Balanchine Catalogue Archive
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248. Carmen 1948
Opera in Four Acts by Georges Bizet
ACT II TAVERN SCENE BALLET
- Music
Georges Bizet
- Choreography
George Balanchine
- Premiere
October 10, 1948, New York City Opera, City Center of Music and Drama, New York. Danced by New York City Ballet. Conductor: Jean Morel
- Cast
Maria Tallchief, Francisco Moncion, 2 women
Performance Type
Ballet for Opera
Note
Balanchine’s first work for the New York City Ballet, which for two seasons served as resident ballet company for the New York City Opera.
155. Carmen 1935
Opera in Four Acts by Georges Bizet
ACT IV BALLET
- Music
Georges Bizet
- Choreography
George Balanchine
- Premiere
December 27, 1935, Metropolitan Opera, New York. Danced by American Ballet Ensemble. Conductor: Louis Hasselmans
- Cast
GITANE: Ruthanna Boris, corps de ballet;
FARUCCA: Anatole Vilzak, Betty Eisner, corps de ballet;
FARANDOLE: Vilzak, Boris, Madeline Leweck, corps de ballet
FARUCCA: Anatole Vilzak, Betty Eisner, corps de ballet;
FARANDOLE: Vilzak, Boris, Madeline Leweck, corps de ballet
Performance Type
Ballet for Opera
Note
Rosa Ponselle, who sang Carmen, was partnered by Lew Christensen in choreography that was not by Balanchine.
Additional Productions
Revisions
A review dated December 31, 1936, states that Balanchine changed the FARUCCA. The program for January 2, 1937, lists a MENUETTO danced by Annabelle Lyon between the FARUCCA and the FARANDOLE.
Source Notes
Lincoln Kirstein (Rosa Ponselle)
111. Tannhaüser 1932
Opera in Three Acts and Four Scenes by Richard Wagner
ACT I VENUSBERG BALLET
- Music
Richard Wagner
- Choreography
George Balanchine
- Premiere
January 21, 1932, Opéra de Monte-Carlo. Danced by Ballets [Russes] de Monte-Carlo. Conductor: Gabriel Grovlez
- Cast
Valentina Lanina [Blinova], Léon Woizikowsky, 14 women, 7 men
Performance Type
Ballet for Opera
Note
As with his opera choreography for Diaghilev, because of such variables as new scenery and different numbers of people, while he was ballet master for the Blum-de Basil company [later Les Ballets Russes de Monte-Carlo] in 1932, Balanchine rechoreographed all the operas carried over from earlier seasons as well as the operas receiving their premieres.
Source Notes
Choreography acknowledged by Balanchine
38. Carmen 1925
Opera in Four Acts by Georges Bizet
ACT II SEGUIDILLA
- Music
Georges Bizet
- Choreography
George Balanchine
- Premiere
January 25, 1925, Opéra de Monte-Carlo. Danced by Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes
- Cast
4 couples
Performance Type
Ballet for Opera
Note
Diaghilev’s dancers were employed between ballet seasons as the resident company of the Opéra de Monte-Carlo, and his first assignments to Balanchine were opera divertissements. Balanchine has said that all choreography for operas in Monte Carlo during his tenure with Diaghilev was newly created by him; programs occasionally include no credits for choreography, and it may be that some dances by Nijinska, resident choreographer with Diaghilev at Monte Carlo in 1923 and 1924, remained during Balanchine’s early years. When choreography credits appear in the opera programs between 1925 and 1929, they are variously given as ‘Maître de ballet: Georges Balanchine,’ ‘Chorégraphie de Georges Balanchine,’ or ‘Ballet reglé par Georges Balanchine’; the significance of these differences is unknown.
Source Notes
Balanchine