Grand ballet in four acts premiered on 18th June 1896 at the Royal Opera House, London

Choreography: William Thompson

Music: Auguste Péchard

Premiers Rôles

Léonor: Sarah Nicholson

Tariq: Frederick Hale

Isabel: Harriet Linwood

Plot

Acte 1 – A Grand Ballroom

The servants decorate the ballroom for a grand ball. Léonor de Medina, a Christian noblewoman enters with her handmaiden Isabel as she is excited for the ball. Her father Don Álvaro and mother Doña Sofía enter to tell her the ball is not only for her name day but to celebrate her betrothal to the son of the Duke of Toledo. Léonor is torn as she is in love with Tariq, a Moorish Prince. Despite the danger, they meet in secret, but their romance is forbidden. The ball commences and the engagement is announced, leaving Léonor quietly disappointed and Tariq despondent.

Act 2 – A Moorish Fortress

Léonor sneaks into the fortress with her handmaiden, Isabel and is found by Tariq. Tariq worries that she should not be there as his father is holding a celebration. Léonor says that she wanted to meet him and is sad about her betrothal. However, the sound of the Emir’s guests arriving prompts Tariq to tell the ladies to disguise themselves as members of the Emir’s harem. The Emir and his Muslim lords discuss the attack that will be made on the Christian forces the following day. The Emir calls the slaves of the harem to dance a Grand Divertissement to entertain the guests, in which Léonor and Isabel participate, disguised as women of the harem in order to not be discovered. However, the Emir seems quite taken by Léonor and Tariq causes a distraction that helps her escape. In the commotion Léonor’s cross is found, marking her as a Christian. The Emir sends out men to find her, as she cannot repeat the plans they heard that night.

Act 3 – A Salon in the house of Don Álvaro

Léonor informs Don Álvaro of the Moorish plans and he immediately leaves to let the court know the ambush is planned. When she is asked how she knows this, she cannot say but Isabel quickly lies and says that they heard it from one of the guards in the square. Léonor is worried about what will become of Tariq and whether he will survive but Isabel tries to distract her by calling some of the slaves to dance. Tariq, disguised, sneaks in and tells Léonor to be safe. Her father arrives back just in time to see Tariq. After seeing what the two embrace he sends his daughter to be locked away, and contemplates killing Tariq. Léonor pleads for mercy but her mother says that as the son of the Emir killing him will have consequences. The lovers are separated.

Act 4 – Outside the walls of Toledo

The Christians and Moorish forces prepare for battle. Léonor, having escaped her captivity, finds and embraces Tariq and the couple embrace before Tariq has to depart to prepare for battle. The battle occurs and the Moors lose. A great triumphal march occurs, where the Moorish leaders including the Emir are brought before the crowd. The Moorish leaders are sentenced to death, but among them Tariq is nowhere to be found. As the others are led to the scaffold, Léonor rushes this way and that, trying to find Tariq. He eventually stumbles in and collapses into his arms close to dying. She tries to call for help, but he declares he shall love her until the end and perishes. After he dies Léonor is overcome by grief. She takes a sword from the ground and attempts to stab herself. She is saved by Don Fernando, who grabs the sword from her. She tearfully asks for one moment alone with Tariq. The Prince of Toledo grants her this request and she hugs his corpse, taking out a hidden dagger (that he had shown her earlier in the act) and stabs herself, dying in Don Fernando’s arms as Don Álvaro and the other Christian lords enter the scene.

History

Original Production

1896 marked Thompson’s last year at Covent Garden. After nearly 35 years of work, Thompson announced his plans to retire at the end of the 1896 season, wishing to spend more time with his family. The theatre management were eager to commission a ballet for his benefit, set to the music of Péchard (with whom Thompson had collaborated since Bardet’s retirement in 1888). The Swords of Toledo, was a lavish Grand Ballet in four acts set against the backdrop of medieval Spain, featuring sword fights, forbidden romance and stunning displays of virtuosity by the dancers. The ballet was hailed as Thompson’s greatest success, though there was some debate as to whether Pygmalion was finer. The premiere played to a full house as London Society were eager to see the final creation of a man whose name had been, and would continue to be, as synonymous with British Ballet as Perrot’s and Pugni’s had been in their day. Though some harsher critics questioned the historical accuracy of Thompson’s scenario, the majority were complimentary of the ballet, appreciating its scale, choreography and visual appeal.

Nicholson’s dancing as the heroine Léonor was praised, and she even influenced Léonor’s characterisation, turning her from the damsel-like ingénue that Thompson had initially envisioned into a stronger and more decisive, though still feminine and graceful character, much in line with Nicholson’s own personality. The entire ballet was praised, but the parts that received the most consistent praise were:

• Tariq’s athletic variation in the Grand Pas d’Action of the first act, for which Hale received great praise and applause
• The Grand Divertissement of the second act, particularly the Danse Espagnole, Danse Andalouse and Pas d’Harem of Léonor and Isabel
• The Pas de Sabre of the third where the slaves danced with swords to entertain a downcast Léonor
• The Pas de la Guitare of the third act, a variation for Léonor which contained some very difficult technical passages executed with aplomb
• The Pas de Délire of the fourth act, where Léonor, overcome by grief of Tariq’s death, performed a dance which started mournful and became more and more frantic until she became delirious

The creation of the ballet took longer than expected, with the premiere being delayed by two weeks. This was due to delays in Thompson’s choreography, especially with the third act, as he rejected several melodies that Péchard provided for the Pas de la Guitare. However, the premiere still played to a full house and the ballet was still well received, despite the delays.

Résumé des Scènes et Danses

Acte 1 – Une Grand Salle de Bal

1) Introduction

2) Scène – La Salle de Bal

3) Danse des Domestiques

4) Scène – Entrée et Récit de Léonor

5) Scène – Entrée et Récit de Don Álvaro

6) Scène Dansante – Léonor et Tariq

7) Marche

8) Grande Valse des Invitées

9) Grand Pas d’Action

a) Adage

b) Allegretto Scherzando

c) Variation I

d) Variation II

e) Variation III – Tariq

f) Variation IV – Léonor

g) Coda-Valse

10) Scène Finale

Act 2 – Une Forteresse Maure

11) Entr’acte

12) Scène Mimique – Entrée de Léonor et Isabel

13) Scène – Entrée des Seigneurs Mauresques

14) Scène Mimique – l’Emir et les Seigneurs Mauresques

Grand Divertissement

15) Danse Mauresque

16) Danse Espagnole

17) Danse Andalouse

18) Danse Grenadienne

19) Pas de Quatre

a) Andante

b) Valse

20) Pas d’Harem (ou Pas de Deux des Femmes)

a) Andante

b) Variation d’Isabel

c) Variation de Léonor

d) Coda

21) Danse Générale

22) Scène Finale

Act 3 – Un Salon dans le maison de Don Álvaro

23) Entr’acte

24) Scène – Le Salon de Medina

25) Scène Mimique – Entrée et Récit de Léonor

26) Pas des Voiles – Valse Aguicheuse

27) Pas de Sabre

28) Pas de la Guitare – Danse de Léonor

29) Scène Dansante – Entrée de Tariq

30) Scène Finale – Rentre de Don Álvaro

Act 4 – Dehors des Murs de Tolède

31) Entr’acte

32) Scène – Les Préparations pour la Bataille

a) Action

b) Danse Réveillante

33) Scène Dansante – Léonor et Tariq

34) Scène – Le Combat

35) Marche Triomphale

36) Scène – Entrée de Léonor

37) Pas de Délire

a) Andante

b) Allegro

38) Scène Finale

London Revivals

1902 Revival

In 1902, the ballet was revived for the Coronation Season. Nicholson reprised her rôle as Léonor, with Harriet Linwood as second cast and Louise Grignon as third cast.

“Modern” Version

Following the 1902, 1910 and 1913 revivals, the ballet was only performed occasionally after the war, being last performed in its original version in 1921.

In 1936, Harold Shepherd staged a revival of the ballet for the Royal Ballet, and it was in this revival that the well-known Swords of Toledo Pas de Deux was added to the second act, replacing the Pas d’Harem. It can also be assumed that Shepherd revised Thompson’s choreography. 

In 1964 the definitive revival of the ballet was staged by Arthur Gordon for the Royal Ballet, and it is from this revival that all modern versions derive. The choreography was updated and revised and it was in this revival that the ballet was shortened from four acts to three. The third and fourth acts were combined, with much of the mime from both acts (especially Act 4) being cut and scenes being shortened. In fact, much of the mime across the ballet has been cut in line with tastes of the time, and the several Scènes Dansante (which originally contained both mime and dancing) were revised to reduce or remove the mime. 

However, even dances were left on the cutting room floor. The entirety of the Pas de Sabre and about a third of the Danse de la Guitare (a solo for Léonor) were cut from the third act. The Scènes Dansante of the third and fourth acts were greatly shortened with the shortening of the mime scene of Léonor, Isabel and Tariq in the third act. Additionally, the Scène de Combat, Marche Triomphale and Scène d’Action of the fourth act were all shortened.

However, this three-act version is what is widely known and performed today, both by the Royal Ballet and by other companies. 

There have been talks of reconstructing the 1902 notations for the original four-act production but few have come to fruition. In 2032 the second act was staged from the notations for the Birmingham Royal Ballet: Thompson’s original mime and dance steps were restored and the original Pas de Deux of Léonor and Isabel was restored to the stage for the first time since 1913. However, companies (including the Royal Ballet) still continue to perform the revised and familiar three-act version with its revised choreography and additions and cuts.

There have also been comments about the way that Muslim and Moorish culture is portrayed in the ballet. There have been revisions to tone down the hodgepodge of orientalist clichés, including the redesigning of the costumes and sets, the rechoreographing of the Grand Divertissement of Act 2 (the ‘Moorish Act’) to remove some of the stylised gestures and the removal of the blackface on the slaves and other Moorish attendants. However, these changes have not completely satisfied some critics, who still periodically call for its retirement. Despite the resistance, the ballet continues to be periodically revived by the Royal Ballet, who seemingly have no intentions of parting with it. 

The “Swords of Toledo Pas de Deux“

A pas that today is strongly associated with the ballet is the so-called Swords of Toledo Pas de Deux, also sometimes called the Harem Pas de Deux. Contrary to popular belief, this was not a part of the original ballet, nor was it present in any of the pre-war revivals. The Pas de Deux dates to the 1936 revival by Harold Shepherd, where it replaced the Pas d’Harem.

In the 1896 premiere the Pas d’Harem had been danced by Léonor and Isabel alone as a Pas de Deux of two ladies. Interestingly, the pas was classically structured in four parts: an Adage, two Variations and a Coda but the variations were danced by Isabel and Léonor respectively with Tariq watching the pas unfold while seated amongst the other Moorish lords. The 1902, 1910 and 1913 revivals all followed Thompson’s original scheme of the pas.

It was not until the 1936 revival of Harold Shepherd that the pas was replaced by the Pas de Deux for Léonor and Tariq that we know today. Shepherd arranged the Pas de Deux from supplemental pieces from other ballets. The choreography that survives to us today is most likely Gordon’s or a revised version of his original. 

The music pieces used for this creation are the following:

• Adage: the Adage from the Grand Pas de Quatre of John Latham’s 1905 ballet The Two Peasant Girls
• Variation de Tariq: a supplemental variation by Péchard for the 1900 revival of Naïla, later interpolated into the Pas d’Action of the 1908 revival of The Fairy of the Forest
• Variation de Léonor: the Variation de Cléopâtre from a supplemental Pas de Deux composed by Péchard for the 1900 revival of Cleopatra at Drury Lane
• Coda: the Coda from a supplemental Pas de Cinq composed by Péchard for the 1892 revival of The Peri