| Duo Concertant | |
|---|---|
| Choreographer | George Balanchine |
| Music | Igor Stravinsky |
| Premiere | June 22, 1972 New York State Theater |
| Original ballet company | New York City Ballet |
| Created for | Kay Mazzo Peter Martins |
| Genre | Neoclassical ballet |
Duo Concertant is a ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to Stravinsky's score of the same name. The ballet was created for New York City Ballet's Stravinsky Festival, a tribute to the composer a year after his death, and premiered on June 22, 1972, at the New York State Theater, danced by Kay Mazzo and Peter Martins.
Duo Concertant is danced by a man and a woman, alongside a pianist and a violinist, both onstage. [1] Kay Mazzo, an original cast member of Duo Concertant, said, "In Duo Concertant Peter Martins and I just did the same thing over and over. Balanchine said that's what the music does." [2]
In the first of five movements, Cantilena, the dancers simply stand and listen to the music. According to Mazzo, Balanchine told her, "Now we're going to have them listen." [3] : 279–280 In the next movement, the first Eclogue, [3] : 280 the two dancers, as New York Times critic Anna Kisselgoff described, "start dancing as if the music impels them to do so." [1] Commenting on this movement of the ballet, dance critic Richard Buckle wrote, "The two dancers experiment." [3] : 280 The pair retreat to the piano when the second Eclogue begins, he then "leads her to a pas de deux." This is followed by the Gigue, which Buckle described, "They dance both alone and together." [3]
There is a blackout before the final movement, Dithyrambe. This movement is performed under a spotlight. [3] : 281 Kisselgoff analysed, "the woman seemingly represents a muse. She and the man cannot find each other at first but finally she remains rooted to the spot as he kneels at her feet: the lover before his feminine ideal, the cavalier before the ballerina, Balanchine's artistic ideal." [1] Mazzo was stunned by the emotional ending, "It was quite unusual for [Balanchine] in his Stravinsky ballets." [3] : 280
Stravinsky and Balanchine collaborated for many years until the former's death in 1971. The latter then decided to have the New York City Ballet hold the week-long Stravinsky Festival to honor the composer. [3] : 266–267 [4] There were at least 20 premieres, [4] seven of which were choreographed by Balanchine. [5] : 317
Duo Concertant was made on Kay Mazzo and Peter Martins. [2] The festival marked the first time Balanchine choreographed on Martins, who in addition to Duo Concertant, also created a role in Stravinsky Violin Concerto . [5] : 350 Rehearsals started on April 11, 1972, and according to author Nancy Goldner, it was given fourteen hours. Mazzo, however, felt it was not complete until the last minute. [3] : 279 The dress rehearsal was held on the morning of the premiere. Balanchine did not tell the dancers he planned to have a blackout before the fifth movement until that rehearsal. [3] : 280
Prior to Balanchine's death, he gave the rights of Duo Concertant to Mazzo. [3] : 317
Duo Concertant premiered on June 22, 1972, at the New York State Theater. [6] Other ballet companies that have performed the ballet include The Royal Ballet, [7] American Ballet Theatre, [8] Boston Ballet, [9] Birmingham Royal Ballet, [10] Pacific Northwest Ballet [11] and the Suzanne Farrell Ballet. [12]
In 1975, Mazzo and Martins reprised their roles in Duo Concertant for the PBS Great Performances program "Three by Balanchine with the New York City Ballet." [13]
In 2004, Duo Concertant was filmed for a PBS Live from Lincoln Center broadcast performance, this time for Balanchine's centenary celebration, with dancers Yvonne Borree and Peter Boal, violinist Cho-liang Lin and pianist Cameron Grant. [14]
In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the New York City Ballet released a 2019 archival recording of Duo Concertant online, featuring dancers Megan Fairchild and Anthony Huxley, violinist Arturo Delmoni and pianist Elaine Chelton. [15]
In 2021, for New York City Ballet's first virtual gala, an excerpt of Duo Concertant, danced by Ashley Bouder and Russell Janzen, was featured in a film made by Sofia Coppola. [16]