''Scotch Symphony'' is a ballet choreographed by
George Balanchine to Mendelssohn's
Symphony No. 3, "Scottish". The ballet is inspired by Scotland, and evokes the style of the
romantic ballet
The Romantic ballet is defined primarily by an era in ballet in which the ideas of Romanticism in art and literature influenced the creation of ballets. The era occurred during the early to mid 19th century primarily at the Théâtre de l'Académ ...
era, particularly ''
La Sylphide
''La Sylphide'' ( en, The Sylph; da, Sylfiden) is a romantic ballet in two acts. There were two versions of the ballet; the original choreographed by Filippo Taglioni in 1832, and a second version choreographed by August Bournonville in 1836. ...
'', which is set in Scotland. ''Scotch Symphony'' was made for 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' ...
, and premiered on November 11, 1952, at the
City Center of Music and Drama.
Choreography
The program for ''Scotch Symphony'' stated,
Balanchine ike Mendelssohnwishes to evoke the sweep and freshness, the brilliance and strength inherent in the Highland
Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally speaking, upland (or uplands) refers to ranges of hills, typically from up to while highland (or highlands) is ...
landscape. He has invented a classic ballet based on atmosphere and music, with an affectionate nod to the romantic tradition that made the hero of ''La Sylphide
''La Sylphide'' ( en, The Sylph; da, Sylfiden) is a romantic ballet in two acts. There were two versions of the ballet; the original choreographed by Filippo Taglioni in 1832, and a second version choreographed by August Bournonville in 1836. ...
'' a Highlander.
The ballet is set to Mendelssohn's
Symphony No. 3, "Scottish".
[ Dance critic Richard Buckle described ''Scotch Symphony'' as "one of those Balanchine ballets ... that hover between romance and comedy or pastiche."][ Author Nancy Reynolds wrote, "Choreographically, the ballet contains many steps, gestures and poses allusive of the romantic era."][ She also noted the lead ballerina role "requires a high level of technique tempered by lightness, grace, and the quality of an otherworldly vision."][ Dancer Patricia Wilde noted that Balanchine asked the dancers to be on their toes to emulate Scottish highland dancing.][
The first movement features a girl and boys, all in ]kilts
A kilt ( gd, fèileadh ; Irish: ''féileadh'') is a garment resembling a wrap-around knee-length skirt, made of twill woven worsted wool with heavy pleats at the sides and back and traditionally a tartan pattern. Originating in the Scottish H ...
, along with a pas de trois
In ballet, ''pas de trois'' is a French term usually referring to a dance between three people. Typically, a ''pas de trois'' in ballet consists of five parts:
#Entrée (the opening number for the three dancers, usually preceded by a short i ...
and a solo for the girl.[ The second movement is an adagio danced by a ballerina and her partner. Though it is plotless, Balanchine wrote that it "represents ... the general mood and atmosphere of the romantic ballet as epitomized in such ballets as ''La Sylphide''."][ The third and final movement features the lead couple and the ensemble, in which the two lead dancers perform a pas de deux and ]variations
Variation or Variations may refer to:
Science and mathematics
* Variation (astronomy), any perturbation of the mean motion or orbit of a planet or satellite, particularly of the moon
* Genetic variation, the difference in DNA among individua ...
, before the soloists and corps de ballet join them for the finale.[
]
Development
In August 1952, while 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' ...
was performing at Edinburgh Festival
__NOTOC__
This is a list of arts and cultural festivals regularly taking place in Edinburgh, Scotland.
The city has become known for its festivals since the establishment in 1947 of the Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh Fe ...
, towards the end of the company's first European tour, George Balanchine attended the Searchlight Tattoo. Having enjoyed both the military tattoo
A military tattoo is a performance of music or display of armed forces in general. The term comes from the early 17th-century Dutch phrase ''doe den tap toe'' ("turn off the tap"), a signal sounded by drummers or trumpeters to instruct innkeeper ...
and his visit to Scotland, and inspired by bagpipe
Bagpipes are a woodwind instrument using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. The Great Highland bagpipes are well known, but people have played bagpipes for centuries throughout large parts of Europe, ...
and Scottish highland dance performances, Balanchine decided to make a Scottish-themed ballet.[ Development of the ballet began after the company returned to New York.][ He chose to set the ballet to Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 3, also inspired by a visit to Scotland, but removed the first movement, which Balanchine found to be "not appropriate for dance."][ He also decided to evoke ''La Sylphide'', "the first great romantic ballet", which features a Scottish setting.][
]Maria Tallchief
Elizabeth Marie Tallchief ( Osage family name: , Osage script: ; January 24, 1925 – April 11, 2013) was an American ballerina. She was considered America's first major prima ballerina. She was the first Native American (Osage Nation) to ...
and André Eglevsky originated the two lead roles,[ while Patricia Wilde created the female role in the first movement, along Frank Hobi and Michael Maule as the two other dancers in the pas de trois.][ While working on the ballet, Balanchine and Tallchief were in the process of having their marriage ]annulled
Annulment is a legal procedure within secular and religious legal systems for declaring a marriage null and void. Unlike divorce, it is usually retroactive, meaning that an annulled marriage is considered to be invalid from the beginning almost ...
, though it had little impact on their artistic collaborations. Though Tallchief was known for her dazzling dancing style, her role in this ballet required more light and graceful techniques.[ Wilde believed that in emulating Scottish highland dance, the dancers became prone to injuries, including "terrible calf cramps and shin splints."]
Karinska
Varvara Jmoudsky, better known as Barbara Karinska or simply Karinska (October 3, 1886 – October 18, 1983), was the Oscar-winning costumier of cinema, ballet, musical and dramatic theatre, lyric opera and ice spectacles. Over her 50 year caree ...
designed the women's costumes while David Ffolkes designed the men's. Horace Armistead and Jean Rosenthal
Jean Rosenthal (born Eugenia Rosenthal; March 16, 1912May 1, 1969) is considered a pioneer in the field of theatrical lighting design. She was born in New York City to Romanian-Jewish immigrants. northern.edu, retrieved May 20, 2009Fippin, CaroBio ...
designed the set and lighting respectively.[
]
Performances
''Scotch Symphony'' premiered on November 11, 1952, at the City Center of Music and Drama.
In 1989, ''Scotch Symphony'', along with '' Theme and Variations'', became the first Balanchine ballets performed by the Kirov Ballet
The Mariinsky Ballet (russian: Балет Мариинского театра) is the resident classical ballet company of the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
Founded in the 18th century and originally known as the Imperial Russ ...
in St. Petersburg, where he had danced in the 1920s as a student and young professional dancer before leaving for the West.
Other ballet companies that performed the ballet include the San Francisco Ballet
San Francisco Ballet is the oldest ballet company in the United States, founded in 1933 as the San Francisco Opera Ballet under the leadership of ballet master Adolph Bolm. The company is currently based in the War Memorial Opera House, San Fra ...
, Washington Ballet
The Washington Ballet (TWB) is an ensemble of professional ballet dancers based in Washington DC. It was founded in 1976 by Mary Day, and has been under the artistic directorship of Julie Kent since 2016. Septime Webre was artistic director fo ...
, Joffrey Ballet, 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 ...
, Atlanta Ballet
Atlanta Ballet is a ballet company, located in Atlanta, Georgia. It is the longest continuously performing ballet company in the United States and the State Ballet of Georgia.
History
Atlanta Ballet was founded in 1929 by Dorothy Alexander as ...
and Kansas City Ballet
The Kansas City Ballet (KCB) is an American professional ballet company based in Kansas City, Missouri. The company was founded in 1957 by Russian expatriate Tatiana Dokoudovska. The KCB presents five major performances each season to include ...
. Students of the School of American Ballet, the associate school of the New York City Ballet, performed the ballet as part of its annual workshop performance.
References
{{Reflist
External links
''Scotch Symphony''
on the New York City Ballet website
Symphony''
on the Balanchine Trust website
1952 ballet premieres
Ballets by George Balanchine
Ballets to the music of Felix Mendelssohn
New York City Ballet repertory