Schedule

In this compilation of enchanting choreographies by George Balanchine, the New York City Ballet pays tribute to the man who founded the dance company in 1948 together with Lincoln Kirstein. Featured are "Walpurgisnacht Ballet", choreographed for a 1975 production of Faust by the Théâtre National de l’Opéra, "Sonatine", which was presented as the opening ballet of the New York City Ballet Ravel Festival during the 1975 Spring Season, "La Valse", created by Balanchine in 1951 to compositions by Maurice Ravel, and "Symphony in C (Le Palais de Christal)" to the music of George Bizet's rediscovered piece. For the latter, Balanchine required only two weeks to choreograph it for the Paris Opera Ballet in 1947, where he was serving as a guest ballet master. This compilation, recorded 2016 marks the return of the New York City Ballet to the Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris, after eight years of absence.

The Tatar Academic State Opera and Ballet performs 'The Golden Horde', a ballet in two acts, choreographed by Georgiy Kovtun. 'The Golden Horde' refers to a part of the Mongol Empire that flourished from the mid-13th century to the end of the 14th century. The Kazan-based Tatar State Opera Theatre asked librettist and poet Renat Kharis to suggest several projects, of which the Golden Horde was eventually selected. The ballet shows the final years of the Golden Horde. The ballet’s music is composed by Rezeda Akhiyarora, and is performed by the Orchestra and Chorus of the Tatar Academic State Opera under the baton of Renat Salavatov. Among the performers are Maxim Potseluïko, Anton Polodyuk, Kristina Andreeva, Oleg Ivenko, and Nurlan Kanetov. This performance was recorded at the Tatar State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater in Kazan, Russia, in June 2014.

Dutch choreographer Hans van Manen (1932) is internationally recognized as one of the grand masters of contemporary ballet. His over 150 ballets all bear his distinct signature, featuring a great clarity in structure, refined simplicity and an aversion to decorative frills. In this tribute to the great choreographer, dancers of the Dutch National Ballet perform three masterpieces from Van Manen’s extensive oeuvre. The program opens with Metaforen (1965), set to Daniel-Jean-Yves Lesur’s Variations for organ and strings—a groundbreaking work featuring one of the first male pas de deux, considered provocative at the time. This is followed by Adagio Hammerklavier (1973), set to the third movement, Adagio sostenuto, of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Hammerklavier Sonata, Op. 106. The program concludes with Frank Bridge Variations (2005), written to Benjamin Britten’s Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge, Op. 10. This performance was recorded at Opéra Berlioz, Le Corum in Montpellier, France, in 2017.

Created under the reign of Louis XIV (the Sun King and the dancing King) the École de danse de l'Opéra national de Paris celebrates its 300th birthday. For three centuries, the ballet school has carried out the mission of passing its traditions to artists of the future. The celebration held in 2013 at the Opéra national de Paris showcases the school’s work and evolution, and features pupils, conductor Marius Stieghorst, and the Orchestre des Lauréats du Conservatoire.