Tschaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2 (ballet)

Last updated

Tschaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2
Choreographer George Balanchine
Music Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
PremiereJune 25, 1941 (1941-06-25)
Teatro Municipal
Original ballet company American Ballet Caravan
Design Mstislav Dobuzhinsky
Created for Marie-Jeanne
Gisella Caccialanza
William Dollar

Tschaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2, [lower-alpha 1] 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 allude to Imperial Russia through the costumes and scenery. Ballet Imperial premiered on June 25, 1941, at Teatro Municipal, Rio de Janeiro.

Contents

In 1973, Balanchine, believing the audience no longer needed elaborate costumes and scenery to understand a ballet, removed all allusions to Imperial Russia and renamed it Tschaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2, with the ballet now standing in relation to the music alone. The ballet had been performed by several ballet companies, including Balanchine's New York City Ballet, though some troupes still perform the ballet as Ballet Imperial.

Development

Ballet Imperial

In 1941, impresario Lincoln Kirstein was invited by his friend Nelson Rockefeller to organize a dance tour across South America subsidized by the US government. Rockefeller, who was appointed Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, was given a budget to build cultural and financial relations in South America amid World War II. [2] : 128–129  [3] Kirstein said he "was given a check which seemed so large that I was as scared as if I had stolen it." [4] Kirstein brought in choreographer George Balanchine, and the two hurriedly formed the American Ballet Caravan, with dancers from their two previous troupes, American Ballet and Ballet Caravan. Most of the dancers had trained at the School of American Ballet under Balanchine. [2] : 128–129  [3]

Balanchine and Kirstein decided to present a work to show that Americans are capable of the classical ballet traditions. However, instead of reviving a classic such as Swan Lake or The Sleeping Beauty , Balanchine decided to choreograph a new work that would revitalize the classical tradition, using the vocabulary of Marius Petipa, "the father of the classic ballet." [2] : 129  [5] [6] He also decided to make the ballet plotless to allow more time for dancing. [2] : 129  Balanchine decided to use Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 2, the version abridged by Alexander Siloti. [3] Though Petipa and Tchaikovsky had worked together, Petipa would not have used this type of music for dance as it was symphonic, not divided by numbers. [2] : 129 

The original costumes and set were designed by Mstislav Dobuzhinsky. The backdrop showed a view of Neva river from the Winter Palace. The women are dressed in tutus, with the lead ballerina wearing a crown. [7] Balanchine donated the Dobuzhinsky designs to the Museum of Modern Art, to help wartime arts programs in army camps. [3] Ballet Imperial had subsequently been redesigned many times, by designers such as Eugene Berman, Carl Toms, Rouben Ter-Arutunian and Karinska, all inspired by Imperial Russia. [1] [8]

Tschaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2

In 1973, Balanchine stripped all allusions to Imperial Russia in the ballet and renamed it Tschaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2, with the ballet standing only in relation to the music. [1] [5] Balanchine also removed the mime passage in the ballet. [6] In his 1977 book Balanchine's Complete Stories of the Great Ballets, he explained the changes, [6]

I made these changes because the times have changed since the ballet was first done. Our audiences these days don't require elaborate costumes and decoration [ sic ] in a ballet, and rightly so. We see dancing better than we used to and prefer to see it directly, unencumbered. The music and the dancing themselves are enough here, I hope, to form illusions that scenery and costumes only made specific.

Tschaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2 was first staged at the New York City Ballet, and was danced before a plain cyclorama. Karinska redesigned the costumes, with the women in mid-calf chiffon dresses rather than tutus. [5] The costumes were redesigned several times throughout the years. [1]

Choreography

Ballet Imperial pays tribute to Petipa, Tchaikovsky and imperial Saint Petersburg, where Balanchine received his ballet training. [3] [6] Tschaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2, with no allusions to Imperial Russia, [5] is "a work that alludes only to its Romantic, evocative score through powerful kinetic expressiveness," as described in the International Encyclopedia of Dance by Reba Ann Adler. [8]

Balanchine described, "It is a dance ballet and has no story." [6] The choreography features academic steps inspired by Petipa. [2] : 129  The ballet is danced by two principal ballerinas, a partner for the first ballerina, two men supporting the second ballerina, two female demi-soloists and a corps de ballet. [2] : 130  The first ballerina role, originated by Marie-Jeanne, is considered one of the most difficult roles among Balanchine's works. [7] The role of her partner, however, is more subdued, serving mostly as a supporter for the lead ballerina. [5] In Ballet Imperial, he performs a mime passage. [6] The second ballerina role was created because it would be impossible for one ballerina to dance to all the cadenza. [2] : 130  Though corps de ballet in Petipa's days were merely background to the soloists, the corps in Ballet Imperial are active participants that dances challenging choreography like the principal dancers. [2] : 129 

Original cast

The dancers who originated the five lead roles in Ballet Imperial are: [5]

Performances

Ballet Imperial had a preview performance on May 29, 1941, at the Little Theater of Hunter College, New York. The ballet then officially premiered on June 25, 1941, at Teatro Municipal, Rio de Janeiro, during the first performance of the tour. [2] : 131  [8] American Ballet Caravan performed in nine countries, and the tour ended in October, after which the troupe disbanded. [9]

In 1942, Ballet Imperial was performed at the New Opera, with a cast led by Mary Ellen Moylan, Dollar and Caccialanza. [5] In 1945, Ballet Russe de Monte-Carlo, where Balanchine was a resident choreographer, performed the ballet. The first cast featured Moylan, Maria Tallchief and Nicholas Magallanes. [6] In 1950, the Sadler's Wells Ballet (now the Royal Ballet) debuted the ballet with Margot Fonteyn, Michael Somes and Beryl Grey in the lead roles. [8] La Scala Theatre Ballet first performed the ballet in 1952. [6]

New York City Ballet, founded by Balanchine and Kirstein, first danced Ballet Imperial in 1964, staged by Frederic Franklin, with Suzanne Farrell, Jacques d'Amboise, Patricia Neary, Frank Ohman and Earle Sieveling in the leading roles. [5] The premiere of Tschaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2 in 1973, also by the New York City Ballet featured a cast led by Patricia McBride, Peter Martins, Colleen Neary, Tracy Bennett and Victor Castelli. [8]

After Balanchine's death in 1983, several ballet companies, including the Royal Ballet, began performing the ballet under the title Ballet Imperial and with the Imperial Russian grandeur again. Some troupes that acquired the ballet after Balanchine's death also opted to dance Ballet Imperial. [1]

Other ballet companies that had danced Ballet Imperial or Tschaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2 include the Paris Opera Ballet, [10] Mariinsky Ballet, [7] American Ballet Theatre, Australian Ballet, [11] Miami City Ballet, [1] Boston Ballet, [12] Houston Ballet, [13] Pacific Northwest Ballet, [14] Finnish National Ballet, [15] Los Angeles Ballet, [16] and Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. [17]

Notes

  1. ↑ Balanchine spelled the last name of the composer as "Tschaikovsky" rather than "Tchaikovsky", as the composer used the "Tschaikovsky" spelling during a visit to New York. [1]

Related Research Articles

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

George Balanchine was a Georgian American ballet choreographer, 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">Violette Verdy</span> French ballet dancer, choreographer, and professor

Violette Verdy was a French ballerina, choreographer, teacher, and writer who worked as a dance company director with the Paris Opera Ballet in France and the Boston Ballet in the United States. From 1958 to 1977 she was a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet where she performed in the world premieres of several works created specifically for her by choreographers George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins. She was Distinguished Professor of Music (Ballet) at the Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University, in Bloomington, and the recipient of two medals from the French government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barbara Karinska</span>

Varvara Jmoudsky, better known as Barbara Karinska or simply Karinska, was the Oscar-winning costumier of cinema, ballet, musical and dramatic theatre, lyric opera and ice spectacles. Over her 50 year career, that began at age 41, Karinska earned legendary status time and again through her continuing collaborations with stage designers including Christian Bérard, André Derain, Irene Sharaff, Raoul Pêne du Bois and Cecil Beaton; performer-producers Louis Jouvet and Sonja Henie; ballet producers René Blum, Colonel de Basil and Serge Denham. Her longest and most renown collaboration was with choreographer George Balanchine for more than seventy ballets — the first known to be “The Celebrated Popoff Porcelain,” a one act ballet for Nikita Balieff's 1929 La Chauve-Souris with music by Tchaikovsky for which Karinska executed the costumes design by Sergey Tchekhonin. She began to design costumes for Balanchine ballets in 1949 with Emmanuel Chabrier's “Bourrèe Fantasque,” for the newly founded New York City Ballet. Their final collaboration was the 1977 "Vienna Waltzes.” Balanchine and Karinska together developed the American tutu ballet costume[9] which became an international costume standard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sergeyev Collection</span>

The Sergeyev Collection is a collection of choreographic notation, musical materials, designs for décor and costumes, theatre programs, photos and other items that document the repertory of the Imperial Ballet of St. Petersburg, Russia at the turn of the 20th century. The majority of the choreographic notations document the original works and revivals of the choreographer Marius Petipa, who served as Premier Maître de ballet of the St. Petersburg Imperial Theatres. The collection also documents a few ballets by Lev Ivanov, who served as second Maître de ballet. Also included in the collection are choreographic notations documenting the choreography for the dances of various operas by both Petipa and Ivanov, respectively.

<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.

<i>Theme and Variations</i> (ballet) Ballet by George Balanchine

Theme and Variations is a ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to the final movement of Tchaikovsky's Orchestral Suite No. 3. The ballet was made for Ballet Theatre, and premiered on November 26, 1947, at the City Center 55 Street Theater, with the two leads danced by Alicia Alonso and Igor Youskevitch.

<i>Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux</i> Ballet by George Balanchine

Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux is a ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to a composition by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky originally intended for act 3 of Swan Lake. With costumes by Barbara Karinska and lighting by Jack Owen Brown, it was first presented by New York City Ballet at the City Center of Music and Drama, New York, on 29 March 1960. Robert Irving conducted the New York City Ballet Orchestra. The dancers were Violette Verdy and Conrad Ludlow.

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.

Mozartiana is a ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to Tchaikovsky's Orchestral Suite No. 4, Mozartiana. The current version of the ballet was made for New York City Ballet's Tchaikovsky Festival, and premiered on June 4, 1981, at the New York State Theater. It is considered Balanchine's last major work.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Dollar</span>

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.

Liebeslieder Walzer is a two-part neoclassical ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to Johannes Brahms' Liebeslieder Waltzes, Op. 52 and Neue Liebeslieder, Op. 65, with original sets and lighting designed by David Hays, and costumes designed by Barbara Karinska. The ballet premiered on 12 November 1960 at the New York City Center, performed by the New York City Ballet.

<i>Concerto Barocco</i> Ballet by George Balanchine

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". 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.

<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.

<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.

Gisella Caccialanza was an American prima ballerina and teacher who danced in theater, opera and film productions. She studied ballet under Italian teacher Giovanni Rosi, and then with ballet dancer Enrico Cecchetti at La Scala in Milan, Italy. Caccialanza danced with Viennese choreographer Albertina Rasch, the School of American Ballet, the New Opera Company, and the San Francisco Ballet, with which she later taught and coached.

<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.

Maria Calegari is an American ballet dancer, teacher and répétiteur. She joined the New York City Ballet in 1974 and became a principal dancer in 1983. She left the company in 1994, then occasionally performed until 2004. She also teaches ballet and began working as a répétiteur for the Balanchine Trust and Robbins Rights Trust in 1996 and 2003 respectively.

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.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Macaulay, Alastair. "On Change in Balanchine: "Ballet Imperial" and "Tschaikovsky Piano Concerto no 2."".
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Buckle, Richard (1988). George Balanchine: Ballet Master : a Biography. ISBN   9780241121801.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Homans, Jennifer (November 2022). Mr. B: George Balanchine's 20th Century. p. 305-308. ISBN   9780812994308.
  4. ↑ 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.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Reynolds, Nancy (1977). Repertory in Review: 40 Years of the New York City Ballet. p. 64-66. ISBN   9780803773684.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Balanchine, George; Mason, Francis (1977). Balanchine's Complete Stories of the Great Ballets. pp. 48–51. ISBN   9780385113816.
  7. 1 2 3 Anderson, Zoë (May 29, 2015). The Ballet Lover's Companion. pp. 132–134. ISBN   978-0-300-15429-0.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Adler, Reba Ann (1998). "Ballet Imperial". In Dorris, George E.; Cohen, Selma Jeanne (eds.). International Encyclopedia of Dance. ISBN   978-0-19-512308-1.
  9. ↑ Finkel, Anita (1998). "Ballet Caravan". In Dorris, George E.; Cohen, Selma Jeanne (eds.). International Encyclopedia of Dance. ISBN   978-0-19-512308-1.
  10. ↑ "Paris Opera Ballet names New Zealand dancer among two new stars". France24. March 3, 2023.
  11. ↑ Craine, Debra; Mackrell, Judith (August 19, 2010). The Oxford Dictionary of Dance. p. 39. ISBN   978-0199563449.
  12. ↑ DeFord, Carla (May 30, 2019). "Rhapsody at Boston Ballet: World Premiere Plus". CriticalDance.
  13. ↑ "Journey with the Masters". Houston Ballet. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  14. ↑ "Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky". Pacific Northwest Ballet. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  15. ↑ "Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2". Encore. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  16. ↑ "Repertoire". Los Angeles Ballet. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  17. ↑ "Ballet Imperial". Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
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.