What is "the lifeblood of this Company?"

[Farrell Fan]

I would have thought that obviously it's the Balanchine repertory. But a glossy brochure for the 2007 Winter Season has this quote from Peter Martins: "New Repertory is the lifeblood of this Company." The copy (for the program dubbed "Contemporary Quartet") goes on to say, "In building the Company's repertory, George Balanchine both created and commissioned countless works. Today Peter Martins continues that tradition, having introduced more than 150 ballets to our repertory." That sounds more like a hemorrhage than a repertory. Believe me, Martins-bashing is not my favorite sport. But how else can one react to something so tone-deaf and clueless?

[cargill]

Well, I guess they have to say something! But introducing something isn't actually the same as keeping them around and enriching what is already there. But I guess they couldn't say 150 disposable, forgettable pieces, could they.

I would have thought that obviously it's the Balanchine repertory. But a glossy brochure for the 2007 Winter Season has this quote from Peter Martins: "New Repertory is the lifeblood of this Company." The copy (for the program dubbed "Contemporary Quartet") goes on to say, "In building the Company's repertory, George Balanchine both created and commissioned countless works. Today Peter Martins continues that tradition, having introduced more than 150 ballets to our repertory." That sounds more like a hemorrhage than a repertory. Believe me, Martins-bashing is not my favorite sport. But how else can one react to something so tone-deaf and clueless?

[Helene]

I don't think this is surprising from the choreographer who concluded at the end of his version of Sleeping Beauty that Desire and Aurora should crown themselves.

[bart]

As a former NYCB regular, now residing outside the NY area, I'm looking forward to the responses.

But remember, the Balanchine day had its disposables as well. It would be good to hear more about which of the Martins-era commissions (and by whom) DO seem to have the kind of legs that will give them long life.

A parallel question: are these commissions always exclusive, or can they be performed elsewhere? In other words, is the NYCB a dead end for new choreographic work -- or a springboard to other companies?

[zerbinetta]

Maybe "lifeblood" means something different in Danish?

[kfw]

A parallel question: are these commissions always exclusive, or can they be performed elsewhere? In other words, is the NYCB a dead end for new choreographic work -- or a springboard to other companies?

That is a great question. I sure don't remember reading much about other companies staging Martins ballets, or non-Martins Diamond Project works.

[drb]

"... Today Peter Martins continues that tradition, having introduced more than 150 ballets to our repertory."

Perhaps this is a carryover from the excitement of last spring's Diamond Project. I think Russian Seasons has legs. In Vento, though very atypical for City Ballet's rep also has a chance. Elo's ballet had quite a premiere, but did seem to lose some zest in a later performance. Wheeldon's Evenfall was certainly inventive, but perhaps uneven. Yet his ballets have a way of changing for the better: Klavier, for example.

Depending on how many Wheeldon's have legs it is quite possible that there could be close to 10 keepers in those 150. Not, of course, the level of Balanchine's .374 batting average (as calculated by Helene on July 1 in the Gottlieb thread).

It will be interesting to see how his Carousel goes in its revival this winter, especially sans Ansanelli.

It might be interesting to tally Wheeldon's NYCB successes. After the Rain, for sure.

[richard53dog]

quote from Peter Martins: "New Repertory is the lifeblood of this Company."

"In building the Company's repertory, George Balanchine both created and commissioned countless works. Today Peter Martins continues that tradition, having introduced more than 150 ballets to our repertory."

I don't have such a problem with the "new repertory" statement. New works do enrich a ballet company.

Of course some new works are successes and others are not.

What bothers me is the statement that Martins is today's Balanchine. Yes , Balanchine had plenty of duds, but

he had many towering successes. In my book, at best, Martins has a TINY voice as a choreographer that no way justifies 150 works for the NYCB. Some certainly, but not a flooding of the repertory with an endless parade of "new Martins work"s

[Helene]

A parallel question: are these commissions always exclusive, or can they be performed elsewhere? In other words, is the NYCB a dead end for new choreographic work -- or a springboard to other companies?

That is a great question. I sure don't remember reading much about other companies staging Martins ballets, or non-Martins Diamond Project works.

Two Martins that have been performed by other companies are The Waltz Project and Fearful Symmetries. I'm surprised that The Magic Flute wasn't used by a company and/or company school. I believe this was televised, which would have given it greater exposure than many works.

Of all of Martins' works, Peter Boal has chosen Valse Triste for November's "All Premiere" program. Could be that it was chosen for someone. Another possibility, not mutually exclusive, is that with three other new works, a short two-person ballet worked best in the schedule.

I think an underrated piece was the Nichols/Luders Beethoven violin/piano work that was televised with Barber Violin Concerto, Ecstatic Orange, and Valse Triste. (There may have been a fifth ballet that I'm forgetting.)

[kfw]

Thanks, Helene. From the company's site, here are the dates of those ballets:

The Waltz Project, 1988

Fearful Symmetries, 1988

The Magic Flute, 1982

Valse Triste, 1985

Beethoven Romance, 1989

Barber Violin Concerto, 1988

Ecstatic Orange, 1987

[Farrell Fan]

I think an underrated piece was the Nichols/Luders Beethoven violin/piano work that was televised with Barber Violin Concerto, Ecstatic Orange, and Valse Triste. (There may have been a fifth ballet that I'm forgetting.)

The program was called "Ballerinas" and on it Peter Martins told how he had "discovered" this or that aspect of Balanchine's ballerinas. The Beethoven piece was called Beethoven Romance. There was indeed a fifth work, for Suzanne Farrell. It was, said Mr. Martins, intended to bring out "the glamour-girl side of Suzanne," and she agreed to do it provided he dance it with her. Called Sophisticated Lady, to the music of Duke Ellington, it was premiered during the American Music Festival and repeated at Farrell's farewell performance. It was charming and poignant but that did not come through on television, because the most charming and poignant part, to the Duke's "Don't Get Around Much Anymore," was eliminated from the broadcast. In its place was a disgustingly sappy "finale" in which a line of Corps boys (including Nilas) melted away to reveal Martins pere on bended knee, while Suzanne looked longingly in his direction. I gag at the memory.

[Helene]

Thanks, Helene. From the company's site, here are the dates of those ballets:

The Waltz Project, 1988

Fearful Symmetries, 1988

The Magic Flute, 1982

Valse Triste, 1985

Beethoven Romance, 1989

Barber Violin Concerto, 1988

Ecstatic Orange, 1987

The program was called "Ballerinas" and on it Peter Martins told how he had "discovered" this or that aspect of Balanchine's ballerinas. The Beethoven piece was called Beethoven Romance. There was indeed a fifth work, for Suzanne Farrell. It was, said Mr. Martins, intended to bring out "the glamour-girl side of Suzanne," and she agreed to do it provided he dance it with her. Called Sophisticated Lady, to the music of Duke Ellington, it was premiered during the American Music Festival and repeated at Farrell's farewell performance. It was charming and poignant but that did not come through on television, because the most charming and poignant part, to the Duke's "Don't Get Around Much Anymore," was eliminated from the broadcast. In its place was a disgustingly sappy "finale" in which a line of Corps boys (including Nilas) melted away to reveal Martins pere on bended knee, while Suzanne looked longingly in his direction. I gag at the memory.

Thank you kfw and Farrell Fan. Have 17 years gone by that quickly?

I wonder how many choreographers have gone from the Choregrapher's Workshop to produce works for the Company. (I can't seem to find a link on the NYCB site.)

I think the reason I blocked that Sophisticated Lady was on the program is that I prefer to remember Farrell's stage performances of the work. After the first viewing, I stopped watching it on tape.

[Klavier]

What bothers me is the statement that Martins is today's Balanchine. Yes , Balanchine had plenty of duds, but

he had many towering successes. In my book, at best, Martins has a TINY voice as a choreographer that no way justifies 150 works for the NYCB. Some certainly, but not a flooding of the repertory with an endless parade of "new Martins work"s

I believe the "150" is intended to refer to the ballets Martins has introduced during his tenure, not to 150 ballets specifically choreographed by Martins. Still, it's a rather silly position to take for a company that, among other things, mounts over 40 showings of "George Balanchine's The Nutcracker" each winter.

[richard53dog]

What bothers me is the statement that Martins is today's Balanchine. Yes , Balanchine had plenty of duds, but

he had many towering successes. In my book, at best, Martins has a TINY voice as a choreographer that no way justifies 150 works for the NYCB. Some certainly, but not a flooding of the repertory with an endless parade of "new Martins work"s

I believe the "150" is intended to refer to the ballets Martins has introduced during his tenure, not to 150 ballets specifically choreographed by Martins. Still, it's a rather silly position to take for a company that, among other things, mounts over 40 showings of "George Balanchine's The Nutcracker" each winter.

Yes, you're right, I misinterpreted the wording on the number of new pieces. The whole 150 weren't Martins'

pieces but I'd think the lions' share are. And I still stay with my opinion that he doesn't have the talent to justify the number of works with his name on them that roll out with such regularity on the NYCB stage. Maybe he has some influence?????????

A thought on the Nuts. Maybe we could call them the "cash flow" of the company. Being completely serious

now, I think it could be fairly said that a performing arts company needs both a lifeblood and a cash flow.

That still leaves open the definition of lifeblood of course. I think many people will have different ideas just what that is.

[Leigh Witchel]

The lifeblood of the company?

The audience.

[sandik]

A parallel question: are these commissions always exclusive, or can they be performed elsewhere? In other words, is the NYCB a dead end for new choreographic work -- or a springboard to other companies?

That is a great question. I sure don't remember reading much about other companies staging Martins ballets, or non-Martins Diamond Project works.

I know someone posted a list of Diamond Project works, but I can't find it right now, and don't have the time to dig, but Pacific Northwest Ballet did Ulysses Dove's 1984 Red Angels last year (they'll be performing his Front Porch of Heaven this year), and I think I remember it in another company's rep as well.

There's a fairly substantial video clip from the work at Richard Einhorn's website (the composer) It takes a bit of time to load...

http://www.richardeinhorn.com/RedAng/Max4.mov

[carbro]

Yes, you're right, I misinterpreted the wording on the number of new pieces. The whole 150 weren't Martins' pieces but I'd think the lions' share are. And I still stay with my opinion that he doesn't have the talent to justify the number of works with his name on them that roll out with such regularity on the NYCB stage. Maybe he has some influence?????????

A thought on the Nuts. Maybe we could call them the "cash flow" of the company. Being completely serious

now, I think it could be fairly said that a performing arts company needs both a lifeblood and a cash flow.

That still leaves open the definition of lifeblood of course. I think many people will have different ideas just what that is.

Lion's share? It only feels that way. I just did a little survey and counted 70 Martins ballets in the rep. My count may be off by one or two, but it still comes in under half.

Dancers talk about the value of being part of the choreographic process. Of course, it seems difficult to believe that being part of the creation of a mediocre work is as enriching as being part of a pretty good work, and so on, up the line. But you can never know how successful a commission will turn out until it's up and running -- and sometimes it takes several performances (and perhaps some adjustments) before it takes its intended shape.

From the audience's viewpoint, though (or mine, at least ), "new" is not and never has been a synonym for "good."