Costume studie for Four Temperaments

George Balanchine commissioned the music for the The Four Temperaments from the German composer Paul Hindemith in 1940, for performance in his home. Hindemith's music had been banned by the Nazis, and he had just arrived in the USA from exile in Switzerland. The music took the form of a theme and four variations for piano and string orchestra. Balanchine so enjoyed the score that he subsequently choreographed it for the debut of his Ballet Society, the precursor of the New York City Ballet. He engaged Seligmann to provide costume and set designs. The premiere took place in New York in 1946, and the ballet remains in the repertory of several companies today.