Liebeslieder Walzer (ballet)

In the first part of Liebeslieder Walzer, which features 18 songs, is set in a ballroom, with the women are dressed in satin ballroom dresses and heels, while the men wears tailcoats, dancing ballroom waltz.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/26/arts/dance/balanchine-liebeslieder-walzer.html|title=Balanchine's Dark Waltzes: Can Love Suffice?|newspaper=The New York Times|last=Macaulay|first=Alastair|date=26 February 2019}}{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/22/arts/dance/liebeslieder-walzer-from-new-york-city-ballet.html|title=Expressions of Love That Bridge Real and Ethereal Worlds|newspaper=The New York Times|last=Macaulay|first=Alastair|date=21 May 2012}} Following a brief break with the curtains lowered, the women switch to romantic tutus and pointe shoes, while the men only take off the gloves. The doors are opened and showed the sky. This section's style resemble classical ballet The dancers eventually exit the stage,{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/01/15/movies/dance-review-the-wonders-of-waltzing-in-fantasy-and-reality.html|title=Dance Review; The Wonders of Waltzing, In Fantasy And Reality|newspaper=The New York Times|last=Anderson|first=Jack|date=15 January 1999}} before returning two by two,{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/03/arts/dance-review-present-congratulates-past-bowing-to-city-ballet-alumni.html|title=Dance Review; Present Congratulates Past, Bowing to City Ballet Alumni|newspaper=The New York Times|last=Dunning|first=Jennifer|date=3 May 2004}} in the costumes from the first half of the ballet, and listen to the last song motionless.

Throughout Liebeslieder Walzer, the four couples display different kinds of emotions and subtle behavior, which is regarded as the most difficult part for the dancers.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/03/arts/dance/review-liebeslieder-walzer-and-tschaikovsky-suite-no-3-balanchine-couples-baring-their-souls.html|title=Review: 'Liebeslieder Walzer' and 'Tschaikovsky Suite No. 3,' Balanchine Couples Baring Their Souls|newspaper=The New York Times|last=Macaulay|first=Alastair|date=2 October 2015}}{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/19/arts/dance/all-balanchine-and-all-brahms-at-the-new-york-city-ballet.html|title=All Balanchine and All Brahms at the New York City Ballet|newspaper=The New York Times|last=Sulcas|first=Roslyn|date=19 May 2006}} Balanchine had remarked that the ballet is about the "changing aspects of love." Shortly after the premiere, Balanchine said, "In the first act, it's the real people that are dancing. In the second act, it's their souls." Alastair Macaulay, a New York Times critic who broke down the first section, wrote that the ballet is about "adult love and its attendant shadows: tender, often rapturous, exceptionally poignant." On one of the couple's interactions, he commented that he "suspected" that Balanchine was "telling us something about himself."

A soprano, a mezzo-soprano, a tenor, a baritone and two pianists playing in four hands perform on stage left.{{cite news|title=Ballet: Brahms' Waltzes|newspaper=The New York Times|last=Martin|first=John|date=23 November 1960}} All of them are dressed in evening suits and ball gowns, identical to the ones worn by the dancers.

Liebeslieder Walzer is set to Johannes Brahms' Liebeslieder Waltzes, Op. 52 and Neue Liebeslieder, Op. 65, 33 songs in total.{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/09/AR2008100903233.html|title=A Leap to Lift Spirits|newspaper=The Washington Post|last=Kaufman|first=Sarah|date=20 October 2008}} Apart from the final song, which is set to poetry by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, all the lyrics are taken from Georg Friedrich Daumer's poets.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/05/20/arts/dance-view-balanchine-infused-waltzes-with-subtle-drama.html|title=Dance View; Balanchine Infused Waltzes With Subtle Drama|newspaper=The New York Times|last=Kisselgoff|first=Anna|date=20 May 1984}} Balanchine had said that he "had to do dances set to this music" despite its length.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NgRhgtmSVmMC&pg=PT124|title=The Faber Pocket Guide to Ballet|last1=Jennings|first1=Luke|last2=Bull|first2=Deborah|date=2004|isbn=9780571260959}}

The original set, designed by David Hays, is a bourgeois salon. In 1984, a year after Balanchine died, New York City Ballet co-founder Lincoln Kirstein commissioned a new Rococo-inspired sets by David Mitchell, which were inspired by Nymphenburg Palace, where Balanchine had visited in 1971,{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/05/12/arts/dance-liebeslieder-restored-by-city-ballet.html|title=Dance: 'Liebeslieder; Restored By City Ballet|newspaper=The New York Times|last=Kisselgoff|first=Anna|date=12 May 1984}}{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/02/22/arts/ballet-review-an-evening-of-spats-whispers-and-passion-in-the-drawing-room.html|title=Ballet Review; An Evening of Spats, Whispers and Passion in the Drawing Room|newspaper=The New York Times|last=Kisselgoff|first=Alastair|date=22 February 2000}} and was the sets Balanchine envisioned when he made the ballet.{{cite book|title=Repertory in Review|last=Reynolds|first=Nancy|date=1977}} Barbara Karinska designed the costumes.

Dancers:{{cite web|url=http://www.balanchine.org/display_result.jsp?num=335|title=335. Liebeslieder Walzer|website=The George Balanchine Foundation}}

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• Diana Adams
• Melissa Hayden
• Jillana
• Violette Verdy
• Bill Carter
• Jonathan Watts
• Conrad Ludlow
• Nicholas Magallanes

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Pianists:

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• Louise Sherman
• Robert Irving

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Singers:

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• Angeline Rasmussen
• Mitzi Wilson
• Frank Porretta
• Herbert Beattie

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Other companies that had danced Liebeslieder Walzer include Vienna State Ballet, The Royal Ballet, Ballett Zürich, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Boston Ballet and San Francisco Ballet.

Following Balanchine's death, the rights of the ballet was left to Karin von Aroldingen, who had danced Diana Adams's role and taught the ballet at Balanchine's request during his lifetime.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/01/05/arts/keepers-of-the-treasured-balanchine-flame.html|title=Keepers of the Treasured Balanchine Flame|newspaper=The New York Times|last=Taper|first=Bernard|date=5 January 1997}}

In 2020, in response to performance cancellations due to the coronavirus, New York City Ballet released two extracts of Liebeslieder Walzer online. The first one, recorded in 2012, features Maria Kowroski and Jonathan Stafford. The second one was recorded in 2016 with Lauren Lovette, in her role debut, and Jared Angle.{{cite news|url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/New-York-City-Ballet-Announces-Casting-for-Weeks-One-and-Two-of-Their-Digital-Season-20200921|title=New York City Ballet Announces Casting for Weeks One and Two of Their Digital Season|website=BroadwayWorld|date=21 September 2020}}

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{{Balanchine ballets}}

Category:1960 ballets

Category:Ballets by George Balanchine

Category:Ballets to the music of Johannes Brahms

Category:Ballets designed by Barbara Karinska

Category:Ballets designed by David Hays

Category:New York City Ballet repertory