Music: By Georges Bizet (Symphony No. 1 in C major, 1855).

Choreography: By George Balanchine.

Production: Scenery and costumes by Leonor Fini.

Premiere: July 28, 1947, Paris Opéra Ballet, Théâtre National de l'Opéra, Paris. Conductor: Roger Desormière.

Cast: FIRST MOVEMENT (ALLEGRO VIVO): Lycette Darsonval, Alexandre Kalioujny; SECOND MOVEMENT (ADAGIO): Tamara Toumanova, Roger Ritz; THIRD MOVEMENT (ALLEGRO VIVACE): Micheline Bardin, Michel Renault; FOURTH MOVEMENT (ALLEGRO VIVACE): Madeleine Lafon, Max Bozzoni (in each movement: 2 demi-solo couples, 6 women); FINALE: Entire cast.

Note: During six months as guest ballet master for the Paris Opéra, Balanchine choreographed Bizet's Symphony in C and staged Apollo, Serenade, and Le Baiser de la Fée. Le Palais de Cristal was staged for Ballet Society as Symphony in C [244] the following year, and was presented with Concerto Barocco [195] and Orpheus [246] at the first performance of the New York City Ballet, October 11, 1948. When the Paris Opéra Ballet performed this work at the Bolshoi Theater, Moscow, in June 1958, it became the first ballet made by Balanchine in the West to be seen in the Soviet Union since his departure in 1924.

Revisions: 1948, Ballet Society (titled Symphony in C): Original corps of 48 reduced, with doubling of corps members from movement to movement owing to limited size of company. New York City Ballet: By 1968, larger company eliminated duplication of cast, allowing full finale; 8 corps members in FIRST MOVEMENT instead of 6; by 1971, 8 corps members in FOURTH MOVEMENT for total cast of 52; 1971[?], musical repeat in FOURTH MOVEMENT, danced by FIRST MOVEMENT cast in exact repetition of FOURTH MOVEMENT cast steps (cut entirely at various times), completely rechoreographed for FIRST MOVEMENT cast. Male solos in FIRST and THIRD MOVEMENTS rechoreographed several times for various performers.

New Productions by Balanchine Companies: 1948, Ballet Society; 1950, New York City Ballet, with costumes by Karinska.

Film: 1973, RM Productions; 1989, Seahorse Films, Dancing for Mr. B (ADAGIO [excerpt]).

Video/DVD: 1995, Nonesuch, The Balanchine Library: Dancing for Mr. B (ADAGIO [excerpt]); 2004, Kultur, Balanchine (ADAGIO, FINALE [excerpts]); 2008, City Lights Media, Bringing Balanchine Back: The Historic Return to Russia (excerpts).

Archival Video: George Balanchine Foundation Interpreters Archive (ALLEGRO VIVO: ballerina solo), 1996.