New York City Ballet -- Sunday, October 5, 2014

On Sunday afternoon, October 5th, we saw New York City Ballet in an all Balanchine program.  It was anything but austere neo-classical Balanchine though.

SUNDAY MATINEE, OCTOBER 5, 3:00 PM
[Conductor: Capps]
DONIZETTI VARIATIONS: T. Peck, De Luz
LA SONNAMBULA: Whelan, R. Fairchild, Arthurs, Sanz, Adams, Villwock, Laurent, Ippolito, King, Carmena, Schumacher
FIREBIRD: Bouder, J. Peck, Muller. Catazaro

Tiler Peck airborne in Balanchine's  'Donizetti Variations'.  Photo by Andrea Mohin for NY Times

The opening work was 'Donizetti Variations' from 1960, set to the effervescent ballet music from Gaetano Donizetti's 'Don Sebastian'.  Unfortunately the dancing didn't consistently project the buoyancy of Mr. B's choreography.  Tiler Peck and Joaquin De Luz are not ideally paired as the principal couple -- Joaquin is too short and too forceful, while Tiler is a bit too reticent and refined, neither projecting quite enough of the work's bubbly exuberance.  The corps dancing lacked the crispness that makes their sections so witty when they are danced with confidence and brio.

'La Sonnambula' (called 'Night Shadow' when it was first seen in 1946 at the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo) uses music of Vittorio Rieti based on themes from the operas of Vincenzo Bellini.  It is set at a masked ball given by the Baron in the courtyard of his castle.  An arch at the back of the stage is bridged by a second floor gallery leading to a circular tower stage left with a starry sky beyond.

After an initial dance lead by the Baron (Aaron Sanz, who made his debut in the role the prior day) and the Coquette (Faye Arthurs), the Poet (Robert Fairchild) appears. The Poet and the Coquette seem to know each other, but the Baron stiffly introduces them anyway and then stalks off.  There are divertissements for the guests:  a Pastorale for two couples (Sara Adams, Sarah Villwock, Ralph Ippolito and Austin Laurent); a pas de deux for an Oriental couple (Lauren King and Antonio Carmena, both in splendid form); and a Harlequin (Troy Schumacher).  During the divertissements, the Coquette and the Poet sit on a bench under the arch where they flirt, while the guests gossip about them.

After the entertainment, the Coquette and the Poet lead the guests in a dance which involves a great 'ice capades' circle and some intertwining chains.  As the guests promenade off stage, the Baron suddenly appears and grabs the Coquette away, leaving the Poet alone on stage.

A light appears in the gallery window stage right and slowly crosses the gallery and descends the tower stairs.  The Sleepwalker (Wendy Whelan) enters from the tower door carrying a candle while wafting about the stage in ethereal bourrees.  

Wendy Whelan as the Sleepwalker in Balanchine's 'La Sonnambula'.  Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet

The Poet is enchanted but the Sleepwalker continues on in her trance, eluding him and his efforts to distract and awaken her.  They engage in a 'pas de deux' -- the Poet only touches the candle, but never the Sleepwalker.  The Coquette emerges and observes the Poet following the Sleepwalker into the tower.  Enraged, she rushes off to tell the Baron.  

The guests reappear for another dance lead by the Baron and the Coquette. During the dance she tells the Baron that the Poet has followed the Sleepwalker into the tower.  The Baron draws a dagger and rushes into the tower.  The Poet staggers out clutching his chest and collapses center stage.  The Sleepwalker reappears, still in a trance but somehow aware that the Poet lies dead at her feet.  The four divertissement men lift his lifeless body and place it in the Sleepwalker's arms.  She exits into the tower carrying the dead Poet.

Rob is the lucky Poet torn between Faye's gorgeous, worldly Coquette and Wendy's ethereal, other-worldly Sleepwalker.  As an artist, of course he chooses the elusive muse over the glamorous but shallow courtesan.  This role is one of Wendy's late-career triumphs and in Rob Fairchild she has found yet another ardent partner.

Wendy Whelan and Rob Fairchild during curtain calls for 'La Sonnambula'.
Photo by Edward G. Becker for Ballet Focus

The final ballet of the afternoon was 'Firebird' to the familiar Stravinsky orchestral suite with costumes and scenery based on the work of Marc Chagall.  Balanchine created the ballet in 1949 for Maria Tallchief, his wife and muse at the time.  It created a sensation and catapulted Tallchief into the role of prima ballerina of the year-old New York City Ballet.

Ashley Bounder in the title role of George Balanchine's 'Firebird'.  Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet

    
Ashley Bouder's interpretation of the Firebird is justly renowned.  Legend has it that she learned the role from Sean Lavery in something like 20 minutes in 2000, when she was called upon as a last minute replacement.  Ashley has since polished it to a breath-taking gleam.  Her glamorous entrance, her avian pas de deux with Justin Peck (as the oafish Prince Ivan), her calmly skimming berceuse all use Ashley's technical arsenal to magical effect.  The surrounding ballet goes on too long and relies on Stravinsky's music and Chagall's decor to carry the tale and provide both platform and frame for Ashley's superb dancing in the title role.