 Photo © Paul Kolnik |
Music
Concerto No. 2 in F Major, Op. 102 (1957) by Dmitri Shostakovich
Choreography
Alexei Ratmansky
Premiere
May 29, 2008 New York City Ballet New York State Theater
Original Cast
Wendy Whelan, Ashley Bouder, Benjamin Millepied, Joaquin De Luz, Gonzalo Garcia
Piano Concerto No. 2, written by Dmitri Shostakovich in 1957 as a nineteenth birthday gift for his son, Maxim, is a hopeful and joyous work inspired by the end of the Stalin era in Russia. The high spirits of the music are captured in Alexei Ratmansky's lively choreography for Concerto DSCH, especially in the roles of the lead dancers, one lyrical couple and a virtuoso trio of two men and one ballerina. From the opening moments, when the trio’s ballerina bursts from a closed circle of dancers in a whirl of high-stepping leaps and turns, the ballet is non-stop energy and playful surprises. Even a gentle romantic interlude reflects the wit and originality of the choreographer. (DSCH stands for four musical notes that form an abbreviation of the composer's name when written in German).
Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) studied at the Leningrad Conservatory, where his work was encouraged by Glazounov, the Conservatory's principal. During his career, he fell in and out of favor with the Soviet government. His creative development was often determined by political events in the Soviet Union. Shostakovich’s 1926 graduation piece, The First Symphony, catapulted him to prominence. During the next decade, he composed a satirical opera, The Nose (based on a story by Gogol), three full–length ballets, and the first of many film scores. Shostakovich, whose work was influenced by Gustav Mahler and César Franck, wrote 15 symphonies (several of them with epic themes relating to the Russian Revolution and World War II), concertos, quartets, operas, and patriotic cantatas.
Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) studied at the Leningrad Conservatory, where his work was encouraged by Glazounov, the Conservatory's principal. During his career, he fell in and out of favor with the Soviet government. His creative development was often determined by political events in the Soviet Union. Shostakovich’s 1926 graduation piece, The First Symphony, catapulted him to prominence. During the next decade, he composed a satirical opera, The Nose (based on a story by Gogol), three full–length ballets, and the first of many film scores. Shostakovich, whose work was influenced by Gustav Mahler and César Franck, wrote 15 symphonies (several of them with epic themes relating to the Russian Revolution and World War II), concertos, quartets, operas, and patriotic cantatas.