Ballets

Using much of the same music as the Pas Classique Hongrois from Act II of Raymonda, this work is composed of solos, two pas de deux, a duet for two women, and a quartet for four men, concluding with bravura measures for the ballerina. In 1960, for the San Francisco Ballet Variations de Ballet, parts of Pas de Dix were combined with choreography by Lew Christensen to Glazounov’s suite Scenes de Ballet, Op. 52 (revised 1981).

Alexander Glazounov (1865-1936), a student of Rimsky-Korsakov, was director of the St. Petersburg Conservatory of Music from 1906 to 1917. It was during his tenure there that he was called to the Maryinsky to play piano for a rehearsal of Raymonda; Balanchine was one of the dancers present. Besides ballets, Glazounov composed eight symphonies, a piano concerto, a violin concerto, chamber music, and orchestral tone poems.

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).

Photo credit: Photo uncredited

Music: from Raymonda

Composer: Glazounov, Alexander

Premiere: November 9, 1955

Average Ballet Length: 20 mins

Number of Dancers: 10

Costumes: Yes

Scenery: No