<<  -- 4 --  Monica McCabe    JOINING THREADS

Finally I must say what a joy it has been for both of us for John to work with David Bintley. Mild-mannered and unostentatious, David is nevertheless a strong creative visionary, charged not only with inventing the choreography, but also with steering the development of music, sets, lighting and costumes. A particular joy for John in working with David is that he is very musical, by which I imply not only that he is knowledgeable about extant music (he is), but that he is able to understand the creation of music. Unusually, I think, for a choreographer, he reads music and understands technical terms. He knows how to talk about the requirements in a way which a musician can understand. This is rare, and much appreciated. I can remember once, for example, John being asked for a TV theme tune which sounded like Mozart played on the guitar (but on the piano!). Scratching his head he went away and produced something that he thought might fit this bill, only to find out that what they actually wanted was something that sounded vaguely like Poulenc played on the piano (on the piano).

David can also sit through a playing of music sketches on the piano, and gain a reasonable impression of what the finished score might sound like played by an orchestra. He interferes very little, except, for example, where the timing of a section changes in his conception, or perhaps when the dancer's stamina requires more consideration. He has his own ideas, but he and John discuss and argue their own corners, and each appreciates the needs of the other's art. It is indeed a very happy and mutually supportive working relationship. The magnificent Edward II grew out of it, and I hope very much that the Arthur cycle -- possibly one of the biggest ever balletic undertakings -- will enjoy the same success.