Afternoon Ball
Music
Vladimir Martynov
(Autumn Ball of the Elves, 1994)
Choreography
Twyla Tharp
Staging
John Selya
Scenic and Lighting Design
Randall G. Chiarelli
Costume Design
Mark Zappone
Duration
21 minutes
Premiere
September 25, 2008; Pacific Northwest Ballet
The 2008 world premiere of Twyla Tharp’s Afternoon Ball was generously underwritten by Peter & Peggy Horvitz.
Program Notes
Vladimir Martynov’s Autumn Ball of the Elves, for string orchestra, represents a Russian mix of minimalism and post-romanticism that can also be heard in the music of Estonian composer Arvo Pärt. (Both composers abandoned academic compositional styles following religious conversions and developed individual voices influenced by personal interests and convictions.) In Autumn Ball of the Elves, Martynov applies a theme and variations structure to a minimalist palette.