Song of the Earth (ballet)

The Song of the Earth is a ballet based on Das Lied von der Erde, a symphonic work written by the Austrian composer Gustav Mahler in 1908–1909.

[4][5] Photographs of the cast by Carl Van Vechten show elaborate costumes of flowing draperies in pseudo-Chinese style and the dancers in supposedly Oriental attitudes.

"To this combination of ancient Chinese classic hedonism already screened through a process of Germanic Weltschmerz, Tudor has deliberately added the academic formation of the traditional ballet.

Presented under its English title, Song of the Earth, in May 1966 at the Royal Opera House in London, it starred guest artist Marcia Haydée as The Woman, Donald MacLeary as The Man, and Anthony Dowell as The Messenger of Death.

"[10] In 2007, the ballet was broadcast live on BBC Two, as Darcey Bussell's farewell performance, with The Man and The Messenger of Death danced by Gary Avis and Carlos Acosta respectively.

Song of the Earth was performed by English National Ballet, with Erina Takahashi as The Woman, Isaac Hernández as The Man and Jeffrey Cirio (a guest principal) as The Messenger of Death.

This performance was filmed in 2017 at Palace Theatre, Manchester, intended for internal archival, with Tamara Rojo as the Woman, Joseph Caley as The Man and Cirio as The Messenger of Death.

[14] Swiss choreographer Heinz Spoerli created his version of Das Lied von der Erde in 2011, as he was nearing retirement at the end of his long tenure as director of the Zurich Ballet.

[17] The original cast of six soloists included Vahe Martirosyan (The Man), Karine Seneca (Eternity), Filipe Portugal (Death), Arman Grigoryan (The Divided), Galina Mihaylova (The Girl), and Sarah-Jane Brodbeck (The Beauty).

Mathieu Ganio was a strong, melancholy presence as Le Homme; Karl Paquette was his shadowy double; and Laetitia Pujol portrayed La Femme.