The Nightingale and The Rose By Oscar WildePresented by Brittany Vlaminck

About Wilde Born: October 16, 1854

Family and relations:

- William and Jane

- Constance Lloyd – married in 1884

- Lord Alfred Douglas – affair in 1891

Work History

- Woman’s World magazine

- Writing

Arrested in 1895

Died: November 30, 1900

1881 Lecture Tours

First works – Poems in 1881

Short Stories

- Happy Prince and Other Tales 1888

- The House of Pomegranates 1892

Novel - The Picture of Dorian Gray 1890

Plays

- A Woman of No Importance 1893

- An Ideal Husband 1895

- The Importance of Being Earnest 1895

The Nightingale and The Rose “The Happy Prince and Other Tales” in

1888

Story Summary

Characters

Student

Young Woman

Nightingale

Themes

Love

Knowledge

Sacrifice and Death

Point of View

Other Animals

Rose Bushes

Style Morbid

“So the Nightingale pressed closer against the thorn, and the thorn touched her heart, and a fierce pang of pain shot through her. Bitter, bitter was the pain, and wilder and wilder grew her song, for she sang of the Love that is perfected by Death, of the Love that dies not in the tomb.”

 Paradox

“She would not sacrifice herself for others. She thinks merely of music, and everybody knows that the arts are selfish.”

“'What a silly thing Love is,' said the Student as he walked away. 'It is not half as useful as Logic, for it does not prove anything, and it is always telling one of things that are not going to happen, and making one believe things that are not true. In fact, it is quite unpractical, and, as in this age to be practical is everything, I shall go back to Philosophy and study Metaphysics.‘”

Repetition

“Give me a red rose.”

“But the tree shook its head”

The Evil in Human Nature

  “'I am afraid it will not go with my dress,' she answered; 'and, besides, the Chamberlain's nephew has sent me some real jewels, and everybody knows that jewels cost far more than flowers.‘”

Ballet Adaptation Created by Christopher

Wheeldon

Premiered on June 8, 2007 at the New York State Theater

Original Cast starred Wendy Weldon as the Nightingale

Difficult to create because story is known for dialogue

http://videos.nymag.com/video/Backstage-New-York-City-Ballet;Theater#c=YFC8Z2BWLC36F3PN&t=Backstage:%20New%20York%20City%20Ballet

Opera Adaptation

Composed by Elena Firsova

Premiered July 8, 1994 at Almeida Theatre

Mash up of Wilde’s story and Christina Rossetti’s poems

Remember me, when I am gone away…

Sleep, unforgotten sorrow, sleep awhile…

So tired am I, so weary of to-day…

Time flies, hope flags, life piles a wearied wing

Opera Duration: 80-90 Minutes

Smaller Adaptations

LeLeon Music Video

Animated Video Opera Video

Sources http://www.cmgww.com/historic/wilde/index.php

http://www.deviantart.com/art/The-Nightingale-and-the-Rose-65646083

http://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-stories/UBooks/NigRos.shtml

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nightingale_and_the_Rose_%28ballet%29

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nightingale_and_the_Rose_%28opera%29

Other sources linked within PowerPoint.