Brahms–Schoenberg Quartet

Brahms–Schoenberg Quartet
ChoreographerGeorge Balanchine
MusicJohannes Brahms
Arnold Schoenberg
PremiereApril 21, 1966 (1966-04-21)
New York State Theater
Original ballet companyNew York City Ballet
DesignBarbara Karinska
Peter Harvey
Ronald Bates
GenreNeoclassical ballet

Brahms–Schoenberg Quartet is a one-act ballet by George Balanchine, to Johannes Brahms's Piano Quartet No. 1, orchestrated by Arnold Schoenberg. The ballet premiered on April 21, 1966 at the New York State Theater, performed by the New York City Ballet.

Background and production[edit]

Arnold Schoenberg's orchestration of Johannes Brahms's Piano Quartet No. 1 premiered in 1937.[1] According to the George Balanchine Trust, Balanchine had said the chamber music were "too long, with too many repeats, and meant for small rooms", therefore went with the Schoenberg version.[2] The ballet is plotless and has four movements, titled Allegro, Intermezzo, Andante and Rondo Alla Zingarese.[3] In the original production, Barbara Karinska, Peter Harvey and Ronald Bates designed the costumes, sets and lighting respectively.[1][4] In 1985, two years after Balanchine died, NYCB switched to a new set designed by David Mitchell,[1][3] Mark Stanley later redesigned the lighting.[5]

Brahms–Schoenberg Quartet premiered on April 21, 1966, performed by the New York City Ballet.[5] On the premiere, The New York Times critic Clive Barnes called the ballet "careful but tedious".[4] Another reviewer, Anna Kisselgoff, wrote in 1985 that the ballet is not one of Balanchine's best, and in 1994 noted that the ballet is "too inconsistent" to be a masterpiece and "demands a strong performance."[6]

In 2016, the Paris Opera Ballet performed Brahms–Schoenberg Quartet with new sets and costumes by Karl Lagerfeld.[7] The San Francisco Ballet had also performed the ballet.[8]

Casts[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Kisselgoff, Anna (November 29, 1985). "City Ballet:Quartet' Returns". The New York Times.
  2. ^ "Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet". The George Balanchine Trust. Retrieved September 19, 2020.
  3. ^ a b Kisselgoff, Anna (November 26, 1993). "Review/City Ballet; New Gloss On Motifs Romantic And Gypsy". The New York Times.
  4. ^ a b Barnes, Clive (April 22, 1966). "Dance: Balanchine's 'Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet'". The New York Times.
  5. ^ a b Marjia, Rose (May 20, 2019). "BWW Review: New York City Ballet - The Show Goes On for Brahms–Schoenberg Quartet". Broadway World.
  6. ^ Kisselgoff, Anna (May 31, 1994). "Reviews/Dance; New Faces in Familiar Paces at City Ballet". The New York Times.
  7. ^ Cappelle, Laura (July 10, 2016). "Paris Opera Ballet/New York City Ballet, Paris — review". Financial Times.
  8. ^ Ulrich, Allan (May 3, 2014). "S.F. Ballet revives 2 Balanchine works, and it's about time". San Francisco Chronicles.
  9. ^ "Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet". New York City Ballet. Retrieved September 19, 2020.
  10. ^ "Peck / Balanchine". Opéra national de Paris.

External links[edit]

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