Charles Gounod: "Walpurgisnacht Ballet"

selections
choreographer: George Balanchine
Kyra Nicols
Ben Huys
Nichol Hlinka
New York City Ballet 1993

[@lourdesmilchorena7007]

The music is beautiful!!!! I love this ballet

[@kennethbenson3503]

Kyra Nichols is simply the greatest ballerina I have ever seen live. She is absolutely stunning here. Hlinka and Huys are, as ever, wonderful.

[@Khamomil]

The last movement always gives me goose bumps. The women with their hair loose are quite reminiscent of mad revelers or witches. As a kid I always held my breath and felt a kind of terror hearing it.

[@chatbud]

Brava! The performance, both dance and music, is exhilarating!

[@eileenmonaghan8238]

I am listening to this gorgeous music by Gounod, On April 30, May Eve, Walpurgis Nacht!

[@lacouerfairy]

Nichol Hlinka was a beautiful ballerina. Not enough videos of her out there!

[@ronaldmitaxa5007]

What a brilliant performance

[@IntendJOY]

my God, this ballerina is wonderful.

[@ininacsot]

toujours à voir avec beaucoup de plaisir, merci

[@DHHoover]

That was wonderful. I haven't seen any marvelous ballet since the Swan Lake by the Kirov Ballet Group. Thank you ear8002 and KZbin.

[@michaelbrodsky1221]

Thanks so much--love this ballet--seen it many times and Nichols is as usual perfect.

[@maseraticboychik]

Michael Brodsky It makes me so sad to see this, Michael, because I remember seeing Nichols' sublimity over and over again and we shall never see that unforgettable grace, that effortless virtuosity, that soul again on stage.

[@michaelbrodsky1221]

Michael Brodsky Yes--you're absolutely right. It is sad. Great performances are so fleeting--frightening reminders of our own mortality. But as the poet Wallace Stevens wrote in another context: in the mind those performances are immortal. I write novels and in my last one, about ballet, among many other things, I do try to pay homage to Nichols, especially in Walpurgisnacht and in the first movement of Tchaikowsky Piano Concerto No. 2. She had the "second" role but was unforgettable and outshone the principal. I remember her especially in the pas de trois with Bennett and Castelli, I think. She was incredibly--and modestly--true to the Balanchine aesthetic. I think Arlene Croce referred to her spectacular clarity. Thanks again for posting. It was very generous of you. Hlinka was/is also very very good by the way.

[@maseraticboychik]

Michael Brodsky Oh yes. I loved Hlinka. she never ever received nearly enough praise nor did Martins ever give her the roles she deserved (he was busy giving them all to Heather Watts for her to destroy....) That is such a lovely thought about you putting Nichols in one of your novels! Nichols danced the second ballerina (or the soloist, though it's really a ballerina part--just smaller) in TPC2 only when she was quite young in the company; she, like Ashley, Bouder, Reichlen, Somogyi, etc, later 'graduated' to the first ballerina role and danced it many times. I once saw her do it three times in a weekend, smile, to show you what a maniac I am. If you'd like to continue talking somewhere else that would be very pleasant---perhaps yahoo messenger, or skype, or gmail chat? if not, I understand--

[@maseraticboychik]

Michael Brodsky I lived in NYC at one point, but after I moved I often went back--and I considered any trip there a total waste if I was unable to see Nichols dance at least once....:)

[@ferencorban1520]

name hű

[@reanimato1]

wow, beautiful piece of choreography and amazing dancers. thank you for this video.

[@susannevollmer2347]

Marvelous Kyra Nichols! Musicality and womenish power. Wow!

[@hervegilles7941]

Il y a longtemps j’étais choriste au théâtre d’Angers (France) pour aider à payer mes études au Conservatoire de Musique. Dans Faust, le ballet était mon passage préféré, et dedans, j'adore N.6 ’’Variation du miroir’’. Mais ici le ballet est incomplet. En réalité la durée est environ 18 minutes. A cette époque, en France, les compositeurs ajoutaient toujours un ballet pour attirer le public, surtout, il y avait des messieurs qui n’aimaient pas trop la musique mais venaient pour voir les danseuses.

[@giuliorenzobighin8165]

Una concordanza euritmica quasi i ballerini avessero innervata la melodia.Prodigiosa la seriazione dei passi a suivre sulle punte della ballerina.BrVissimi AMBEDUE. BIGHIN GIULIO RENZO

[@philipcondenzio5987]

Ben Huys was one of the finest male dancers NYCB ever had.

[@rosetodd9560]

My Mothers and mine favorit

[@erpollock]

I know Balanchine was a genius from this ballet. It is tempting to find genius only among the greats of the past. But in the 20th century, my lifetime, I knew and watched the work of George Balanchine. A genius of choreography.

[@peiohargouet9999]

Magnifique nuit de walpurgis. La musique le ballet. Splendide.

[@eliothahn7983]

This crazy hair ballet is so beautiful. Good example of... Only the one who knows the rules can break the rules. It's crazy but nothing is not ballet.

[@erpollock]

I know I saw NYCBallet in this with this cast. It was incredible, a memory to cherish. And at a time was Balanchine was working and alive and keeping the ballet in perfect shape.

[@ThierryGouvernet]

Un monde merveilleux...

[@BalletBabyBoy]

Kyra...she knows how to dance!!!

[@dolorsriberacastellarnau6895]

Fantàstic, preciós m'ha agradat molt.

[@333mrwill]

Wonderful to see this again ----

[@FranciscoFerrerGaliana1930]

Maravilloso

[@FranciscoFerrerGaliana1930]

BELLÍSIMO

[@misspomerol]

Hlinka is incredible.

[@rodicamoretti883]

Splendid!

[@ubaldinagrandjean2306]

Excelente !!!!fluido.magnetiza.

[@rosgembrun]

Thanks for posting this version of this ballet. I discovered this ballet recently, with, I suppose, the original choreography. Loved the music, but hated the choreography, with the mincing, leering centaur, or whatever. Couldn't watch the whole thing, but the music kept drawing me. The Mariinsky the Bolshoi. Several with the same silly choreography. This is so beautiful, so elegant and graceful.

[@noblesetsentimentales]

The version you're referring to is Lavrovsky's for the Bolshoi, and is as unimaginative and dull as most other Soviet-era works, which always exploited the same tricks and look so dated today, although I enjoy the actual dancing by the great Russian ballerinas. Balanchine's choreography here is both technically and stylistically pure _and_ timelessly classic. Love it!

[@michaelbrodsky1221]

You're right about Nichols--it was in the late 70s or early 80s that she had the "second" ballerina role in Tchaikowsky No. 2, which was when I became an NYCB-Balanchine addict. I live in NY but the great days are gone--but maybe that's senility talking. ABT is supposed to be premiering their vision of "Valse-fantaisie"--hope it's the one I prefer. Thanks again for the post.

[@maseraticboychik]

+Michael Brodsky Alas, that ain't senility. that's taste talking. Yes. Nichols danced the second ballerina in TPC 2 from about 79 to 82 or 83, often with Ashley as the prima......Which Valse do you like better? I love both.....

[@michaelbrodsky1221]

+Michael Brodsky Thanks for replying. I saw Valse-Fantaisie at NYCB a few years back. Didn't like the version (more than 3 ballerinas). Also, the one on KZbin with Sara Leland (I forget the guy's name) is disappointing (to me). The version I do love was one I watched about five years back on video at the Lincoln Center Library (Jerome Robbins Dance Collection). This was with Jeffrey Edwards and three dancers. At a certain point he kneels to each one. A great version. Short-story dance poem. Love the music, too. Hope you're well. I note there are a lot of Balanchine ballets being posted, especially by a very generous Poster named Bela Schenker. Symphony in C with Allegra Kent and Conrad Ludlow is wonderful. What a dancer Kent was! Saw her in "La Sonnambula", one of my all-time favorite works of art, at the end of her career. She was still unforgettably haunting. MB

[@maseraticboychik]

+Michael Brodsky I'm SO jealous that you saw Kent live. I'm a little too young to have seen her. Even the small clips of Kent in Sonnambula are astounding. There are two Balanchine Valse-Fantaisies. The first, the one you like, is from 1953 and had Diana Adams, Melissa Hayden, and Tanaquil LeClercq as the three ballerinas and Nicolas Magallanes as the lone man. The second, from 1967, had Mimi Paul and John Clifford, who is the wonderful danseur you see in the Leland one on KZbin. I'm kind of sorry you don't like that one because the dancing is wonderful (the small corps includes Susie Hendl and Susie Pilarre, both beautiful soloists, and Merrill Ashley, one of the company's most brilliant ballerinas ever....) but if I had to pick one I'd take the earlier one which you like. Yes. that moment with the man kneeling to each woman is sublime. Jeff Edwards was a complete prince of a dancer, one of the most beautiful men NYCB ever had, and he left when still young and before he'd made principal. it was a horrible loss. I don't know the story behind it. Have you read Kent's autobiography from about 20 years ago? called "Once a Dancer." it's fascinating!

[@michaelbrodsky1221]

+name Thanks for responding. Yes, I have read the Kent autobiography--there is a ballerina in the novel I'm working on, for many years now, who is modeled a lot on Kent. I think she's a very good (and witty) writer. I very much like Pilarre (she's in the Dance in America DVD I own that includes the Andante from Divertimentio No. 15. I thought Clifford was very very good/radiant. It's just that the Edwards version was purer, more constrained, less visual distraction from the essence of the ballet (as embodied in the core quartet). The Edwards version has more pathos. Arlene Croce describes it well.

[@sims3433]

Amaizin

[@ernonehorvath5099]

Köszönöm Szépen!

[@19BenZ57]

from PERSIA with Passion

[@annamariabakosi6482]

BRAVÓ!

[@ERCatPat]

Wow such beautiful performance also I came here because I searched up walpurgisnacht because of madoka magica

[@BrittanyCocchino]

And Hlinka just effing floats.

[@tiagocordeiro4913]

Fantástico 😍

[@BrittanyCocchino]

Wow, there are a lot of people in this comments section that know nothing about balanchine.

[@josebustos2780]

What suite is?... thank you for share it!!

[@sinnie587]

❤

[@user-pj9ty9yd2f]

Вот уж удивили, так удивили! Превратить один из лучших эротических эпизодов балетного искусства в карнавал целомудрия, это, как говориться, надо уметь или не иметь ничего ни в голове, ни в ногах. Такое впечатление, будто занимались этим делом или кастраты, или импотенты. И им не указ ни Гете, ни Гуно, ни наследие мирового опыта. Если так пойдет и дальше, то скоро балерины будут упрятаны в серые мешки, а головы закрыты чадрой. Если соглситься, что умными не рождаются, а становятся, то следует добавить: ни всегда и не все.

[@reneefranceschini198]

Woorden schieten tekort. Ik ben stapel gek op ballet!

[@gaborarnold1407]

Eddig is a Faust volt számomra az operák operája szívet melengető és felemelő ez a balett

[@ballet901ami]

6:26

[@artarumian]

Կոշմար։ Բայց դե 7 տարի անց ընդամենը 183 717 դիտումը արդեն խուսուն է։ Մաքսիմովայի (Լավրովսկու պարագրությամբ)՝ 1971 թվականի կատարման համեմատ, սա ոչ թե զիջում է, այլ թյուրիմացություն է։

[@victorimpaglione8040]

Que compagnia es? Quien es la coreografo

[@YouTubeperson-qh6nr]

The New York City Ballet. Balanchine, one of the greatest artistic geniuses of the 20th century, and founder of NYCB (along with Lincoln Kirstein) choreographed the ballet

[@Kyler9999]

I never understand why they do "selections" from a short ballet. Walpurgisnacht is only 17 mins to begin with. Why bother doing 10 mins of it and just do the entire thing?

[@ljss123]

Because this performance was part of the Balanchine Celebration that had excertts from Scherzo à la Russe and excerpts from Apollo, Square Dance, Theme and Variations, Union Jack, Vienna Waltzes, and Walpurgisnacht Ballet. gon, Stars and Stripes, Western Symphony, and Who Cares all in one performance. It was filmed a televised on PBS in 1996. Many of the pieces of those ballets on YT and if you can find it on DVD

[@rogerpropes7129]

Thanks for the clarification. But where is the oriental 'danse antique'? Why are they in generic costumes having nothing to do with Faust? Do you know if the original 17 minute ballet for the opera contained any more pieces that are usually cut due to the extreme length?

[@ljss123]

Roger Propes That particular night was already long with more than 20 Balanchine ballets represented. I think they wanted to keep the night under 3 hours.

[@rufusred44]

@@rogerpropes7129 Balanchine purposely costumed it simply for the dance aspect, there's no story here. This was originally choreographed for Suzanne Farrell.

[@FranciscoFerrerGaliana1930]

Unos pasos de ballet

[@vladimmir100]

Шабаш,однако.

[@lorenitagalvan8157]

esta es la obra llamada "la noche"

[@noblesetsentimentales]

"...de Walpurgis."

[@suzanneh8430]

Studio grande battlements music towards the end. Damn, need inspiration after about the 3rd or 4th advanced class in a day. Ballerinas are very, very disciplined athletes, folks. Cute works in 3-4 year old classes at tacky dance schools that have recitals.

[@Ciesiam]

Why is her pointe stubby? Gosh, I really dislike using that word! Are her feet incredibly tiny and shoes not fitted properly fitted?

[@victorimpaglione8040]

Parece un saggio de una escuela y que significano esos vestidos ? Aqui ninguno sabe que se tratta de un aquelarre una Réunion de brujas

[@user-vb8lg3qy5g]

надо же так обескровить произведение. вроде бы интересовался дамами,а такая кастрированная постановка.

[@영희이-x8g]

ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

[@victorimpaglione8040]

La coreografia parte de no ser bella no tiene nada que ver con El argumento El publico ignaro aplaude

[@carmenbiascoechea4486]

Nobody like Shtruskava

[@natalis4354]

Откуда эта самодеятельность?Ужас! Кошмар!!!

[@nonenoneonenonenone]

How dull and sterile Balanchine renders this with zero scenery. Cynthia Otis is the superb harpist in the orchestra.

[@susanlondoner1946]

No scenery necessary when you have such amazing choreography and such incredible dancing as this.

[@nonenoneonenonenone]

@@susanlondoner1946 Not so, it cheats the audience. It renders it sterile and anemic. The dancers have no character. And either the music is not in synch with the film, or the corps are all behind the beat of the music.

[@Marcel_Audubon]

I don't find this music compelling in any way. Surprised Balanchine chose it.

[@smithsthe8418]

6:27