ALL BALANCHINE:
BALLO DELLA REGINA: T. Peck, Garcia, Laracey, Pereira, Isaacs, King
KAMMERMUSIK NO. 2: Krohn, Ramasar, A. Stafford, Danchig-Waring [Solo Piano: Grant]
VIENNA WALTZES: Reichlen, T. Angle, M. Fairchild, Huxley, Pereira, Schumacher, Krohn, la Cour, Mearns, J. Angle
For this matinee performance we sat in the Orchestra, Row S, rather than in our normal seats on the right side of the Second Ring. While the sight lines were fine, the sound from the orchestra was spotty and wan. There were times in 'Vienna Waltzes' where all we heard were the double basses. Although the Company sells some seats as 'partial view' at reduced prices, they should really designate these particular seats as 'partial sound'.
The three works on this program were all created by George Balanchine during a concentrated period from June 1977 through January 1978.
George Balanchine choreographed 'Ballo della Regina' in 1978 to ballet music intended for Giuseppe Verdi's opera 'Don Carlo'. Verdi created a libretto for the ballet about a fisherman searching for the perfect pearl to present to the queen of Spain (who is a character in the opera). Balanchine alludes to Verdi's story with an iridescent decor, a few 'swimming' movements for the ballerina and a 'searching' motif for her cavalier.
Balanchine's primary reason for creating the ballet was to showcase Merrill Ashley's extraordinary speed, clarity and sunniness. Although Ashley had been with the Company since 1967 and had danced featured and principal roles in large swaths of the NYCB repertory, this was the first (of only two) ballets that Balanchine choreographed for her.
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| George Balanchine, Merrill Ashley and Robert Weiss working on 'Ballo della Regina'. Photo by Martha Swope |
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| Merrill Ashley dancing in Balanchine's 'Ballo della Regina'. Photo by Martha Swope |
Here's a clip of Ms. Ashley discussing the creation of 'Ballo della Regina' (1:29):
And here's another made while she was staging the ballet for The Royal Ballet (3:01):
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| Tyler Peck in Balanchine's 'Ballo della Regina'. Photo by Julieta Cervantes for NY Times |
Balanchine's created 'Kammermusik No. 2' to Paul Hindemith's music of the same name for piano and orchestra in 1978. It is an astringent, spiky work for two principal couples and a corps of eight men. At times the eight-man corps dancing primarily to the music of the orchestra is the star of this ballet. They execute the complicated knots and clots that Balanchine usually created for the female corps -- providing both a frame and a counterpoint to the dancing of the four principals.
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| The eight-man corps in Balanchine's 'Kammermusik No. 2'. Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet |
Of the principals, Rebecca Krohn and Amar Ramasar definitely understand the hard-edged, austere choreography that Balanchine devised to the complicated piano part. Abi Stafford and Adrian Danchig-Waring seemed both less comfortable and less assured. It's difficult music and requires razor-sharp reflexes and clarity of execution. Blurring of movements makes the whole thing look sloppy. There are several passages in canon for the two women that tend to look uncoordinated unless they both dance with conviction.
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| Abi Stafford and Rebecca Krohn with the all-male corps in Balanchine's 'Kammermusik No. 2'. Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet |
Balanchine seeded the original principal cast with European dancers -- Karin von Aroldingen (with Sean Lavery) in the first part, Helgi Tomasson (with Patricia McBride) in the second, Peter Martins (with Kay Mazzo) in the fourth, and Jorge Donn (with Suzanne Farrell) in the fifth -- because he believed they had grown up amidst the Viennese waltz tradition and were therefore more naturally attuned to its refined execution. The third part is a polka which he created for Sara Leland and Bart Cook.
Here's a video of Ms. von Aroldingen and Mr. Martins dancing together in the fourth section (Lehar's 'Gold and Silver Waltz') which clearly demonstrates their waltzing dexterity (8:45):
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| The ten corps couples waltzing amid the trees in 'Tales of the Vienna Woods' from Balanchine's 'Vienna Waltzes'. Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet |
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| Teresa Reichlen and Tyler Angle in the 'Tales from the Vienna Woods' section of Balanchine's 'Vienna Waltzes'. Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet |
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| Megan Fairchild and Joaquin De Luz leading an earlier performance of 'Voices of Spring'. Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet |
As the last two Ter-Artuniun's trees disappeared into the flies we are greeted by the rather grotesquely attired dancers in the 'Explosions-Polka' -- set to a polka by Johann Strauss II from 1848. Erica Pereira and Troy Schumacher executed the rapid heel-and-toe steps with great glee backed-up by three corps couples. However, since 1977 the humor in this section has palled and as usual in recent years I couldn't wait until it was over.
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| Ana Sophia Scheller and Sean Suozzi lead a different cast in the 'Explosion Polka' from George Balanchine's 'Vienna Waltzes'. Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet |
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| Ask la Cour and Rebecca Krohn in the 'Gold and Silver Waltz' movement of George Balanchine's 'Vienna Waltzes'. Chase Finlay replaced Mr. la Cour at this performance. Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet |
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| Sara Mearns in the 'Der Rosenkavalier' movement of 'Vienna Waltzes'. Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet |
With her exit the chandeliers blaze on and the casts of each prior movement swirl on and off stage -- lead by Ms. Reichlen and Tyler Angle.
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| Tyler Angle and Teresa Reichlen in the final movement of 'Vienna Waltzes'. Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet |
Here's a link to a video of the final 'Der Rosenkavalier' movement of 'Viennna Waltzes' featuring Suzanne Farrell partnered by Adam Luders (13:45):
If you'd like to see a more recent cast in only the swirling final minutes of 'Vienna Waltzes' here's a link to a NYC Ballet video (0:46):
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| The entire cast in the finale of George Balanchine's 'Vienna Waltzes'. Photo by Paul Kolnik for NYC Ballet |
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