Composer

:

George Antheil

Genre

:

Miscellaneous

Style

:

Open Form

Compose Date

:

May 25, 1953

Publication Date

:

1959

First Performance

:

Feb 21, 1954

Average_duration

:

15:38

Ballet mécanique, for 4 pianos (1953 revision), W. 156c, is a composition by American composer George Antheil. The piece was originally composed in 1924 for a film of the same name by French filmmaker Fernand Léger. However, the film was never completed, and the music was instead premiered as a concert piece in Paris in 1926. The 1953 revision of Ballet mécanique was commissioned by the American composer and conductor Leopold Stokowski, who wanted to perform the piece with his orchestra. Antheil revised the score to include additional percussion instruments, and the premiere of the revised version took place in New York in 1953. Ballet mécanique is divided into four movements, each of which is characterized by its use of dissonant harmonies, complex rhythms, and unconventional instrumentation. The first movement features a driving rhythm played by the pianos, accompanied by percussion instruments such as drums, cymbals, and a siren. The second movement is slower and more atmospheric, with the pianos playing a series of dissonant chords while percussion instruments create a sense of tension and unease. The third movement is perhaps the most famous, featuring a series of syncopated rhythms played by the pianos and percussion instruments. The movement also includes a section in which the pianos play a series of glissandos, creating a sense of chaos and disorientation. The final movement is a frenetic and chaotic finale, with the pianos and percussion instruments playing at breakneck speed. Overall, Ballet mécanique is a groundbreaking work that pushed the boundaries of what was considered acceptable in classical music at the time. Its use of unconventional instrumentation and complex rhythms paved the way for later experimental composers such as John Cage and Karlheinz Stockhausen.

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