# Composers whose non-ballet music works as ballet music



## Mahlerian

There are some composers who have written countless works that have been choreographed. Stravinsky comes to mind first. In addition to his many ballet scores, the sense of propulsive rhythm that dominates scores like the Symphony in C and the Violin Concerto has led to their being set to dance as well. Contemporary American composer John (Coolidge) Adams has received much the same treatment.

Can people here think of any other composers like that?


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## Crudblud

A few spring to mind, but really only as hypotheticals, I don't know if choreography for these pieces actually exists. Gershwin, I think, should come as no surprise as a good choice for choreography. His music is often cited for its melodic qualities, but I think his sense of rhythm was also very keen as exemplified by the _Cuban Overture_ and the _Piano Concerto_.

Mahler's scherzos, particularly his later, more angular ones, would make for very interesting ballet music. I'd be surprised if most of them hadn't been treated this way already. I know there was a stage work which made use of Mahler's 3rd, although when I think of dance that isn't one of his that immediately springs to mind.

Scelsi's _Khoom_ for string quartet, percussion, horn and soprano is full of exciting and unusual rhythms, and would be a great score for dance. The characteristic Scelsian drones in some of the "episodes" would also make for an interesting contrast, a very slow type of dance that would offset the frenetic quality of the other parts. The mannered Gagaku style comes to mind as a good jumping off point.


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## PetrB

Michael Torke, later commissioned to write pieces for dance, has a lot of scores which were concert music later choreographed.

John Adams: Lollapalooza, Fearful Symmetry are both choreographed, I believe multiple times.

Stravinsky: Balanchine turned several concert pieces into ballet, "Jewels" being the violin concerto, I think.

It seems a certain emotional remove, plus a motorific sense of rhythmic momentuum are what, late 20th and now, the choreographers are going for.


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## hreichgott

Don't forget Jerome Robbins and his Chopin obsession.


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## Trout

Many of Tchaikovsky's works have been choreographed, mainly by George Balanchine, co-founder of the New York City Ballet and its balletmaster for several years. Some of his works that were used include his Piano Concerto No. 1 (second movement), Piano Concerto No. 2, Symphony Nos. 1 & 3, Serenade for Strings, Suites Nos. 3 & 4, Valse-Scherzo, and various piano works.


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## Tristan

I was impressed with Preljocaj's usage of Mahler symphony music in his version of "Snow White". Passages from the 2nd and 3rd symphonies seemed to work especially well.


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## katdad

Two composers come to mind, each from different eras but with strangely similar music: JS Bach and Philip Glass.

Both these have many pieces that can be set to dance, beautifully so.


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## sharik

Prokofiev - _Ivan The Terrible_


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## Sid James

Some of *Chopin's* pieces where orchestrated into a ballet called _Les Sylphides. _Trust Glazunov to do it, himself one of the great Russian masters of ballet. Respighi arranged some of *Rossini's* tunes into a piece called _La Boutique Fantasque_. Another one like this is *Offenbach* arranged by Manuel Rosenthal into _Gaite Parisienne_. The late conductor Sir Charles Mackerras did the same for *Arthur Sullivan* in _Pineapple Poll. _Another one is* J. Strauss II's* tunes arranged by Antal Dorati into _Graduation Ball_. All of these would be on youtube and are well worth a listen! Its interesting to try and work out which tune is from which opera, operetta, etc.


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## Pyotr

Peter Pan, a new ballet by choreographer Trey McIntyre debut this year. It was performed by the Houston ballet and the PA ballet. Music consisted of 22 pieces by Elgar including the violin solo from the Crown of India Suite, Wand of Youth Suites 1&2, and In The South Overture.
I did not see it but my sister did and she enjoyed it immensely. Plot was easy to follow, since we are all very familiar with it. I'm not sure if there are any plans for any other company to perform it in the future.


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## arpeggio

My wife and I saw it with the Philadelphia Ballet and throughly enjoyed it.


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## elgar's ghost

Some parts of Holst's Planets Suite seem ballet-like and I'm amused by the vision I have of seven dancers with oversized tennis balls on their heads (especially one which would need to have a concentric ring structure affixed).


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## appoggiatura

I would love to see a choreographed dance on Étude op. 39 no. 8 of Rachmaninoff. 





Why? I think there's so much movement in this music, it gives me the chills and I would love to see a solo ballet dance on this piece. May sound really really stupid, but I think it would work. Something with a lot of expression.


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## Selby

Debussy's 
Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune

originally choreographed by Nijinsky


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## contra7

Claude Debussy: "6 Épigraphes antique" and "En blanc et noir"

Edward Clug, choreographer

This two works together with Stravinsky's Le Sacre du printemps was performed at the opening of The Music Biennale Zagreb (Croatia).


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## moody

Grant Hossack orchestrated Scott Joplin's music to produce the ballet "Prodigal Son" for the London Festival Ballet.
"Les Sylphides" has been orchestrated by a number of composers including Britten,Gretchaninov,Roy Douglas and Gordon Jacob which is the version mostly used.
Hershey Kay orchestrated Gottshalk to produce the music for Ballanchine's "Tarantela" and also Ballanchine's ballet "Western Symphony" using Sousa's music.


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## Pantheon

How about this beautiful ballet ? 






Rachmaninov, Mussorgsky and Wagner !


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## aleazk

I really love this ballet realization of Ravel's opera _L'enfant et les sortilèges_: 



Even more than any actual operatic realization of the piece!.


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## techniquest

Here is an excerpt from Prokofievs' "Peter and the Wolf" as performed by the Royal Ballet School. It's really great!


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## Musician

Mendy's Midsummer's Night's Dream has been used for ballet


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## helpmeplslol

I can't say I know a lot about ballet, but I think this would make for an amazing ballet.


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## MissLemko

Marguerite and Armand is a 20th century ballet danced on thr h-mol Sonata by Liszt (my favorite piano sonata). I believe it was created for Nureyev. I absolutely love Lopatkina's lines; maybe not her port de bras (very stiff compared to Ananiashvili)


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## Orfeo

*Glazunov's* Scenes de Ballet is a superb example, as are his numerous scherzi of his major works (say, his Fifth Symphony for instance) and Chopaniana (that was to become Les Sylphides). His Oriental Rhapsody is worth a thought. Also, how about *Bax's* "Spring Fire" or *Nielsen's* "Aladdin?"


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## schigolch

I remember a nice show, _C(h)oeurs_, staged by Alain Platel, with music coming from Wagner and Verdi.


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## QuietGuy

Bernstein's Symphony #2 "Age of Anxiety" was choreographed by Jerome Robbins.


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## hpowders

The second movement of Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony should be choreographed. It would work wonderfully as ballet.


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## Il_Penseroso

Balanchine


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## Il_Penseroso

Fokine


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## Il_Penseroso

Fokine


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## Huilunsoittaja

Ain't this somethin'? :lol:






Only Glazunov nerds like me know every single work that's being played here. Lotssss of good stuff. teehee!


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## tdc

A fair bit of the music that ended up in Prokofiev's Symphonies is reworked music that was initially part of ballet scores he was working on.


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## Xenakiboy

Xenakis' two first large mature works "Metastasis" and "Pithoprakta" (both of which I've listened to way too much) Both have been turned into a ballet, though I haven't seen it. I can't imagine what it'd be like either...


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## dgee

tdc said:


> A fair bit of the music that ended up in Prokofiev's Symphonies is reworked music that was initially part of ballet scores he was working on.


Only no 4 right? The Prodigal Son? It's always struck as a bit weak in total, but with moments to die for


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## tdc

dgee said:


> Only no 4 right? The Prodigal Son? It's always struck as a bit weak in total, but with moments to die for


I like the revised version of 4 quite a bit.

I believe at least fragments of ballet music ended up in the 5th and 7th Symphonies as well.


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## tdc

tdc said:


> I believe at least fragments of ballet music ended up in the 5th and 7th Symphonies as well.


I read about this in the liner notes of the Gergiev symphony cycle, apparently parts of the scherzo of the 5th was derived from material left over from _Romeo and Juliet_.

As far as the 7th perhaps more a case of subtle similarities "A lush melody arches romantically with an aching hint of Cinderella's yearning for happiness in the ballet Prokofiev had completed 8 years earlier" the quote is in reference to the first movement.


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## Xenakiboy

According to the Wikipedia article, quite a few of Stravinsky's non-ballet orchestral works (even opera-suites) have been turned into ballet's at different points! 

I guess it shows how lyrical and rhythmic his music really is!


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## Strange Magic

tdc said:


> A fair bit of the music that ended up in Prokofiev's Symphonies is reworked music that was initially part of ballet scores he was working on.


Prokofiev's Third Symphony contains reworked material from _The Flaming Angel_, and the Fourth, from _The Prodigal Son_, as remarked.


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## tdc

Never mind was confusing an Opera with a Ballet.


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## Strange Magic

tdc said:


> Never mind was confusing an Opera with a Ballet.


Me too! And it's The Fiery Angel, not The Flaming Angel (you've seen one, you've seen them all).


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## Woodduck

Il_Penseroso said:


> Balanchine


Music made visible. One of the most beautiful ballets ever created. Limitless invention. Pure genius. Tchaikovsky is smiling.


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## silentio

Oh, don't forget Berlioz's *Romeo et Juliette*






The symphony itself is very rhythmically inventive.


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## Aurum

The first time I heard this I thought it would be awesome if it was made as a ballet:




Petko Stainov's Fairy Tale


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## jegreenwood

I thought Alexei Ratmansky's ballet to "Pictures at an Exhibition" (piano version) was brilliant.

Edit - Ratmansky has also been successful with a number of works by Shostakovich, as have others.


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## Pyotr

jegreenwood said:


> I thought Alexei Ratmansky's ballet to "Pictures at an Exhibition" (piano version) was brilliant.
> 
> Edit - Ratmansky has also been successful with a number of works by Shostakovich, as have others.


Love that work (Pictures), but never saw the ballet version. Which performer did you see?You're so lucky to have the NYC Ballet so accessible. Keep us posted.


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## jegreenwood

Here's a taste.






I don't remember all of the cast members, but I did see Amar Ramasar and Sara Mearns.

In the nearer future, I 'll be there on Saturday - "Serenade" among other works - and next Thursday - Robbins' (and Chopin's) "Dances at a Gathering," and Balanchine's "The Firebird." So a story ballet after all.


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## jegreenwood

"Serenade," (Balanchine), "American Rhapsody" (Wheeldon to Rhapsody in Blue) and "Western Symphony" (Balanchine to folk songs orchestrated by Hershey Kay) yesterday. Three vibrant crowd-pleasing dances. Very, very enjoyable.


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## Becca

Frederick Ashton:
- _Month in the Country_ to Chopin's _Variations on La Ci Darem La Mano, Krakowiak_ and _Andante Spianato and Grand Polonaise_
- _Monotones_ to Satie's _Gymnopedies_ and _Gnoissieme_
- _Symphonic Variations_ to Cesar Franck's work of the same name
- _Illuminations_ to the work by Benjamin Britten - this was done for the New York City Ballet
- _Enigma Variations_ to Elgar
- _Rhapsody_ to the Rachmaninoff Paganini Variations

To be continued...


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## ArtMusics Dad

Becca said:


> Frederick Ashton:
> - _Month in the Country_ to Chopin's _Variations on La Ci Darem La Mano, Krakowiak_ and _Andante Spianato and Grand Polonaise_
> - _Monotones_ to Satie's _Gymnopedies_ and _Gnoissieme_
> - _Symphonic Variations_ to Cesar Franck's work of the same name
> - _Illuminations_ to the work by Benjamin Britten - this was done for the New York City Ballet
> - _Enigma Variations_ to Elgar
> - _Rhapsody_ to the Rachmaninoff Paganini Variations
> 
> To be continued...


All of those are brilliant, Satie is a little annoying though.


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## Zhdanov

*Aram Khatchaturan* - _'The Masquerade'_ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masquerade_(Khachaturian)


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## jegreenwood

Paul Taylor - "Esplanade" and "Brandenburgs" - both to Bach


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## jegreenwood

hreichgott said:


> Don't forget Jerome Robbins and his Chopin obsession.


Saw "Dances at a Gathering" this evening. This was my second viewing. As wonderful as I recalled.


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## hpowders

J.S. Bach's solo keyboard Partitas are very danceable and would make for some creative ballet choreography.

If i wasn't so busy posting....


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## ArtMusics Dad

hpowders said:


> J.S. Bach's solo keyboard Partitas are very danceable and would make for some creative ballet choreography.
> 
> If i wasn't so busy posting....


I like those too!


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## hpowders

ArtMusics Dad said:


> I like those too!


The orchestral suites, keyboard solo French Suites and solo violin Partitas and Sonatas could be "ballet-ified" too!


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## jegreenwood

hpowders said:


> The orchestral suites, keyboard solo French Suites and solo violin Partitas and Sonatas could be "ballet-ified" too!


Robbins choreographed the "Goldberg Variations." It got a lot of hype when it was first presented, but it hasn't worn that well critically. I saw it once and have to agree. I've also seen modern dance set to Bach's Chaconne.

Among the composers Balanchine has choreographed to (using non-ballet music) are Bach, Mozart, Brahms, Brahms-Schoenberg, Schumann, Donizetti, Bellini, Ravel, Gershwin (songs), Vivaldi, Corelli and Mendelssohn. I'm probably overlooking an equal number.


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## bestellen

For me, this video is nice


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## Pugg

bestellen said:


> For me, this video is nice


Blocked due violations


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## shostythesnowman

I think a good example of music that was not originally ballet music and has been turned into a ballet is Eugene Onegin, which is Tchaikovsky's music from Cherivichki, Francesca di Rimini and the Four Seasons that has been orchestrate and realized/arranged by Kurt-Heinz Stolze.


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