A Dance to the Music of Time


A Dance to the Music of Time is a 12-volume roman-fleuve by Anthony Powell, published between 1951 and 1975 to critical acclaim. The story is an often comic examination of movements and manners, power and passivity in English political, cultural and military life in the mid-20th century. The books were inspired by the painting of the same name by Nicolas Poussin.
The sequence is narrated by Nick Jenkins. At the beginning of the first volume, Nick falls into a reverie while watching snow descending on a coal brazier. This reminds him of "the ancient world—legionaries mountain altars centaurs ". These classical projections introduce the account of his schooldays, which opens A Question of Upbringing.
Over the course of the following volumes, he recalls the people he met over the previous half a century and the events, often small, that reveal their characters. Jenkins's personality is unfolded slowly, and often elliptically, over the course of the novels.
Time magazine included the novel in its TIME 100 Best English-language Novels from 1923 to 2005. The editors of Modern Library ranked the work as 43rd-greatest English-language novel of the 20th century. The BBC ranked the novel 36th on its list of the 100 greatest British novels.

Inspiration

Jenkins reflects on the Poussin painting in the first two pages of A Question of Upbringing:
These classical projections, and something from the fire, suddenly suggested Poussin's scene in which the Seasons, hand in hand and facing outward, tread in rhythm to the notes of the lyre that the winged and naked greybeard plays. The image of Time brought thoughts of mortality: of human beings, facing outward like the Seasons, moving hand in hand in intricate measure, stepping slowly, methodically sometimes a trifle awkwardly, in evolutions that take recognisable shape: or breaking into seemingly meaningless gyrations, while partners disappear only to reappear again, once more giving pattern to the spectacle: unable to control the melody, unable, perhaps, to control the steps of the dance.

Poussin's painting is housed at the Wallace Collection in London.

Analysis

Published dates are those of the first UK publication. The narrative is rarely specific about the years in which events take place. Those below are suggested by Hilary Spurling in Invitation to the Dance – a Handbook to Anthony Powell's A Dance to the Music of Time.
OrderTitleStory timelinePublished
1A Question of Upbringing1921–19241951
2A Buyer's Market1928 or 19291952
3The Acceptance World1931–19331955
4At Lady Molly's19341957
5Casanova's Chinese Restaurant1928 or 1929, 1933–19371960
6The Kindly Ones1914, 1938–19391962
7The Valley of Bones19401964
8The Soldier's Art19411966
9The Military Philosophers1942–19451968
10Books Do Furnish a Room1945–19471971
11Temporary Kings1958–19591973
12Hearing Secret Harmonies1968–19711975

Principal characters

Adaptations

The cycle was adapted by Frederick Bradnum as a Classic Serial on BBC Radio 4.
In order to fit the material in, it was broadcast as four separate serials each based on a set of three books: the first three serials had six episodes, the last eight. The series were broadcast between 1979 and 1982. The cycle was adapted again as a six-part Classic Serial on BBC Radio 4 from 6 April to 11 May 2008, directed by John Taylor. The cycle was adapted as a four-part TV series by Anthony Powell and Hugh Whitemore for Channel 4 in 1997, directed by Christopher Morahan and Alvin Rakoff.
Character1997 TV series2008 radio drama1979 radio drama
NarratorCorin RedgraveNoel Johnson
Kenneth WidmerpoolSimon Russell BealeAnthony Hoskyns
Mark Heap		Brian Hewlett
Nicholas JenkinsJames Purefoy
John Standing		Tom McHugh
Alex Jennings		Gareth Johnson, Noel Johnson
Charles StringhamPaul RhysDavid Oakes
Timothy Watson		Simon Cadell
Peter TemplerJonathan CakeJolyon Coy
Ronan Vibert		Christopher Good
Jean TemplerClaire SkinnerEmma PowellJane Asher
OrnDag SoerlieChristopher Bidmead
LindquistChristian RubeckEric Allan
Prof. SilleryAlan BennettPaul BrookePreston Lockwood
J.G. QuigginAdrian ScarboroughJulian KerridgeGordon Dulleu
Gypsy JonesNicola WalkerEmma PowellSusan Sloman
Suzette
Barbara Goring		Abigail HollickJosie Kidd
ErridgeOsmund BullockJonathan KeebleAlexander John
MonaAnnabel MullionAbigail CruttendenTamara Ustinov
Lady Molly JeavonsSarah BadelHeather TracySian Phillips
Lady Isobel TollandEmma FieldingZoe WaitesElizabeth Proud