Antique Epigraphs
Encyclopedia
Antique Epigraphs is a ballet made on New York City Ballet
by balletmaster Jerome Robbins
to an orchestrated version of Debussy's
Six épigraphes antiques, L131, for piano, four hands, from 1914:
and his Syrinx
, L129, a melody for unaccompanied flute from 1913. Six épigraphes antiques were originally written to accompany Pierre Louys
' Chanson de Bilitis, prose poetry which was purported to be a translation of freshly discovered autobiographical verse by Sappho
(it was not.) The premiere took place on February 2, 1984, at the New York State Theater, Lincoln Center
, with costumes by Florence Klotz
and lighting by Jennifer Tipton
.
New York City Ballet
New York City Ballet is a ballet company founded in 1948 by choreographer George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein. Leon Barzin was the company's first music director. Balanchine and Jerome Robbins are considered the founding choreographers of the company...
by balletmaster Jerome Robbins
Jerome Robbins
Jerome Robbins was an American theater producer, director, and choreographer known primarily for Broadway Theater and Ballet/Dance, but who also occasionally directed films and directed/produced for television. His work has included everything from classical ballet to contemporary musical theater...
to an orchestrated version of Debussy's
Claude Debussy
Claude-Achille Debussy was a French composer. Along with Maurice Ravel, he was one of the most prominent figures working within the field of impressionist music, though he himself intensely disliked the term when applied to his compositions...
Six épigraphes antiques, L131, for piano, four hands, from 1914:
- “Pour invoquer Pan, dieu du vent d'été”
- “Pour un tombeau sans nom”
- “Pour que la nuit soit propice”
- “Pour la danseuse aux crotales”
- “Pour l'égyptienne”
- “Pour remercier la pluie au matin”
and his Syrinx
Syrinx (Debussy)
Syrinx is a piece of music for solo flute which Claude Debussy wrote in 1913 . It was the first significant piece for solo flute after the Sonata in A min composed by C. P. E. Bach exactly 150 years before , and it is the first such solo composition for the modern Böhm flute, perfected in 1847...
, L129, a melody for unaccompanied flute from 1913. Six épigraphes antiques were originally written to accompany Pierre Louys
Pierre Louÿs
Pierre Louÿs was a French poet and writer, most renowned for lesbian and classical themes in some of his writings. He is known as a writer who "expressed pagan sensuality with stylistic perfection."-Life:...
' Chanson de Bilitis, prose poetry which was purported to be a translation of freshly discovered autobiographical verse by Sappho
Sappho
Sappho was an Ancient Greek poet, born on the island of Lesbos. Later Greeks included her in the list of nine lyric poets. Her birth was sometime between 630 and 612 BC, and it is said that she died around 570 BC, but little is known for certain about her life...
(it was not.) The premiere took place on February 2, 1984, at the New York State Theater, Lincoln Center
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of New York City's Upper West Side. Reynold Levy has been its president since 2002.-History and facilities:...
, with costumes by Florence Klotz
Florence Klotz
Florence Klotz was an American costume designer on Broadway and film.-Biography:Originally named as Kathrina Klotz, she later changed her name to "Florence" and was often nicknamed "Flossie"....
and lighting by Jennifer Tipton
Jennifer Tipton
Jennifer Tipton is a lighting designer. She has designed for dance, theater and opera.In 1958, she graduated from Cornell University...
.
original
- Kyra Nichols
- Stephanie Saland
- Helene Alexopoulos
- Victoria Hall
- Maria Calegari
- Simone Schumacher
- Jerri Kumery
- Florence Fitzgerald
2008 Spring – Jerome Robbins celebration
- Sara Mearns
- Rebecca Krohn
- Rachel RutherfordRachel RutherfordRachel Rutherford is a soloist with New York City Ballet. She began her training at age eight at the Joffrey Ballet School, entered the School of American Ballet in 1987, where she received the D.A.N.C.E. scholarship allowing her to study in Spring 1992 at the Royal Danish Ballet...
- Teresa Reichlen
Articles
- http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9402EEDC123BF931A25751C0A962948260NY Times by Anna KisselgoffAnna KisselgoffAnna Kisselgoff is a dance critic and cultural news reporter for the New York Times. She began at the Times as a dance critic and cultural news reporter in 1968, and became its Chief Dance Critic in 1977, a role she held until 2005...
, February 12, 1984]
Reviews
- http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B02E2DD143BF937A35751C0A962948260NY Times by Anna KisselgoffAnna KisselgoffAnna Kisselgoff is a dance critic and cultural news reporter for the New York Times. She began at the Times as a dance critic and cultural news reporter in 1968, and became its Chief Dance Critic in 1977, a role she held until 2005...
, February 4, 1984] - http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CEFDF103BF932A15751C0A962948260NY Times by Jack AndersonJack Anderson (dance critic)Jack Anderson is an American dance critic and author. Since 1978, he has been a contributor of dance reviews and other articles in The New York Times...
, February 21, 1984]
- http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A07E1D61639F93BA25755C0A962948260NY Times by Jack AndersonJack Anderson (dance critic)Jack Anderson is an American dance critic and author. Since 1978, he has been a contributor of dance reviews and other articles in The New York Times...
, June 18, 1984] - NY Times by Gia Kourlas, May 17, 2008