41 replies to this topic

[Mary J]

Apollo!  Symphony in C a close second.

[atm711]

carbro, on Jan 25 2004, 06:52 PM, said:

I know.  I've seen excerpts on film.

I sort of gave myself a mental exercise, because I do like the lighter quality of the white in Barocco.  But Agon needs not only the black, but the contrast of the black and white in the sections where the whole cast is on stage.

Just as you say, Carbro--it's the contrast that I miss, and I'm pretty certain that you would not like an alll white 'Agon', and I gag when I think of the original Barocco costumes.  It was quite revolutionary, at the time, and most of the audience did not know how to take it--including most of the critics.  I must admit, I was in that group.  When The Ballet Russe was performing this, Ballet Theatre was in the midst of a very glamorous season---Markova, Toumanova, Riabouchinska--Hence, Barocco was a shock to our system---but Balanchine slowly reeducated us.

[CalMia]

Oh my goodness the Horror of just Picking one . I actually read this thread last night and became upset trying to think of which one is my favorite. At first I thought Serenade, but where would the worl be without Concerto Barocco. Then what about 4t's, and Stravinsky Violin is just so cool. Then there's Square Dance, I could dance that ballet forever, and the male solo is just perfect. Oh and Agon, Rubies, Prodigal Son, Theme And Variations, Symphony in C, Symphony in 3, I can't imagine being a dancer, and not having these works to dance. So If I had to make a decision in the case of the "Burning Building" emergency, I'll burn up with them cause I cant just pick one. On the other hand there are a few of his ballets that I think we could do without, I won't mention names, but they know which ones they are.  

[Globetrotter]

I find Concerto Barocco (especially the second movement) unbelievable.  It's as though Bach & Balanchine colaborated at the outset.

[LMCtech]

Serenade. Four T's in a close second.

[Natalia]

Theme & Variations.

Tie between Symphony in C and 'Diamonds' portion of Jewels for second place. (Yeah, I'm greedy!)

[jimmattimore]

"Serenade"

[AmandaNYC]

Serenade.

I still see new things in this ballet each time I see it... and I have seen it many, many times!  And, the casting doesn't seem to make as much a difference in my enjoyment of Serenade as it does for other ballets (e.g., Barocco, Apollo).  Four T's would be my back-up, though it's not a sentimental favorite of mine.  It is, however, the other ballet that stands up against bad casting for me (not that i have seen many bad casts).

-amanda, who will eventually post reviews of the current season...

[Roma]

I would choose Liebeslieder, but I know that if it is the only one left, there isn't anyone around who can stage it properly (even now, over at the POB it looks quite, quite dead), so I cast my vote for 4T---it could survive on construction alone, and it is a wonder.

[Helene]

Roma, on Feb 9 2004, 02:22 AM, said:

I would choose Liebeslieder, but I know that if it is the only one left, there isn't anyone around who can stage it properly

Karin von Aroldingen did a wonderful staging of Liebeslieder Walzer for the San Francisco Ballet in 1998.  I suspect that Suzanne Farrell could stage it as well, having danced at least the Diana Adams role.  In a Q&A after a recent Pacific Northwest Ballet performance, artistic directors Francia Russell and Kent Stowell said that this ballet was their personal favorite of Balanchine's ballets.  I'm not sure if either danced in the ballet -- I suspect Stowell did --  but Russell was one of the first stagers for NYCB under Balanchine, and if she weren't able to stage it herself, she would be able to assess the quality of someone else's.

[Roma]

Von Aroldingen and Leland also staged the POB's version. Perhaps  something got lost in translation:) But we are talking a 100 years from now--the present stagers will be dead, and mercifully so will I, and will not have to suffer through hand-me-downs of Yvonne Borree's stagings of Barocco, Serenade, Apollo, and/or Square Dance.

editing to add: Stowell did dance in Liebeslieder. I have a beautiful photo by Martha Swope of him and a very young Suzanne Farrell in the "whispering" duet.