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Mark Morris Dance Group 'L'Allegro, Il Moderato ed Il Penseroso'
April 16, 2010 -- London Coliseum It was ten years since London had seen Mark Morris's L'Allegro for the last time. The work was performed then at the same venue and it was actually my introduction to Morris's choreography and the company. I must admit that, by now, this work has proved to be such an enduring piece that one can only hope to see it again and again and to be able to revive the same emotions as when it was seen for the first time. There is little to say about Morris's L'Allegro. It is a masterpiece and a centrepiece for anybody interested in his choreography. It is a work that never fails to surprise you with its apparent simplicity and joy. True, there is very little in this work that is new or groundbreaking. Most of the choreographic resources Morris used in his piece were already common place in the postmodern canons of choreography. Paul Taylor's lyricism, humour and musicality are all over the place. And yet, even though we know that, it seems Morris's choreography echoes what Robert Lanchbery once said on Stravinsky's Firebird: “There is not a single note in it that could not have been written by Rimsky Korsakov”. The truth remains that L'Allegro remains so quintessentially Morris as Firebird is to Stravinsky.
That Morris manages to keep such unity and loyalty to his vision in a time where individuality is all the rage, very often at the expense of choreographic achievement, speaks volumes of his role as not only choreographer, but also director. It was a pleasure to see this work again and I can't wait to see the company return to London soon!!
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by Ana Abad-Carles
On this occasion, Mark Morris Dance Group performed the piece with as much joy, freshness and enthusiasm as ten years ago. Praise must be given to Morris for having a company that, despite having such different and varied dancers, manages to present itself as a group of individuals moved by a common goal, a common impulse. The result is simply wonderful to watch: so much unity of interpretation and yet so much diversity in the artists that give the choreography its meaning and cohesion.