''Robert Schumann’s “Davidsbündlertänze”'' is one of the last major works made by

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's fir ...

's founding choreographer and balletmaster-in-chief,

George Balanchine George Balanchine (; Various sources: * * * * born Georgiy Melitonovich Balanchivadze;, Romanization of Georgian, : April 30, 1983) was a Georgian-American ballet choreographer, recognized as one of the most influential choreographers ...

. It is set to

Robert Schumann Robert Schumann (; ; 8 June 181029 July 1856) was a German composer, pianist, and music critic of the early Romantic music, Romantic era. He composed in all the main musical genres of the time, writing for solo piano, voice and piano, chamber ...

's '' Davidsbündlertänze'' (''Dances of the League of David''),An imaginary society of artists created by Schumann the members of which represent various aspects of his personality but united in the common aim of fight the

Philistines Philistines (; LXX: ; ) were ancient people who lived on the south coast of Canaan during the Iron Age in a confederation of city-states generally referred to as Philistia. There is compelling evidence to suggest that the Philistines origi ...

, those who oppose art or innovation in the arts. During his adult life Schumann headed a circle that included much of the Germany musical elite, including

Felix Mendelssohn Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic music, Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositions inc ...

and

Johannes Brahms Johannes Brahms (; ; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor of the mid-Romantic period (music), Romantic period. His music is noted for its rhythmic vitality and freer treatment of dissonance, oft ...

. Op. 6 (1837). The idea for setting this piano work very likely came from a work created by

Robert Joffrey Robert Joffrey (December 24, 1930 – March 25, 1988) was an American dancer, teacher, producer, choreographer, and co-founder of the Joffrey Ballet, known for his highly imaginative modern ballets. He was born Anver Bey Abdullah Jaffa Khan in Se ...

for his own Joffrey Ballet Company, the premier of which took place at the City Center Theater in the late 1970s. Joffrey, in turn, received his inspiration from Jonathan Watts, a protege of Joffrey's and director of the Joffrey apprentice company, who, at the suggestion of pianist Neil Stannard, created a ballet titled ''Evening Dialogues'' to this same score. This initial version of the Schumann cycle was featured on tour with the Joffrey second company in the mid 1970a. The premiere took place on June 19, 1980, at the New York State Theater,

Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 ...

. A series of dances for four couples, the ballet draws on the life of Schumann, in particular his reunion with Clara Wieck after a 16-month estrangement in the year of its composition.

Original cast

* Karin von Aroldingen *

Suzanne Farrell Suzanne Farrell (born August 16, 1945) is a former American ballerina and the founder of the Suzanne Farrell Ballet at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Farrell began her ballet training as a child in Cincinnati. In 1960, she received a ...

Kay Mazzo Kay Mazzo (born January 17, 1946) is an American former ballet dancer and educator. In 1961, she joined Jerome Robbins' company, Ballets USA. The following year, she joined the New York City Ballet and was promoted to principal dancer in 1969. Sh ...

* Heather Watts * Adam Lüders * Jacques d'Amboise * Ib Andersen *

Peter Martins Peter Martins (born 27 October 1946) is a Danish former ballet dancer and choreographer. Martins was a principal dancer with the Royal Danish Ballet and with the New York City Ballet, where he joined George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, and J ...

Footnotes

Reviews

NY Times
by Jack Anderson, November 21, 1980

External links

Robert Schumann’s “Davidsbündlertänze”
on the Balanchine Trust website {{DEFAULTSORT:Robert Schumann's Davidsbundlertanze Ballets by George Balanchine 1980 ballets New York City Ballet repertory Davidsbundlertanze, Robert Schumann's

Original cast

See also

Footnotes

Reviews

External links