Apollo (originally Apollon musagète and variously known as Apollo musagetes, Apolo Musageta, and Apollo, Leader of the Muses) is a ballet in two tableaux composed between 1927 and 1928 by Igor Stravinsky. It was choreographed in 1928 by balletmaster George Balanchine, with the composer contributing the libretto.
Synopsis
The story centres around Apollo, the Greek god of music, who is visited by three muses: Terpsichore, muse of dance and song; Polyhymnia, muse of mime; and Calliope, muse of poetry. The ballet plainly takes Classical antiquity as its subject, though its plot suggests a contemporary situation. It is concerned with the reinvention of tradition, since its inspiration is "classique", or even post-baroque; nevertheless, it uses a simplified orchestra, with only 34 string instruments.
Characters
- Apollo
- Terpsichore
- Polyhymnia
- Calliope
- Leto
- Handmaidens
Production History
| Date | Venue | Company |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 26, 1974 | Uris Theatre | |
| 1937 | American Ballet | |
| 1931 | Royal Danish Ballet | |
| Jun 12, 1928 | Théâtre Sarah Bernhardt | Diaghilev's Ballets Russes |
