Red Wine In Green Glass was first created as a pas de deux for television and for the stage and was later incorporated into Birgit Cullberg’s first full evening ballet titled Bellman (1971). It is a pastorale about Carl Michael Bellman and Ulla Vinblad. Cullberg was inspired by Bellman’s ability to lift up the poor and destitute in his poetry. In an interview with Svenska Dagbladet before the premiere, Cullberg said: “I love his humor and his tenderness towards downtrodden people, especially in his portrayal of women.” (Erik Näslund, Birgit Cullberg, p. 254). It was an attempt to create in terms of movement what Bellman was doing with his poetry. In the pas de deux The red wine in green glasses, Bellman’s erotic intoxication is depicted together with his beloved (illusion) Ulla Winbladh.
As a full length ballet Bellman was considered by many to be Birgit Cullberg’s least successful work. It was integrated duet Red Wine In Green Glass that stood for the high point of Bellman. “The erotic intoxication that flowed there was of a genuine Cullberg signature.” (Erik Näslund, Birgit Cullberg, p. 255) In the television version of the pas de deux, there are clear references to sexual positions, a device that Cullberg used in other works as well.
The TV version of Red Wine In Green Glass was made with the chroma key technology (also known as green screen). This meant that the background images were taken with one camera and images of the dancers with another. When you combined the images, it created the effect that the dancers were floating on top of or inside an image or environment. Cullberg was one of the first choreographers to extensively use technology for aesthetic purposes and throughout her career she was positive about the potential of technology in art. In Red Wine In Green Glass, inspired by Bellman, Cullberg use paintings by Antoine Watteau, Jean-Honoré Fragonard and William Turner that suited the pastorale well. Music was by Beethoven.
Niklas Ek danced Bellman and Mona Elgh the role of Ulla Winbladh. The ballet was a great success and Cullberg was awarded several prizes, including the Prix Italia.