Composer

:

Lou Harrison

Genre

:

Ballet

Style

:

Ballet

Compose Date

:

1949 - Jan 1950

First Performance

:

Jan 22, 1950

Average_duration

:

26:55

Movement_count

:

9

Movement ....

Solstice is a ballet composed by Lou Harrison in 1949. The ballet is divided into four movements, each representing a different season. The first movement, "Winter," is slow and mournful, with a haunting melody played on the oboe. The second movement, "Spring," is lively and energetic, with a fast-paced rhythm and a sense of joy and renewal. The third movement, "Summer," is slow and languid, with a dreamy quality that evokes the heat and humidity of the season. The final movement, "Autumn," is a celebration of the harvest, with a lively and rhythmic dance that builds to a joyful climax. The plot of Solstice is not well-defined, but the ballet is generally seen as a celebration of the changing seasons and the cycles of nature. The movements are meant to evoke the different moods and feelings associated with each season, from the quiet introspection of winter to the exuberance of spring and the languor of summer. Solstice premiered in 1950 at the Mills College Dance Festival in Oakland, California. The ballet was choreographed by Anna Halprin, a pioneer of postmodern dance, and featured a cast of dancers from the San Francisco Ballet. The music was performed by a small ensemble of musicians, including Harrison himself on percussion. One of the most distinctive characteristics of Solstice is its use of non-Western instruments and musical traditions. Harrison was a pioneer of what he called "world music," and he incorporated elements of Indonesian gamelan music, Japanese gagaku, and other non-Western styles into his compositions. In Solstice, this is most evident in the use of the Javanese gamelan, which provides a shimmering, metallic sound that is both exotic and otherworldly. Overall, Solstice is a unique and innovative work that combines elements of classical ballet with non-Western musical traditions. Its celebration of the changing seasons and the cycles of nature make it a timeless work that continues to resonate with audiences today.

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