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Enigma Variations (My Friends Pictured Within)-7 February 1977 Evening

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Ballet: Performance details

Company: The Royal Ballet
Venue: Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London
Performance status: Revival
Conductor Ashley Lawrence
Leader John Brown
Cast
Edward Elgar (E.D.U.) Derek Rencher
The Lady - Elgar's wife (C.A.E.)
'Whose life was a romantic and delicate inspiration' 		Monica Mason
Hew David Steuart-Powell (H.D.S.-P.)
One of Elgar's chamber-music cronies 		Ronald Emblen
Richard Baxter Townshend (R.B.T.)
An amiable reedy-voiced eccentric who rode about on a tricycle 		Brian Shaw
William Meath Baker (W.M.B.)
'With a slip of paper in his hand forcibly read out the arrangements for the day and hurriedly left with a bang' 		Garry Grant
Richard P. Arnold (R.P.A.)
Son of Matthew Arnold, a quiet contemplative scholar 		Ross MacGibbon
Isabel Fitton (Ysobel)
Charming and romantic 		Ria Peri
Arthur Troyte Griffith (Troyte)
A very close friend, outspoken and brusque though 'the boisterous mood is mere banter' 		Michael Coleman
Winifred Norbury (W.N.)
'Her gracious personality is sedately shown' 		Laura Connor
A.J. Jaeger (Nimrod)
This variation recalls a summer evening's talk about Beethoven and, further, reveals the depth of a friendship 		Anthony Conway
Dora Penny (Dorabella)
'The movement suggests a dance-like lightness.' An intimate portrait of a gay but pensive girl with an endearing hesitation in her speech 		Lesley Collier
George Robertson Sinclair (G.R.S.)
Or rather 'his bulldog Dan who fell into the river and barked rejoicing on landing. G.R.S. said "Set that to music." I did; here it is' 		Wayne Sleep
Basil G. Nevinson (B.G.N.)
'An amateur cello player of distinction - a serious and devoted friend' 		Leslie Edwards
***(Lady Mary Lygon)
'The asterisks take the place of the name of a lady who was, at the time of the composition, on a sea voyage' 		Vergie Derman
E.D.U. (Edward Elgar) 'Written at a time when friends were dubious and generally discouraging as to the composer's musical future, this variation is merely to show what he intended to do. References to Alice Elgar and to Nimrod, two great influences on the life and art of the composer, are entirely fitting to the intention of the piece'
Schoolgirl Hilary Tickner
Country Girl Rosemary Taylor
Country Boy Anthony Molyneux
Sailor Girl Susan Lockwood
Sailor Boy Christopher Carr
Housekeeper Julie Wood
Gardener Robert Jude
The Carrier William Perrie
Country Woman Sally Ashby
Telegraph Boy Paul Benson
The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
Event: Number 1 in The Royal Ballet mixed programme 7 February 1977
Information source: Royal Opera House programme for 7 February 1977 (in Royal Opera House Collections)