Igor Stravinsky (1928, commissioned by Ida Rubinstein, dedicated to Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky). Based on a tale by Hans Christian Andersen (The Ice Maiden)
Choreography
George Balanchine
Production
Scenery and costumes by Alice Halicka (from the 1937 production). Lighting by Jean Rosenthal
Premiere
November 28, 1950, New York City Ballet, City Center of Music and Drama, New York. Conductor: Leon Barzin
Cast
The Fairy, Maria Tallchief; The Bride, Tanaquil Le Clercq; Her Friend, Patricia Wilde; The Bridegroom, Nicholas Magallanes; His Mother, Beatrice Tompkins; Shadow, Helen Kramer; Winds, Snowflakes, Mountaineers, Bridesmaids, Peasants
Performance Type
Ballet
See Also
133.7. La Prédiction, *178. Le Baiser de la Fée, 376. Divertimento from 'Le Baiser de la Fée'
Originally presented by the American Ballet (Stravinsky Festival), New York, 1937.
178. Le Baiser de la Fée 1937
(also called THE FAIRY’S KISS) Ballet-Allegory in Four Scenes
Music
Igor Stravinsky (1928, commissioned by Ida Rubinstein, dedicated to Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky). Based on a tale by Hans Christian Andersen (The Ice Maiden)
Choreography
George Balanchine
Production
Scenery and costumes by Alice Halicka. Scenery painted by Joseph Novak; costumes executed by Theatrical Costume Company and American Ballet Studio: Eudoxia Mironova, Marie Striga
Premiere
April 27, 1937, American Ballet, Metropolitan Opera, New York. Conductor: Igor Stravinsky
Cast
The Fairy, Kathryn Mullowny; The Bride, Gisella Caccialanza; Her Friend, Leda Anchutina; The Bridegroom, William Dollar; His Mother, Annabelle Lyon. FIRST TABLEAU, PROLOGUE: Mother; 2 Winds; Snowflakes, Anchutina, 21 women; Fairy; Her Shadow, Rabana Hasburgh; 8 Mountaineers. SECOND TABLEAU, THE VILLAGE FESTIVAL: Peasant Boys and Girls; Bridegroom; Bride; Bridesmaids, Anchutina, 7 women; A Gypsy (Disguised Fairy). THIRD TABLEAU, INSIDE THE MILL: DANCE OF THE PEASANT GIRLS: Anchutina, 16 women; PAS DE DEUX; BRIDE’S VARIATION; CODA (Bride, Bridegroom, Friend, corps de ballet); SCENE: Fairy, Bridegroom. FOURTH TABLEAU, EPILOGUE (BERCEUSE DE DEMEURES ETERNELLES): Fairy, Bridegroom
Performance Type
Ballet
See Also
133.7. La Prédiction, 176. Apollon Musagète, 271. The Fairy's Kiss (Le Baiser de la Fée), 376. Divertimento from 'Le Baiser de la Fée'
George Balanchine Foundation Archive of Lost Choreography (Bride and Bridegroom pas de deux; Bride’s solo), 1998; (Gypsy pas de deux), 1998.
Note
Stravinsky used the story of The Ice Maiden, with its theme of the muse’s fatal kiss, to compose an homage to Tchaikovsky. The Fairy implants her magic kiss on a child at birth. When the child has grown to young manhood and good fortune, the Fairy reappears at his wedding fête; repeating the kiss, she leads the young man (the artist in allegory) to abandon his bride and dwell with her forever.
The score was first choreographed by Bronislava Nijinska in 1928 for Ballets Ida Rubinstein. Balanchine created a new ballet in 1937. In 1972, he choreographed Divertimento from ‘Le Baiser de la Fée’ [376] for the New York City Ballet Stravinsky Festival, using musical selections from the full ballet score. (see FESTIVALS DIRECTED BY BALANCHINE.)
Additional Productions
Revisions
1940, Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo: Final scene changed several times. 1947, Paris Opéra: Final scene changed. 1950, New York City Ballet: Dance sequences in entr’actes between the tableaux lengthened; new EPILOGUE (changed several times to better create illusion of Fairy and Bridegroom swimming through space).
1940 – Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo
1947 – Paris Opera Ballet
1950 – New York City Ballet
1953 – Teatro alla Scala (Milan)
2011 – Pacific Northwest Ballet
2011 – Suzanne Farrell Ballet
June 29, 1932, Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Paris. Conductor: Roger Désormière. (Earlier in the summer performed in Brussels, for which no program has been found.)
Cast
Alice Nikitina, Anatole Vilzak
Performance Type
Concert Works
See Also
133.1. Caprice, 133.1a. [Dances for Josephine Baker], *178. Le Baiser de la Fée, 271. The Fairy's Kiss (Le Baiser de la Fée), 376. Divertimento from 'Le Baiser de la Fée'
A young man meets a fairy disguised as a fortune teller. She predicts a sad future. He tries to flee, but suddenly appearing as her true self, the fairy seduces the young man, who dies from her kiss.
