Concerto Barocco

Last updated
Concerto Barocco
Concerto Barocco, choreografia George Balanchine, Polski Balet Narodowy, fot. Ewa Krasucka TW-ON.jpg
Polish National Ballet dancers in Concerto Barocco
Choreographer George Balanchine
Music Johann Sebastian Bach
PremiereJune 27, 1941 (1941-06-27)
Teatro Municipal
Original ballet company American Ballet Caravan
Design Eugene Berman
Created for Marie-Jeanne
Mary Jane Shea
William Dollar
Genre neoclassical ballet

Concerto Barocco is a neoclassical ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to Bach's Concerto for Two Violins. Danced by a cast of eleven, the ballet is completely plotless, and according to Balanchine, "has no "subject matter" beyond the score which it is danced and the particular dancers who execute it". [1] The ballet was made for the American Ballet Caravan's 1941 South American tour, and premiered on June 27, 1941, at Teatro Municipal, Rio de Janeiro. The ballet has entered the repertories of many ballet companies, including Balanchine's New York City Ballet.

Contents

Choreography

Concerto Barocco is plotless, and is danced by two principal women, a principal man, and a corps de ballet of eight women. Each of the principal woman dances to one of the violin lines, while the corps dances to the orchestra. [2] The first and third movements featured all ten women, while the second movement is danced by a principal ballerina, the sole man and the corps. [3] One of the principal ballerinas is only absent from the stage in a few instances, while the corps is on stage for the entirety of the ballet. [2] [4] : 132 

In his book Balanchine's Complete Stories of the Great Ballets, Balanchine wrote, [1]

The only preparation possible for this ballet is a knowledge of its music, for Concerto Barocco has no "subject matter" beyond the score which it is danced and the particular dancers who execute it. Set to Bach's Concerto in D minor for Two Violins, the ballet tries to interest the audience only by its dancing, its treatment of the ballet, just as Baroque art and architecture interested people not because of their subject but because of the decorative treatment that embellished those subjects.

In the original choreography, Balanchine incorporated elements of jazz dance. [5] Ballet master John Taras described, "Full of odd hips, odd turned-in things... All the dances have syncopation that lies under the Bach score." [6] : 197  Suki Schorer, who had danced one of the lead roles, commented, [7]

More difficult in precision in technique is exactitude in timing – the syncopation. [Balanchine] works for hours to get that right. It's as though an ounce makes all the difference. And for all its refinement, he likes it "jazzy". There's one place where the corps almost does the Charleston on pointe. In some of my most brisk and classical movements, he kept saying, "Make it jazzy. Lead with the hip."

Over the years, the choreography was altered, sometimes intentionally by Balanchine and sometimes unintentionally when other dancers took on the roles. For example, a jeté in the second movement was removed due to a dancer's bad knee. [6] : 197, 332  [8] The tempo of the ballet was also changed. Parts of the ballet were danced at a slower speed than intended, while others were faster. [8] Marie-Jeanne, the lead ballerina in the original cast, wrote in 1991, "[Balanchine] changed Barocco musically, making it fit the beat. Today's dancers do it slower; they do two beats what we did on one beat. So it's much easier today. It doesn't have the sharpness, and it doesn't have the flow of the adagio." [6] : 173  The jazziness in the original choreography was also gone. [6] : 197  Taras commented: "Barocco has become rather a tepid, bland classical work now ... And now it's rather romantic, and lyrical. It became diluted." [6] : 197 

Development

Balanchine had listened to Bach's Concerto for Two Violins for some years, often a recording by Orchestre symphonique de Paris, conductor Pierre Monteux and violinists Yehudi Menuhin and George Enescu. [5] According to Nathan Milstein, a violinist and friend of Balanchine, the choreographer was interested in Bach for "the mathematical precision of his music and, at the same time, its pure emotional and unfeigned staining for God." [3] In 1936, impresario Lincoln Kirstein urged Balanchine to choreograph a ballet using the concerto for Paul Draper, a tap dancer and son of his friend Muriel Draper. The project did not materialise but gave Balanchine the idea of incorporating American jazz and tap dance techniques and rhythm into the Bach score. [5] Balanchine, who was interested in jazz and African American culture, learned the counting, timing and phrasing techniques in jazz dance through his works with black dancers, including Katherine Dunham, Josephine Baker, Buddy Bradley and the Nicholas Brothers, during the 1930s. [5] [9]

In spring 1941, Balanchine began choreographing Concerto Barocco as an exercise for "stage practice", a course Balanchine taught to advanced students at the School of American Ballet. [5] He choreographed the ballet with the Orchestre symphonique de Paris recording, but was also inspired by a syncopated arrangement of the concerto by jazz pianist Hazel Scott. [8]

Also in 1941, Kirstein was invited by his friend Nelson Rockefeller to organise a dance tour across South America subsidised by the US government. Rockefeller, who was appointed Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and given a budget to build cultural and financial relations in South America amid World War II. [4] : 128–129  [5] Kirstein said he "was given a check which seemed so large that I was as scared as if I had stolen it." [10] Kirstein and Balanchine then hurriedly formed the American Ballet Caravan, with dancers from their two previous troupes, American Ballet and Ballet Caravan, most of whom had trained at the School of American Ballet under Balanchine. Concerto Barocco was thus set to premiere at the South American tour. [4] : 128–129  [5] Marie-Jeanne, Mary Jane Shea and William Dollar were chosen to dance the three lead roles. [5] Balanchine's then-wife Vera Zorina was set to dance one of the lead roles, but she ultimately did not join the American Ballet Caravan. [6] : 173 

The original costumes and sets were designed by Eugene Berman, with a backdrop featuring arches and water and costumes with rubberised fabric, leaves and netting. [5] In the 1945 staging by Ballet Russe de Monte-Carlo, Berman believed the sets were not properly constructed and refused to let the troupe to use his designs. Instead, the dancers were dressed in black practice clothes, an innovative move that would later become a common practice in dance. [5] [2] The 1948 staging at the New York City Ballet featured the Berman designs again. [11] Beginning in 1951, the Berman designs were again dropped from the ballet and replaced by black practice clothes. [7] From 1963 onwards, the women are dressed in white leotards and skirts, and the sole man in a white shirt and black tights. The stripped-down production also features a blue cyclorama. [2]

In his will, Balanchine bequeathed American and media rights to Concerto Barocco to Kirstein. [4] : 317–318  In 1996, Marie-Jeanne took part in a videotaped session in which she coached students of the School of American Ballet to dance Concerto Barocco in its original form. Other participants of the session include former dancer and teacher Suki Schorer, dancer Merrill Ashley, ballet master John Taras and dance historian Nancy Reynolds. [8]

Performances

Concerto Barocco had a preview performance on May 29, 1941, at the Little Theater of Hunter College, New York. The ballet then officially premiered on June 27, 1941, at Teatro Municipal, Rio de Janeiro. [2] American Ballet Caravan performed in nine countries, and the tour ended in October, after which the troupe disbanded. [12]

Concerto Barocco was performed in New York in 1943 by the American Concert Ballet, a short-lived troupe consisted of Balanchine dancers, led by Dollar, Shea and Todd Bolender. [7] In 1945, Ballet Russe de Monte-Carlo, where Balanchine served as resident choreographer, performed the ballet. In 1948, the ballet was performed at the first performance by the New York City Ballet, co-founded by Balanchine and Kirstein, with a cast led by Marie-Jeanne, Ruth Gilbert and Francisco Moncion. [7] [11] It has remained in the company's repertory ever since. [9]

Concerto Barocco is one of Balanchine's most performed works, having entered the repertories of many ballet companies across the US and internationally. [2] By 2020, it was staged nearly 200 times. [9] Other ballet companies that had performed the ballet include San Francisco Ballet, [6] : 456  Royal Danish Ballet, [13] National Ballet of Canada, [14] Washington Ballet, [15] Paris Opera Ballet, [4] : 228  Boston Ballet, [16] Philadelphia Ballet, [17] Ballet West, [18] Royal Winnipeg Ballet, [19] Dance Theatre of Harlem, [20] Cincinnati Ballet, [21] Los Angeles Ballet, [22] Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, [23] Birmingham Royal Ballet, [24] Pacific Northwest Ballet, [25] Atlanta Ballet, [26] Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, [27] Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, [28] Cape Town City Ballet, [29] and New Jersey Ballet. [30]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Balanchine</span> Georgian-American ballet choreographer (1904–1983)

George Balanchine was an American ballet choreographer of Georgian origin, recognized as one of the most influential choreographers of the 20th-century. Styled as the father of American ballet, he co-founded the New York City Ballet and remained its artistic director for more than 35 years. His choreography is characterized by plotless ballets with minimal costume and décor, performed to classical and neoclassical music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New York City Ballet</span> American ballet company

New York City Ballet (NYCB) is a ballet company founded in 1948 by choreographer George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein. Balanchine and Jerome Robbins are considered the founding choreographers of the company. Léon Barzin was the company's first music director. City Ballet grew out of earlier troupes: the Producing Company of the School of American Ballet, 1934; the American Ballet, 1935, and Ballet Caravan, 1936, which merged into American Ballet Caravan, 1941; and directly from the Ballet Society, 1946.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neoclassical ballet</span>

Neoclassical ballet is the style of 20th-century classical ballet exemplified by the works of George Balanchine. The term "neoclassical ballet" appears in the 1920s with Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, in response to the excesses of romanticism and post-romantic modernism. It draws on the advanced technique of 19th-century Russian Imperial dance, but strips it of its detailed narrative and heavy theatrical setting while retaining many key techniques, such as pointe technique.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darci Kistler</span> American ballerina (born 1964)

Darci Kistler is an American ballerina. She is often said to be the last muse for choreographer George Balanchine.

Baby ballerinas is a term invented by the English writer and dance critic Arnold Haskell to describe three young dancers of the Ballets Russes de Monte-Carlo in the early 1930s: Irina Baronova (1919–2008), Tamara Toumanova (1919–1996), and Tatiana Riabouchinska (1917–2000).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ballet Russe de Monte-Carlo</span>

The company Ballets Russes de Monte-Carlo was formed in 1932 after the death of Sergei Diaghilev and the demise of Ballets Russes. Its director was Wassily de Basil, and its artistic director was René Blum. They fell out in 1936 and the company split. The part which de Basil retained went through two name changes before becoming the Original Ballet Russe. Blum founded Les Ballets de Monte Carlo, which changed its name to Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo when Léonide Massine became artistic director in 1938. It operated under this name until it disbanded some 20 years later.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicholas Magallanes</span> Mexican-American ballet dancer

Nicholas Magallanes was a Mexican-born American principal dancer and charter member of the New York City Ballet. Along with Francisco Moncion, Maria Tallchief, and Tanaquil Le Clercq, Magallanes was among the core group of dancers with which George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein formed Ballet Society, the immediate predecessor of the New York City Ballet.

Lewellyn Farr Christensen was a ballet dancer, choreographer and director for many companies. He was largely associated with George Balanchine and the San Francisco Ballet, which he directed from 1952–1984. Other companies Christensen was a part of include Ballet Caravan, directed by Lincoln Kirstein, and Ballet Society, directed by Kirstein and Balanchine.

Tschaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2, also titled Ballet Imperial, is a ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 2. Ballet Imperial was choreographed for American Ballet Caravan's 1941 South American tour, and was aimed at showing that the Americans were capable of the classical ballet traditions. The ballet pays tribute to Tchaikovsky, the classical ballet choreographer Marius Petipa, and Imperial Saint Petersburg, where Balanchine received his ballet training. The ballet featured academic steps and alludes to Imperial Russia through the costumes and scenery. Ballet Imperial premiered on June 25, 1941, at Teatro Municipal, Rio de Janeiro.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Dollar</span> American dancer, ballet master, choreographer and teacher

William Dollar was an American dancer, ballet master, choreographer, and teacher. As one of the first American danseurs nobles, he performed with numerous companies, including the Philadelphia Opera Ballet, the American Ballet, Ballet Caravan, Ballet Society, Ballet Theatre, and New York City Ballet.

Alfonso Catá was a Cuban ballet dancer, choreographer, teacher, and company director, active in the United States, Switzerland, Germany, and France.

<i>Allegro Brillante</i> Ballet by George Balanchine

Allegro Brillante is a ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 3. The ballet is danced by a principal couple and a corps de ballet of eight. Balanchine said it "contains everything I knew about classical ballet." Allegro Brillante was made for the New York City Ballet, and premiered on March 1, 1956, at the City Center of Music and Drama, with Maria Tallchief and Nicholas Magallanes originating the two principal roles.

Yvonne Mounsey was a South African-American ballet dancer and teacher. Described as "a dancer of glamour, wit, and striking presence," she spent ten years with the New York City Ballet (1949–1959), where she created important roles in the works of George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Francisco Moncion</span> Dominican-American ballet dancer

Francisco Moncion was a charter member of the New York City Ballet. Over the course of his long career, spanning some forty years, he created roles in major works by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, and others. He was also a choreographer himself and a talented amateur painter.

Marie-Jeanne Godwin was an American ballet dancer. She was one of the first students of George Balanchine's School of American Ballet. Her dance career started at the Ballet Caravan in 1937, followed by stints at Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, American Ballet Caravan, Ballet International and Ballet Society, before becoming a founding member of the New York City Ballet, where she danced for one season. She then joined Grand Ballet du Marquis de Cuevas, before briefly returning to the New York City Ballet in 1953, and retired in 1954. She was associated with Balanchine throughout her career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruthanna Boris</span> American ballerina (1919–2007)

Ruthanna Boris was the first American Ballerina to star with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo troupes of the 1940s. She was born in Brooklyn. She was among the first students at George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein’s School of American Ballet when it opened in 1934. As a choreographer her ballets Cirque de Deux and Cakewalk, are often revived. She died in El Cerrito, California and her papers are held at Houghton Library, Harvard University.

Stephanie Renee Dabney was an American dancer who performed as a prima ballerina with Dance Theatre of Harlem from 1979 through 1994. Dabney is best known for her performances in John Taras' The Firebird, which she performed all over the world, as well as at the opening ceremony of the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary Ellen Moylan</span> American ballet dancer (1925–2020)

Mary Ellen Moylan was an American ballet dancer. She was one of the first students of George Balanchine's School of American Ballet, and made her New York stage debut in 1942. She had danced with Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, Ballet Society, Ballet Theatre, Metropolitan Opera Ballet, and on Broadway. She was best known for performing Balanchine's works, and was described as "the first great Balanchine dancer". She retired from performing in 1957.

La Valse is a ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to Maurice Ravel's Valses Nobles et Sentimentales and La Valse. It premiered on February 20, 1951, at the City Center of Music and Drama, performed by the New York City Ballet. The ballet depicts dancers waltzing in a ballroom, during which a woman becomes attracted to a figure of death, and ultimately dies.

Divertimento No. 15 is a ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to Mozart's eponymous music. The ballet was made for the New York City Ballet. Balanchine first choreographed the score in 1952, for a ballet titled Caracole. In 1956, he planned to revive Caracole for a celebration of Mozart's bicentenary but made a new ballet to the same music instead. Divertimento No. 15 premiered on May 31, 1956, at the American Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford, Connecticut.

References

  1. 1 2 Balanchine, George; Mason, Francis (1977). Balanchine's Complete Stories of the Great Ballets. pp. 124–125. ISBN   9780385113816.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Adler, Reba Ann (1998). "Concerto Barocco". In Dorris, George E.; Cohen, Selma Jeanne (eds.). International Encyclopedia of Dance. ISBN   978-0-19-512308-1.
  3. 1 2 Anderson, Zoë (May 29, 2015). The Ballet Lover's Companion. pp. 134–135. ISBN   978-0-300-15429-0.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Buckle, Richard (1988). George Balanchine: Ballet Master: a Biography. ISBN   9780241121801.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Homans, Jennifer (November 2022). Mr. B: George Balanchine's 20th Century. p. 301-306. ISBN   9780812994308.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Mason, Francis (1991). I Remember Balanchine: Recollections of the Ballet Master by Those who Knew Him. ISBN   9780385266109.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Reynolds, Nancy (1977). Repertory in Review: 40 Years of the New York City Ballet. p. 66-68. ISBN   9780803773684.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Anderson, Jack (August 11, 1996). "Balanchine the Way Balanchine Intended It". The New York Times.
  9. 1 2 3 Yoo Leaman, Kara (2021). "Musical Techniques in Balanchine's Jazzy Bach Ballet". Journal of Music Theory. 65 (1): 139-169. doi:10.1215/00222909-9124762. S2CID   238028879.
  10. ↑ Kirstein, Lincoln (1978). Thirty Years: Lincoln Kirstein's The New York City Ballet : Expanded to Include the Years 1973–1978, in Celebration of the Company's Thirtieth Anniversary. p. 82. ISBN   9780394736150.
  11. 1 2 Martin, John (October 12, 1948). "City Ballet Group In First Program; Works by Balanchine Offered by Unit as Series of Dance Performances Begins". The New York Times.
  12. ↑ Finkel, Anita (1998). "Ballet Caravan". In Dorris, George E.; Cohen, Selma Jeanne (eds.). International Encyclopedia of Dance. ISBN   978-0-19-512308-1.
  13. ↑ Aschengreen, Erik (1995). "The Royal Danish Ballet Season of 1954-1955". Dance Chronicle. 18 (3): 419–426. doi:10.1080/01472529508569215. JSTOR   156783.
  14. ↑ "Repertoire List"1960-1969". National Ballet of Canada. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
  15. ↑ Tomalonis, Alexandra (April 25, 1985). "Ballet in the Rough". Washington Post.
  16. ↑ Hang, Sang-hee (August 31, 2008). "Boston Ballets Energizing Performance". Korea Times.
  17. ↑ "Concerto Barocco". Philadelphia Ballet. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
  18. ↑ Myers, Chris (November 9, 2022). "Ballet West's Rodeo underscores alchemy of good artistic programming for profoundly moving evening". Utah Review.
  19. ↑ "Review: Dance: Royal Winnipeg Ballet Peacock Theatre, London WC1: The Nun saves the oompah band". The Independent. October 16, 1997.
  20. ↑ Anderson, Jack (October 16, 1984). "Dance: Dance Theater of Harlem". The New York Times.
  21. ↑ Lyman, David (March 7, 2014). "Ballet at 50: 10 memorable performances". Cincinnati Enquirer.
  22. ↑ "Repertoire". Los Angeles Ballet. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
  23. ↑ Kisselgoff, Anna (February 9, 1981). "Dance: Ballet Canadiens". The New York Times.
  24. ↑ Parry, Jann (March 11, 2001). "Revival of the fittest". The Observer.
  25. ↑ Harss, Marina (February 15, 2013). "Pacific Northwest Ballet – Concerto Barocco, Apollo, Agon – New York". DanceTabs.
  26. ↑ Anderson, Jack (February 8, 1986). "Dance: Atlanta Ballet In New York". The New York Times.
  27. ↑ "Concerto Barocco". Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
  28. ↑ "Concerto Barocco". Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
  29. ↑ Kruger, Lindsay (November 8, 2021). "Review: Alchemy - Cape Town City Ballet Astounds with Energetic Triple Bill". BroadwayWorld.
  30. ↑ Gilford, Barbara (June 23, 1991). "Dance; Where Ballet Meets Jazz and Flamenco". The New York Times.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.