Wow, the last week was one for the books. Since our ballet was a collaboration featuring spellbinding choreography plus love outpoured for the title character (the real Raffaella and her family), it feels not too terribly immodest for me to say I was honored and privileged to have a part in what was nothing less than a triumph, both in substance and in the audiences’ response. The photo below, posted by the ballet production and PR team, is no exaggeration. If you want some background in a short video on the ballet, click HERE.

We had a near-full house in the 2,500-seat hall at both performances, with many curtain calls and bows to continuous cheers and a standing ovation for around five minutes. Our professional orchestra, the South Bend Symphony, sounded splendid under the masterful direction of guest conductor Robin Fountain, who has conducted much of my music for the past few years.

The collection of ballet dancers, including most from professional ballet companies around the country, under the direction of choreographer Claire Kretzschmar (lately of the New York City Ballet) was awesomely beautiful and precise in execution and, as I said above, nothing less than spellbinding. Likewise, the totally impressive costumes, sets, lighting, and sound – all gorgeous – came together to make it one of the most memorable events in my life as a composer, and I’ve had a few.

My wife, Crystal Kurek, fresh off her own latest theatrical performance in a lead roll at the 2,000-seat Jackson Hall of the Tennessee Performing Arts Center the previous weekend, was able to drive the six hours up to South Bend on Friday morning to attend the last dress rehearsal, both performances, and several social events, and it was a great joy for me to share it all with her. Our fourteenth anniversary was just two weeks before, and this all served (for us) as our anniversary trip and celebration. Like Raffaella herself, Crystal somehow magnetically draws the instant love of all who meet her.

Pictured here, we are in front of the marquee of the Morris Center for the Performing Arts. On Saturday we were seated in the third row for an up-close view, and on Sunday in the center of the first row of the balcony in what they call the Royal Box. Every member of both audiences was given a long-stem red rose, which at around 2,000 of them must have cost someone a small fortune.

Needless to say, and without sufficient words to say, but impossible not to try to say, is my immense and surely life-long gratitude for the opportunity to compose the music for our impresario and executive producer Duncan Stroik and his visionary wife Ruth (parents of the late Raffaella), who made all of this possible through their unwavering love, dedication, and tenacity in making it all come into being.

Not only to them but to the large artistic and production team, and no less to so many members of the audience who have poured out their appreciation and called the performance one of the most, and for some even the most, beautiful of things they have ever seen and heard. Below are some photos from the ballet.

So, what happens next? Look for the whole ballet to be posted on YouTube in a couple of weeks or so (I will post the link here, IF they say I can – not sure about that). Watch out (we hope in mid to late 2005) for the release of a commercial CD/ album of the complete ballet music, recorded by the 92-member European Recording Orchestra, who recorded my second symphony and are about to record my third in early September. (The third symphony will be released in early 2005.)

Funds are still needed to record the ballet! You can donate HERE. Look and pray for other ballet companies to mount their own productions of Raffaella, A New Fairytale Ballet in due course, under the direction of our choreographer, Claire Kretzschmar. We hope it will be performed for years to come, if it can enter the repertoire, as they say.

So on Monday (yesterday) it was back to the Hilltop and some days of catching up with things here, sorting out the settling dust from the ballet, thank-you notes, jumping back into work to finish and prepare my massive third symphony by the start of August for recording in September, and hopefully also a bit of rest and a new exercise regime.

We returned and found our dear cat Oliver fine, but perhaps a bit too thin again. We’ll be giving him extra doses of his thyroid medicine to try and fatten him up again. Crystal has an upcoming audition she is excited about. I filled up and restarted the fountain in the back yard and will trim the patio and garden with the string trimmer this afternoon and get back to some kind of normal Hilltop life, if there is such a thing. For Independence Day – I refuse to call it “The Fourth of July” – nor do I call Christmas “The 25^th of December” – we have zero social plans and look forward to grilling some dogs and a quiet evening, just the two of us.

Thanks to all readers for putting up with so much ballet news for so long. I’m so thankful it finally turned out so well and am ready to tell you here about the journeys to come, even as I wish you more of your own.