The Greatest Chord in Music History

Last weekend I went to see Ballet West for the first time. I could hardly stay away since they were performing one of my favorite ballets by one of my favorite composers. Stravinsky's Firebird. I thought their production was fabulous. The Firebird was beautiful and elegant. I loved every moment.

 I was a nervous going into this. I had rented a version and was disappointed in the ending. The choreographer had the dancers just processing in during the wedding and some of my favorite music of all time. So when we got to the ending and the wedding I was surprised to recognize what must be the standard choreography by Michel Fokine. Instead of being disappointed by the wedding procession, I realized that perhaps the lack of dance at this moment showcases the music more than anything else could. This point is emphasized by the moment and what I consider to be the greatest chord in music history. (No, not  the Neapolitan second chord in Beethoven's Ninth.) All that happens is the music switches back to C major, but the way that Stravinsky approaches it makes that one chord breathtaking. On stage all movement came to a halt for that chord making it the focus of the entire ballet at that moment. Brilliant!

The second act was Petite Mort. I didn't know what to expect. I've never seen much modern dance but I loved it! It started with the men doing sabre work. The women later came out with Baroque ball gowns that flowed a little too smoothly even for ballerinas. Ah, they were set on casters... hilarious. Then, there was amazing partner work. All set to Mozart piano concertos. What's there not to love?

The third act was Who Cares? Dances set to Gershwin tunes. I didn't care for this set. The women wore standard looking dresses and the choreography was a bit cheesy and nothing surprising. I found it a bit repetitive.

My first experience with Ballet West was definitely a wonderful experience and I can't wait for future performances.