The American choreographer Jerome Robbins (1918-1998) intended his ballet as a comical parody of classical music listeners. The action unfolds during a Frédéric Chopin piano recital, where the music draws its listeners into the depths of their imagination and innermost thoughts. As imaginary characters come to life, they reveal human weaknesses and the boundless landscapes of the imagination. Premiered in 1956, The Concert (or, The Perils of Everybody) is an entertaining work that playfully reflects our own delightful flaws and quirks with humour and charm.
The world-famous Swedish choreographer Alexander Ekman (b. 1984) dedicated his contemporary ballet Cacti to the subject of art critique. The performance features music by Franz Joseph Haydn, Ludwig van Beethoven and Franz Schubert, performed by a string quartet.