Great Performances

Next, on "Great Performances"... The Mark Morris Dance Group in "L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato." Choreographer Mark Morris achieved international fame with this stunning work, long considered a modern classic. Set to Handel's baroque masterpiece, the colorful array of dancers embody the joy and sorrow that are part of the human experience. Morris presents a search for truth and beauty in this thrilling performance from the Teatro Real in Madrid. Join us for a celebration of life and art with the Mark Morris Dance Group, in "L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato." Love, fellowship, loneliness, death. For centuries, artists have explored these great themes of the theater. The big, all-embracing performance you're about to see is in this very tradition and encompasses all of life itself, from the frantic pace of the busy city to the peaceful retreat of the countryside. Hello, I am Mikhail Baryshnikov. My friend, the choreographer Mark Morris, created this masterpiece in 1988. Mark's inspiration for the dance came when he first listened to the 1740 oratorio by George Frideric Handel that was based on the mid-17th-century poems "L'Allegro" and "Il Penseroso," written by John Milton. From these poems, Handel composed his pastoral ode, "L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato." L'Allegro, the cheerful one; il Penseroso, the thoughtful one; il Moderato, the reasonable one. In the early 19th century, the artist William Blake illustrated them in watercolors. Mark's piece beautifully unites poetry, music, visual arts and dance. In doing so, it brings together the art of the past four centuries. In this performance, the dancers, singers, and instrumentalists show joy, abandon, restraint, dignity, and pride for humankind.

Orchestra warming up

Hence, loatd Melancholy Of Cerberus And blackest midnight born In Stygian Cave forlorn 'Mongst horrid shapes And shrieks, and sights unholy Find out some Uncouth cell Where brooding darkness Spreads her jealous wings And the night-raven sings There, under Ebon shades And low-brow'd rocks As ragged as thy locks In dark Cimmerian desert Ever dwell Hence, vain deluding Joys Dwell in some idle brain And fancies fond With gaudy shapes possess As thick and numberless As the gay motes That people the sunbeams Or likest hovering dreams The fickle pensioners of Morpheus' train Come, come, thou Goddess, fair and free, fair and free In heaven yclept Euphrosyne In heaven yclept Euphrosyne And by men, heart-easing Mirth Whom lovely Venus at a birth With two sister graces more To ivy-crowd Bacchus bore Come, come, thou Goddess, fair and free Fair and free Come, come And by men, heart-easing Mirth Whom lovely Venus at a birth With two sister graces more To ivy-crowd Bacchus bore To ivy-crowd Bacchus bore To ivy-crowd Crowd Crowd To ivy-crowd Bacchus bore But behold, thou Goddess sage and holy Hail, divinest Melancholy! Whose saintly visage is too bright To hit the sense of human sight To hit the sense of human sight Behold, thou Goddess sage and holy Hail, divinest Melancholy! Whose saintly visage is too bright To hit the sense of human sight Thee bright-hair'd Vesta, long of yore To solitary Saturn bore Thee bright-hair'd Vesta, long of yore To solitary Saturn bore To Sol... ...ol... ...solitary Saturn bore Thee bright-hair'd Vesta, long of yore To solitary Saturn bore Haste thee, Nymphs Haste thee, Nymphs, and bring with thee Jest and youthful jollity Quips, and cranks, and wanton wiles Nods, and becks, and wreatd smiles Such as hang on Hebe's cheek And love to live in dimple sleek And love to live in dimple sleek Sport that wrinkled Care derides And Laughter holding both his sides Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha Holding both his sides Sport that wrinkled Care derides And Laughter holding bo-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho Holding both his sides Haste thee, Nymphs Haste thee, Nymphs, and bring with thee Jest and youthful jollity Sport that wrinkled Care derides And Laughter holding bo-ho-ho-ho-oth his sides Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha... Holding both his sides Haste thee, Nymphs, and bring with thee Jest and youthful jollity Sport that wrinkled Care derides And Laughter holding both his sides Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha Holding both his sides Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha Holding both his, both his sides Come, and trip it as you go Come, and trip it as you go On the light fantastic toe Trip it, trip it Come, and trip it as you go Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh Ahh, ahh On the light fantastic toe Come, and trip it as you go Trip it, trip it Trip it, trip it On the light fantastic toe Oh Oh Come, come Come, and trip it as you go On the light fantastic toe On the light fantastic toe Come, and trip it as you go Come, and trip it as you go On the light fantastic toe Trip it Trip it, trip it, trip it On the light fantastic toe On the light fantastic toe Come, and trip it as you go Trip it Trip it, trip it, trip it On the light fantastic toe Oh, oh Come forth and trip it As you go On the light fantastic toe On the light fantastic toe Come, pensive Nun Devout and pure Sober, steadfast And demure All in a robe of darkest grain Flowing with Majestic Train Come, come, come But keep thy wonted state With even step and musing gait Come, come, but keep thy wonted state With even step and musing gait And musing gait And looks Commercing with the skies Thy rapt soul sitting in thine eyes Thy rapt soul sitting in thine eyes There, held in holy passion still Forget thyself To marble till With a sad leaden Downward cast With a sad leaden Downward cast Thou fix them on the earth As fast And join with thee Calm Peace, and Quiet Spare Fast, that oft With gods doth diet And hears the Muses In a ring Aye, round about Jove's altar sing And hears the Muses In a ring Round about Jove's altar sing And hears the Muses In a ring Round about Jove's altar sing And hears the Muses In a ring Round about Jove's altar sing And join with thee Calm Peace, and Quiet Spare Fast, that oft With gods doth diet Join with thee Calm Peace, and Quiet Spare Fast, that oft With gods doth diet That oft with gods With gods doth diet Hence, loatd Melancholy In dark Cimmerian desert Ever dwell But haste to be in mirth And bring with thee The mountain nymph Sweet Liberty Mirth, if I give thee honour due Mirth, admit me of thy crew Mirth, admit me of thy crew Mirth, admit me of thy crew Mirth, admit me Mirth, admit me Mirth, admit me of thy crew To live with her and live with thee In unreprod pleasures free In unreprod pleasures free To hear the lark begin his flight And singing startle the dull night And singing startle, startle And singing startle, startle the dull night Then to come, in spite of sorrow And at my window bid good-morrow And at my window bid good-morrow Good-morrow Good-morrow Good-morrow in spite of sorrow And at my window bid good-morrow Good-morrow Good-morrow Good-morrow Good-morrow And at my window bid good-morrow Mirth, admit me of thy crew Mirth, admit me Mirth, admit me Mirth, admit me of thy crew Mirth, admit me of thy crew First and chief on golden wing The cherub Contemplation bring And the mute Silence hist along 'Less Philomel Will deign a song In her sweetest saddest plight Smoothing the rugged brow of Night Sweet bird Sweet bird that shunn'st the noise of folly Most musical Most melancholy! Thee, chauntress, oft, the woods among I woo I Woo To hear Thy even-song I woo To hear Thy even-song And missing thee I walk unseen On the dry Smooth-shaven green To behold The wandering Moon To behold The wandering moon Riding near her highest noon Riding near her highest noon Riding near her highest noon To behold The wandering Moon Riding near Her highest Noon Sweet bird Sweet bird that shunn'st the noise of folly Most musical Most melancholy! Most musical Most melancholy! Thee, chauntress, oft, the woods among I woo To hear thy Eve... ...even-song Thee, chauntress, oft, the woods among I woo I woo to hear Thy eve... ...even-song If I give thee honour due Mirth, admit me of thy crew Mirth, admit me of thy crew Mirth, admit me of thy crew Mirth, admit me Admit me, Mirth, admit me Admit me of thy crew To listen how the hounds and horn Cheerly rouse the slumbering morn From the side of some hoar hill Through the high wood Echoing shrill To listen how the hounds and horn Cheerly rouse The slumbering morn From the side of some hoar hill Of some hoar hill Through the high wood Through the high wood Echoing Echoing Echoing Echoing... ...echoing shrill Oft, on a plat Of rising ground I hear The far-off Curfew sound Over some wide-water'd shore Swinging slow With sullen roar Swinging slow With sullen roar Swinging slow With sullen roar Or, if the air Will not permit Some still remod Place will fit Where glowing embers Through the room Teach light to counterfeit A gloom Teach light to counterfeit A gloom Far from all resort of mirth Save the cricket on the hearth Save, save Sa... Save the cricket on the hearth Or the bellman's drowsy charm To bless the doors from nightly harm Or the bellman's drowsy charm Or the bellman's drowsy charm To bless the doors From nightly harm To bless... ...bless To bless the doors From nightly harm To bless... To bless the doors From night... ...nightly harm If I give thee honour due Mirth, admit me of thy crew Let me wander not unseen By hedgerow elms, on hillocks green Where the ploughman, near at hand Whistles o'er the furrow'd land Where the ploughman, near at hand Whistles o'er the furrow'd land And the milkmaid singeth blithe And the mower whets his scythe And every shepherd tells his tale Under the hawthorn in the dale And every shepherd tells his tale Under the hawthorn in the dale Each action will derive new grace Each action will derive new grace From order, measure, time and place Order, measure, time and place From order, measure, time and place Till life the goodly structure rise In due proportion to the skies Till life the goodly structure rise In due proportion to the skies Till life the goodly structure rise In due proportion to the skies Till life the goodly structure rise In due proportion To the skies Mountains, on whose barren breast The labouring clouds do often rest Meadows trim with daisies pied Shallow brooks And rivers wide Meadows trim with daisies pied Shallow brooks And rivers wide Towers and battlements it sees Bosom'd high In tufted trees Oh, let the merry bells ring round Oh, let the merry bells ring round And the jocund rebecs sound And the jocund rebecs sound And the jocund rebecs sound To many a youth and many a maid Dancing in the chequer'd shade To many a youth and many a maid Dancing in the chequer'd shade Dancing, dancing Dancing in the chequer'd shade To many a youth and many a maid Dancing in the chequer'd shade Dancing, dancing Dancing in the chequer'd shade To many a youth and many a maid On a sunshine holy-day And young and old come forth to play And young and old come forth to play On a sunshine holy-day On a sunshine holy-day Till the livelong daylight fail Till the livelong daylight fail Till the livelong Daylight fail Thus past the day, to bed they creep By whispering winds soon lull'd asleep Soon lull'd asleep By whispering winds soon lull'd asleep Soon lull'd asleep By whispering winds soon lull'd asleep By whispering winds soon lull'd asleep Soon lull'd asleep Thus past the day, to bed they creep By whispering winds soon lull'd asleep Soon lull'd asleep Soon lull'd Soon lull'd Asleep Welcome back for the conclusion of "L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato." As you saw in act one, there is a constant presence of both mirth and melancholy, joy and sorrow, the narrative and the abstract -- a balance created by the dancers doubling and mirroring one another. And within these contrasting states, a vast range of human emotions is explored. We have been introduced to a broad spectrum of life, and the stories we have glimpsed have awakened our imagination. We have been shown so much of the world. The people, the animals, the gods, harmony and unspoken camaraderie. Dancers are seldom alone for long, as a soloist is soon joined by an ensemble. Community is built through line dances, figure dances, and circle dances -- group dances all celebrating life. Since meeting Mark in 1987, I have danced in 10 of his premieres. I don't think anything else I can do or say would offer a more eloquent testimonial of how I feel about him and his work. He is my friend. And as this dance demonstrates so well, he's one of the great choreographers of our time. Hence, vain deluding Joys The brood of Folly Without father bred! How little you bestead Or fill the fid mind With all your toys! Or let my lamp at midnight hour Be seen in some high lonely tower Where I may oft out-watch the Bear With thrice-great Hermes Or unsphere the spirit of Plato To unfold what worlds Or what vast regions hold the immortal mind That hath forsook Her mansion in this fleshly nook Sometime let gorgeous Tragedy In sceptr'd pall In sceptr'd pall Come sweeping by Come sweeping by In sceptr'd pall... Come sweeping by Sometime let gorgeous Tragedy In sceptr'd pall Come sweeping by Come sweeping by In sceptr'd pall... In sceptr'd pall Come sweeping by Presenting Thebes, or Pelops' line Or the tale of Troy divine Presenting Thebes, or Pelops' line Or the tale of Troy divine Or the tale of Troy divine Or what, though rare Of later age Ennobled hath the buskin'd stage Or what, though rare Of later age Or what, though rare Or what, though rare Of later age Ennobled... ...ennobled hath the buskin'd stage Or what, though rare Of later age Ennobled hath The buskin'd stage Thus, Night, oft see me in thy pale career Till unwelcome Morn appear Populous cities please me then And the busy hum of men And the busy, busy, busy, busy hum of And the busy hum of men Populous cities please us then And the busy, busy hum of... Busy, busy hum of... And the busy, busy, busy, busy hum of men Populous cities please us then Where throngs of knights And barons bold In weeds of peace High triumphs hold, high triumphs hold In weeds of peace high triumphs hold In weeds of peace High triumphs hold High triumphs hold High triumphs, high triumphs High triumphs hold With store of ladies Whose bright eyes Rain influence And judge the prize Of wit or arms Of wit or arms While both contend While both contend To win her grace To win her grace Whom all commend With store of ladies Whose bright eyes Rain influence And judge the prize Of wit or arms Of wit or arms Of wit or arms While both contend To win her grace To win her grace Whom all commend Populous cities please me then And the busy hum of men And the busy, busy, busy, busy hum And the busy hum of men Populous cities please us then And the busy, busy hum of... Busy, busy hum of... And the busy, busy, busy, busy hum of men Populous cities please us then Where throngs of knights And barons bold In weeds of peace High triumphs hold, high triumphs hold Where throngs of knights And barons bold In weeds of peace High triumphs hold, high triumphs hold High triumphs, high triumphs High triumphs hold There let Hymen oft appear Let Hymen oft appear In saffron robe, with taper clear There let Hymen oft appear In saffron robe, with taper clear There let Hymen oft appear In sa... ...saffron robe In saffron robe, with taper clear And pomp... And feast... And revelry With mask, and antique pageantry Such sights as youthful poets dream On summer eves by haunted stream On summer eves By haunted stream Such sights as youthful poets dream On summer eves by haunted stream By haunted stream On summer eves By haunted stream And when the sun begins to fling His flaring beams, me, goddess, bring To arcd walks of twilight groves And shadows brown, that Sylvan loves There in close covert by some brook Where no profaner eye may look Hide me from day's garish eye While the bee with honey'd thigh Which at her flowery work doth sing And the waters murmuring With such consort as they keep Entice the dewy-feather'd Sleep And let some strange mysterious dream Wave at his wings in airy stream Of lively portraiture display'd Softly on my eyelids laid And, as I wake Sweet music breathe Above, about, or underneath Sent by some Spirit to mortals good Or the unseen Genius of the wood Or the unseen Genius of the wood I'll to the well-trod stage anon If Jonson's learned sock be on I'll to the well-trod stage anon I'll to the well-trod stage anon If Jonson's learned sock be on If Jonson's learned sock be on Or sweetest Shakespeare, Fancy's child Warble his native wood-notes wild Warble His native wood-notes wild Or sweetest Shakespeare, Fancy's child Warble Warble Warble His native wood-notes wild And ever against eating cares Lap me in soft Lydian airs Lap me in soft Lydian airs Soothe me with immortal verse Such as the meeting soul may pierce In notes with many a winding bout With ma... ...many a winding bout Of lind sweetness long drawn out Long... ...drawn out With wanton heed And giddy cunning The melting voice Through mazes running Untwisting all The chains that tie The hidden soul of harmony Untwisting all The chains that tie The hidden soul The hidden soul The hidden soul Of harmony As steals the morn Upon the night And melts the shades away As steals the morn Upon the night And melts the shades away And melts the shades away And melts... The shades away And melts... The shades away So truth does Fancy's charm dissolve So truth does Fancy's charm dissolve And rising Reason Puts to flight And rising Reason Puts to flight The forms that did The mind involve The forms that did The mind involve Restoring Intellectual Day So truth does Fancy's charm dissolve Does Fancy's charm dissolve And rising Reason Puts to flight... And rising Reason Puts to flight The forms, the forms that did The mind involve The forms that did The mind involve Restoring Restoring Intellectual Day Restoring Intellectual Day But let my due feet never fail To walk the studious cloister's pale And love the high-embod roof With antique pillars massy proof And storied windows richly dight Casting a dim religious light There let the pealing organ blow To the full-voiced choir below In service high And anthems clear

Organ plays

As may with sweetness, through mine ear Dissolve me into ecstasies And bring all Heaven before mine eyes And may at last My weary age Find out the peaceful Hermitage May at last My weary age Find out the peaceful Hermitage Find out the peaceful Hermitage The hairy gown And mossy cell Where I may sit And rightly spell Of every star that heaven doth shew And every herb that sips the dew Till old experience do attain To something like prophetic strain To something like prophetic strain Till old experience do attain Till old experience do attain To something like prophetic strain To something like Prophetic strain To something like Prophetic Strain These pleasures, Melancholy, give And I with thee will choose to live And I with thee will choose to live These pleasures, Melancholy, give And I with thee Will choose to live These pleasures, Melancholy, give And we with thee will choose to live These pleasures, Melancholy, give And we with thee will choose to live These pleasures, Melancholy, give These pleasures, Melancholy Give... And we with thee, with thee will choose to live... And we with thee will choose to live... These pleasures, Melancholy, give And we with thee will choose to live... These pleasures, Melancholy, give These pleasures, Melancholy, give... These pleasures, Melancholy, give And we with thee will choose to live... We with thee will choose to live... We will choose to live... Will choose to live These pleasures, These pleasures Melancholy, give And we with thee Will choose to live And we with thee Will choose To live Orpheus' self may heave his head Orpheus' self may heave his head From golden slumbers on a bed Of heap'd Elysian flowers and hear... Such strains Such strains Such strains... As would have won the ear of Pluto To have quite set free His half-regain'd Eurydice Orpheus' self may heave his head From golden slumbers on a bed Of heap'd Elysian flowers and hear... Such strains Such strains As would have won the ear of Pluto To have set quite free His half-regain'd Eurydice Such strains... As would have won The ear of Pluto To have set quite free His half-regain'd Eurydice These delights if thou canst give These delights if thou canst give These delights if thou canst give Mirth, with thee I mean to live With thee I mean to live Mirth, with thee, with thee I mean to live Mirth, with thee I mean to live Mirth, with thee, Mirth, with thee These delights if thou canst give Mirth, with thee I mean to live These delights if thou canst give Mirth, with thee, Mirth, with thee Mirth, with thee I mean to live These delights if thou canst give Mirth, with thee I mean to live With thee I mean to live These delights if thou canst give Mirth, with thee I mean to live These delights if thou canst give Mirth, with thee we mean to live Mirth, with thee we mean to live These delights if thou canst give Mirth, with thee we mean to live Mirth, with thee we mean to live With thee we mean to live Mirth, with thee, mirth, with thee These delights if thou canst give Mirth, with thee we mean to live Mirth, with thee, Mirth, with thee Mirth, with thee we mean to live These delights if thou canst give These delights These delights If thou canst give Mirth, with thee we mean to live Mirth, with thee we mean to live With thee, with thee These delights if thou canst give Mirth, with thee we mean to live These delights if thou canst give Mirth, with thee we mean to live

Applause

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