Job

Masque for dancing in nine scenes and an epilogue by Vaughan Williams to a scenario by G. Keynes and G. Raverat after Blake (1931, London).

Oratorio by Parry (1892, Gloucester).

Sacred opera in one act by Dallapiccola to his own text (1950, Rome).

A ‘masque for dancing’ in eight scenes, with choreography by de Valois, libretto by Geoffrey Keynes, music by Vaughan Williams, designs by Gwendolen Raverat, and wigs and masks by Hedley Briggs. Premiered 5 July 1931 by the Camargo Society at the Cambridge Theatre in London, with Dolin and Stanley Judson. The ballet, which relies more on mime than dance to illustrate its story and features many static tableaux, is based on William Blake's illustrations to The Book of Job. At the composer's request it was described as ‘a masque for dancing’, and it was Vaughan Williams himself who insisted that pointe work should not be used. It tells of Job's absolute belief in God and all the challenges that are set in his path to question that belief. Drawing inspiration as it did from Blake and Vaughan Williams, it was considered to be the first truly English ballet. It was revived for the Vic-Wells Ballet in 1931, for Sadler's Wells Ballet in 1948, for the Royal Ballet Touring Company in 1970, and for Birmingham Royal Ballet in 1993. Ted Shawn also choreographed a different version of the story in 1931 for the Denishawn Dancers in New York. In 1992 David Bintley choreographed a new version for the San Francisco Ballet.