MCCARTNEY’S BALLET COMMISSION WAS BY CHANCE
SIR PAUL McCARTNEY was approached to score a new dance extravaganza for the New York City Ballet after a chance meeting with company boss PETER MARTINS last year (10).
The Beatles legend has been commissioned to create a major orchestral piece for the City Ballet, and the result is a love story entitled Ocean’s Kingdom.
Martins, the organisation’s ballet master-in-chief, admits he only came up with the idea after running into McCartney at a fundraiser for the School of American Ballet.
He tells the New York Times, "I knew of course about (McCartney’s) foray into classical music and his interest in it. I said to him, ‘Maybe we could do something together.’" The Fab Four star jumped at the opportunity and couldn’t wait to get started on the challenge: "I can’t refuse an offer. I’ve come to love working with orchestras.
"For me the sheer athleticism is the most astounding thing about what I’m seeing. It’s like a meeting of the Olympic Games and art, and I find that fascinating and challenging for me, to see what can be done." The piece will premiere in the Big Apple on 22 September (11).
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