Cranko, John
John Cyril Cranko (15 August 1927 – 26 June 1973) was a choreographer with the Sadler’s Wells Ballet (which later became the Royal Ballet) and the Stuttgart Ballet. Cranko was born in Rustenburg in the former province of Transvaal, South Africa. As a child, he would put on puppet shows as a creative outlet. Cranko received his early ballet training in Cape Town under the leading South African ballet teacher and director, Dulcie Howes, of the University of Cape Town Ballet School. He then moved to London. Following the expiration of the copyright on Arthur Sullivan’s music in 1950, John Cranko choreographed the comic ballet Pineapple Poll, in collaboration with Charles Mackerras, for a British Festival. Pineapple Poll was based on W. S. Gilbert’s Bab Ballad The Bumboat Woman’s Story, with music exclusively by Sir Arthur Sullivan including music from various Gilbert and Sullivan operettas. His father, Herbert, a balletomane, spent a great deal of time with him in London. Another collaboration with Mackerras followed with The Lady and the Fool.
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John Cranko
THE LADY AND THE FOOL
Svetlana Beriosova, Ray Powell, Ronald Hynde
Royal Opera House Orchestra / Charles Mackerras
STUDIO RECORDING, TRANSMITTED 3 MAY 1959
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PINEAPPLE POLL
Merle Park, David Blair, Stanley Holden, Brenda
Taylor, Gerd Larsen
London Symphony Orchestra / Charles Mackerras
STUDIO RECORDING, TRANSMITTED 1 NOVEMBER 1959
John Cyril Cranko (15 August 1927 – 26 June 1973) was a choreographer with the Sadler’s Wells Ballet (which later became the Royal Ballet) and the Stuttgart Ballet. Cranko was born in Rustenburg in the former province of Transvaal, South Africa. As a child, he would put on puppet shows as a creative outlet. Cranko received his early ballet training in Cape Town under the leading South African ballet teacher and director, Dulcie Howes, of the University of Cape Town Ballet School. He then moved to London. Following the expiration of the copyright on Arthur Sullivan’s music in 1950, John Cranko choreographed the comic ballet Pineapple Poll, in collaboration with Charles Mackerras, for a British Festival. Pineapple Poll was based on W. S. Gilbert’s Bab Ballad The Bumboat Woman’s Story, with music exclusively by Sir Arthur Sullivan including music from various Gilbert and Sullivan operettas. His father, Herbert, a balletomane, spent a great deal of time with him in London. Another collaboration with Mackerras followed with The Lady and the Fool.