Prince of the Pagodas.

Britten dedicated the score to Imogen Holst and Ninette de Valois.

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