Jeu de cartes - The Card Game
composer: Igor Stravinsky
ballet librettist: M. Malaïeff - Igor Stravinsky
Ballet in three deals. Stage action devised by the composer in collaboration with M. Malayev
Ballet en trois donnes
Les mouvements scéniques réalisés par l'auteur en collaboration avec M. Malaïeff
Premiere: April 27, 1937 New York, NY, Metropolitan Opera (USA) · Conductor: Igor Strawinsky · Stage design: Irene Sharaff · Choreography: George Balanchine · American Ballet
Orchestra instrumentation: 2 (2. auch Picc.) · 2 (2. auch Engl. Hr.) · 2 · 2 - 4 · 2 · 3 · 1 - P. S. (gr. Tr.) - Str. (12 · 10 · 8 · 6 · 6)
Cast of characters: (Die Karten eines Pokerspiels): 7 Tänzer - 8 Tänzerinnen
Publisher: Schott Music
Duration: 23' 0''
Year of composition: 1936
Edition: full score
Material on hire
Delivery rights: distribution rights for all countries except USA
Recommended titles
Description
They play for high stakes in Igor Stravinsky’s ballet Jeu de cartes, written for the first Stravinsky Festival mounted by George Balanchine for the Metropolitan Opera in New York in 1937. Stravinsky, himself a keen poker player, invented an abstract drama for the various card ‘characters’, full of deceit and intrigue, which unfolds almost immediately on the card table as a ‘ballet in three deals’. At the start of each deal, the cards are shuffled in an ironic gesture, with the opposing hands played against each other in constantly changing combinations. The malicious joker interferes with the flow of the game several times by demonstrating his power, but can ultimately be defeated by a royal flush in hearts. There is a lot of bluffing in this game, even with regard to the music: Stravinsky parodies and combines alienated fragments from Rossini’s Barber of Seville and Johann Strauss’ Fledermaus or musical allusions to Beethoven, Ravel and Tchaikovsky.
Basket
Nearest vendors
Advanced Search
Help
Further questions?
Have a look at our help section for answers to the most frequently asked questions.
Newsletter