Andre Vandernoot conducts 'Le sacre du printemps.'

 

 

Probably now to be categorised under 'Forgotten Conductors' Andre Vandernoot was a name from the 50's  - '70s. He was Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Theatre de la Monnaie, Brussels from 1958 - 73.

As such he led a visit of the Bejart Ballet to London where they gave 'Le sacre du printemps' at Sadlers Wells Theatre.

It was a great example of Bejart's work avoiding any of the excesses and staginess of some of his later productions. I thought Vandernoot conducted brilliantly.

The scenario of this version was not the original one whereby a young girl is sacrified for the sake of a good harvest or whatnot. In Bejart's version, a young girl is indeed chosen but a young boy also and at the end they are held up by the entire troupe in a copulating position.

After the last note, there was a stunned silence and then a lone voice cried out

'DISGUSTING'

after which a storm of applause.


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