Ballet / Choreography to Concert Music
Spectral Preludes*
An evening-length dance work choreographed by Tom Gold to Lera Auerbach’s 24 Preludes for Piano, Op. 41, premiered by Tom Gold Dance in New York.
World Premiere
Premiered on 15 November 2019 at Florence Gould Hall, New York. Presented by Tom Gold Dance at the French Institute Alliance Française, with a second performance on 16 November 2019.
Musical Source
Set to Auerbach’s 24 Preludes for Piano, Op. 41. The score was performed live by pianist Arthur Williford.
Stage World
A suite of abstract, atmospheric dance preludes. The production’s visual world drew on spectral, noir, and horror-film associations through Marlene Olson Hamm’s costumes.
Creative Team
- Choreography Tom Gold.
- Music Lera Auerbach: 24 Preludes for Piano, Op. 41.
- Company Tom Gold Dance.
- Piano Arthur Williford.
- Costumes Marlene Olson Hamm.
- Production Photography Eugene Gologursky, as credited in published review images.
- Additional Photography Lead Ani Collier, rehearsal photography lead from Tom Gold Dance social-media documentation.
Work Information
Dancers
- Michael Sean Breeden Dancer listed in the Tom Gold Dance season materials and review documentation.
- Kristina / Kristiina Hadjipetkov The name appears with spelling variants across public sources.
- Evelyn Kocak Dancer listed in the premiere materials and review documentation.
- Abigail Mentzer Dancer listed in the premiere materials and review documentation.
- Davide Riccardo Dancer listed in the premiere materials and review documentation.
Musical Structure
- Source Cycle Auerbach’s 24 Preludes for Piano, Op. 41.
- Ordering Critical documentation reports that Gold placed the final prelude first, then continued with Preludes 1–23.
- Performance Practice The music was performed live at the premiere engagement by Arthur Williford.
- Form A linked sequence of short dances, solos, duets, and ensemble passages corresponding to the prelude cycle.
The Work
Spectral Preludes is an evening-length dance work by Tom Gold to Lera Auerbach’s 24 Preludes for Piano, Op. 41. Premiered by Tom Gold Dance in New York in November 2019, the work transforms Auerbach’s piano cycle into a staged sequence of concentrated dance miniatures.
The work is abstract rather than narrative. Public descriptions and critical coverage point to a spectral, macabre, and nocturnal atmosphere: the preludes become a chain of fleeting apparitions, character studies, duets, solos, and ensemble configurations.
Tom Gold’s staging does not simply follow the printed musical order. Review documentation reports that the final prelude was placed first, creating a dramatic threshold before the dance moved through the rest of the cycle.
* In the catalogue, the asterisk indicates choreography to preexisting concert music by Lera Auerbach.
Online Materials
References, Reviews and Production Sources
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Press ReleaseTom Gold Dance Fall Season Update Tom Gold Dance
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Event Page2019 Fall Season — November 15 Tom Gold Dance
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Review / PhotosGolden Spectral Preludes CriticalDance
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Listing
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Listing
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ListingOnstage This Week Pointe Magazine
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Music24 Preludes for Piano leraauerbach.com
Underlying Music and Materials
The choreography is set to preexisting concert music by Lera Auerbach. The underlying score is 24 Preludes for Piano, Op. 41. For music materials, consult the official Auerbach work page or the relevant publisher / representative.
