Episode 122: See the Music: Tschaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2

This week, host Silas Farley is back for another fascinating Hear the Dance conversation exploring Everywhere We Go. Silas is joined by Resident Choreographer Justin Peck and former Company Member Gretchen Smith, who met when they were barely teenagers dancing at the San Francisco Ballet School and collaborated several times over the ensuing years. Justin describes his development as a dance maker leading up the 2014 premiere, as well as his unique creative partnership with composer Sufjan Stevens, while Gretchen shares how dancing the ballet is "sheer joy." (57:19) Written by Silas Farley Edited by Emilie Silvestri Music: Everywhere We Go (2014) by Sufjan Stevens All music performed by the New York City Ballet Orchestra Reading List: The Oxford Handbook of Contemporary Ballet Edited by Kathrina Farrugia-Kriel and Jill Nunes-Jensen Illinoise Broadway Musical: An In-Depth Review and Guide to the Illinois Theatre Play of Sufjan Stevens and Justin Peck Unveiling the Cast, Profile of Creators, Production Journey, Behind the Scenes, and Impact of the Show by Naomi Jeffrey Marcel Dzama: The Book of Ballet by Marel Dzama, Justin Peck, and Hans Christian Andersen Words Without Music: A Memoir by Philip Glass

This week's episode of City Ballet The Podcast is a previously recorded See the Music presentation hosted by NYCB Music Director Andrew Litton. Accompanied by the Orchestra and Solo Pianist Susan Walters, Maestro Litton describes why Tschaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 2—the score for the Balanchine ballet of the same name—is less frequently performed than his first, despite being beloved by soloists and rich with beautifully romantic flourishes. Balanchine considered Tschaikovsky a "soulmate," a feeling borne out by his ability to make the composer's slightly less-genius works great with his choreography. (15:57) Edited by Emilie Silvestri Music: Symphony in Three Movements (1945) by Igor Stravinsky Piano Concerto No. 2 in G, Op. 44 (1879-80) by Peter Ilyitch Tschaikovsky

City Ballet The Podcast returns just in time for the upcoming 24-25 Season. Hear the Dance host Silas Farley is joined by legendary former Principal Dancer and current School of American Ballet faculty member Kay Mazzo and Principal Dancer Anthony Huxley to discuss George Balanchine's Duo Concertant, one of the new works to premiere during the 1972 Stravinsky Festival. Mazzo shares her memories of the speed with which Balanchine choreographed each of the four movements, and commiserates with Huxley on the many unique challenges the ballet presents, including interacting with the piano and violin that share the stage—a "commentary on the festival itself," in Farley's words, as it honored Stravinsky's music and his importance to the Company. (48:57)  Written by Silas Farley Music: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major (1931) by Igor Stravinsky All music performed by the New York City Ballet Orchestra Reading List: Stravinsky and Balanchine: A Journey of Invention by Charles M. Joseph Mr. B: George Balanchine’s 20th Century by Jennifer Homans Stravinsky’s Ballets by Charles M. Joseph Stravinsky Inside Out by Charles M. Joseph An Autobiography by Igor Stravinsky Stravinsky: A Creative Spring: Russia and France, 1882-1934 by Stephen Walsh Stravinsky: The Second Exile: France and America, 1934-1971 by Stephen Walsh Stravinsky: Chronicle of a Friendship by Robert Craft Stravinsky: Discoveries and Memories by Robert Craft The Stravinsky Festival of The New York City Ballet by Nancy Goldner Balanchine’s Ballerinas: Conversations with the Muses by Robert Tracy Balanchine Variations by Nancy Goldner

As the Company concludes a Diamond Anniversary season absolutely bursting with repertory favorites, new restorations, world premieres, and successful tour stops around the world, Artistic Director Jonathan Stafford and Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan talk about what went into planning and presenting the year's many achievements. From triumphant debuts to the return of dancers featured in NYCB's original opening night 75 years ago, and a number of significant firsts on the Company's stage—including the first new work from Artist in Residence Alexei Ratmansky, the first Black Dewdrops in George Balanchine's The Nutcracker®, and the first non-binary pas de deux in Justin Peck's The Times Are Racing—they had much to celebrate, all while looking toward NYCB's, and the artform's, ever-expanding future. (40:43) Edited by Emilie Silvestri Music: Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra (1929) by Igor Stravinsky Symphony No. 3 in D major, Op. 29 (1875) by Peter Ilyitch Tschaikovsky

One of our favorite episodes of The Rosin Box has arrived: this season's Ask the Dancer! Hosts Claire and Aarón are joined by Corps de Ballet Member India Bradley to answer your questions and dish about everything dance life, from what's in her dance bag to the ballet that "woke her up" to the possibilities of ballet, which are her favorite costumes and how she likes to prepare for a performance, and beyond. (46:11) Edited by Emilie Silvestri Music: "Je ne t’aime plus" by Pink Martini Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records

This week, hosts Claire and Aarón are joined at The Rosin Box by Soloist Megan LeCrone who gets real about what happens when things do not go as planned onstage. As they all agree, a certain degree of unpredictability is unavoidable in a live performance art like ballet; knowing how to pivot and when to let go after the fact is essential for any dancer. Megan shares her own experiences with a malfunctioning backdrop in one case and a missed count in another, and what it's like to face the challenges—and thrive—in a "rite of passage" show. (53:30) Edited by Emilie Silvestri Music: "Je ne t’aime plus" by Pink Martini Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records

This week, The Rosin Box makes its star-studded season debut with an episode all about NYCB galas. Listen in on live coverage from the most recent red carpet with hosts Claire Kretzschmar and Soloist Aarón Sanz, and a post-fête conversation with Corps de Ballet Member and style maven Olivia Boisson. They'll discuss all the glitz and glamour and give helpful tips for thriving at these thrilling, twice-a-year events—including making the transition from pointe shoes to sky-high heels. (39:31) Edited by Emilie Silvestri Music: "Je ne t’aime plus" by Pink Martini Courtesy of Pink Martini & Heinz Records

This week, Associate Music Director Andrews Sill invites us to See the Music of Igor Stravinsky's Scènes de Ballet, the eponymous score for Christopher Wheeldon's 1999 work. Sill relates that the piece was composed in 1944 for Broadway impresario Billy Rose, and drew inspiration from both world events and a variety of creative sources—including the ballet Giselle—as with so many of Stravinsky's singular compositions. (12:49) Edited by Emilie Silvestri Music: Symphony in Three Movements (1945) by Igor Stravinsky Scènes de Ballet (1944) by Igor Stravinsky, Performed by Israel Philharmonic Orchestra Who Cares?: The Man I Love (1924) by George Gershwin, Performed by Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Scènes de Ballet (1944) by Igor Stravinsky, Performed by BBC Symphony Orchestra

New Combinations host and Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan is joined by Principal Dancers Tiler Peck and Roman Mejia, the performers of the latest world premiere work created on the Company: Resident Choreographer Justin Peck's Dig the Say. Roman shares the way in which the ballet was tailor made for the two dancers, in the mode of a "modern day Tarantella," in Tiler's words, that capitalizes on their history of partnering in some of the most challenging works in the repertory. Imbued with a sense of competition yet always playful and fun, they both relish Peck's invitation to contribute to the ballet's shape, invigorated by the live jazz score. (45:18)  Edited by Emilie Silvestri Music: "Sisyphus" by Andrew Wegman Bird Wixen Music Publishing, Inc. as agent for Muffet Music Co

This week, NYCB Music Director Andrew Litton leads us on a promenade through the Modest Mussorgsky score to Alexei Ratmansky's 2014 ballet Pictures at an Exhibition. Beginning with a little background on the composer's short but complicated life, colored by contemporary critiques of his "disregard" for musical conventions, Litton is joined by Piano Soloist Stephen Gosling as he demonstrates the ways in which Mussorgsky captured the subjects of a beloved artists' paintings in remarkably challenging piano pieces. (23:31) Edited by Emilie Silvestri Music: Symphony in Three Movements (1945) by Igor Stravinsky Pictures at an Exhibition (1874) by Modest Mussorgsky