Sophie Redfern 
Bernstein and Robbins 
The Early Ballets

The formative early ballets of West Side Story creators Leonard Bernstein and Jerome Robbins explored in detail for the very first time.


2022 CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title Winner.


Leonard Bernstein and choreographer Jerome Robbins stand as giants of the musical-theatre world, but it was ballet that launched their stage careers and established their relationship. With
Fancy Free (1944), their triumphant debut collaboration produced by Ballet Theatre, Bernstein, Robbins, and set designer Oliver Smith-all in their mid-twenties- captured the spirit of wartime New York, created a defining ballet of the period still widely performed today, and became overnight sensations. The hit musical
On the Town (1944) and a now largely forgotten ballet,
Facsimile (1946), followed over the next two years.


Drawing extensively on previously unpublished archival documents,
Bernstein and Robbins: The Early Ballets provides a richly detailed and original historical account of the creation, premiere, and reception of
Fancy Free and
Facsimile
. It reveals the vital and sometimes conflicting role of Ballet Theatre, explores how Bernstein composed the scores, sheds light on the central importance of Oliver Smith, and considers the legacy of these works for all involved. The result is a new understanding of Bernstein, Robbins, and this formative period in their lives.

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Introduction

Setting the Scene: American Ballet and Jerome Robbins

Towards a First Ballet:
Fancy Free Takes Shape

Creating
Fancy Free: A Long-Distance Collaboration

The Music of
Fancy Free: The Sketches and Score Explored

The
Fancy Free Premiere and a Move to Broadway

Towards a Second Ballet:
Bye Bye Jackie and the Creation of
Facsimile

The Music of
Facsimile: The Sketches and Score Explored

The
Facsimile Premiere and Legacy of the Ballets

Epilogue: Bernstein and Dance

Bibliography

Index

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SOPHIE REDFERN is a music historian and lecturer at the University of Sheffield and holds a post supporting research activity at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, having previously taught at Liverpool Hope University. In January 2019, she was appointed Curator at the European Opera Centre.