Mayerling is a ballet choreographed by Kenneth MacMillan to the music of Franz Liszt, arranged by John Lanchbery, scenario by Gillian Freeman and designed by Nicholas Georgiadis. The ballet is based on the Mayerling incident, a series of events surrounding the apparent murder–suicide of Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria and his lover, Baroness Mary Vetsera. The ballet premiered on 14 February 1978, at the Royal Opera House, danced by The Royal Ballet, with David Wall as Prince Rudolf and Lynn Seymour as Vetsera.
Alina Cojocaru, Johan Kobborg and Laura Morera at the curtain call of Mayerling
Characters from Kenneth MacMillan's Mayerling, via The Ballet Bag
Sir Kenneth MacMillan was a British ballet dancer and choreographer who was artistic director of the Royal Ballet in London between 1970 and 1977, and its principal choreographer from 1977 until his death. Earlier he had served as director of ballet for the Deutsche Oper in Berlin. He was also associate director of the American Ballet Theatre from 1984 to 1989, and artistic associate of the Houston Ballet from 1989 to 1992.
MacMillan towards the end of his life
Ninette de Valois, who recruited and encouraged the young MacMillan
Margot Fonteyn, whose casting as Juliet dismayed MacMillan despite public acclaim
The Royal Opera House, with statue of Katie Pianoff.