Dates

16-30 Sep 2023

Location

Dutch National Opera & Ballet, Main Stage

Running time

2:25, incl. 2 intervals

Tickets

From € 16

Four Temperaments dancers

Two masterpieces and two world premieres

Dutch National Ballet is opening the season with Four Temperaments, in which four choreographers from different generations voice their own unique style in dance. What unites them is that all four enter into express dialogue with the music they use. Besides world premieres by Ted Brandsen and Juanjo Arqués, Four Temperaments also shows key works from the oeuvres of George Balanchine and Hans van Manen, in which the two master choreographers ingeniously reveal musical details and nuances.

Photo: Marta Syrko

Two masterpieces and two world premieres

In 1940, George Balanchine (1904-1983) commissioned composer Paul Hindemith to write a piece of music that he could play at home on the piano. So when the American-Russian choreographer made a ballet to it in 1946, he knew the composition – The Four Temperaments – like the back of his hand. Not only did he succeed in creating a work that is still exciting and surprising 75 years later, but the tricky, swinging choreography also adds a magical dimension to Hindemith’s music.

 

Musical miracle

Hans van Manen’s Frank Bridge Variations is also a miracle of musicality. So much so, in fact, that according to one critic it is the only possible response in dancing to Benjamin Britten’s Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge. Inspired by the music, the ballet is characterised by contrasts. A constant factor, however, is the refined simplicity that typifies Van Manen’s style. Often through the simplest of steps, he succeeds in generating maximum expression.

 

Dancers and musicians together on stage

For Four Temperaments, artistic director Ted Brandsen is creating a new ballet for a big ensemble, set to John Adams’ fabulous and compelling The Chairman Dances. In Juanjo Arqués’ new piece, set to Michael Gordon’s Weather One, the internationally successful young choreographer makes the connection between dance and music even more visible, by letting the dancers share the stage with musicians from Dutch Ballet Orchestra.

Credits

The Four Temperaments
Choreography  
George Balanchine
Music  Paul Hindemith
Lighting design  Jan Hofstra, Howard Eldridge

Frank Bridge Variations
Choreography  
Hans van Manen
Music  Benjamin Britten
Set and costume design  Keso Dekker
Lighting design  Bert Dalhuysen

The Chairman Dances
World premiere
Choreography  Ted Brandsen
Music  John Adams

World premiere
Choreography  Juanjo Arqués
Music  Michael Gordon

Musical accompaniment  Dutch Ballet Orchestra conducted by Matthew Rowe

BALLETS THAT ADD MAGIC TO THE MUSIC

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makers
Frank bridge variations hans van manen
Frank Bridge Variations - Hans van Manen (2022)
Frank Bridge Variations - Hans van Manen (2022)
Frank Bridge Variations - Hans van Manen (2022)
The Four Temperaments - George Balanchine (2022)
The Four Temperaments - George Balanchine (2022)
Frank bridge variations hans van manen
Frank Bridge Variations - Hans van Manen (2022)
Frank bridge variations hans van manen
Frank Bridge Variations - Hans van Manen (2022)
Frank Bridge Variations - Hans van Manen (2022)
Frank Bridge Variations - Hans van Manen (2022)
Ballet orchestra

Dutch Ballet Orchestra

Dutch Ballet Orchestra’s mission is ‘to inspire movement in dance’. Since its inception in 1965, the orchestra has been the proud musical partner of Dutch National Ballet and Nederlands Dans Theater. In every performance, the orchestra searches for inspiring synergy between music and dance, in order to give the audience a magical experience.

Dutch Ballet Orchestra

Led by principal conductor Matthew Rowe, Dutch Ballet Orchestra is the leading orchestra for dance in the Netherlands. The orchestra accompanies performances ranging from traditional ballet to modern dance, alongside its activities in music education and talent development.

Besides performances with Dutch National Ballet and Nederlands Dans Theater, Dutch Ballet Orchestra has a long tradition of innovative – and award-winning – family performances. For instance, Creatures (in collaboration with ISH Dance Collective) received the international Young Audiences Music Award, and the production Hansel and Gretel (in collaboration with Orkater) won various Musical Awards. In these productions, the musicians play from memory, without a conductor and in costumes, so that they form an integral part of the performance.

And finally, Dutch Ballet Orchestra has a long-term partnership with the Dutch National Ballet Academy. They are therefore involved in the music curriculum for pupils and students, facilitate student visits to orchestra rehearsals and provide music for the academy’s end-of-year performance, where possible.

hetballetorkest.nl/en

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