Prologue

Through the ages, musicians and dancers have practiced different methods of merging their arts.  For some theatrical dances, fresh music would be composed specifically for staged works. The music might come first, or the dance might come first. Or the choreography and the composition might evolve in tandem. In other cases, music might be “borrowed” […]

Preface

In 1862, the eminent London critic Henry Chorley expressed the need for a monograph on ballet music: “If we leave the renowned men of what is called classical art and [turn our attention] to the balletmakers…it may be found that there is much to delight in, something to learn.” —Barrymore Scherer in The New York […]