Ballets

A fantasy about insect life, in this ballet the dancers are costumed as bug-inspired, winged beings with antennae. The décor is formed of a series of light-reflective coat hangers and Chinese panels. The adagio features a beetle and a sort of butterfly. A principal theme of Hindemith’s music is based on a Chinese melody used by Weber.

Paul Hindemith (1895-1963), a key representative of the neo-classical school, is considered one of the greatest German composers of this century. He fled the Nazis (who banned his music) and was a professor of music at Yale from 1940-1953. A conductor, violinist, violist, pianist, and theorist, he wrote several books on musical theory.

For more information concerning Metamorphoses, please contact the Trust directly.

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: Metamorphoses on Themes of Carl Maria von Weber

Composer: Hindemith, Paul

Premiere: November 25, 1952

Average Ballet Length: 0 mins

Number of Dancers: 27

Costumes: Yes

Scenery: Yes