On 24,25 and 26 March, the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre presents first ballet premieres of the year — George Balanchine’s one-act ballets Prodigal Son, Serenade, Scotch Symphony as well as Apollo, the premiere of which is timed to commemorate the 135th anniversary since Igor Stravinsky’s birthday.
The four premieres of one-act ballets combine works by four great composers and one of the most significant choreographers of the 20th century - George Balanchine. The productions that have been added to the repertoire of the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre provide an opportunity to follow the formation and development of the style introduced by the renowned master of neoclassical choreography.
One-act plotless ballets predominate among George Balanchine’s productions, the overall number of which exceeds 400. The choreographer believed that such form allows to see and understand a ballet character better. This Balanchine’s approach was supported by Sergei Diaghilev, with whom he had been fruitfully collaborating since his arrival in Europe. Balanchine created 10 ballets for Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballet Russes, the most successful of which are Apollo and Prodigal Son. These performances were produced in a cooperation with young, but already well-known composers Igor Stravinsky and Sergei Prokofiev, respectively.
next important stage in George Balanchine’s creative career was associated with his moving from Europe to America and establishing an American ballet company. On the New Continent the fame came to him with Serenade set to music by Pyotr Tchaikovsky. The choreographer changed the musical basis - reversed the order of the cheerful finale and the elegy, which altered the concept of Serenade, adding to it a melancholic touch.
For his now strengthened ballet company, in 1952, Balanchine creates Scotch Symphony, a ballet to music by Felix Mendelssohn with no definite plot but having brightly contrasting pictures and images. An important role in this production was played by designs, which was not generally typical of Balanchine. The dancers were dressed in kilts, hoses and plaid berets, while a picturesque, romantic landscape served as a background for dances.
