- Western Symphony
"Western Symphony" is a ballet made by
New York City Ballet co-founder and balletmasterGeorge Balanchine to music arranged byHershy Kay . The premiere September 7, 1954, at City Center of Music and Drama, New York, was conducted byLeon Barzin and presented in practice clothes without scenery. Scenery by John Boyd and costumes by Karinska were added in 1955. Lighting was originally byJean Rosenthal and subsequently Mark Stanley. Set in theWestern United States , the ballet features cowboys and dance hall girls (or saloon girls).Setting
The ballet follows no plot but presents several short stories throughout the ballet (similar to "
Serenade ") outside asaloon . It is almost asatire on classical ballet with imitations of "Giselle " and "Swan Lake " (second movement). The ballet originally had four movements:Allegro
The "
Allegro " is for four cowboys, eight girls (divided into two groups of four) and a lead couple. The lengthy "Allegro" goes for about ten minutes.Adagio (Waltz)
The "
Adagio (Waltz )" is for a lead couple and four girls representing horses. This movement is set at night. The cowboy is chasing after the lead girl who eludes him and eventually, after some flirtation, leaves without him.Scherzo
The "
Scherzo " was removed "ca." 1960 due to the complex nature of the malebravura dancing required.Rondo
The "
Rondo " has a lead couple but is for the entire cast.Music
Hershey Kay adapted and arranged the music from traditional Western melodies:
*"Red River Valley"
*"Old Taylor"
*"Rye Whiskey"*"Lolly-Too-Dum"
*"Good Night, Ladies"
*"Oh, Dem Golden Slippers"
*"The Girl I Left Behind Me "Although the movements are entitled "Allegro", "Adagio (Waltz)" and "Rondo" they don't really remain true to their titles. There is an extended adagio
Pas de Deux section in the "Allegro"; and similarly with the "Adagio", the "Waltz" speeds up to a lively tempo.Cast
original
***First movement "Allegro"
*Diana Adams ::"and 8 women"
*Herbert Bliss ::"and 4 men"***Second movement "Adagio"
*Janet Reed ::"and 4 women"
*Nicholas Magallanes ***Third movement "Scherzo"
*Patricia Wilde ::"and 4 women"
*André Eglevsky ***Fourth movement "Rondo"
*Tanaquil LeClercq ::"and 4 women"
*Jacques d'Amboise ::"and 4 men"Winter 2008
***First movement "Allegro"
*Abi Stafford
*Nilas Martins ***Second movement "Adagio"
*Sterling Hyltin
*Albert Evans***Third movement "Rondo"
*Teresa Reichlen
*Damian Woetzel References
*"
Playbill ", New York City Ballet, Wednesday, April 30, 2008*"Repertory Week", New York City Ballet, Spring Season, 2008 repertory, week 1
Television broadcasts, filmography and videography
television
*Australian television) (Fourth movement "Rondo") 1958
*French television, FR3 ("Balanchine à Arc et Senans") 1977
*PBS, Dance in America, "Balanchine" (Fourth movement "Rondo") 1984
*PBS, Dance in America, "Balanchine in America" (excluding the Third movement "Scherzo") 1990
*PBS, Dance in America, "The Balanchine Celebration" (Fourth movement "Rondo" and finale) 1993
*BBC 2 (London) 1993
film
*Monitor Productions, 1955
video
*The Balanchine Library, "The Balanchine Celebration, Part Two" (Fourth movement "Rondo", 1993), 1996
*Kultur, "Balanchine" (excerpts from the Second movement "Adagio" and Fourth movement "Rondo"), 2004
See also
*List of "Western Symphony" stagings
*
List of New York City Ballet repertory *
List of New York City Ballet 2008 Spring Repertory *
List of New York City Ballet 2008 Winter Repertory External links
* [http://www.nycballet.com NYCB website]
* [http://www.balanchine.com George Balanchine Trust website]
* [http://www.balanchine.org George Balanchine Foundation website]
* [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30A12F63D59107A93CAA91782D85F408585F9 NY Times review by John Martin, September 8, 1954]
* [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F40916F93A58137A93C3AA178BD95F468685F9 NY Times review by John Martin, October 31, 1962]
* [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0813F6355D147493C5A8178ED85F4C8685F9 NY Times review by
Clive Barnes , May 17, 1968]* [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A0DE0D6123BF930A35751C0A967948260 NY Times review by
Jennifer Dunning , February 3, 1981]* [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0DE6D6133EF93BA15756C0A9629C8B63 NY Times review by Jack Anderson, May 28, 2004]
* [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/12/arts/dance/12hubb.html NY Times review by
Alastair Macaulay , February 12, 2008]
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