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Customer Reviews of Portrait of Mr. B

the legendary Balanchine
Those of us who knew, worked for, or studied with George Balanchine, would call him "Mr. B.", with friendship and respect, and sometimes a mixture of awe and fear.
This marvelous collection of photographs captures the many moods of this incredibly complex man, and his intensity. He was the most influential choreographer of the 20th century, and his legacy is beyond measure.

The Foreword is written by Peter Martins, who took the leadership of the New York City Ballet when Balanchine passed this earthly plane in 1983 at the age of 79.
There is a wonderful photo of the two men on page 127; two profiles, one the aged master, the other, the youthful, handsome Dane, perfect danseur noble, who became Balanchine's lead male dancer during the '70s.
The twenty page Essay by Lincoln Kirstein I found to be totally confounding, written in a very convoluted style, and perhaps if one is a lot smarter than I am, it is understandable.
"Two Talks with George Balanchine", by Jonathan Cott however, is very interesting. Mr. Cott's intelligent, probing questions elicit some insightful answers.
"Three Sides of Agon" by Edwin Derby is a piece on the great ballet, which was a magnificent collaboration between Balanchine and Igor Stravinsky. As a piece of music, Agon is one of my favorite Stravinsky compositions, and the stark, extraordinary choreography made this a groundbreaking ballet.

There is a section that describes the photographs, and then the heart of the book, the fascinating collection of images.
The first one is from 1904, the year of his birth, with his wet nurse.
Other remarkable photos are: from 1924, dancing with his first wife Tamara Geva (who said he was a mix of poet and a general); 1929, dancing with Felia Doubrovska, who was a beloved teacher of mine, and she looks exquisite here; on page 68, a lovely study of Balanchine playing the piano. He was an excellent pianist until he lost part of a finger in a lawnmower accident; 1937, with his second wife, Vera Zorina; 1948, an exotic posed photo by Irving Penn for Vogue Magazine of Mr. B. with his third wife, Maria Tallchief, and also from '48, the George Platt Lynes (who chronicled Balanchine's life) photo of a Symphony in C rehearsal with Tanaquil LeClercq (wife # 4) and Francisco Moncion; 1963, in rehearsal for Movements for Piano and Orchestra with the beautiful Diana Adams, and the terrific Jacques d'Amboise, by Martha Swope, a noted dance photographer who made many contributions to this book, and did my favorite image, of Mr. B. with his cat Mourka.

Published in 1984, this small book of 154 pages has 76 black and white photos, good quality paper in a matte finish, and for some of us, many memories.