Agon 1957
Choreographer George Balanchine
Music - Igor Stravinky
Agon (from the Greek meaning ‘contest’) is the third of the three ‘Greek’ ballets by Stravinsky and Balanchine, and is widely regarded as the quintessential collaboration of neo-classicism between these two iconic figures of the 20th Century. Responding to Stravinsky's daring reinvestigation of 17th century French court music, Balanchine plays with the classical vocabulary, pushing it to the edge of technical and expressive possibilities. The result is an explosive showcase of dance full of sensual tension and electrifying geometrically challenging structures.
Stravinsky took his inspiration for Agon, his first foray into serialist composition, from the composers of the 2nd Viennese School amongst whom was composer Anton Webern. He also introduced Balanchine to the music of Webern, which in turn, provided the choreographer’s inspiration for Episodes, performed by Scottish Ballet at last year’s Edinburgh International Festival. It’s a fascinating journey, which yielded some of the greatest dance works ever made
Afternoon of a Faun 1953
Choreographer Jerome Robbins
Music - Claude Debussy
American choreographer, Jerome Robbins is internationally renowned as much for his ballets created for the likes of New York City Ballet, Ballets USA and American Ballet Theatre as he is for his direction and choreography on a number of Broadway’s biggest hits, including On The Town and West Side Story, the latter of which he received two Academy Awards for in the 1960 film version.
Jerome Robbins' Afternoon of a Faun is a serenely sensual re-working of Vaslav Njinsky’s original 1912 ballet for Diaghilev’s Ballet Russes, which drew its inspiration from Stephane Mallarmes’ poem L’Apres midi d’un faune. In Robbins’ version the audience become voyeurs of a private encounter between two young dancers, one male, one female, who meet and practice in front of the mirror in an empty dance studio, absorbed in their own and in each others physicality, until a kiss breaks the spell.
Two Pieces for HET (1997)
Choreographer Hans van Manen
Music - Arvo Pärt and Erkki-Sven Tüür
Knighted by the Queen of Netherlands in 1992, his 35th year as a choreographer, Hans van Manen has choreographed more than 120 ballets, each carrying his unmistakable signature. Clarity in structure and a refined simplicity has earned him the name ‘the Mondriaan of dance'.
Van Manen, whose inspiration ranges from as wide a scope as the works of George Balanchine to Fred Astaire, created Two Pieces for Het, when he returned to work with Dutch National Ballet in the late 1990s. Originally part of a larger work, it was performed in this version by Scottish Ballet as part of the Autumn 2004 season. Reviews commented on the emotion and passion of the piece including The Sunday Herald who wrote it showed “a couple who seem to drink in each other’s very being with every touch”. Danced as two continuous sections, it shows the couple at first playfully competitive, becoming gradually more tender as the piece winds down to a delicate conclusion.
In Light and Shadow 2000
Choreographer Krzysztof Pastor
Music - Johann Sebastian Bach
Born in Poland, Krzysztof Pastor danced with the Dutch National Ballet for a decade and cut his dance-making teeth by choreographing for small ballet groups in Europe. He gained international renown with his choreography to Shostakovich’s Chamber Symphony, which he created for DNB in 1992. Recently appointed Resident Choreographer of the Dutch National Ballet, a Company known for its unique repertoire, outstanding artistic and technical achievement, and strikingly individual choreographers, In Light and Shadow is the most evocative work that Pastor has created for them in recent years.
Inspired by a range of Baroque dances and painters including Vermeer, Rembrandt and La Tour the ballet focuses, as the title suggests, on the interplay of light and shadow as über-contemporary lines are juxtaposed with the rich and celebratory music of Bach. Beginning with a delicate, reflective duet to the aria from Bach’s Goldberg Variations, the ballet opens out into a rich tapestry of explosive solos, duets and ensemble work to Bach’s Third Orchestral Suite, described by Pastor himself as a suite of dances inspired by the spirit of the Baroque period, and as detailed as Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel Fresco where ornate features contrast with light and shadow.