{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1509192"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1509192/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2019MF5592/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2019MF5592/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2019MF5592","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2019MF5591","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1509192","accessionNumber":"S.536-2019","objectType":"Costume design","titles":[{"title":"Death in Adagio","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"Costume design by Bernard Meninsky for Guy Massey as Lelio, a gigolo in Keith Lester's short-lived <i>Death in Adagio</i>. The ballet, to music by Leighton Lucas based on themes of Scarlatti, was created for the Markova-Dolin Ballet in 1936. As Lester described it to Alexander Schouvaloff in the 1980s, 'The ballet was a murder-mystery inspired by the Italian commedia dell'arte. I think the choreography was fun, but no one much liked it and it was never done after Oxford.' It was performed at Wimbledon Theatre in October 1936 where it was reviewed as being marred by the 'over-elaborating detail...Keith Lester...has planted the corpse in a kind of Commedia dell'Arte country club'. It goes on to say Meninsky 'further complicates matters by a backcloth that is strong and distracting, and with costumes that not only fail in the first function of costume for the ballet - that of moving well - but which, by rejecting light, pin the ballet to the stage.' <i>Death by Adagio</i> was redeemed by some of the choreography, notably 'a Siciliana, exquisitely danced by Markova and Anton Dolin, that for its simplicity of expression, and the beautiful manner of its performance is a notable pas de deux'.\n\nThe costume design was donated by Richard Buckle, who also presented the design for Teddy Haskell's<i> Arlecchino</i>, S.479-1989","physicalDescription":"Costume design showing a man in mustard breeches with dark brown design, red jerkin and hat, and blue-grey sleeves (with white cuffs), collar and stockings.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Meninsky, Bernard","id":"A4930"},"association":{"text":"costume designers","id":"AAT163428"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"paint","id":"AAT15029"},{"text":"pencil","id":"x30347"},{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"}],"techniques":[{"text":"drawing (image-making)","id":"AAT54196"},{"text":"painting (image-making)","id":"AAT54216"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Pencil and paint on art paper","categories":[{"text":"Dance","id":"THES252984"},{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Designs","id":"THES48968"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2019MF5592","2019MF5591"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"004","id":"THES356719"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Costume design","id":"AAT163423"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1936","earliest":"1936-01-01","latest":"1936-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Richard Buckle","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"38.1","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"27.4","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Signed in pencil, lower left corner, 'Meninsky', and at right corner, 'Lelio'.","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Annotation on reverse in ink in Richard Buckle's hand: 'There is also a framed Harlequin from the same ballet' and 'Design by Bernard Meninsky for Keith Lester's 'Death in Adagio' Markova-Dolin Company from R. B.'\r\nThe name 'Massey' is written in pencil, lower left."}],"objectHistory":"Given by Richard Buckle.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Costume design by Bernard Meninsky for Guy Massey as Lelio in Keith Lester's <i>Death in Adagio</i>, created for the Markova-Dolin Ballet, 1936","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.536-2019"],"accessionNumberNum":"536","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2019,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-18","recordCreationDate":"2019-08-28","availableToBook":true}}