Ballet Music News 1423

## A Ballet of Music: The Rhythms of our Lives It’s 11th September 2023 and the world spins on its axis like a graceful ballerina. Today, we’re going to pirouette through the ethereal landscapes of ballet music, a symphony of emotions, and a tapestry of captivating narratives woven through the sound. Firstly, we mustn't forget our iconic figures, those balletic giants whose work still resounds in concert halls and ballet studios: Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky, Debussy. These maestros, whose music paints vivid sonic tapestries, weave spells of heartbreak and joy with their instruments. It's hard not to feel a certain electricity course through the body when the strains of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake theme unfurl. Then there's the delicate whisper of a Chopin Nocturne, an achingly beautiful prelude to a romantic dance, a balletic duet with no physical contact. Or, how about Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring,” the rebellious, raw, and explosive score of a primitive world; a thrilling challenge for even the most experienced dancer. Each note of a ballet score feels imbued with a particular emotion. The tempo rises and falls, the dynamics expand and contract. The strings swell and sigh, the woodwinds coo and coo, the percussion speaks in a staccato rhythm of life, death, and resurrection. The entire experience is like a magical journey through the human heart. And what is a dancer without the appropriate garb? You’re not a ballerina without your tutu. Imagine a perfect pairing - the pink tulle tutu, its gauzy fabric flowing like clouds. For the perfect compliment, how about a simple, sleek leotard. We’ll make this leotard, of course, in the very same blush pink. A vibrant red leotard, a deep forest green leotard – they would all work so well against the soft pink tulle. A delicate black leotard could be daring – it would bring forth the black velvet costumes worn by the original Black Swan in Swan Lake. Now let's dive a little deeper. What’s the story in ballet music? You see, we are not merely listening to music. The notes are not merely a melody but a dialogue. The music becomes a narrative itself – one of hope, despair, love, betrayal, triumph. Let’s take the iconic ‘The Dying Swan’, set to Camille Saint-Saëns’ “Le Cygne” from ‘Carnival of the Animals’. One single, mournful oboe sets the scene - the swan's fading breaths echoing in each note. We are taken through the story of her final moments, the poignant struggles to remain graceful in the face of the inevitable, a poignant ballet for one. But where is the ballet in music without the actual dancer? While we might envision graceful arabesques and sweeping jumps as we listen, what is ballet music without the tangible artistry? Without the human bodies sculpting emotions through movements? This is the fascinating, paradoxical element of ballet music. It is truly the music’s capacity to conjure the imagined dance, that elevates it from simply ‘good’ music, to an unforgettable experience, something we hold in our minds long after the final note fades. The world is a ballet of emotions. Just as in dance, life throws unexpected challenges and joyful events our way. The ballet score, be it composed or imagined, provides a comforting and grounding background, as the tempo, volume, and melodies weave together a rich fabric of the emotions we encounter, a kind of dance we experience every single day. It is impossible to avoid the presence of ballet music in our lives, even if it remains undetected. Think about it, don't we have our favorite playlists for when we work, relax, or are filled with anxiety? Each of those songs provides the musical equivalent of the emotions we feel at those moments. A little like the ballerina in a beautiful tutu. Here’s the beautiful, undisputed, irrefutable truth. Ballet music makes our world richer, deeper and more magical. And speaking of magical… Let's take a journey through some of the captivating worlds ballet music has given us. Let's talk about some recent innovations, not just the greats who came before. We’ve already spoken about the ‘Big Guys’ of ballet music, but we are truly standing on the shoulders of giants. There's a world of modern scores that are worthy of a mention. **New Visions, New Soundtracks** While the classical repertoire of ballet continues to inspire and enchant, it's fascinating to consider what contemporary ballet is using to push the boundaries of musicality. Let's meet a few up-and-coming artists making waves in the balletic musical landscape: • Joby Talbot Joby Talbot, a British composer, has gained attention for his original music for the film ‘The Invisible Man’ and ‘Being Human’, a compelling, unique sound that often pushes the boundaries of genre. But, most important for today, Joby has brought a beautiful score to the Royal Ballet's new production of ‘Frankenstein’. With elements of contemporary music and opera combined, Joby uses these sounds to mirror the ‘monster's’ feelings of rejection, alienation and the desperate struggle to connect, to find his place in a society that rejects him. • Anna Clyne Anna Clyne, a US-born composer whose work embraces the full potential of musical instrumentation, recently made history by creating the first commission ever by New York City Ballet’s “NYCB The Choreographers' Collaborative". The title of this piece was "Prince." The score itself embraces electronic and orchestral sounds, resulting in an exciting contemporary fusion. The piece was met with resounding applause. Clyne's use of dynamic orchestral sounds creates a thrilling, powerful impact on any piece she scores, including her music for the New York City Ballet, one of the most notable institutions on the world stage. • Mason Bates The highly influential American composer Mason Bates doesn't shy away from merging the digital world with traditional sounds. He is not afraid to play with new technologies and forms to create new textures and melodies. And, just as with Talbot’s “Frankenstein,” his compositions resonate on a visceral level, tapping into a wide range of emotions from anger to joy, even a touch of the ethereal. If you listen to “The B-Sides,” a piece Bates scored for the New York City Ballet, you can feel his unique approach. Bates uses “found sounds” to build the framework for an extraordinary listening experience, almost like musical archeology. But it's not just the new generation that is taking the field by storm. We’re also witnessing an expansion in the music ballet companies use – broadening horizons beyond the standard Russian ballets and the French tradition. • The Dutch National Ballet and 'The Fifth Season' Dutch National Ballet’s creative team embraced contemporary Korean music as inspiration for the world-class production ‘The Fifth Season’. This extraordinary piece blends traditional Korean folk music with the sweeping score of “B.O.Y,” a renowned, award-winning Korean pop band. By using elements of Korean percussion instruments like the 'janggu' drum, and weaving them into the rich orchestral textures of ‘B.O.Y’s’ sounds, ‘The Fifth Season’ successfully embraces modern culture. In doing so, Dutch National Ballet transcends the classic ballet traditions we might be accustomed to. The music of 'The Fifth Season’ feels innovative and fresh, not just as a modern soundtrack to ballet but as a true merging of two diverse worlds of dance and music. **Breaking Barriers in Ballet Music** With ballet studios expanding beyond the usual scores we’ve been so accustomed to, we are, in essence, encouraged to open our hearts and ears to music that might sound unfamiliar. What does that mean? It simply means the power of dance has become even more relevant – for dancers, musicians and everyone in between. With more exposure to diverse and rich styles of music from around the globe, there’s more of a sense of exploration and new creative paths for choreographers to walk, music directors to play, and dancers to translate into mesmerizing physical performances. It’s truly an empowering space for those making these artforms a tangible reality. **Why are the barriers being broken down in ballet music? It’s an essential move. It means audiences can see themselves represented, reflected, understood and appreciated through diverse sounds. This leads to increased engagement, passion, and commitment, as everyone – from dancers and music directors to the casual audience in the theatre – embraces the richness and power of diverse artistic forms.** **Here’s what else is so important – it reminds us that musical styles do not ‘own’ ballet, rather, ballet’s strength is that it can adapt and flourish through various styles.** It is a magnificent reflection of the richness and variety the human heart can express, both through music and the physicality of dance. It's almost as though, each dancer and musician becomes the story, each expression taking a unique form through an evocative, unique, musical lens. And to tie it all back, to return to our graceful ballerina in her pink tutu... imagine now, all these amazing sounds playing as a beautiful backdrop for our graceful ballerina as she moves and twists, an evocative performance taking on the shape and the colour of a rainbow. As the final curtain falls, the last notes fade away. We are left with the silent poetry of ballet music in our minds, echoing and whispering into our souls long after the lights have been extinguished and the ballet ends. And it is precisely those echoing sounds, those moments of unspoken poetry, which leave the greatest impact, a subtle dance through our minds as we depart from the theatre and our ballet.