The Four Temperaments

This article is about the score by Hindemith and ballet choreographed by Balanchine. For the "four humours" in Greco-Roman medicine, see Four temperaments. For the symphony by Carl Nielsen, see Symphony No. 2 (Nielsen).
Kansas City Ballet dancers in The Four Temperaments (2015 production)

The Four Temperaments or Theme and Four Variations (The Four Temperaments)[1][2] is an orchestral work and ballet by Paul Hindemith. Although it was originally conceived as a ballet for Léonide Massine,[1] the score was ultimately completed as a commission for George Balanchine, who subsequently choreographed it as a neoclassical ballet based on the theory of the four temperaments.

The music was premiered in Switzerland by the Stadtorchester Winterthur under the direction of Hermann Scherchen on March 10, 1943.[3] However, Balanchine created the choreography a few years later. The ballet, The Four Temperaments was the first work Balanchine made for the Ballet Society, the forerunner of the New York City Ballet, and premiered on November 20, 1946, at the Central High School of Needle Trades, New York, during the Ballet Society's first performance. Though at the premiere, critics did not receive the ballet well, it was later acknowledged as a "masterpiece," and was revived by ballet companies worldwide.

  1. ^ a b Corleonis, Adrian. "Paul Hindemith, Theme and Variations, 'Die vier Temperamente' (The Four Temperaments)". American Symphony Orchestra. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  2. ^ Hindemith, Paul (1948). Theme and Four Variations (The Four Temperaments) (PDF). New York City: Associated Music Publishers.
  3. ^ "Werkverzeichnis Paul Hindemith: Theme with four Variations". Paul Hindemith Aktuelles. Retrieved February 1, 2021.