''La Fin du jour'' is a one-act ballet created by

Kenneth MacMillan Sir Kenneth MacMillan (11 December 192929 October 1992) 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. Ea ...

in 1979 for the

Royal Ballet The Royal Ballet is a British internationally renowned classical ballet company, based at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, England. The largest of the five major ballet companies in Great Britain, the Royal Ballet was founded in ...

, London. The music is

Maurice Ravel Joseph Maurice Ravel (7 March 1875 – 28 December 1937) was a French composer, pianist and conductor. He is often associated with Impressionism along with his elder contemporary Claude Debussy, although both composers rejected the term. In ...

Piano Concerto A piano concerto is a type of concerto, a solo composition in the classical music genre which is composed for a piano player, which is typically accompanied by an orchestra or other large ensemble. Piano concertos are typically virtuoso showpiec ...

in G (1931). In MacMillan's words, "''La Fin du jour'' draws its inspiration from the style of the 'thirties'; the designs and choreography are inspired by the fashion plates of an era and a way of life shattered forever by the Second World War." The first performance was at the

Royal Opera House The Royal Opera House (ROH) is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. It is the home of The Royal Op ...

, Covent Garden on 15 March 1979. The leading roles were danced by

Merle Park Dame Merle Park (born 8 October 1937) is a British ballet dancer and teacher, now retired. As a prima ballerina with the Royal Ballet during the 1960s and 1970s, she was known for "brilliance of execution and virtuoso technique" as well as for h ...

Jennifer Penney Jennifer Penney (born 1946) is a Canadian ballerina and a former principal dancer with the Royal Ballet. Jennifer Penney was born in 1946 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She studied there with Gweneth Lloyd and Betty Farrally, and then at ...

, Julian Hosking and

Wayne Eagling Wayne Eagling (born 27 November 1950) is a Canadian ballet dancer, now retired. After more than twenty years as a popular member of The Royal Ballet in London, he became well known as an international choreographer and company director. Early li ...

. The solo pianist was Philip Gammon, the conductor was Ashley Lawrence, and the designs were by Ian Spurling."La Fin du jour (1979)"
Royal Opera House Collections Online, retrieved 8 October 2014

Notes

Ballets by Kenneth MacMillan Ballets to the music of Maurice Ravel 1979 ballet premieres {{ballet-stub