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The world of arts:
The Spectacular Apollo Suite by Stravinsky
Gwen Herat
Igor Fedorovich Stravinsky (1988-1971) is the most prolific of all
choreographers born in this planet and commissioned by each and every
choreographer one could think of.
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Igor
Fedorovich Stravinsky |
His magnificent scores even surpassed his countryman, Tchaikovsky
with whom he has been often compared with. His preoccupation with ballet
lasted a lifetime. It was Diaghilov who discovered him after he heard
his FANTASTIC SCHERRZO and FIREWORKS at a St. Petersburg ballet-concert
in 1909.
Stravinsky maintained a close and lasting relationship with
Balamchine after he moved over to U.S. until his death. He had known
Balanchine while he worked for Diaghilev.
After writing many many fantastic scores for early ballets like the
FIREBIRD choreographed by Folkin in Paris in 1910, PULCINELLA by Massini
in 1920 in Paris, LES NOCES by Nijinsky in Paris, 1923, SCENES DE BALLET
by Dolin in New York - 1948, ORPHEUS BY Balanchine in New York, 1948,
etc, he went on to score for all the major ballets up to the last one
DIALOGUES and DIARY in New York, 1963. It is very difficult to mention
the vast number of ballets for which he scored.
He was the composer who dedicated the major part of their oauvres to
ballet. His hauntingly beautiful music and its presence were felt as the
scores vibrated the very essence of musicality.
In 1972 the New York City Ballet held a STRAVINSKY FESTIVAL in which
thirty one of his ballets were performed, one being the sensational
APOLLO. This festival was a dedication to his memoriam.
Ballet APOLLO was originally titled APOLLO MUSAGETES and dates back
to long before Stravinsky immortalised it. In 1763, Hilverding produced
it as APOLLO DAPHNE and in 1782 Noverre choreographed it as APOLLO NET
LET MUSES. Yet another version by DIDELOT called APOLLO NET DAPHNE in
1802 and another version in 1803 titled APOLLO AND DAPHNE also was
mounted. Then came the most spectacular version by the greatest of
choreographers, George Balanchine in 1928 (ten years before Rudolf
Nureyev was born).
It was Balanchine's first ballet in neo-classicism style and based on
Greek mythology where decades later Nureyev was to immortalise the role.
The score by Stravinsky for strings and first performed in Paris.
Stravinsky insisted in conducting the orchestra live by himself.
APOLLO has been revived over and over again with Lafir, Nikitina, and
Tchernicheva among the great dancers who danced APOLLO. This ballet in
two acts with Stravinsky's music was earlier choreographed by Bolm and
made its debut at the Library of Congress in Washington DC.
However, to date, Balanchine's version is considered the best of all.
It was hailed as the marking of the birth of neo-classicism on ballet
stage. Revived over and over again, it has one of the best repertories
at the New York City Ballet. Yet another version choreographed by
Milloss in Rome, 1951 followed by yet another the same year by T.
Goovsky.
The Royal Ballet mounted it in 1966 while Georgi choreographed APPOLO
in handover. Another version by the Royal Ballet and choreographed by
John Taras was mounted at the Royal Opera House, Convent Garden with
Donal Macleary and with Rudolf Bureyev, later. The ballet consists of
two Acts while it is divided into nine scenes.
It is sort of a prologue and begins with the imminent birth of the
God Apolloto his mother Leto and many goddesses offer him nectar and
ambrosia indicating his immortal birth. In the second scene, APOLLO
dances alone until the entry of the Three Muses. They are Calliope, the
Muse of poetry, Polythymnia, the Muse of Mime and Terpischor who is the
Muse of Dance. To each of them, he presents a gift and they display
these in turn in the next three dances. These dances are the highlight
of APOLLO.
Very appropriately, Stravinksy's music bring out the feminine quality
of their movements as against the virile and masculine variations of
APOLLO. Several movements of enchanting lyrics in which God APOLLO
unites the three MUSES with distinct due to the flawless strains that
Stravinsky supplied.
 The
Muses gather around him in the 'apothos' which is one of the highly
strung passage in Stravinsky's sensitive music.
He guides them to their future home on Mount Peranaseus which is to
be his abode later. When Rudolf Nureyev took of the role of APOLLO it
was to be very different than the roles he danced where he had been a
'prince' all the time with attractive partners in support. He considered
it a great triumph. One critic wrote about his dancing, stating that it
was not short of anything least expected and obviously a great deal of
exalted ritual and whose mysteries were unfolded at maximum leasure.
Nureyev like Nijinsky had stage presence but with an enhanced gift of
control emotion along with physical repertoire that APOLLO needed.
Nureyve was aware that the role needed a magnetic personality as first
priority and that he alone had it. Yet, he had to quicken his pace and
relax his over-sculptured muscles.
He had to let go the swing that normally associated his dancing with.
APOLLO was raw, masculine and with electrifying sexualism and he had it
all. But it was not without effort and he had to seize the opportunity
to prove himself.
When Nureyev approached Balanchine, the experienced choreographer was
not too enthusiastic to Nureyev's surprise. He told Nureyev that his
ballet was not romantic and laden with splendour the type that Nureyev
was used to. He asked the disappointed Nureyev to go back, shed princes
roles and come back if he was dancing APOLLO and that was exactly what
Nureyev did. He wanted to prove to Balanchine that he was the replica of
God APOLLO.
And to Balanchine's surprise, the God of Music was born on stage with
Nureyev's dazzling virtuosity, electrifying magnetism of perfect
physique that only could have belonged to a God.
As he kept dancing this role over the years and towards the tail end
of his career, he was unable to sustain its vigour due to ill-health
overtaking him. He was not swift enough, the leaps were short and
painful along with excess sweating experienced. His vibrant expressions
were lost and replaced with pale looks. In 1991, The Balanchine Trust
that supervised his ballets, were forced to request Nureyev to withdraw
from dancing APOLLO.
He lacked the strength and failed to compliment Balanchine nor
himself. Nureyev was one of the three heirs named by Balanchine before
he died but Nureyev had to be dropped and APOLLO removed from Nureyev
repertory. |
