My father took me to see Edward Villella's Prodigal Son in 1964. I got the chance to speak with Edward in two 2-hour conversations, which is some of the most ballet fun I have ever had in my life. Him, too, actually. My friend is his press agent. My father's name was Benjamin Steinberg. He conducted Alicia Alonso and Igor Youskevitch from the time they were in the Ballet Russes, to conducting the premiere of T&V at ABT, to being the first conductor of the Ballet de Cuba from 1959 - 1963. He came back to form the first fully integrated orchestra in American history called the Symphony of the New World. He was the greatest daddy anyone could have ever had. Growing up in Cuba, I was at every rehearsal, every class, every performance, etc. When he died in 1974, so did I, but it was Suzanne Farrell who saved my life. Thank you for providing this record in what I think is the greatest American company that ever lived. I asked the NYPL at Lincoln Center about tapes of Villella in Apollo and Prodigal Son, and they didn't have anything. I won't accept no for an answer. There has to be something. I did find Tarantella. Thank you, John Clifford, for doing all this.
Thank you, John for all your posts. They take me back to the evenings when Farrell swept me off my feet night after night. I loved those days, seeing Violette, Melissa, Merrill, Allegra and all bringing glory to the stage. It still happens, and works, with new names on the program. But there'll never be another Suzanne.
At first, I was captivated by the music - divine! - and the dancing is superb by Suzanne Farrell and Ib Andersen, but my favorite among this cast is Victor Castelli - fabulous!!
so strange ! in a great way. She said to Mr. B " that's what heaven must be like" about this ballet. I would never ever see it without someone thinking to share and utube. thank you so much.
This is such a beautiful ballet. I love this music and Suzanne Farrell is just heavenly in it. I love Christopher D'Amboise solo. It's one of my favorite parts of the ballet.
These ballets stay with me. The ppl who lived and earned their acclaim are now ...part of it, also.its almost...holy. especially since all is so vulgar and crass now.
There's no doubt. THe first movement, "prayer" is in fact "Ave verum corpus, a hymn to hte body of Christ written by St THomas Aquinas that Mozart set to music, which is sung in Catholic churches. [Farrell sang it in church choir growing up in Cincinatti, and here she dances it with complete ritual absorption. it IS holy.... And the rest is devout in its more secular way as well, even the comedy in the last movement.. The late great Joan Acocella thought this ballet was the only indisputable masterpiece that Balanchine created for Farrell; she said this in a review [in the "New York Review of Books"] of Farrell's memoir, "Holding on to hte Air.".
@@jcliff26 it Is not the work itself, John, although not my ballet cup of tea, like the romantic...very Classical. I just don't like black AND so much of it!! It Is right on Odile AND in the lovely music, ballet, the symphony in C where The black AND white create an esthetic contrast. All the black Is depressing for me... Am crazy about your María Khoreva 9.8 min.midsummer dream!!! Music, her, the dancers, the lovely pastel colors.
@@jcliff26 yes, i always noticed on your channel your mellow, acceptive Attitude, there are quite a few kindergarten arguments going on YT everywhere... I know you were a great dancer, in the USA. I trained as a child in Europe, have limited knowledge, learning more daily but ballet AND classical music áre my passion, AND now in old age even much More. Few days ago i got enchanted by the New rising lovely star, María Khoreva, 18, Mariinsky, already soloist-principal.. That video, music by F.Mendesdohn, Midsummer dream, 9.18 min on YT AND with other dancers are a masterpiece to me of pure Joy, Beauty, great Artistry, incredible lightness. I feel every retired or ballet dancer/lover Has to rejoice at such a brilliant talent AND have More hope that this most beautiful art Will be preserved. You are an expert, maybe you could express your opinión to me on this vídeo if you have time? Thank you very much. My best to you.
Karen Noble We all have our favorite styles and dancers, and I think a lot of that comes from where we were raised and trained. It’s quite normal. I like Khoreva too and have been in touch with her.
Balanchine's choreography is exquisite, fascinating! Farrell and Andersen are superb. Thank you I haven't seen this work before and have always wondered what it was like.
I remember seeing Ms Farrell dance this and thinking what an amazing ballet it was, and of course still is; thanks so much for being a great dancer and also for posing these remarkable videos of a great age at NYCB
Brilliant! Love this piece, principals are spot on, and along w Divertimento 15, Chaconne, Diamonds, so achingly sublime in the adagios😀. Like Theme and Variations so gassing for solos, who but NYCB to dance this the way it was intended - pedal to the medal honey extra hairpins! Ib's batterie and ballon reminded me of a certain John Clifford
There was a wonderful photo in Farrell's book Holding onto the Air with a close-up of her face when she catches a glimpse of the man she has been searching for and her expression is so complex and moving. I wish I could find it again.
Thank you for posting this! I saw it performed live in NY and in Paris and always loved Suzanne Farrell in it. Just rapturous. NYCB is dancing marvelously these days, but no one seems to really understand this ballet as she did.
Fantastic! More Farrell please. Thank you for publishing this, it's wonderful. Andersen is terrific. Where do you find these treasures? I'm so delighted to ever find new Balanchine works on youtube.
The original music is Mozart, all (except for the first movement) pieces for the piano. Perhaps that is why the costumes are black and white, like a keyboard? So there are three levels of interpretation: Tchaikovsky's orchestration, Balanchine's choreography, and the dancers' execution of the steps. Wonderful.
oof it's almost impossible to enjoy mearns and finley in these roles after seeing this masterpiece. quite frankly it's a stretch even if you haven't seen it.
Yes. Very hard if not impossible to follow Farrell and Anderson...although I saw very good performances by Maria Calegari and especially Darci Kistler, and Damian Woetzel in this ballet.
Is it part of Suzanne Farrell's mystique that she virtually never smiles? This is not a criticism by any means. It's as if she were the Garbo of ballet.
My father took me to see Edward Villella's Prodigal Son in 1964. I got the chance to speak with Edward in two 2-hour conversations, which is some of the most ballet fun I have ever had in my life. Him, too, actually. My friend is his press agent.
My father's name was Benjamin Steinberg. He conducted Alicia Alonso and Igor Youskevitch from the time they were in the Ballet Russes, to conducting the premiere of T&V at ABT, to being the first conductor of the Ballet de Cuba from 1959 - 1963. He came back to form the first fully integrated orchestra in American history called the Symphony of the New World. He was the greatest daddy anyone could have ever had. Growing up in Cuba, I was at every rehearsal, every class, every performance, etc.
When he died in 1974, so did I, but it was Suzanne Farrell who saved my life.
Thank you for providing this record in what I think is the greatest American company that ever lived. I asked the NYPL at Lincoln Center about tapes of Villella in Apollo and Prodigal Son, and they didn't have anything. I won't accept no for an answer. There has to be something. I did find Tarantella.
Thank you, John Clifford, for doing all this.
Thank you, John. for yet another gem!
She is SO into it! Her musicallity,her understanding of the ballet...
Thank you, John for all your posts. They take me back to the evenings when Farrell swept me off my feet night after night. I loved those days, seeing Violette, Melissa, Merrill, Allegra and all bringing glory to the stage. It still happens, and works, with new names on the program. But there'll never be another Suzanne.
I love the little girls. They're just the age at which Mozart was touring the capitals of Europe as a child prodigy.
At first, I was captivated by the music - divine! - and the dancing is superb by Suzanne Farrell and Ib Andersen, but my favorite among this cast is Victor Castelli - fabulous!!
so strange ! in a great way. She said to Mr. B " that's what heaven must be like" about this ballet. I would never ever see it without someone thinking to share and utube. thank you so much.
This is such a beautiful ballet. I love this music and Suzanne Farrell is just heavenly in it. I love Christopher D'Amboise solo. It's one of my favorite parts of the ballet.
My god that woman's musicality 😮
The four solo girls are beautiful. Thank you Mr. Clifford
Sublime.
I can never thank you enough for posting these, Mr. John Clifford. You are amazing.
John was a great dancer, too!
Thank you very much for posting this extraordinarily beautiful work.
Thank you for posting!
Beautiful.
Its Suzzanne Farrel , she was amazingly talented
These ballets stay with me. The ppl who lived and earned their acclaim are now ...part of it, also.its almost...holy. especially since all is so vulgar and crass now.
There's no doubt. THe first movement, "prayer" is in fact "Ave verum corpus, a hymn to hte body of Christ written by St THomas Aquinas that Mozart set to music, which is sung in Catholic churches. [Farrell sang it in church choir growing up in Cincinatti, and here she dances it with complete ritual absorption. it IS holy.... And the rest is devout in its more secular way as well, even the comedy in the last movement.. The late great Joan Acocella thought this ballet was the only indisputable masterpiece that Balanchine created for Farrell; she said this in a review [in the "New York Review of Books"] of Farrell's memoir, "Holding on to hte Air.".
Thanks, again.
I agree wholeheartedly with t koran!
Слить воедино Моцарта и Балет мог лишь один хореограф-Леонид Якобсон!
I have a friend who will be in it!!!!! Her name is Jojo . And my friend delialah
Some good music AND dancing but i don't care for the black costumes.
Not among my favorite ballets.
Too bad. I think it’s a glorious work. Different tastes I guess.
@@jcliff26 it Is not the work itself, John, although not my ballet cup of tea, like the romantic...very Classical.
I just don't like black AND so much of it!!
It Is right on Odile AND in the lovely music, ballet, the symphony in C where
The black AND white create an esthetic contrast.
All the black Is depressing for me...
Am crazy about your María Khoreva 9.8 min.midsummer dream!!! Music, her, the dancers, the lovely pastel colors.
Karen Noble OK. Doesn’t bother me at all. Different tastes.
@@jcliff26 yes, i always noticed on your channel your mellow, acceptive Attitude, there are quite a few kindergarten arguments going on YT everywhere...
I know you were a great dancer, in the USA. I trained as a child in Europe, have limited knowledge, learning more daily but ballet
AND classical music áre my passion, AND now in old age even much More.
Few days ago i got enchanted by the New rising lovely star, María Khoreva, 18, Mariinsky, already soloist-principal..
That video, music by F.Mendesdohn, Midsummer dream, 9.18 min on YT AND
with other dancers are a masterpiece to me of pure Joy, Beauty, great Artistry, incredible lightness.
I feel every retired or ballet dancer/lover
Has to rejoice at such a brilliant talent AND have More hope that this most beautiful art Will be preserved.
You are an expert, maybe you could express your opinión to me on this vídeo if you have time?
Thank you very much. My best to you.
Karen Noble We all have our favorite styles and dancers, and I think a lot of that comes from where we were raised and trained. It’s quite normal. I like Khoreva too and have been in touch with her.
Dreadful sound and pic quality, sorry
Armin Hanik Really? Looks fine on my TV.
Balanchine's choreography is exquisite, fascinating! Farrell and Andersen are superb. Thank you I haven't seen this work before and have always wondered what it was like.
I love these posts! Farrell in one of the last ballets Balanchine created for her -- she is exquisite! These videos are like finding buried treasure!
Oh boy what a treat! Suzanne is dazzling.
John Clifford - Greetings from long ago (Phoenix ca. 1992) and THANK YOU for this!
Wooooow...Susan Farrell is so natural and feminine.
I remember seeing Ms Farrell dance this and thinking what an amazing ballet it was,
and of course still is; thanks so much for being a great dancer and also for posing these remarkable videos of a great age at NYCB
Brilliant! Love this piece, principals are spot on, and along w Divertimento 15, Chaconne, Diamonds, so achingly sublime in the adagios😀. Like Theme and Variations so gassing for solos, who but NYCB to dance this the way it was intended - pedal to the medal honey extra hairpins! Ib's batterie and ballon reminded me of a certain John Clifford
There was a wonderful photo in Farrell's book Holding onto the Air with a close-up of her face when she catches a glimpse of the man she has been searching for and her expression is so complex and moving. I wish I could find it again.
Thank you for posting this! I saw it performed live in NY and in Paris and always loved Suzanne Farrell in it. Just rapturous. NYCB is dancing marvelously these days, but no one seems to really understand this ballet as she did.
I agree.She is tottaly into the spirite of Balanchine.
Thank you so much for posting. Captivating.
Fantastic! More Farrell please. Thank you for publishing this, it's wonderful. Andersen is terrific. Where do you find these treasures? I'm so delighted to ever find new Balanchine works on youtube.
I've posted many Farrell roles on my channel.
this is gods Dance........Facts and love from vienna austria
Peter Helbich m
The gigue at 5:05 -- !!!
I love that solo too! it's incredible.
Ib Andersen assoluto.
Please post Suzanne ferrel doing the Watlz girl in serenade! Or any videos of Kay mazzo thanks so much you're the best!
Да уж! Баланчин родился,чтобы П.И.Ч. ставить!!! Очень музыкальный! Гены.....брат Милитон...сов.композитор...случайностей не бывает!
The original music is Mozart, all (except for the first movement) pieces for the piano. Perhaps that is why the costumes are black and white, like a keyboard? So there are three levels of interpretation: Tchaikovsky's orchestration, Balanchine's choreography, and the dancers' execution of the steps. Wonderful.
Does anyone happen to know the year of this production?
Micheal Hayes Right after he died. June I believe but year was definitely 1983
Thank you.
oof it's almost impossible to enjoy mearns and finley in these roles after seeing this masterpiece.
quite frankly it's a stretch even if you haven't seen it.
Yes. Very hard if not impossible to follow Farrell and Anderson...although I saw very good performances by Maria Calegari and especially Darci Kistler, and Damian Woetzel in this ballet.
Is it part of Suzanne Farrell's mystique that she virtually never smiles? This is not a criticism by any means. It's as if she were the Garbo of ballet.
Smiling would be inappropriate in this ballet. Serenity is all.
Philip Kuttner b