February 1 - Sunday matinee

[erpollock]

I saw the first third of this matinee, the sublime Divertimento No. 15, Balanchine at his most spiritually romantic.  The piece displays his amazing ability to arrange to perfection irregular groupings of male and female dancers, as in Serenade.  I thought as I watched, superb dancers may come and go, but this repertoire must live forever.  Unfortunately, though I had a wonderful mid-orchestra seat and perfect unobstructed view, I was afflicted that afternoon with a cold and coughing, struggling against, and had to leave at intermission. Please elucidate, if possible, the finer points of Divertimento that might have escaped me, and tell me what I missed in Stabat Mater and Brahms-Handel Variations. (The latter is one of my favorite pieces of music and I so wish I could have been there to see it danced). If I can, I will try to catch this program next Tuesday, Feb. 11 when it will be repeated for the last time.Eileen