The Four Temperaments (ballet)
Encyclopedia
The Four Temperaments is a ballet made by New York City Ballet
co-founder and balletmaster George Balanchine
to music he commissioned from Paul Hindemith
(the latter's eponymous 1940 music for string orchestra and piano) for the opening program of Ballet Society, immediate forerunner of City Ballet. The première took place on Wednesday, November 20th, 1946, at the Central High School of Needle Trades, New York City, with mise en scène by Kurt Seligmann
and lighting by Jean Rosenthal
. Leon Barzin
conducted and the pianist was Nicholas Kopeikine. The City Ballet première was held in 1951 in practice clothes and without scenery; in 1964 it received new lighting at the New York State Theater, Lincoln Center
, by David Hays. NYCB principal dancer Albert Evans
chose to include The Four Temperaments in his farewell performance, Sunday, June 20th, 2010.
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...
co-founder and balletmaster George Balanchine
George Balanchine
George Balanchine , born Giorgi Balanchivadze in Saint Petersburg, Russia, to a Georgian father and a Russian mother, was one of the 20th century's most famous choreographers, a developer of ballet in the United States, co-founder and balletmaster of New York City Ballet...
to music he commissioned from Paul Hindemith
Paul Hindemith
Paul Hindemith was a German composer, violist, violinist, teacher, music theorist and conductor.- Biography :Born in Hanau, near Frankfurt, Hindemith was taught the violin as a child...
(the latter's eponymous 1940 music for string orchestra and piano) for the opening program of Ballet Society, immediate forerunner of City Ballet. The première took place on Wednesday, November 20th, 1946, at the Central High School of Needle Trades, New York City, with mise en scène by Kurt Seligmann
Kurt Seligmann
Kurt Seligmann was a Swiss-American Surrealist painter and engraver. He was known for his fantastic imagery of medieval troubadors and knights engaged in macabre rituals and inspired partially by the carnival held annually in his native Basel, Switzerland.He was born Kurt Leopold Seligmann in...
and lighting by Jean Rosenthal
Jean Rosenthal
Jean Rosenthal is considered a pioneer in the field of theatrical lighting design. She was born in New York City to Romanian-Jewish immigrants....
. Leon Barzin
Leon Barzin
Léon Eugene Barzin was a Belgian-born American conductor and founder of the National Orchestral Association , the oldest surviving training orchestra in the United States...
conducted and the pianist was Nicholas Kopeikine. The City Ballet première was held in 1951 in practice clothes and without scenery; in 1964 it received new lighting 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:...
, by David Hays. NYCB principal dancer Albert Evans
Albert Evans (dancer)
Albert Evans began his ballet training at Terpsichore Expressions in his native Atlanta and was awarded a full scholarship to the School of American Ballet in 1986...
chose to include The Four Temperaments in his farewell performance, Sunday, June 20th, 2010.
original
-
- Theme
- Beatrice Tompkins
- Elise Reiman
- Gisella Caccialanza
- José Martinez
- Lew ChristensenLew ChristensenLewellyn Farr "Lew" Christensen was a ballet dancer, choreographer and director for many companies. He was largely associated with George Balanchine and the San Francisco Ballet, which he directed from 1952–1984...
- Francisco Moncion
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- First variation: Melancholic
- Rita Karlin
- 4 women
- William DollarWilliam DollarWilliam Dollar was an American ballet dancer born in St. Louis but he was reared in East St. Louis, Illinois. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. William Dollar lived at 491 North 22nd Street and operated a grocery store and meat market in East St. Louis.William studied with George Balanchine, Michel...
- Georgia Hiden
-
- Second variation: Sanguinic
- Mary Ellen Moylan
- 4 women
- Fred Danieli
-
- Third variation: Phlegmatic
- 4 women
- Todd BolenderTodd BolenderTodd Bolender was a renowned ballet dancer, teacher, choreographer, and director. He was an instrumental figure in the creation and dissemination of classical dance and ballet as an American art form...
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- Fourth variation: Choleric
- Tanaquil LeClercq
first cast
-
- Theme
- Ellen Ostrom
- Lauren King
- Rebecca Krohn
- Christian Tworzyanski
- Allen Peiffer
- Jason FowlerJason Fowler (dancer)Jason Fowler studied ballet at the Dallas Ballet Center and entered the School of American Ballet in 1993. While there he danced selections from Balanchine's Agon, Cortège Hongrois, The Nutcracker and A Midsummer Night's Dream...
-
- First variation: Melancholic
- Sébastien Marcovici
-
- Second variation: Sanquinic'
- Abi Stafford
- Jared Angle
-
- Third variation: Phlegmatic
- Albert EvansAlbert Evans (dancer)Albert Evans began his ballet training at Terpsichore Expressions in his native Atlanta and was awarded a full scholarship to the School of American Ballet in 1986...
-
- Fourth variation: Choleric
- Teresa Reichlen
second cast
-
- Theme
- Ellen Ostrom
- Amanda Hankes
- Ashley Laracey
- Adrian Danchig-Waring
- Craig Hall
- Jason FowlerJason Fowler (dancer)Jason Fowler studied ballet at the Dallas Ballet Center and entered the School of American Ballet in 1993. While there he danced selections from Balanchine's Agon, Cortège Hongrois, The Nutcracker and A Midsummer Night's Dream...
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- First variation: Melancholic
- Sean Suozzi
-
- Second variation: Sanquinic
- Savannah Lowery
- Tyler Angle
-
- Third variation: Phlegmatic
- Ask la Cour
-
- Fourth variation: Choleric
- Ellen Bar
2009 Saratoga Springs
first cast
-
- Theme
- Faye Arthurs
- Lauren King
- Megan LeCrone
- Adrian Danchig-Waring
- Amar RamasarAmar RamasarAmar Ramasar is a principal dancer of the New York City Ballet. In 2010, Dance Magazine reported that Ramasar was one of the few Asian American professional ballet dancers...
- Jason FowlerJason Fowler (dancer)Jason Fowler studied ballet at the Dallas Ballet Center and entered the School of American Ballet in 1993. While there he danced selections from Balanchine's Agon, Cortège Hongrois, The Nutcracker and A Midsummer Night's Dream...
-
- First variation: Melancholic
- Sean Suozzi
-
- Second variation: Sanguinic
- Jennie Somogyi
- Tyler Angle
-
- Third variation: Phlegmatic
- Albert EvansAlbert Evans (dancer)Albert Evans began his ballet training at Terpsichore Expressions in his native Atlanta and was awarded a full scholarship to the School of American Ballet in 1986...
-
- Fourth variation: Choleric
- Teresa Reichlen
second cast
-
- Theme
- Faye Arthurs
- Lauren King
- Ashley Laracey
- Adrian Danchig-Waring
- Amar RamasarAmar RamasarAmar Ramasar is a principal dancer of the New York City Ballet. In 2010, Dance Magazine reported that Ramasar was one of the few Asian American professional ballet dancers...
- Jason FowlerJason Fowler (dancer)Jason Fowler studied ballet at the Dallas Ballet Center and entered the School of American Ballet in 1993. While there he danced selections from Balanchine's Agon, Cortège Hongrois, The Nutcracker and A Midsummer Night's Dream...
-
- First variation: Melancholic
- Craig Hall
-
- Second variation: Sanguinic
- Jennie Somogyi
- Tyler Angle
-
- Third variation: Phlegmatic
- Ask la Cour
-
- Fourth variation: Choleric
- Teresa Reichlen
2009 Winter
- t.b.a.
Filmography
- 1989, Seahorse Films, Dancing for Mr.B. (excerpts from 1947 Ballet Society rehearsal).
Videography and DVD
- 1995 NonesuchNonesuch RecordsNonesuch Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group and distributed by Warner Bros. Records.-Company history:Nonesuch was founded in 1964 by Jac Holzman to produce "fine records at the same price as a trade paperback", which would be half the price of a normal LP...
, The Balanchine Library: Dancing for Mr.B, excerpts from the 1947 Ballet Society rehearsal - 1995 NonesuchNonesuch RecordsNonesuch Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group and distributed by Warner Bros. Records.-Company history:Nonesuch was founded in 1964 by Jac Holzman to produce "fine records at the same price as a trade paperback", which would be half the price of a normal LP...
, The Balanchine Library: Choreography by Balanchine, 1977 - 2004 Kultur, Balanchine, excerpt from Melancholich
Television
- 1962 Dutch television
- 1963 NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, excerpt
- 1964 CBCCanadian Broadcasting CorporationThe Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
Montreal, L'Heure du Concert - 1977 PBSPublic Broadcasting ServiceThe Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
, Dance in America
- 1984 PBSPublic Broadcasting ServiceThe Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
, Dance in America: Balanchine
See also
- San Francisco Ballet at 75 productions
- New York City Ballet repertory
Reviews
- NY Times, October 21st, 1946
- http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F10814FF3E5C15738FDDAF0894DA415B8789F1D3NY Times by John MartinJohn Martin (dance critic)John Martin became America’s first major dance critic in 1927. Focusing his efforts on propelling the modern dance movement, he greatly influenced the careers of dancers such as Martha Graham...
, December 6th, 1957] - http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F70815FE3E5D12728DDDAF0A94DD405B898BF1D3NY 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...
, May 26th, 1979]
- http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/26/arts/dance/26ball.htmlNY Times by Alastair MacaulayAlastair MacaulayAlastair Macaulay is a dance critic for the New York Times. He was previously chief dance critic at The Times Literary Supplement and chief theater critic of the Financial Times, both of London...
, April 26th, 2007] - http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/08/arts/dance/08nury.htmlNY Times by Roslyn SulcasRoslyn SulcasRoslyn Sulcas is a dance critic for the New York Times. She grew up in Cape Town, South Africa, and studied English literature in college, receiving a post-graduate degree from York University in England. While finishing her thesis she lived in Paris, where she began writing for the British Dance...
, May 8th, 2008]