Stravinsky's ballet "Jeu de cartes" was commissioned by Lincoln Kirstein and George Balanchine for the American Ballet, despite the Metropolitan Opera's initial lack of interest in staging pure ballets.
Composition History
The ballet "Orpheus" was a collaboration between Stravinsky and choreographer George Balanchine, who worked closely together from the start, using Ovid and a classical dictionary to decide on scenario details.
Compositional Technique
In "Jeu de cartes," Stravinsky's individual 'neoclassical' style is evident, broadly tonal and rhythmically regular, even when subtly quoting other composers like Rossini.
Composition History
Stravinsky conceived the card-game idea for "Jeu de cartes" himself in a Paris taxi, and was so pleased he offered the cab driver a drink.
Composer Biography
Igor Stravinsky's career as a ballet composer is divided into two distinct parts, with a significant overlap and some digressions.
Critical Reception
Stravinsky's ballet "Agon" thrilled its first New York audiences in 1957, with one critic describing the experience as if the piece had been champagne.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Stravinsky's "Jeu de cartes" uses a poker game as a framework for an abstract re-creation of classical ballet, similar to his earlier work "Apollo."
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