Charles Mackerras authority on Mozart's operas and those of Sir Arthur Sullivan. His ballet with John Cranko, "Pineapple Poll", is an arrangement of Sullivan music with a story based on one of W. S. Gilbert's "Bab Ballads". The piece premiered in 1951, soon after the expiration of copyright on Sullivan's music, and continues to be a popular light music favourite in English speaking countries. Mackerras later arranged music by Giuseppe Verdi for the ballet "The Lady and the Fool". He also arranged a suite from John Ireland's score for the 1946 film "The Overlanders", after Ireland's death in 1962. He became principal
The Enchanted Forest (ballet) also the composer and conductor Riccardo Drigo's first complete score for a full-length ballet after having been appointed to the dual position of director of music and "Kapellmeister" to the Imperial Ballet, as well as principal conductor of ballet and Italian opera performances at the Mariinsky Theatre. The first student performances of "La Forêt enchantée" featured the graduate Alexandra Vinogradova in the principal role of Valeria. "La Forêt enchantée" was soon transferred to the repertory of the Imperial Ballet. Revisions were made to the ballet, among them was the changing of the name of the ballerina's character from Valeria to