Danses Сoncertantes
Premiere: 17 November 2023, Rostov State Musical Theatre
Premiere at the Mariinsky Theatre: 15 June 2024
Running time: 25 minutes
Age category 12+
Credits
Music by Igor Stravinsky
Musical Director: Valery Gergiev
Production Choreography: Alexander Sergeev
Costume Designer: Leonid Alexeev
Lighting Designer: Konstantin Binkin
Lighting Adaptation for the historical stage of the Mariinsky Theatre by Alexander Naumov
Igor Stravinsky originally composed Danses concertantes for chamber orchestra without the intention of it being used for ballet. Despite its name suggesting choreography, Stravinsky himself declared, “Contrary to its choreographic title, Danses concertantes was not conceived with dance in mind.” Yet, only a week after its orchestral debut in 1942, he proposed that George Balanchine choreograph it. This proposal marked the beginning of the composition’s life on stage, now featuring dance interpretations by various choreographers.
Choreographer Alexander Sergeev comments on the essence of Danses concertantes, saying, “For me Danses concertantes is about competition – the word concerto derives from the Latin for ‘contest’. It embodies a competition among soloists, between the soloists and five couples, and dancers grappling with complex rhythms. Ultimately, it’s about competing with myself.” Sergeev intended to craft a spectacle driven solely by music, energy and choreography. However, during the staging rehearsals psychological elements and interpersonal dynamics began to emerge unexpectedly.
Jeu de cartes
Premiere of Igor Stravinsky's ballet choreographed by George Balanchine – 27 April 1937, American Ballet, Metropolitan Opera, New York
Performance premiere – 30 April 2019, Mariinsky Theatre
Running time 25 minutes
Age category 12+
Credits
Music by Igor Stravinsky
Choreography and Set Design by Ilya Zhivoi
Costumes Designer: Sofia Vartanian
Lighting Designer: Konstantin Binkin
Video Designer: Sergei Rylko
When creating the ballet’s concept, we rejected direct references to the theme of a casino or card games, otherwise it would have been too easy. This concerns everything: the sets and the costumes. But neither did we entirely exclude that element, in the production there are references to Stravinsky’s libretto, and the structure of the score has been retained.
The ballet Jeu de cartes speaks to the audience not about poker, but about the relationships between the three protagonists. It is playing in a love triangle, where the Queen, the King and the Joker are normal, everyday people, but each of them has, apropos, as they do in the card game, their own value and purpose.
We were inspired by canvases of Rothko, hence the minimalism of detail, the geometry in the decorative design and the intense colours of the costumes. Neither did we forget contemporary technology – the plot is accompanied by video design and an intensive lighting range, while the evening’s protagonists are stars of the Mariinsky Ballet whose talent will be the main focus of the action. Ilya Zhivoi
The Fairy's Kiss
he Fairy's Kiss (under the title Le Baiser de la fée) staged by Bronislava Nijinska: 27 November 1928, The Ida Rubinstein Ballet Company, Paris
Premiere at the Mariinsky Theatre: 11 July 2021
Running time: 45 minutes
Age category 12+
Credits
Music by Igor Stravinsky
Libretto by the composer after fairy-tales by Hans Christian
Musical Director: Valery Gergiev
Choreographer: Maxim Petrov
Set Designer: Alyona Pikalova
Costume Designer: Uldus Bakhtiozina
Lighting Designer: Konstantin Binkin
Musical Preparation: Lyudmila Sveshnikova
Stravinsky created the ballet Le Baiser de la fée based on Hans Christian Andersen's fairy-tale plot using quotations, motifs and allusions from music by Tchaikovsky and he dedicated the score to the memory of his senior colleague: "Like a fairy, the muse adorned Tchaikovsky with her kiss, the imprint of which is to be observed on every opus by this great artist." Looking for just such a fairy (or muse) is hero of Maxim Petrov's production. In his reading of Stravinsky's opus the choreographer has discarded the peripheral details of the original fairy-tale libretto: no child is stolen and there is no fatal substitution of the bride at the wedding. His male protagonist saves himself from wintry probation dressed in a fashionable down jacket and carrying a mobile phone. And, unlike with Stravinsky there are four fairies, not just one, in this story. Moreover, the beauty of the duet with one of them is not at all an indicator that the protagonist's search is to be crowned with success, and he meets the one who possesses the secret of creation. Which of the fairies is to be the guide in a "land beyond time and space", revealing to the one who has been kissed — a country, with the universal image of which the composer chose to conclude his ballet?
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