1832: Ballet En Pointe

1832, Paris. When Marie Taglioni appears in La Sylphide, dancing on pointe as an ethereal spirit from another world, audiences encounter a new vision of ballet. Her performance helps define the Romantic ballet tradition, establishing images and ideals that continue to shape the art form today.

From floating sylphs and ghostly wilis to doomed love stories and moonlit forests, Romantic ballet embraces fantasy, mystery and escapism. New stage effects, gas lighting, pointe shoes and the long white tutu combine to create a world of supernatural wonder, while star ballerinas become some of the nineteenth century's most celebrated cultural figures.

Gillian Moore is joined by a roster of distinguished historians for this major new BBC Radio 3 series, charting a course through 1000 years of classical music history. For the next eight programmes, historian Kate Williams is in the chair, as together they explore the rich musical world of the nineteenth century.

Producer: Megan Jones
Academic Consultant: Professor Laura Tunbridge, University of Oxford
Story Consultant: Kate Leys
Series Editor for BBC Audio: Emma Harding

Key Changes theme tune composed by Joseph Howard and performed by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, conducted by Kerem Hasan.

MUSIC DETAILS

Jean Schneitzhoeffer: La Sylphide (extracts)

Herman Severin Løvenskiold: La Sylphide – Act II, The Forest Scene

Adolphe Adam: Giselle – The Mad Scene

Adolphe Adam: Giselle – Act II, Apparition de Giselle

Léo Delibes: Coppélia – Prelude

Léo Delibes: Sylvia

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake (extracts)

To listen to this programme using most smart speakers, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Key Changes."