''Estancia'' (
Op. 8) is the second ballet composed by Argentinian composer
Alberto Ginastera
Alberto Evaristo Ginastera (; April 11, 1916June 25, 1983) was an Argentinian composer of classical music. He is considered to be one of the most important 20th-century classical composers of the Americas.
Biography
Ginastera was born in Buen ...
premiered in 1952 commissioned by American writer
Lincoln Kirstein
Lincoln Edward Kirstein (May 4, 1907 – January 5, 1996) was an American writer, impresario, art connoisseur, philanthropist, and cultural figure in New York City, noted especially as co-founder of the New York City Ballet. He developed and sus ...
. Ginastera took inspiration for the ballet's plot from the
epic
Epic commonly refers to:
* Epic poetry, a long narrative poem celebrating heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation
* Epic film, a genre of film with heroic elements
Epic or EPIC may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and medi ...
''Martin Fierro'' by Argentine writer
José Hernández, incorporating the nationalist themes and language into his musical score.
The ballet was created the same year the composer had made his acquaintance with American composer
Aaron Copland
Aaron Copland (, ; November 14, 1900December 2, 1990) was an American composer, composition teacher, writer, and later a conductor of his own and other American music. Copland was referred to by his peers and critics as "the Dean of American Com ...
. The ballet began its life as a four-part orchestral
suite in 1941 before being turned in a one-act ballet.
The ballet form is approximately one hour in length and tells the story of the love between a boy living in the city and the daughter of a
rancher. The girl finds the boy lacking in courage when compared to the
gaucho
A gaucho () or gaúcho () is a skilled horseman, reputed to be brave and unruly. The figure of the gaucho is a folk symbol of Argentina, Uruguay, Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, and the south of Chilean Patagonia. Gauchos became greatly admired and ...
s. However, by the end of the ballet, he wins her over by outdancing the gauchos in a competition.
History
Ginastera's ballet was a commissioned project by Kirstein for the
American Ballet Caravan
The American Ballet was the first professional ballet company George Balanchine created in the United States. The company was founded with the help of Lincoln Kirstein and Edward Warburg, managed by Alexander Merovitch and populated by students ...
, with choreography ostensibly provided by Russian choreographer
George Balanchine
George Balanchine (;
Various sources:
*
*
*
* born Georgiy Melitonovich Balanchivadze; ka, გიორგი მელიტონის ძე ბალანჩივაძე; January 22, 1904 (O. S. January 9) – April 30, 1983) was ...
. The ballet company had involved themselves in another Western-inspired ballet at the time, Copland's ''
Billy the Kid
Billy the Kid (born Henry McCarty; September 17 or November 23, 1859July 14, 1881), also known by the pseudonym William H. Bonney, was an outlaw and gunfighter of the American Old West, who killed eight men before he was shot and killed at t ...
'' (1938). While on tour in Argentina with the company, Copland met Ginastera and a deep friendship ensued.
However, the ballet company disbanded in 1942, nullifying the opportunity for the ballet to be performed. Further, the onset of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
stopped the project entirely and performance of the ballet would not occur until after the war in 1945. Kirstein had originally hoped to have the ballet performed as early as possible but the war effort and the company's dissolution stopped his plans.
As an interim solution, Ginastera extracted four dances from the ballet and created an orchestral suite for concert performance, with the final ("
Malambo"), based on the Argentine dance style, being the most well-known of the four.
Ultimately, the work was premiered. In 1952, the
Colon Theater Ballet held the ballet's official premiere, with choreography supplied by the Russian choreographer Michel Borovsky. The lead dance role was performed by Enrique Lommi who is said to have asked for simpler footwork as the orchestra had begun to drown his sounds out.
In 2010, the
New York City Ballet
New York City Ballet (NYCB) is a ballet company founded in 1948 by choreographer George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein. Balanchine and Jerome Robbins are considered the founding choreographers of the company. Léon Barzin was the company' ...
reconceptualized the work.
The work was choreographed by English choreographer
Christopher Wheeldon
Christopher Peter Wheeldon OBE (born 22 March 1973) is an English international choreographer of contemporary ballet.
Life and career
Born in Yeovil, Somerset, to an engineer and a physical therapist, Wheeldon began training to be a ballet dan ...
with set design by Spanish architect
Santiago Calatrava
Santiago Calatrava Valls (born 28 July 1951) is a Spanish architect, structural engineer, sculptor and painter, particularly known for his bridges supported by single leaning pylons, and his railway stations, stadiums, and museums, whose sculpt ...
.
Scenes
# Dawn ''(El amanecer)''
#* Introduction and Scene ''(Introducción y escena)''
#* Little Dance ''(Pequeña danza)''
# Morning (La mañana)
#* Wheat Dance (''Danza del trigo)''
#* Farm Workers ''(Los trabajadores agrícolas)''
#* The peons of the hacienda – Entrance of the little horses ''(Los peones de la hacienda – Entrada de los caballitos)''
#* Villagers ''(Los puebleros)''
# Slow (''El lento)''
#* Sad Pampas ''(Triste pampeano)''
#* Church (''La doma'', Rodeo)
#* Idyll at Twilight ''(Idilio en el crepúsculo)''
# Night ''(La noche)''
# Dawn
#* Scene ''(Escena)''
#* Final Dance ''(Danza final, Malambo)''
Recordings
* Ginastera, A.: ''Panambi'' / ''Estancia'' (complete ballets) (Naxos, 2006)
References
{{Reflist
Compositions by Alberto Ginastera
1952 compositions
Ballet music
1952 ballet premieres