Ondine (Undine)
(freely adapted from De la Motte-Fouqué)
Commissioned by the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
Period of composition 1956-57
Duration 110 minutes
Written in honour of Dame Margot Fonteyn
Dedicated to Frederick Ashton
City of Positano Prize 1980
World premiere
World premiere 27. October 1958
London · Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
The Royal Ballet
Choreography Frederick Ashton
Stage design Lila De Nobili
Title role Dame Margot Fonteyn
Conductor Hans Werner Henze
Comments
The old tale of Knight Huldbrand’s love for a witch or nymph or phantom, a creation called Ondine, provides the thread that runs all the way trough this fairytale, conceived in the tradition of the 19th-century narrative ballet. Sumptuous group scenes, and dances of great effect, divertissements and ensembles alternate with solo dances, “Pas de deux” and “Pas de trois” for Palemon, his terrestrial fiancée and the unearthly, fatal protagonist.
Hans Werner Henze
Cast
| Tirrenio | ballerino | King of the water |
| Undine | ballerina | a nymph, his daughter |
| Palemon | ballerino | the inconstant knight |
| Beatrice | ballerina | betrothed to Palemon |
| ballerino | a hermit | |
| corpo di ballo | Tritons nymphs hunters guests Neapolitan masks fishermen seamen people servants |
Instrumentation
| 2 Flauti | (2° anche Ottavino) |
| 1 Oboe | |
| 1 Corno inglese | |
| 1 Clarinetto | |
| 1 Clarinetto basso | |
| 1 Fagotto | |
| 1 Controfagotto | (anche 2° Fagotto) |
| 4 Corni | |
| 3 Trombe | |
| 2 Tromboni | |
| 1 Tuba | |
| Timpani | |
| Percussione | Triangolo Piatti sospesi Piatti a due 2 Tamtam 2 Tomtom Tamburino basco Tamburo militare Grancassa Vibrafono Campana [per 3] |
| 2 Arpe | |
| Celesta | anche Pianoforte |
| Chitarra | |
| Archi | |
| Campana | dietro la scena |