Ballets

Jewels is unique: a full-length, three-act plotless ballet that uses the music of three very different composers. Balanchine was inspired by the artistry of jewelry designer Claude Arpels, and chose music revealing the essence of each jewel. He explained: "Of course, I have always liked jewels; after all, I am an Oriental, from Georgia in the Caucasus. I like the color of gems, the beauty of stones, and it was wonderful to see how our costume workshop, under Karinska's direction, came so close to the quality of real stones (which were of course too heavy for the dancers to wear!)."

Each section of the ballet is distinct in both music and mood. Emeralds, which Balanchine considered "an evocation of France — the France of elegance, comfort, dress, perfume," recalls the 19th century dances of the French Romantics.

Gabriel Urbain Fauré (1845-1924), was Maurice Ravel's teacher, and his life and work bridged the eras of Romanticism and Impressionism. He wrote piano and chamber music as well as incidental music for plays such as Pelléas et Mélisande and Shylock; he composed operas and many songs set to the words of French poets of the late nineteenth century, especially Verlaine.

Repertory notes provided courtesy of and adapted from New York City Ballet Online Repertory Index. Additional sources: Choreography by George Balanchine: A Catalogue of Works , An Eakins Press Foundation Book, published by Viking (1984); and Repertory in Review: 40 Years of the New York City Ballet by Nancy Reynolds (1970; The Dial Press).

Music: Pelléas et Mélisande (1898) and Shylock (1889)

Composer: Faure, Gabriel

Premiere: April 13, 1967

Average Ballet Length: 32 mins

Number of Dancers: 17

Costumes: Yes

Scenery: Yes