Music Composition for Ballets

[artist]

Does all music composed for ballets reflect on the story and/or the characters or the other way around or is everyone different?

What comes first: Is it story to music to choreography or music to story to choreography <see bottom>

I was listening to the radio (of course classical) and it was said that in Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade the violin was meant to reflect the scheherazade telling her stories in attempt to not be killed and the other louder instruments were to mirror the king and his attacks.

Is this what all composers think when they compose - to know the story first and then choose instruments to reflect upon the characters? Or do they generalize their music to the story and then the choreographers set it accordingly, making it 'fit'.

But if so, then wouldn't throughout the whole ballet this would have to apply? That's a little hard, for the violin, for example, to always be recognized as one part, etc.

I'm most likely making too big a deal and overanalizing (yet again), but I'm a little curious what goes on.

[add] Actually, now that I think of that, it's both. Some compose for music's sake and then ballets get created from them. Then there are others where the choreographer is hired to make music for their idea. So nevermind on that question!

So I guess I'll restate my question: When the composer knows the story does he choose certain instruments to reflect the character or just composes to the story? Or is this just turning into my stupid dying swan instrument/body connection?!

aah, the more I re-read this the more pointless this topic seems. Sorry for these weird relations. I don't know what is going on in my head!

[Cygnet]

With "Sleeping Beauty" it was story, to choreography, then music. Petipa fully outlined every scene for Tchaikovsky. Balanchine's

pattern was usually music, then choreography, (and in most cases),

no story. MacMillan usually started with the story, then the music,

and with choreography he began with the pas de deuxs first, then

fleshed out the scenes and Acts. So, it depends on the choreographer.

[HollyFusco]

I thought this was a really interesting topic.

I think this varies with the specific ballet, how it was choreographed, etc.

George Balanchine and Igor Stravinsky had a close-knit relationship with a lot of their works, and I know many of Balanchine's ballet's were made with the help of Stravinsky's compositions. Very collaborative.

I feel like a lot of plotless ballets are set to specific music to portray a theme, (i.e. death, marriage, love, etc.)

There are a lot of choreographers today that first hear a piece of music, and visualize their choreography. It would be difficult, for example, to have a ballet completely choreographed, and then try to add music to it later on.

One great of example of a collaboration on this very topic will be Miami City Ballet's new Twyla Tharp ballet next season, which will be set to music by Elvis Costello. :-)

[MinkusPugni]

With "Sleeping Beauty" it was story, to choreography, then music. Petipa fully outlined every scene for Tchaikovsky. Balanchine's

pattern was usually music, then choreography, (and in most cases),

no story. MacMillan usually started with the story, then the music,

and with choreography he began with the pas de deuxs first, then

fleshed out the scenes and Acts. So, it depends on the choreographer.

Not true, Cygnet. Yes Petipa carefully outlined all of what he wanted for Tchaikovsky, even specifying the amount of bars he wanted in each piece. For example, in the Garland Waltz Petipa ordered 16 bars of introduction and 150 bars of waltz, but Tchaikovsky supplied 36 bars of introduction and 261 bars of waltz. As you see, if Petipa had started choreography before the music came he would have had to have changed most things anyway. Also, in any case the score was completed in four weeks. There was no need for Petipa to choreograph before the music was presented.

A quote from Petipa's daughter:

"Peter Ilyich arrive at our house customarily in the evenings and played trough his work in parts, and father listened and planned his dance fantasies in harmony with the music."