GeorgeB fan Posted June 16, 2004 Share Posted June 16, 2004 Seeing that this is the centennial year of the birth of George Balanchine, I was wondering what ballets of Mr. Balanchine do you regard to be his 10 greatest? Those masterpieces, if God forbid all his other masterworks would some how become lost to time, would remain as extraordinary examples of the scope, range, brilliance and his unmeasureable contribution in the changing of 20th century ballet. Here's my picks (in alphabetical order) AGON APOLLO CONCERTO BAROCCO THE FOUR TEMPERAMENTS JEWELS LIEBESLIEDER WALZER ROBERT SCHUMANN'S "DAVIDSBUNDLERTANZE" SERENADE STRAVINSKY VIOLIN CONCERTO SYMPHONY IN C Link to comment
charlieloki Posted June 16, 2004 Share Posted June 16, 2004 please change the number to eleven then add episodes -- it cannot be left out Link to comment
pville Posted June 16, 2004 Share Posted June 16, 2004 and Mozartiana must be on there too Link to comment
Helene Posted June 16, 2004 Share Posted June 16, 2004 I would be crushed if I never got to see Divertimento No. 15 again. I'd trade Jewels for it, if I couldn't dump Diamonds, replace it with Divert, and keep Emeralds and Rubies. Link to comment
Mme. Hermine Posted June 16, 2004 Share Posted June 16, 2004 i would be bereft without the prodigal son... Link to comment
Leigh Witchel Posted June 17, 2004 Share Posted June 17, 2004 Let's avoid discussing the discussion, folks. List away. There were earlier lists people did here, but alas, I can't find them in a search. Link to comment
carbro Posted June 17, 2004 Share Posted June 17, 2004 To GBF's list, I'd add 3 Mvts., Midsummer and Baiser. To make room, I'd regretfully take out Davidsbundler, Violin and Apollo. Link to comment
tempusfugit Posted June 17, 2004 Share Posted June 17, 2004 Theme and Variations! Life couldn't go on without Divert... and I realize it's "minor" Balanchine but La Source, which has one of the loveliest and most refined pdd ever No one's mentioned Tchaik Pas? Tsk. It may be overdone but there's no other pdd like it........ ok, even deleting Davidsbundler and Violin I'm up to about twelve. I'll stop. For the time being. LOL btw, Carbro, you mean the Baiser Divertimento, I'm assuming? wish the full ballet weren't lost....... Link to comment
carbro Posted June 18, 2004 Share Posted June 18, 2004 Sorry for any ambiguity, tempus. You are correct. Maybe also Balanchine's original, but, alas, haven't seen the whole of that. Link to comment
KayDenmark Posted June 18, 2004 Share Posted June 18, 2004 Am I the only one who treasures "Symphony in Three Movements"? I've always been told that it was the one ballet Balanchine said he wouldn't change a step of. Link to comment
Alexandra Posted June 18, 2004 Share Posted June 18, 2004 I'm a Symphony in 3 fan -- I'd never heard that, Kay Denmark, but I like it. Link to comment
Patricia Posted June 18, 2004 Share Posted June 18, 2004 I agree with the list, but would elminate LIEBESLIEDER und :grinning: DAVIDSBUNDLER for EPISODES (including the penultimate solo that ties the whole thing together!!!) and SYMPHONY IN 3 MOVEMENTS. I'm not including my personal favorite: ORPHEUS. I love it because I love Ovid, Balanchine, Stravinsky, and Noguchi. All of them together is overwhelming. I loved Peter Martins in the title role and now there's Ask (does he count as an extended family member?) as the Dark Angel. This ballet depends so much on casting and rehearsal time. It looked beautiful last Thursday night - but, as always, the audience was indifferent to it. Link to comment
klingsor Posted June 18, 2004 Share Posted June 18, 2004 I must have dark ballets: La Sonnambula La Valse Link to comment
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