Episode 38.2: Hear the Dance: Stravinsky Violin Concerto (Part 2)

City Ballet The Podcast

Host Silas Farley and guest Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux’s discussion of the 1972 Stravinsky Festival continues in this second part of a special Hear the Dance episode dedicated to Balanchine’s Stravinsky Violin Concerto. Bonnefoux recalls the excitement of performing in the premiere of this seminal neoclassical work in the same week as a revival of Balanchine’s Orpheus, and the sense of historical tradition and musical pulse at the heart of every Balanchine/Stravinsky ballet. They then talk about Bonnefoux’s extensive work as a coach and mentor, and the legacy of kindness and generosity he’s taken on from Pushkin, Balanchine, and all of his own teachers; as he says, “It’s more about what you need—what are you worried about?” (45:49)

Music: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major (1931) by Igor Stravinsky Theme with Four Variations [According to the Four Temperaments], for string orchestra and piano (1940) by Igor Stravinsky Sonatine (1906) by Maurice Ravel Final movement of Suite No. 3 for Orchestra in G major (1884) by Peter Ilyitch Tschaikovsky

Written by Silas Farley Edited by Laura Snow