Classical Mythology

CLASSICAL MYTHOLOGY IN MUSIC, DANCE, AND FILM 743

he defected to western Europe, met the renowned impresario Serge Diaghilev,

and was appointed ballet master of Les Ballet Russes, where he choreographed

major works. In 1933, this talented artist steeped in Russian and European bal-

let tradition was brought to the United States by the wealthy American Lincoln

Kirstein, who was determined to establish classical ballet in his own country.

Thus the American Ballet and its School of American Ballet, and eventually Bal-

let Caravan, were formed under Balanchine's direction.

Balanchine, in the composition of his ballet Apollon Musagète for the first

time, in 1928, had collaborated with Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971), who wrote the

original score; Balanchine later described this collaboration as the turning point

in his creative life. He was driven to develop for this twentieth-century score his

own new concept of dance:

His re-use of Goleizovsky's "Sixth position," in which the toes and the heels of the feet

are touching, although "modern," held a suggestion of archaic Greek sculpture; there

were syncopated movements and whole passages without a single classical ballet step.^59

Apollo (the title from 1957) became a cornerstone of Balanchine's career in
America. His American Ballet gave its premiere performance April 27, 1937,
at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. The world premiere, however, was
given in Paris in 1928 by Serge Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, with Stravinsky con-
ducting. The work has been revised several times; in 1979 for a revival with
Mikhail Baryshnikov, Balanchine eliminated nearly the first third of the score;
his original version is very much to be preferred. After Leto's labor and the
birth and youth of Apollo, two goddesses present him with a lute and teach
him music. Apollo plays the lute and dances. The three Muses enter and Apollo
presents each with an emblem of her art. Calliope receives a stylus and tablet
and personifies poetry and rhythm; Polyhymnia represents mime; and Terp-
sichore, who combines poetry and gesture in dance, is honored by Apollo, who
dances a solo variation and a pas de deux with her. Apollo and the Muses join
in a final dance and ascend to Parnassus. Another landmark of Balanchine's
neo-classicism was his Orpheus, again with music by Stravinsky, who, as he
was writing the score, worked more closely than ever with Balanchine. After
Orpheus had its premiere in New York, the City Center of Music and Drama
felt compelled to invite Balanchine's Ballet Society to become its permanent
ballet company. Orpheus was on the program of the inaugural performance of
Balanchine's New York City Ballet on October 11, 1948. A brief summary of
the action goes as follows: Orpheus weeps for Eurydice and friends sympa-
thize; The Dark Angel leads Orpheus to Hades. Orpheus meets the threats of
the Furies and the Lost Souls implore Orpheus to continue his song. Hades is
moved; Orpheus' eyes are bound and Eurydice is returned to him. When Or-
pheus tears the bandage from his eyes, Eurydice falls dead. The Bacchantes at-
tack and tear Orpheus to pieces. Apollo appears, wrests the lyre from Orpheus,
and raises his song heavenward.