''Adagio Hammerklavier'' is a ballet choreographed by

Hans van Manen Hans Arthur Gerard van Manen (; born 11 July 1932) is a Dutch ballet dancer, choreographer and photographer. He studied under Sonia Gaskell and Françoise Adret. Van Manen wrote many ballets. He worked for the Dutch National Ballet from 1973 ...

to the ''Adagio'' from Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 29, ''Hammerklavier''. The ballet is plotless and danced by three couples. Van Manen made ''Adagio Hammerklavier'' for the

Dutch National Ballet The Dutch National Ballet (Dutch: Het Nationale Ballet) is the official and largest ballet company in the Netherlands. History The Dutch National Ballet was formed in 1961 when the Amsterdam Ballet and the Nederlands Ballet merged. The company h ...

, and it premiered on 4 October 1973, at the Stadsschouwburg, Amsterdam.

Production

Van Manen decided to choreograph a new ballet on six

dancers, Monique Sand, Sonja Marchiolli, Alexandra Radius, Henry Jurriëns, Francis Sinceretti, , when the company was rehearsing '' Swan Lake''. Though the six were also set to dance in ''Swan Lake'', the rehearsal schedule made them available at the same time while the rest of the company were working on the production. Van Manen set the ballet to the ''Adagio'', the third movement from Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 29, ''Hammerklavier''. He was inspired by

Christoph Eschenbach Christoph Eschenbach (; born 20 February 1940) is a German pianist and conductor. Early life Eschenbach was born in Breslau, Germany (now Wrocław, Poland). His parents were Margarethe (née Jaross) and Heribert Ringmann. He was orphaned durin ...

's recording of the music, which was played at an exceptionally slow tempo. Van Manen explained, "I thought ''adagio''. You hardly ever see ''adagio''; you see slow motion, but that's different. That's based on total balance. I always think of ''adagio'' as a wheel that you push – and that moment where the wheel is still moving, just before it falls." The costumes and set were designed by

Jean-Paul Vroom Jean Paul or ''variation'' may refer to: Places * Rue ''Jean-Paul-II'', several streets, see List of places named after Pope John Paul II * Place ''Jean Paul II'', several squares, see List of places named after Pope John Paul II People Given n ...

, with the women in pale blue chiffon dresses, and the men in white tights, bare-chested and wearing necklaces. The decor features a white curtain at the back of the stage.

Choreography

Dance critic Zoë Anderson wrote, "Like many of van Manen's works, ''Adagio Hammerklavier'' is a plotless work with a strong edge of sexual drama." She noted although the ballet was created in a time when choreographers were experimenting with complex lifts, in ''Adagio Hammerklavier'', women are "curling and drooping to the floor." She added that in other parts of the ballet, "couples move in unison... With unexpected assertiveness walks will turn unto stamps. The dancing is understated, gaining drama from small turns of the head or changes of pose, small details that break the line of the choreography."

Performances

''Adagio Hammerklavier'' premiered on 4 October 1973, at the Stadsschouwburg, Amsterdam. Other ballet companies performing ''Adagio Hammerklavier'' include

the Royal Ballet The Royal Ballet is a British internationally renowned classical ballet company, based at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, England. The largest of the five major ballet companies in Great Britain, the Royal Ballet was founded in ...

in London,

Houston Ballet Houston Ballet, operated by Houston Ballet Foundation, is a professional ballet company based in Houston, Texas. The company, consisting of 59 dancers, produces over 85 performances per year. History Tatiana Semenova (1955–1967) Houston dev ...

, Berlin Opera Ballet, Mariinsky Ballet,

English National Ballet English National Ballet is a classical ballet company founded by Dame Alicia Markova and Sir Anton Dolin as London Festival Ballet and based in London, England. Along with The Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Northern Ballet and Scottish ...

, Stuttgart Ballet,

La Scala Theatre Ballet The La Scala Theatre Ballet ( it, Corpo di ballo del Teatro alla Scala) is the resident classical ballet company at La Scala in Milan, Italy. One of the oldest and most renowned ballet companies in the world, the company pre-dates the theatre, bu ...

and

Pennsylvania Ballet The Philadelphia Ballet, formerly known as Pennsylvania Ballet until rebranding in 2021, is Philadelphia's largest ballet company. The company's annual local season features six programs of classic favorites, as well as new works, including the Ph ...

References

{{Reflist

External links

''Adagio Hammerklavier''
on the Dutch National Ballet website 1973 ballet premieres Ballets by Hans van Manen Ballets to the music of Ludwig van Beethoven