A Midsummer Night's Dream
The first act follows Shakespeare's familiar story of lovers and fairies. The second act is a classical wedding celebration, omitting Shakespeare's play-within-a-play finale.
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The first act follows Shakespeare's familiar story of lovers and fairies. The second act is a classical wedding celebration, omitting Shakespeare's play-within-a-play finale.
Agon is a 25-minute ballet for twelve dancers, with music by Igor Stravinsky and choreography by George Balanchine. It was recognized as a landmark at its premiere and has continued to be regarded as such ever since. The score was commissioned by the New York City Ballet. Stravinsky began composition in December 1953 but was interrupted the next year; he resumed work in 1956 and concluded on April 27, 1957. The music was premiered in Los Angeles at UCLA's Royce Hall on June 17, 1957, conducted by Robert Craft. Stravinsky himself conducted the sessions for the work's first recording the following day. Agon was first performed on stage by the City Ballet at the City Center of Music and Drama on November 27, 1957. The composition's long gestation period covers an interesting juncture in Stravinsky's composing career, in which he moved from a diatonic musical idiom to one based on twelve-tone technique; the score thus demonstrates a unique symbiosis of musical idioms. The work's title, agon, is a Greek word that means “contest," “protagonist," “anguish” or “struggle." The ballet has no story, but consists of a series of dance movements in which various groups of dancers interact in pairs, trios, quartets, etc. A number of the movements are based on 17th-century French court dances – saraband, galliard and bransle. Agon was immediately hailed as a groundbreaking triumph. John Martin in The New York Times described the choreography as "complex, ingenious and fantastically off the beaten path formally," and the music as "a marvelous piece of consistent construction." Edwin Denby, writing a short while after the premiere, reported that the work had been "given an enormous ovation last winter by the opening-night audience. The balcony stood up shouting and whistling when the choreographer took his bow. Downstairs, people came out into the lobby, their eyes bright as if the piece had been champagne. Marcel Duchamp, the painter, said he felt the way he had after the opening of Le Sacre. At later performances, Agon continued to be vehemently applauded." Alastair Macaulay, in a Times article marking the premiere's 50th anniversary, characterized the work as "astounding, full of shapes, phrases, rhythms, sounds that hadn't been encountered before but embodied New York modernism itself.... Arlene Croce, later dance critic of The New Yorker, said she did not sleep for a week." During the years since it was introduced, Agon has remained in the City Ballet repertoire, has been performed all over the world, and is regularly described using language such as "an instant classic," "Balanchine's 1957 masterpiece," and "one of the greatest of Balanchine's achievements."
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.
Apollo (originally Apollon musagète and variously known as Apollo musagetes, Apolo Musageta, and Apollo, Leader of the Muses) is a neoclassical ballet in two tableaux composed between 1927 and 1928 by Igor Stravinsky. It was choreographed in 1928 by twenty-four-year-old George Balanchine, with the composer contributing the libretto. The scenery and costumes were designed by André Bauchant, with new costumes by Coco Chanel in 1929. The scenery was executed by Alexander Shervashidze, with costumes under the direction of Mme. A. Youkine. The American patron of the arts Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge had commissioned the ballet in 1927 for a festival of contemporary music to be held the following year at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. The story centres on Apollo, the Greek god of music, who is visited by three Muses: Terpsichore, muse of dance and song; Polyhymnia, muse of mime; and Calliope, muse of poetry. The ballet takes Classical antiquity as its subject, though its plot suggests a contemporary situation. It is concerned with the reinvention of tradition, since its inspiration is Baroque, Classical, or even post-baroque/rococo/galant. It is scored for chamber orchestra of 34 string instruments (8.8.6.8.4).
Ballo della Regina is a ballet choreographed by George Balanchine. Set to the ballet divertissement from Giuseppe Verdi's opera Don Carlos, the Balanchine ballet is plotless but alludes to the grotto setting of the divertissement. The ballet is danced by a lead couple and an all-female ensemble, with choreography that showcases the speed and precision of the lead ballerina. Ballo della Regina was made for the New York City Ballet, and premiered on January 12, 1978, at the New York State Theater, with Merrill Ashley and Robert Weiss in the two lead roles.
A ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to Virgil Thomson’s Acadian Songs and Dances.
Brahms–Schoenberg Quartet is a one-act ballet by George Balanchine, to Johannes Brahms's Piano Quartet No. 1, orchestrated by Arnold Schoenberg. The ballet premiered on April 21, 1966 at the New York State Theater, performed by the New York City Ballet.
A ballet choreographed to Toshiro Mayuzumi's eponymous music; its title refers to bugaku, the dance component of gagaku.
Chaconne is a ballet made by New York City Ballet co-founder and ballet master George Balanchine to ballet music from Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice (Vienna, 1762; Paris, 1774). The premiere took place Wednesday, 22 January 1976 at the New York State Theater, Lincoln Center, with lighting by Ronald Bates; Robert Irving conducted. Chaconne was danced in practice clothes at its premiere; Karinska's costumes were added in the spring season. The finale to Orfeo ed Euridice is a chaconne, a dance form built on a short bass phrase and often used by 17th and 18th century opera composers to achieve a festive mood at the end. The choreography was first performed at the Hamburgische Staatsoper in their 1963 production of Orpheus und Eurydike and somewhat altered in Chaconne, especially that for the principal dancers. Balanchine added the pas de deux for Suzanne Farrell and Peter Martins to the 1976 ballet and the opening ensemble (to the 1774 Dance of the Blessed Spirits) for the Spring season. Balanchine's first Orpheus and Eurydice was made on the Metropolitan Opera in 1936; his approach, the singers remaining in the pit while the action was danced on stage, was not well received; the production had only two performances. He choreographed Orphée et Eurydice for the Théâtre National de l'Opéra, Paris in 1973 and Orfeo ed Euridice for the Chicago Lyric Opera in 1975 as well.
Circus Polka: For a Young Elephant was written by Igor Stravinsky in 1942, and scored for wind band and Hammond organ by David Raksin. Stravinsky wrote it for a ballet production that the choreographer George Balanchine did for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. The ballet was performed by fifty elephants and fifty ballerinas. Stravinsky's own orchestration was prepared later, and was premiered on 14 January 1944 by the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Stravinsky conducting.
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.
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.
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.
Electronics is a science fiction ballet choreographed by George Balanchine for New York City Ballet, set to a score composed by electronic music pioneers Remi Gassmann and Oskar Sala. Commissioned by architect Philip Johnson, the ballet premiered on March 22, 1961, at New York City Center.
Episodes is a ballet choreographed by Martha Graham and George Balanchine, to compositions by Anton Webern. The ballet was a co-production between the Martha Graham Dance Company and Balanchine's New York City Ballet (NYCB). Though it was conceived to be a collaboration between Graham and Balanchine, leading choreographers in modern dance and neoclassical ballet respectively, they ultimately worked separately on the ballet's two halves. Episodes I was choreographed by Graham, for dancers from her company and four NYCB members, and depicts Mary, Queen of Scots remembering the events in her life before her execution. Episodes II, by Balanchine, is completely plotless, and made for members of the NYCB and Graham dancer Paul Taylor, who originated a solo. The ballet uses all seven orchestral compositions by Webern. Episodes premiered on May 14, 1959, at the City Center of Music and Dance. Starting in 1960, Balanchine's section is presented as a standalone piece, with Taylor's solo removed the following year. Since then, Balanchine's Episodes had been revived by both NYCB and other ballet companies, with Taylor's solo performed in a few rare instances. The complete Episodes has not been seen in full since 1959, and the Graham section had only been revived once, in 1980, with the choreography significantly revised.
Ivesiana is a ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to compositions by Charles Ives. The ballet premiered on September 14, 1954, four months after Ives's death, at the City Center of Music and Drama, performed by the New York City Ballet. Balanchine made several changes to the ballet since, including adding and removing sections of the ballet, and the final version of Ivesiana consists of Central Park in the Dark, The Unanswered Question, In the Inn and In the Night.
A pantomime-ballet built around Satie's three short musical movements, with bouncy, jaunty rhythms and humorous, naive character. The ballet's scenario has not survived, so its plot cannot be summarized from this page.
Structured in three card-game deals, the ballet centers on a deceitful Joker who considers himself unbeatable because he can transform into any card. The story grew from a poker-game idea developed by Stravinsky after August 1936.
An abstract three-part ballet, with acts titled Emeralds, Rubies, and Diamonds, linked by jewel-colored costumes. Emeralds uses music by Gabriel Fauré, Rubies by Igor Stravinsky, and Diamonds by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky; it has no stated narrative plot.
Kammermusik No. 2 is a ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to Paul Hindemith's music of the same name. The ballet premiered on January 26, 1978, at the New York State Theater, danced by the New York City Ballet.
At a masked ball in a decaying castle, a poet dances with a coquette, who leaves. He then meets and falls in love with a sleepwalker, secretly imprisoned by the host because she is his wife. The jealous coquette alerts the host; after the sleepwalker drifts away and guests return, the poet breaks through their dance but is stabbed by the host. The sleepwalker reappears, raises him, and they glide away together.
A New York City Ballet ballet using music from Léo Delibes’s La source and Sylvia. Balanchine expanded choreography from an earlier pas de deux and a 1965 divertissement into this final version.
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.
Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme refers to two different ballets by George Balanchine set to Richard Strauss's Concert Suite (1917), with a libretto after Molière's 17th-century comédie-ballet of the same name. The first Balanchine Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme ballet was produced in 1932 by the Ballets Russes de Monte-Carlo. In 1979, Balanchine (with the assistance of Jerome Robbins) created all-new choreography (who at the time was 41 years old).
A neoclassical ballet created for the Ballets Russes de Monte-Carlo, set to Richard Strauss's Concert Suite and based on Molière's comédie-ballet.
Le Tombeau de Couperin is a ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to Ravel's eponymous suite. It features a cast of sixteen divided into two groups, dancing separately. The score, which references 18th-century dances, was first choreographed by the Ballets suédois in the 1920s. Balanchine's version of Le Tombeau de Couperin was made for the New York City Ballet's Ravel Festival, celebrating the composer's centenary, and premiered on May 29, 1975, at the New York State Theater.
Eight couples form two quadrilles that dance separately, with no principal roles. The ballet pairs these formal group dances with Ravel's orchestral tribute to François Couperin and French music; Balanchine described it as the dancers moving to Ravel's score.
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.
An abstract ballet in two parts set to Xenakis's orchestral works Metastaseis and Pithoprakta.
Movements for Piano and Orchestra is a neoclassical ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to Stravinsky's score of the same name. The ballet premiered on April 9, 1963, at City Center of Music and Drama, performed by the New York City Ballet. Though the two lead roles were created for Diana Adams and Jacques d'Amboise, seventeen-year-old Suzanne Farrell danced the female lead at the premiere due to Adams' pregnancy. Starting in 1966, Movements and Monumentum pro Gesualdo (1960) are performed together.
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. Balanchine had previously choreographed to the same score in 1933, for his short-lived troupe Les Ballets 1933 in Paris, his first major ballet to music by Tchaikovsky. It had its American premiere the following year, and Balanchine made some changes to the choreography in 1935. This earlier version was performed by several troupes until 1956. This version's choreography and designs are completely different from the 1981 version.
A ballet by George Balanchine and Jacques d'Amboise to Igor Stravinsky's The Flood, with a text selected and arranged by Robert Craft from Genesis, hymns, and medieval mystery plays.
Orpheus is a thirty-minute neoclassical ballet in three tableaux composed by Igor Stravinsky in collaboration with choreographer George Balanchine in Hollywood, California in 1947. The work was commissioned by the Ballet Society, which Balanchine founded together with Lincoln Kirstein and of which he was Artistic Director. Sets and costumes were created by Isamu Noguchi.
Based on the biblical parable, the ballet follows the prodigal son as he leaves home, is seduced by a siren and robbed, then returns remorsefully to his forgiving father.
George Balanchine's ballet is set to Igor Stravinsky's 1918 Ragtime for Eleven Instruments.
George Balanchine's ballet is set to Igor Stravinsky's 1918 Ragtime for Eleven Instruments.
Raymonda Variations, formerly titled Valses et Variations, is a ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to excepts from Alexander Glazunov's score for the 1898 ballet Raymonda. Instead of following the plot of the 1898 ballet, the Balanchine ballet is plotless. It premiered on December 7, 1961, at the City Center of Music and Drama. Raymonda Variations was made for the New York City Ballet, with the two lead roles originated by Patricia Wilde and Jacques d'Amboise.
Made in memory of Martin Luther King Jr., the ballet places a lone woman among a corps in long white robes carrying three-branched candelabra. At the end, a figure in purple representing King is raised aloft.
A series of dances for four couples, the ballet draws on Robert Schumann's life, particularly his reunion with Clara Wieck after a 16-month estrangement in the year he composed the score.
Scherzo à la Russe is a ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to Stravinsky's music of the same name. The ballet was created for New York City Ballet's Stravinsky Festival, a tribute to the composer after his death, and premiered on June 21, 1972, at the New York State Theater, with the two lead roles originated by Karin von Aroldingen and Kay Mazzo.
Scotch Symphony is a ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 3, "Scottish". The ballet is inspired by Scotland, and evokes the style of the romantic ballet era, particularly La Sylphide, which is set in Scotland. Scotch Symphony was made for the New York City Ballet, and premiered on November 11, 1952, at the City Center of Music and Drama.
Serenade is a ballet by George Balanchine to Tchaikovsky's 1880 Serenade for Strings in C, Op. 48. Serenade is credited as being George Balanchine's first full-length ballet in America. Using the students of his newly formed School of American Ballet, Balanchine choreographed this ballet for an American audience that had not been widely exposed to ballet before. Students of the School of American Ballet gave the first performance on Sunday, 10 June 1934 on the Felix M. Warburg estate in White Plains, N.Y., where Mozartiana had been danced the previous day. It was then presented by the Producing Company of the School of American Ballet on 6 December at the Avery Memorial Theatre of the Wadsworth Atheneum with sets by the painter William Littlefield. Balanchine presented the ballet as his response to the generous sponsorships he received during his immigration to America. The official premiere took place on 1 March 1935 with the American Ballet at the Adelphi Theatre, New York, conducted by Sandor Harmati. NYCB principal dancer Philip Neal chose to include Serenade in his farewell performance on Sunday, 13 June 2010. The blue tutus used in Serenade inspired the naming of the Balanchine crater on the planet Mercury.
A hoofer falls in love with a dance-hall girl, who is shot by her jealous boyfriend. The hoofer shoots the boyfriend. In the musical’s framing device, gangsters in the audience try to kill the lead dancer, who evades them by continuing to dance until police arrive and arrest them.
Sonatine is a ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to Ravel's eponymous music. The ballet was made for the New York City Ballet's Ravel Festival, which celebrated the centenary of Ravel, and premiered on May 15, 1975, at the New York State Theater, following a preview performance the previous day. The ballet was originated by Violette Verdy and Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux.
Originally performed with the musicians onstage and a square dance caller directing the steps, the ballet is set to concerti by Vivaldi. A 1976 revival removed the caller, moved the orchestra to the pit, and added a solo to music by Corelli.
Stars and Stripes is a neoclassical ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to music by John Philip Sousa, orchestrated by Hershy Kay. The ballet was made as a tribute to the United States, Balanchine's adopted country. It premiered on January 17, 1958, at the City Center of Music and Drama, danced by the New York City Ballet. It is dedicated to Fiorello La Guardia, former mayor of New York City. The ballet had been revived by multiple ballet companies, and at different special occasions.
Stravinsky Violin Concerto, originally titled Violin Concerto, is a neoclassical ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to Stravinsky's Violin Concerto. Balanchine had previously choreographed another ballet to the concerto in 1941 for the Original Ballet Russe, titled Balustrade, though it was not revived following a few performances. He then reused the concerto for New York City Ballet's Stravinsky Festival in 1972, a tribute to the composer following his death. The ballet premiered on June 18, 1972, at the New York State Theater.
A one-act ballet by George Balanchine set to Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake music.
Symphony in C, originally titled Le Palais de Cristal, is a ballet choreographed by George Balanchine, to Georges Bizet's Symphony in C. The ballet was originally created for the Paris Opera Ballet, and premiered on July 28, 1947, at the Palais Garnier.
Symphony in Three Movements is a neoclassical ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to the music of the same name by Igor Stravinsky. The ballet was made for the New York City Ballet Stravinsky Festival in 1972, a tribute to the composer following his death. The ballet premiered on June 18, 1972, at the New York State Theater.
George Balanchine’s ballet is set to Stravinsky’s Tango, originally written in 1940 and arranged by the composer in 1953.
Tarantella is a ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to Grande Tarantelle by Louis Moreau Gottschalk, arranged by Hershy Kay. The ballet premiered on January 7, 1964, at the New York City Center, performed by New York City Ballet's Patricia McBride and Edward Villella.
A biblical musical play juxtaposing Creation with the story of Noah and the Flood, compiled from Genesis and York and Chester mystery-play texts. It combines singing, spoken dialogue, orchestra, and ballet sequences; the seven parts include choreography for the building of the Ark and the Flood.
In Balanchine’s staging, Clara/Marie and the Nutcracker Prince are children, and the Journey Through the Snow is replaced by a scene in which Clara’s bed moves across the stage as the Nutcracker transforms into the Prince.
Two sisters, Anna I and Anna II, travel through seven American cities to earn money for their family’s new house. Each scene confronts Anna II with one of the deadly sins, while Anna I’s practical demands and Anna II’s artistic impulses reveal them as a divided personality.
Two sisters, Anna I and Anna II, travel from Louisiana through American cities to earn money for a family home. Anna I manages her emotional and artistic alter ego Anna II, who encounters one deadly sin in each city and is pressured to abandon moral impulses whenever they conflict with making money. They return home with the means to build the house, but Anna II accepts their compromise with resignation.
The Steadfast Tin Soldier is a ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to Bizet's Jeux d'enfants, based on Hans Christian Andersen's 1838 fairytale of the same name of the love between a tin soldier and a paper-doll ballerina. The ballet premiered on July 30, 1975, at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, with New York City Ballet's Patricia McBride and Peter Schaufuss.
Theme and Variations is a ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to the final movement of Tchaikovsky's Orchestral Suite No. 3. The ballet was created for Ballet Theatre (now American Ballet Theatre), and first performed in 1947. The ballet was greeted as a masterpiece at its premiere, has been staged since then by ballet companies around the world, and has remained a favorite of both critics and audiences. In 1970, Balanchine incorporated Theme and Variations into Suite No. 3 (now titled Tschaikovsky Suite No. 3), performed by the New York City Ballet, though Theme and Variations continues to be performed on its own as well.
A New York City Ballet work made by Jerome Robbins, Peter Martins, and Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux, conceived and supervised by George Balanchine, to music by Georges Auric.
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. 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 has been performed by several ballet companies, including Balanchine's New York City Ballet, though some troupes still perform the ballet as Ballet Imperial, including American Ballet Theatre.
A Balanchine ballet set to Tchaikovsky’s Suite No. 3 for Orchestra in G major. Its fourth and final movement incorporates the choreography of Theme and Variations, which Balanchine had created in 1947.
Balanchine’s celebration of British musical traditions uses Scottish military tattoos and folk-dance forms, hornpipes, sea songs, work chants, jigs, and music-hall songs. At the finale, the ensemble spells “God Save the Queen” in semaphore as the Union Jack unfurls.
A New York City Ballet work by George Balanchine set to Igor Stravinsky’s Variations: Aldous Huxley in memoriam (1963–64). Balanchine created a new version for the 1982 Stravinsky Centennial Celebration.
George Balanchine’s final ballet, set to Igor Stravinsky’s Variations: Aldous Huxley in memoriam (1963–64).
Vienna Waltzes is a ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to music by Johann Strauss II, Franz Lehár and Richard Strauss, made as a tribute to Austria. It premiered on June 23, 1977 at the New York State Theater, performed by the New York City Ballet, and was an immediate success among the public.
Set to Gounod's ballet music from Faust, this ballet builds on the joyful revelry of Walpurgisnacht, the folk celebration before May Day, when the dead are said to wander briefly.
Who Cares? is a ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to songs by George Gershwin that were orchestrated by Hershy Kay. The ballet is split in two parts, the first danced by an ensemble, and the second focuses on four principal dancers. Who Cares? premiered on February 5, 1970, at the New York State Theater, danced by the New York City Ballet.
A pas de deux created for Richard Rodgers's musical On Your Toes, where it was titled La Princesse Zenobia Ballet. Balanchine used it to parody Oriental-style ballets such as Schéhérazade.
Balanchine's neoclassical ballet is set to Stravinsky's solo viola composition. The first version was a pas de deux; a later version was a solo, and a third version returned to a pas de deux.
The first act follows Shakespeare's familiar story of lovers and fairies. The second act is a classical wedding celebration, omitting Shakespeare's play-within-a-play finale.
Agon is a 25-minute ballet for twelve dancers, with music by Igor Stravinsky and choreography by George Balanchine. It was recognized as a landmark at its premiere and has continued to be regarded as such ever since. The score was commissioned by the New York City Ballet. Stravinsky began composition in December 1953 but was interrupted the next year; he resumed work in 1956 and concluded on April 27, 1957. The music was premiered in Los Angeles at UCLA's Royce Hall on June 17, 1957, conducted by Robert Craft. Stravinsky himself conducted the sessions for the work's first recording the following day. Agon was first performed on stage by the City Ballet at the City Center of Music and Drama on November 27, 1957. The composition's long gestation period covers an interesting juncture in Stravinsky's composing career, in which he moved from a diatonic musical idiom to one based on twelve-tone technique; the score thus demonstrates a unique symbiosis of musical idioms. The work's title, agon, is a Greek word that means “contest," “protagonist," “anguish” or “struggle." The ballet has no story, but consists of a series of dance movements in which various groups of dancers interact in pairs, trios, quartets, etc. A number of the movements are based on 17th-century French court dances – saraband, galliard and bransle. Agon was immediately hailed as a groundbreaking triumph. John Martin in The New York Times described the choreography as "complex, ingenious and fantastically off the beaten path formally," and the music as "a marvelous piece of consistent construction." Edwin Denby, writing a short while after the premiere, reported that the work had been "given an enormous ovation last winter by the opening-night audience. The balcony stood up shouting and whistling when the choreographer took his bow. Downstairs, people came out into the lobby, their eyes bright as if the piece had been champagne. Marcel Duchamp, the painter, said he felt the way he had after the opening of Le Sacre. At later performances, Agon continued to be vehemently applauded." Alastair Macaulay, in a Times article marking the premiere's 50th anniversary, characterized the work as "astounding, full of shapes, phrases, rhythms, sounds that hadn't been encountered before but embodied New York modernism itself.... Arlene Croce, later dance critic of The New Yorker, said she did not sleep for a week." During the years since it was introduced, Agon has remained in the City Ballet repertoire, has been performed all over the world, and is regularly described using language such as "an instant classic," "Balanchine's 1957 masterpiece," and "one of the greatest of Balanchine's achievements."
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.
Apollo (originally Apollon musagète and variously known as Apollo musagetes, Apolo Musageta, and Apollo, Leader of the Muses) is a neoclassical ballet in two tableaux composed between 1927 and 1928 by Igor Stravinsky. It was choreographed in 1928 by twenty-four-year-old George Balanchine, with the composer contributing the libretto. The scenery and costumes were designed by André Bauchant, with new costumes by Coco Chanel in 1929. The scenery was executed by Alexander Shervashidze, with costumes under the direction of Mme. A. Youkine. The American patron of the arts Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge had commissioned the ballet in 1927 for a festival of contemporary music to be held the following year at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. The story centres on Apollo, the Greek god of music, who is visited by three Muses: Terpsichore, muse of dance and song; Polyhymnia, muse of mime; and Calliope, muse of poetry. The ballet takes Classical antiquity as its subject, though its plot suggests a contemporary situation. It is concerned with the reinvention of tradition, since its inspiration is Baroque, Classical, or even post-baroque/rococo/galant. It is scored for chamber orchestra of 34 string instruments (8.8.6.8.4).
Ballo della Regina is a ballet choreographed by George Balanchine. Set to the ballet divertissement from Giuseppe Verdi's opera Don Carlos, the Balanchine ballet is plotless but alludes to the grotto setting of the divertissement. The ballet is danced by a lead couple and an all-female ensemble, with choreography that showcases the speed and precision of the lead ballerina. Ballo della Regina was made for the New York City Ballet, and premiered on January 12, 1978, at the New York State Theater, with Merrill Ashley and Robert Weiss in the two lead roles.
A ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to Virgil Thomson’s Acadian Songs and Dances.
Brahms–Schoenberg Quartet is a one-act ballet by George Balanchine, to Johannes Brahms's Piano Quartet No. 1, orchestrated by Arnold Schoenberg. The ballet premiered on April 21, 1966 at the New York State Theater, performed by the New York City Ballet.
A ballet choreographed to Toshiro Mayuzumi's eponymous music; its title refers to bugaku, the dance component of gagaku.
Chaconne is a ballet made by New York City Ballet co-founder and ballet master George Balanchine to ballet music from Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice (Vienna, 1762; Paris, 1774). The premiere took place Wednesday, 22 January 1976 at the New York State Theater, Lincoln Center, with lighting by Ronald Bates; Robert Irving conducted. Chaconne was danced in practice clothes at its premiere; Karinska's costumes were added in the spring season. The finale to Orfeo ed Euridice is a chaconne, a dance form built on a short bass phrase and often used by 17th and 18th century opera composers to achieve a festive mood at the end. The choreography was first performed at the Hamburgische Staatsoper in their 1963 production of Orpheus und Eurydike and somewhat altered in Chaconne, especially that for the principal dancers. Balanchine added the pas de deux for Suzanne Farrell and Peter Martins to the 1976 ballet and the opening ensemble (to the 1774 Dance of the Blessed Spirits) for the Spring season. Balanchine's first Orpheus and Eurydice was made on the Metropolitan Opera in 1936; his approach, the singers remaining in the pit while the action was danced on stage, was not well received; the production had only two performances. He choreographed Orphée et Eurydice for the Théâtre National de l'Opéra, Paris in 1973 and Orfeo ed Euridice for the Chicago Lyric Opera in 1975 as well.
Circus Polka: For a Young Elephant was written by Igor Stravinsky in 1942, and scored for wind band and Hammond organ by David Raksin. Stravinsky wrote it for a ballet production that the choreographer George Balanchine did for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. The ballet was performed by fifty elephants and fifty ballerinas. Stravinsky's own orchestration was prepared later, and was premiered on 14 January 1944 by the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Stravinsky conducting.
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.
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.
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.
Electronics is a science fiction ballet choreographed by George Balanchine for New York City Ballet, set to a score composed by electronic music pioneers Remi Gassmann and Oskar Sala. Commissioned by architect Philip Johnson, the ballet premiered on March 22, 1961, at New York City Center.
Episodes is a ballet choreographed by Martha Graham and George Balanchine, to compositions by Anton Webern. The ballet was a co-production between the Martha Graham Dance Company and Balanchine's New York City Ballet (NYCB). Though it was conceived to be a collaboration between Graham and Balanchine, leading choreographers in modern dance and neoclassical ballet respectively, they ultimately worked separately on the ballet's two halves. Episodes I was choreographed by Graham, for dancers from her company and four NYCB members, and depicts Mary, Queen of Scots remembering the events in her life before her execution. Episodes II, by Balanchine, is completely plotless, and made for members of the NYCB and Graham dancer Paul Taylor, who originated a solo. The ballet uses all seven orchestral compositions by Webern. Episodes premiered on May 14, 1959, at the City Center of Music and Dance. Starting in 1960, Balanchine's section is presented as a standalone piece, with Taylor's solo removed the following year. Since then, Balanchine's Episodes had been revived by both NYCB and other ballet companies, with Taylor's solo performed in a few rare instances. The complete Episodes has not been seen in full since 1959, and the Graham section had only been revived once, in 1980, with the choreography significantly revised.
Ivesiana is a ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to compositions by Charles Ives. The ballet premiered on September 14, 1954, four months after Ives's death, at the City Center of Music and Drama, performed by the New York City Ballet. Balanchine made several changes to the ballet since, including adding and removing sections of the ballet, and the final version of Ivesiana consists of Central Park in the Dark, The Unanswered Question, In the Inn and In the Night.
A pantomime-ballet built around Satie's three short musical movements, with bouncy, jaunty rhythms and humorous, naive character. The ballet's scenario has not survived, so its plot cannot be summarized from this page.
Structured in three card-game deals, the ballet centers on a deceitful Joker who considers himself unbeatable because he can transform into any card. The story grew from a poker-game idea developed by Stravinsky after August 1936.
An abstract three-part ballet, with acts titled Emeralds, Rubies, and Diamonds, linked by jewel-colored costumes. Emeralds uses music by Gabriel Fauré, Rubies by Igor Stravinsky, and Diamonds by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky; it has no stated narrative plot.
Kammermusik No. 2 is a ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to Paul Hindemith's music of the same name. The ballet premiered on January 26, 1978, at the New York State Theater, danced by the New York City Ballet.
At a masked ball in a decaying castle, a poet dances with a coquette, who leaves. He then meets and falls in love with a sleepwalker, secretly imprisoned by the host because she is his wife. The jealous coquette alerts the host; after the sleepwalker drifts away and guests return, the poet breaks through their dance but is stabbed by the host. The sleepwalker reappears, raises him, and they glide away together.
A New York City Ballet ballet using music from Léo Delibes’s La source and Sylvia. Balanchine expanded choreography from an earlier pas de deux and a 1965 divertissement into this final version.
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.
Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme refers to two different ballets by George Balanchine set to Richard Strauss's Concert Suite (1917), with a libretto after Molière's 17th-century comédie-ballet of the same name. The first Balanchine Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme ballet was produced in 1932 by the Ballets Russes de Monte-Carlo. In 1979, Balanchine (with the assistance of Jerome Robbins) created all-new choreography (who at the time was 41 years old).
A neoclassical ballet created for the Ballets Russes de Monte-Carlo, set to Richard Strauss's Concert Suite and based on Molière's comédie-ballet.
Le Tombeau de Couperin is a ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to Ravel's eponymous suite. It features a cast of sixteen divided into two groups, dancing separately. The score, which references 18th-century dances, was first choreographed by the Ballets suédois in the 1920s. Balanchine's version of Le Tombeau de Couperin was made for the New York City Ballet's Ravel Festival, celebrating the composer's centenary, and premiered on May 29, 1975, at the New York State Theater.
Eight couples form two quadrilles that dance separately, with no principal roles. The ballet pairs these formal group dances with Ravel's orchestral tribute to François Couperin and French music; Balanchine described it as the dancers moving to Ravel's score.
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.
An abstract ballet in two parts set to Xenakis's orchestral works Metastaseis and Pithoprakta.
Movements for Piano and Orchestra is a neoclassical ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to Stravinsky's score of the same name. The ballet premiered on April 9, 1963, at City Center of Music and Drama, performed by the New York City Ballet. Though the two lead roles were created for Diana Adams and Jacques d'Amboise, seventeen-year-old Suzanne Farrell danced the female lead at the premiere due to Adams' pregnancy. Starting in 1966, Movements and Monumentum pro Gesualdo (1960) are performed together.
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. Balanchine had previously choreographed to the same score in 1933, for his short-lived troupe Les Ballets 1933 in Paris, his first major ballet to music by Tchaikovsky. It had its American premiere the following year, and Balanchine made some changes to the choreography in 1935. This earlier version was performed by several troupes until 1956. This version's choreography and designs are completely different from the 1981 version.
A ballet by George Balanchine and Jacques d'Amboise to Igor Stravinsky's The Flood, with a text selected and arranged by Robert Craft from Genesis, hymns, and medieval mystery plays.
Orpheus is a thirty-minute neoclassical ballet in three tableaux composed by Igor Stravinsky in collaboration with choreographer George Balanchine in Hollywood, California in 1947. The work was commissioned by the Ballet Society, which Balanchine founded together with Lincoln Kirstein and of which he was Artistic Director. Sets and costumes were created by Isamu Noguchi.
Based on the biblical parable, the ballet follows the prodigal son as he leaves home, is seduced by a siren and robbed, then returns remorsefully to his forgiving father.
George Balanchine's ballet is set to Igor Stravinsky's 1918 Ragtime for Eleven Instruments.
George Balanchine's ballet is set to Igor Stravinsky's 1918 Ragtime for Eleven Instruments.
Raymonda Variations, formerly titled Valses et Variations, is a ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to excepts from Alexander Glazunov's score for the 1898 ballet Raymonda. Instead of following the plot of the 1898 ballet, the Balanchine ballet is plotless. It premiered on December 7, 1961, at the City Center of Music and Drama. Raymonda Variations was made for the New York City Ballet, with the two lead roles originated by Patricia Wilde and Jacques d'Amboise.
Made in memory of Martin Luther King Jr., the ballet places a lone woman among a corps in long white robes carrying three-branched candelabra. At the end, a figure in purple representing King is raised aloft.
A series of dances for four couples, the ballet draws on Robert Schumann's life, particularly his reunion with Clara Wieck after a 16-month estrangement in the year he composed the score.
Scherzo à la Russe is a ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to Stravinsky's music of the same name. The ballet was created for New York City Ballet's Stravinsky Festival, a tribute to the composer after his death, and premiered on June 21, 1972, at the New York State Theater, with the two lead roles originated by Karin von Aroldingen and Kay Mazzo.
Scotch Symphony is a ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 3, "Scottish". The ballet is inspired by Scotland, and evokes the style of the romantic ballet era, particularly La Sylphide, which is set in Scotland. Scotch Symphony was made for the New York City Ballet, and premiered on November 11, 1952, at the City Center of Music and Drama.
Serenade is a ballet by George Balanchine to Tchaikovsky's 1880 Serenade for Strings in C, Op. 48. Serenade is credited as being George Balanchine's first full-length ballet in America. Using the students of his newly formed School of American Ballet, Balanchine choreographed this ballet for an American audience that had not been widely exposed to ballet before. Students of the School of American Ballet gave the first performance on Sunday, 10 June 1934 on the Felix M. Warburg estate in White Plains, N.Y., where Mozartiana had been danced the previous day. It was then presented by the Producing Company of the School of American Ballet on 6 December at the Avery Memorial Theatre of the Wadsworth Atheneum with sets by the painter William Littlefield. Balanchine presented the ballet as his response to the generous sponsorships he received during his immigration to America. The official premiere took place on 1 March 1935 with the American Ballet at the Adelphi Theatre, New York, conducted by Sandor Harmati. NYCB principal dancer Philip Neal chose to include Serenade in his farewell performance on Sunday, 13 June 2010. The blue tutus used in Serenade inspired the naming of the Balanchine crater on the planet Mercury.
A hoofer falls in love with a dance-hall girl, who is shot by her jealous boyfriend. The hoofer shoots the boyfriend. In the musical’s framing device, gangsters in the audience try to kill the lead dancer, who evades them by continuing to dance until police arrive and arrest them.
Sonatine is a ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to Ravel's eponymous music. The ballet was made for the New York City Ballet's Ravel Festival, which celebrated the centenary of Ravel, and premiered on May 15, 1975, at the New York State Theater, following a preview performance the previous day. The ballet was originated by Violette Verdy and Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux.
Originally performed with the musicians onstage and a square dance caller directing the steps, the ballet is set to concerti by Vivaldi. A 1976 revival removed the caller, moved the orchestra to the pit, and added a solo to music by Corelli.
Stars and Stripes is a neoclassical ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to music by John Philip Sousa, orchestrated by Hershy Kay. The ballet was made as a tribute to the United States, Balanchine's adopted country. It premiered on January 17, 1958, at the City Center of Music and Drama, danced by the New York City Ballet. It is dedicated to Fiorello La Guardia, former mayor of New York City. The ballet had been revived by multiple ballet companies, and at different special occasions.
Stravinsky Violin Concerto, originally titled Violin Concerto, is a neoclassical ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to Stravinsky's Violin Concerto. Balanchine had previously choreographed another ballet to the concerto in 1941 for the Original Ballet Russe, titled Balustrade, though it was not revived following a few performances. He then reused the concerto for New York City Ballet's Stravinsky Festival in 1972, a tribute to the composer following his death. The ballet premiered on June 18, 1972, at the New York State Theater.
A one-act ballet by George Balanchine set to Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake music.
Symphony in C, originally titled Le Palais de Cristal, is a ballet choreographed by George Balanchine, to Georges Bizet's Symphony in C. The ballet was originally created for the Paris Opera Ballet, and premiered on July 28, 1947, at the Palais Garnier.
Symphony in Three Movements is a neoclassical ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to the music of the same name by Igor Stravinsky. The ballet was made for the New York City Ballet Stravinsky Festival in 1972, a tribute to the composer following his death. The ballet premiered on June 18, 1972, at the New York State Theater.
George Balanchine’s ballet is set to Stravinsky’s Tango, originally written in 1940 and arranged by the composer in 1953.
Tarantella is a ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to Grande Tarantelle by Louis Moreau Gottschalk, arranged by Hershy Kay. The ballet premiered on January 7, 1964, at the New York City Center, performed by New York City Ballet's Patricia McBride and Edward Villella.
A biblical musical play juxtaposing Creation with the story of Noah and the Flood, compiled from Genesis and York and Chester mystery-play texts. It combines singing, spoken dialogue, orchestra, and ballet sequences; the seven parts include choreography for the building of the Ark and the Flood.
In Balanchine’s staging, Clara/Marie and the Nutcracker Prince are children, and the Journey Through the Snow is replaced by a scene in which Clara’s bed moves across the stage as the Nutcracker transforms into the Prince.
Two sisters, Anna I and Anna II, travel through seven American cities to earn money for their family’s new house. Each scene confronts Anna II with one of the deadly sins, while Anna I’s practical demands and Anna II’s artistic impulses reveal them as a divided personality.
Two sisters, Anna I and Anna II, travel from Louisiana through American cities to earn money for a family home. Anna I manages her emotional and artistic alter ego Anna II, who encounters one deadly sin in each city and is pressured to abandon moral impulses whenever they conflict with making money. They return home with the means to build the house, but Anna II accepts their compromise with resignation.
The Steadfast Tin Soldier is a ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to Bizet's Jeux d'enfants, based on Hans Christian Andersen's 1838 fairytale of the same name of the love between a tin soldier and a paper-doll ballerina. The ballet premiered on July 30, 1975, at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, with New York City Ballet's Patricia McBride and Peter Schaufuss.
Theme and Variations is a ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to the final movement of Tchaikovsky's Orchestral Suite No. 3. The ballet was created for Ballet Theatre (now American Ballet Theatre), and first performed in 1947. The ballet was greeted as a masterpiece at its premiere, has been staged since then by ballet companies around the world, and has remained a favorite of both critics and audiences. In 1970, Balanchine incorporated Theme and Variations into Suite No. 3 (now titled Tschaikovsky Suite No. 3), performed by the New York City Ballet, though Theme and Variations continues to be performed on its own as well.
A New York City Ballet work made by Jerome Robbins, Peter Martins, and Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux, conceived and supervised by George Balanchine, to music by Georges Auric.
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. 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 has been performed by several ballet companies, including Balanchine's New York City Ballet, though some troupes still perform the ballet as Ballet Imperial, including American Ballet Theatre.
A Balanchine ballet set to Tchaikovsky’s Suite No. 3 for Orchestra in G major. Its fourth and final movement incorporates the choreography of Theme and Variations, which Balanchine had created in 1947.
Balanchine’s celebration of British musical traditions uses Scottish military tattoos and folk-dance forms, hornpipes, sea songs, work chants, jigs, and music-hall songs. At the finale, the ensemble spells “God Save the Queen” in semaphore as the Union Jack unfurls.
A New York City Ballet work by George Balanchine set to Igor Stravinsky’s Variations: Aldous Huxley in memoriam (1963–64). Balanchine created a new version for the 1982 Stravinsky Centennial Celebration.
George Balanchine’s final ballet, set to Igor Stravinsky’s Variations: Aldous Huxley in memoriam (1963–64).
Vienna Waltzes is a ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to music by Johann Strauss II, Franz Lehár and Richard Strauss, made as a tribute to Austria. It premiered on June 23, 1977 at the New York State Theater, performed by the New York City Ballet, and was an immediate success among the public.
Set to Gounod's ballet music from Faust, this ballet builds on the joyful revelry of Walpurgisnacht, the folk celebration before May Day, when the dead are said to wander briefly.
Who Cares? is a ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to songs by George Gershwin that were orchestrated by Hershy Kay. The ballet is split in two parts, the first danced by an ensemble, and the second focuses on four principal dancers. Who Cares? premiered on February 5, 1970, at the New York State Theater, danced by the New York City Ballet.
A pas de deux created for Richard Rodgers's musical On Your Toes, where it was titled La Princesse Zenobia Ballet. Balanchine used it to parody Oriental-style ballets such as Schéhérazade.
Balanchine's neoclassical ballet is set to Stravinsky's solo viola composition. The first version was a pas de deux; a later version was a solo, and a third version returned to a pas de deux.