 Choreography by Benjamin Millepied Music by Nico Muhly Costumes by Benjamin Millepied Lighting by Roderick Murray TIMING: 25:00 
When Benjamin and I first
met in Paris in 2006, he was always playing Bach. For our project with ABT,
I thought I would incorporate his love of repeated chords into a set of
variations on a bass line, making a simple outline for the structure of
the piece (an energetic ramp with a plateau representing the central pas
de deux). The music begins with a brief introduction outlining the harmonic
language and pulse-based rhythms. The passacaglia theme emerges in the double-basses
and celli. Instruments are drawn towards the line – a bassoon, a piano,
a marimba, an insect-like rustling of strings, and the piece becomes a gradual
process of addition, as the sonority changes from earthly obscurity to piercing
brightness. The pas de deux interrupts this process, with a new bass line,
a louche, French texture, and some ominous growling from the low brass.
The energies of the final section clear the air, and a loud statement of
the bass line closes the piece. – Nico Muhly From Here On Out was given its World Premiere by American Ballet Theatre on October 26, 2007 at City Center, New York, danced by Paloma Herrera, Marcelo Gomes, Isabella Boylston, Cory Stearns, Maria Riccetto, Alexandre Hammoudi, Jacquelyn Reyes, Sascha Radetsky, Sarawanee Tanatanit, Blaine Hoven, Simone Messmer and Thomas Forster. The music is commissioned by American Ballet Theatre for the World Premiere performance October 26, 2007. Nico Muhly would like to give special thanks to Trevor Gureckis. This production is made possible by the generous support of The Carl and Marsha Hewitt Foundation, Inc., Cheryl and Raymond Katz, and by the Frederic and Robin Segal Fund for Emerging Choreographers. Nico Muhly's original score for From Here On Out has been generously underwritten through a gift from Michele and Steven Pesner. Additional funding has been provided by the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency. |
Copyright 2007 Ballet Theatre Foundation, Inc.
All rights reserved.