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HAIL AND FAREWELL
Photo Credit: Louis Mélançon; Photo courtesy Metropolitan Opera Archive.
Synopsis:
Was Tudor Hailing the birth of a new Met Ballet Company, or was he saying Farewell to Nora Kaye,
as she had just married Herbert Ross, already a notable choreographer? They were working on the foundation of a
new ballet company, the Ballet of Two Worlds, which planned to go on tour to Europe in the fall of 1960. The Met
occasion was historic as Tudor put together an entire program of dances expressly for the Metropolitan Opera’s
own ballet contingent. The desirability of such an event was long evident and its realization cause for rejoicing.
After all, European opera houses poured large sums of money into their ballet companies. Why not here in America?
The audience was filled to capacity to celebrate this exciting evening. The innovative choreographer John Butler
created In the Beginning to Samuel Barber’s First Symphony, and Herbert Ross made The Exchange to Francis Poulenc’s
organ concerto; Alexandra Danilova, Les Diamants; and Tudor, Hail and Farewell.
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| Choreography |
| Antony Tudor |
| Music / Composer |
Richard Strauss
Festival March
Opus 1, Serenade
Opus 7, Four Last Songs |
| First Performance |
New York
Metropolitan Opera House,
March 22, 1959
Metropolitan Opera Ballet |
| First Performance Cast |
| Lupe Serrano, Edith Jerrell, Audrey Keane, Nora Kaye, Hlenka Devon, William Burdick, Ron Murray,
Vincent Warren, Suzanne Ames, Meredith Baylis, Ann Stone, Jose Gutierrez, Harry Jones, Donald Martin, David Milnes,
Alek Zybine, Margaret Black, Louellen Sibley, Ann Etgen, Fronda Sobel, Sung by: Eleanor Steber - Soprano |
| Notated |
| NA |
| Number of Dancers |
| NA |
| Costumes |
| Motley |
| Scenery |
| NA |
| Length |
| NA |
| Licensing Information |
| NA |
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