Jeu de cartes (ballet)
Encyclopedia
Jeu de cartes is a ballet
in three deals by Igor Stravinsky
, composed in 1936–37, with the story by the composer in collaboration with M. Malaieff and choreography
by George Balanchine
. The ballet was premiered by the American Ballet
at the Metropolitan Opera House
, New York City, on April 27, 1937, with the composer conducting (the New York City Ballet
premiere took place on February 15, 1951 under the title The Card Game at City Center of Music and Drama, New York.)
Jeu de cartes was commissioned in November 1935, although the idea of card game
, especially the game of poker
, didn't get firmly formed in Stravinsky's mind until after August 1936. The ballet was written during Stravinsky's neoclassical
period, which was ushered in by one of his earlier ballets, Pulcinella
, premiered in 1920.
The main character is the deceitful Joker
, who fashions himself unbeatable, owing to his chameleon
-like ability to become any card
. There are also other cards -- Queen
s, Ace
s -- and several card players portrayed in the ballet. Jeu de cartes shows that even the higher value cards, in much the same way as the people of higher position, may be occasionally defeated by the lower value cards.
The ballet consists of three deals:
The ballet's duration is 20–25 minutes.
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
in three deals by Igor Stravinsky
Igor Stravinsky
Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky ; 6 April 1971) was a Russian, later naturalized French, and then naturalized American composer, pianist, and conductor....
, composed in 1936–37, with the story by the composer in collaboration with M. Malaieff and choreography
Choreography
Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements in which motion, form, or both are specified. Choreography may also refer to the design itself, which is sometimes expressed by means of dance notation. The word choreography literally means "dance-writing" from the Greek words "χορεία" ...
by 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...
. The ballet was premiered by the American Ballet
American Ballet
The American Ballet was the first professional ballet company George Balanchine created in the United States. The company was founded with the help of Lincoln Kirstein and Edward Mortimer Morris Warburg, managed by Alexander Merovitch and populated by students of Kirstein and Balanchine's School of...
at the Metropolitan Opera House
Metropolitan Opera House (39th St)
The Metropolitan Opera House was an opera house located at 1411 Broadway in New York City. Opened in 1883 and demolished in 1967, it was the first home of the Metropolitan Opera Company.-History:...
, New York City, on April 27, 1937, with the composer conducting (the New York City Ballet
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...
premiere took place on February 15, 1951 under the title The Card Game at City Center of Music and Drama, New York.)
Jeu de cartes was commissioned in November 1935, although the idea of card game
Card game
A card game is any game using playing cards as the primary device with which the game is played, be they traditional or game-specific. Countless card games exist, including families of related games...
, especially the game of poker
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
, didn't get firmly formed in Stravinsky's mind until after August 1936. The ballet was written during Stravinsky's neoclassical
Neoclassicism (music)
Neoclassicism in music was a twentieth-century trend, particularly current in the period between the two World Wars, in which composers sought to return to aesthetic precepts associated with the broadly defined concept of "classicism", namely order, balance, clarity, economy, and emotional restraint...
period, which was ushered in by one of his earlier ballets, Pulcinella
Pulcinella (ballet)
Pulcinella is a ballet by Igor Stravinsky based on an 18th-century play — Pulcinella is a character originating from Commedia dell'arte. The ballet premiered at the Paris Opera on 15 May 1920 under the baton of Ernest Ansermet. The dancer Léonide Massine created both the libretto and choreography,...
, premiered in 1920.
The main character is the deceitful Joker
Joker (playing card)
Joker is a special type of playing card found in most modern decks, or else a type of tile in some Mahjong game sets.-Name:It is believed that the term "Joker" comes from a mispronunciation of Jucker, the German/Alsatian name for the game Euchre. The card was originally introduced in about 1860 for...
, who fashions himself unbeatable, owing to his chameleon
Chameleon
Chameleons are a distinctive and highly specialized clade of lizards. They are distinguished by their parrot-like zygodactylous feet, their separately mobile and stereoscopic eyes, their very long, highly modified, and rapidly extrudable tongues, their swaying gait, the possession by many of a...
-like ability to become any card
Playing card
A playing card is a piece of specially prepared heavy paper, thin cardboard, plastic-coated paper, cotton-paper blend, or thin plastic, marked with distinguishing motifs and used as one of a set for playing card games...
. There are also other cards -- Queen
Queen (playing card)
The Queen is a playing card with a picture of a queen on it. The usual rank of a queen is as if it were 12 ....
s, Ace
Ace
An ace is a playing card. In the standard French deck, an ace has a single suit symbol located in the middle of the card, sometimes large and decorated, especially in the case of the Ace of Spades...
s -- and several card players portrayed in the ballet. Jeu de cartes shows that even the higher value cards, in much the same way as the people of higher position, may be occasionally defeated by the lower value cards.
The ballet consists of three deals:
- First Deal (Première donne): Alla breve - Moderato assai - Tranquillo
- Second Deal (Deuxième donne): Alla breve - Marcia - Variazioni 1 - 5 - Coda - Marcia
- Third Deal (Troisième donne): Alla breve - Valse - Presto - Tempo del principio
The ballet's duration is 20–25 minutes.
original
- Annabelle LyonAnnabelle Lyon (dancer)Annabelle Lyon was raised in Memphis, where father Max ran a chain of grocery stores...
- Leda Anchutina
- Ariel Lang
- Hortense Kahrklin
- 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...
Reviews
- NY Times review 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 30, 1992