''Prodigal Son'', or ''Le Fils prodigue'', Op. 46 () is a ballet created for Diaghilev's

Ballets Russes The Ballets Russes () was an itinerant ballet company begun in Paris that performed between 1909 and 1929 throughout Europe and on tours to North and South America. The company never performed in Russia, where the Russian Revolution, Revolution ...

George Balanchine George Balanchine (; Various sources: * * * * born Georgiy Melitonovich Balanchivadze;, Romanization of Georgian, : April 30, 1983) was a Georgian-American ballet choreographer, recognized as one of the most influential choreographers ...

to music by

Sergei Prokofiev Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev; alternative transliterations of his name include ''Sergey'' or ''Serge'', and ''Prokofief'', ''Prokofieff'', or ''Prokofyev''. , group=n ( – 5 March 1953) was a Russian composer, pianist, and conductor who l ...

(1928–29). The

libretto A libretto (From the Italian word , ) is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to th ...

, based on the

parable A parable is a succinct, didactic story, in prose or verse, that illustrates one or more instructive lessons or principles. It differs from a fable in that fables employ animals, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature as characters, whe ...

in the

Gospel of Luke The Gospel of Luke is the third of the New Testament's four canonical Gospels. It tells of the origins, Nativity of Jesus, birth, Ministry of Jesus, ministry, Crucifixion of Jesus, death, Resurrection of Jesus, resurrection, and Ascension of ...

, was by Boris Kochno, who added a good deal of drama and emphasized the theme of sin and redemption ending with the Prodigal Son's return. Susan Au writes in ''Ballet and Modern Dance'' that the ballet was the last of the Diaghilev era, choreographed the year the great impresario died. She continues: "Adapted from the biblical story, it opens with the prodigal's rebellious departure from home and his seduction by the beautiful but treacherous siren, whose followers rob him. Wretched and remorseful, he drags himself back to his forgiving father."

History

Serge Lifar Serge Lifar (, ''Serhіy Mуkhailovуch Lуfar'') ( 15 December 1986) was a Ukrainian dancer, choreographer, and one of the greatest male ballet dancers of the 20th century. Lifar was also a choreographer, director, writer, theoretician abou ...

created the role.Villella, E., "Prodigal Son," University of Pittsburgh Press, 1998, p. 80. , The premiere took place on Tuesday, May 21, 1929, at the Théâtre Sarah Bernhardt, Paris, with décor by Georges Rouault and lighting by Ronald Bates, in what was to be the Ballets Russes's last Paris season: "Balanchine's choreography upset Prokofiev, who conducted the premiere. The composer had envisioned a production that was 'real'; his concept of the Siren, whom he saw as demure, differed radically from Balanchine's. Prokofiev refused to pay Balanchine royalties for his choreography." Balanchine's American Ballet danced ''Prodigal Son'' at its first public performance in 1934. The

New York City Ballet New York City Ballet (NYCB) is a ballet company founded in 1948 by choreographer George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein. Balanchine and Jerome Robbins are considered the founding choreographers of the company. Léon Barzin was the company's fir ...

premiere was on Thursday, February 23, 1950, at City Center of Music and Drama, New York, the title role danced by

Jerome Robbins Jerome Robbins (born Jerome Wilson Rabinowitz; October 11, 1918 – July 29, 1998) was an American dancer, choreographer, film director, theatre director and producer who worked in classical ballet, on stage, film, and television. Among his nu ...

, with lighting by Mark Stanley. Hugh Laing and

Francisco Moncion Francisco Moncion (July 6, 1918 – April 1, 1995) was a Dominican-born American ballet dancer and choreographer who was a charter member of the New York City Ballet. Over the course of his long career, spanning some forty years, he created roles ...

also danced it before it lapsed from the performance ''rota'' for a decade. It was restaged in 1960 with

Edward Villella Edward Villella (born October 1, 1936) is an American ballet dancer and choreographer. He is frequently cited as America's most celebrated male dancer of ballet at the time. He has won numerous awards, including the Daytime Emmy Award for Out ...

in the title role (Villella recounts his work in recreating the role in his autobiography of the same name).

Mikhail Baryshnikov Mikhail Nikolayevich Baryshnikov ( rus, Михаил Николаевич Барышников, p=mʲɪxɐˈil bɐ'rɨʂnʲɪkəf; ; born January 27, 1948) is a Latvian and American dancer, choreographer, and actor. He was the preeminent male ...

danced it with City Ballet in 1979 and

Damian Woetzel Damian Woetzel (born May 17, 1967) is an American choreographer. Woetzel was a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet, where he performed from 1985 until 2008. He also frequently performed with companies like the Kirov Ballet and Amer ...

danced it at his farewell performance on Wednesday, June 18, 2008.NYCB 2008 Spring Repertory
Prokofiev used the music from the ballet to form the basis of the two versions of his Symphony No. 4 composed in 1929 and 1947, respectively.

Cast

Premiere cast

* Felia Doubrovska *Eleanora Marra *Nathalie Branitzka *

*Michael Fedorov ( Sophie Fedorova's brother) *Léon Woizikowsky * Anton Dolin

New York City Ballet New York City Ballet (NYCB) is a ballet company founded in 1948 by choreographer George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein. Balanchine and Jerome Robbins are considered the founding choreographers of the company. Léon Barzin was the company's fir ...
revivals

*2008 Winter *2008 Spring :*

Teresa Reichlen Teresa Reichlen (born ) is an American ballet dancer. She joined the New York City Ballet in 2001, was promoted to principal dancer in 2009, and retired in 2022. Early life Reichlen was born in Clifton, Virginia. She has three brothers. When she ...

:* Pauline Golbin :* Dena Abergel :*

Daniel Ulbricht This is a list of New York City Ballet dancers. Principal dancers Soloists This is a list of New York City Ballet soloists. Corps de ballet The following is a list of the current members of the corps de ballet. * Victor Abreu * Dominika ...

Ask la Cour Ask la Cour Rasmussen (born ) is a Danish ballet dancer. He joined the Royal Danish Ballet in 2000, then moved to the New York City Ballet in 2002, and was promoted to principal dancer in 2013. He retired from the company in 2021. Early life Ask ...

:* Antonio Carmena :*

Kyle Froman This is a list of New York City Ballet dancers. Principal dancers Soloists This is a list of New York City Ballet New York City Ballet#Soloists, soloists. Corps de ballet The following is a list of the current members of the corps de ballet ...

* Maria Kowroski * Pauline Golbin * Dena Abergel *

(Damian Woetzel's farewell) *

* Sean Suozzi * Adam Hendrickson

Notes

References

* ''

Playbill ''Playbill'' is an American monthly magazine for Audience, theatergoers. Although there is a subscription issue available for home delivery, most copies of ''Playbill'' are printed for particular productions and distributed at the door as the ...

'', New York City Ballet, Thursday, June 19, 2008 * ''Repertory Week'', New York City Ballet, Spring Season, 2008 repertory, week 8

Articles

Sunday ''New York Times''
by John Martin, November 4, 1934 ;Obituaries
''New York Times'' of Felia Doubrovska
by Jack Anderson, September 21, 1981

Reviews

''New York Times''
by John Martin, February 24, 1950
''New York Times''
by Anna Kisselgoff, January 13, 1979
''Ballet Magazine''
by Eric Taub, February–March 2004

by Alastair Macaulay, June 10, 2008

External links

* *
Prodigal Son
on the website of the Balanchine Trust {{DEFAULTSORT:Prodigal Son Ballets by George Balanchine Ballets by Sergei Prokofiev Ballets by Boris Kochno Ballets designed by Georges Rouault Ballets designed by Ronald Bates 1929 ballets Ballets Russes productions 1929 compositions New York City Ballet repertory