Lorna FeijÃ³o and Gabor Kapin by Gene Schiavone ... - Boston Ballet

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George Balanchine, ChoreographerJanuary 22, 1904 – April 30th, 1983About the PRODUCTIONBorn in St. Petersburg, Russia, George Balanchine is regarded as the foremost contemporarychoreographer in the world of ballet. He came to the United States in late 1933, at the age of29, accepting the invitation of the young American arts patron Lincoln Kirstein, whose dreamincluded the creation of a ballet company in America. At Balanchine’s request, Kirstein alsosupported the formation of the School of American Ballet, founded in 1934. Eventually, with apremiere performance in 1948, the New York City Ballet was born. Balanchine would serveas ballet master and principal choreographer until his death in 1983 creating some 400dance works during his lifetime. The thrust of Balanchine’s life was to look toward the futurewhile honoring the best accomplishments of the past. His choreographic works expanded theboundaries of classical dance and while his style initially seemed well-suited to the energyand speed of American dancers, his ballets are now performed by all the major classicalballet companies throughout the world.Balanchine and A Midsummer Night’s DreamWhen George Balanchine was eight years old, he played an elf in a production of William Shakespeare’s A MidsummerNight’s Dream in St. Petersburg. The play became one of his favorites, and decades later he could still recite lines from itin Russian. A half century after he appeared in the play, Balanchine presented his own version of A Midsummer Night’sDream, one of only a few full-length ballets. The world premiere, on January 17, 1962, was danced by New York CityBallet (NYCB) and featured Edward Villella as Oberon, Melissa Hayden as Titania, and Arthur Mitchell as Puck.Costumes and Set DesignCostume and set design for this production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream were created by Luisa Spinatelli, prominentartist for The Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Italy. The Teatro alla Scala, opened on August 3rd, 1778 and has since seenmany of the world’s finest artists grace its stage during the past 200 years. The theater continues to be recognized asone of the leading opera and ballet theatres in the world.The scenic design for this production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream provides the backdrop for Shakespeare andBalanchine’s dream world. The production was shipped in four large sea containers and traveled over the Atlantic fromThe Teatro alla Scala in Milan.During the arrival of Theseus and Hippolyta at the end of Act I, the royal couple and their hounds enter in a haze ofcloud and mist. Stagehands will use one-hundred pounds of dry ice per performance to create this effect. At the close ofthe ballet, Puck reminds us all that we have been merely watching a dream before he takes flight. The flying contraptionfor this performance is built especially for The Boston Opera House. See if you can tell how Puck flies from the stage.
About the ComposerJakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn BartholdyFebruary 3, 1809—November 4, 1847Felix Mendelssohn was born in Hamburg, on February 3rd, 1809. Mendelssohn began his musical journey at an earlyage with musical instruction from his sister Fanny. Felix Mendelssohn began to emerge as a true child prodigy, beinggifted in many languages and painting and playing both the piano and the violin.Mendelssohn found inspiration in the works of English playwright William Shakespeare. At the age of seventeen, hecomposed the overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream Opus 21, based on the Bard’s comedic play, a favorite of hisand his sister Fanny.From 1826 to 1829, Mendelssohn studied music as his chosen profession at Berlin University and during the followingyears, Mendelssohn traveled and performed all over Europe, including England, Scotland, Italy and France wherehe was well loved by audiences, ultimately taking the position of conductor at Düsseldorf, Germany. At the age of 26,Mendelssohn continued along his journey to become the conductor of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. In 1832,Mendelssohn married Cecile Jeanrenaud, leading to a happy marriage and five children.Mendelssohn’s prolific career continued over the years that followed through numerous compositions, successful performancesof his work and those of other great composers. In 1842, only a few years before his death, Mendelssohnwould return to Shakespeare’s inspiration when he composed additional music for a play production of A MidsummerNight’s Dream.Some sounds to listen for:• Listen for the sounds of the bassoons as Bottom and his friends enter atthe end of the Intermezzo.• Listen for the twittering flutes and strings at the conclusion of the weddingmarch suggesting the fairies’ part in the matchmaking.• Listen for the four chords that start the Overture at the very end of the Finale.Did you know?Did you know?Spinatelli creates detail and texture through her sumptuous headpieces. She primarily utilizes sequins instead of gems andstones because it makes the headpiece lighter and less expensive to produce. Look closely. Can you tell a difference?Did you know?A professional sword-master worked with the men dancing the roles of Lysander and Demetrius to teach them basicsword skills and safety. Just as in dance, the sword fight is choreographed and the basics of swordplay are essential totheir roles.Created by Brynn E. Wartman, Boston Ballet Education & Community Outreach, March, 2011
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Lorna FeijÃ³o and Gabor Kapin by Gene Schiavone ... - Boston Ballet

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