Brandenburg

Inspired by Bach's ever-popular Brandenburg Concertos, Robbins’ last ballet for NYCB presents a spectrum of atmospheres, from sheer ebullience to quiet mystery.

In 1971, Jerome Robbins choreographed one of his masterpieces, The Goldberg Variations, to Bach’s celebrated piano pieces. He did not return to Bach until the end of his career, over 20 years later, but when he did, he was clearly entranced by the clarity, rigor, and formal beauty found in the composer’s work: three of his last four ballets are set to Bach.

Robbins’ final work, Brandenburg (1997), is set to selections from four of the Brandenburg Concertos, intricate and nuanced works that inspired Robbins to create this lovely suite of dances. The ballet features a series of pas de deux that differ in their tone and mood, including a mysterious andante duet for a couple who seem to orbit each other, drawing close but never touching.

38 minutes