The Concert (or The Perils of Everybody) is a ballet by Jerome Robbins, created for New York City Ballet, set to Chopin's:
Polonaise in A major "Military", Op. 40, No. 1 Berceuse in D flat major, Op. 57 Prelude in F minor, Op. 28, No. 18
Prelude in B flat minor, Op. 28, No. 16 Waltz in E minor, Op. posth. Prelude in A major, Op. 28, No. 7
Prelude in E minor, Op. 28, No. 4 Mazurka in G major, KK IIa/2 Ballade No. 3 in A flat major, Op. 47
The premiere took place at City Center of Music and Drama, New York, on 6 March 1956, with décor by Saul Steinberg, costumes by Irene Sharaff and lighting by Ronald Bates. Robbins choreographed three subsequent ballets to Chopin's music: Dances at a Gathering (1969), In the Night (1970), and Other Dances (1976).
In 2008 in The New York Times, Alastair Macaulay called The Concert "the most sheerly funny of all ballets.... a true classic, full of jokes that you find yourself quoting in everyday life."
Original cast Tanaquil LeClercq Todd Bolender Yvonne Mounsey Robert Barnett Wilma Curley John Mandia Shaun O'Brien Patricia Savoia Richard Thomas
Other companies (selected) The Australian Ballet, premiered May 10, 1979. Revived 1987, 2008. Boston Ballet Houston Ballet Pacific Northwest Ballet Paris Opera Ballet Perm Opera and Ballet Theatre, premiered April 13, 2007. The Royal Ballet, premiered March 4, 1975. Revived 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2007, 2014, 2018. Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Moscow Academic Music Theatre, premiered July 10, 2010. Vienna State Ballet San Francisco Ballet
References
Repertory Week, NYCB, Winter season, 2008 repertory, week 1
Playbill, NYCB, Thursday, January 3, 2008 Playbill, NYCB, Wednesday and Friday, June 4 and 6th, 2008
Reviews
NY Times, John Martin, March 7, 1956 NY Times, Anna Kisselgoff, November 26, 1983
NY Times, Jennifer Dunning, May 15, 2001 NY Times, Alastair Macaulay, January 5, 2008