Sylvia (ballet) - Libretto

Libretto

The libretto of Sylvia is often regarded as one of the ballet's weak points. The simple plot does not allow for much acting nor is it especially gripping. Indeed, when Frederick Ashton rechoreographed the ballet in the 1950s, he tried to rework the story to be more interesting (while still retaining its classical themes) because he recognized this aspect of the ballet as a potential pitfall. Morris simplified the story — for his 2004 production — for the same reasons. He called it, "a big wonderful mishmash of mythology and history", so he changed it to make it more, "clear and beautiful".