Within the Quota: Ballet Suite for Band aka “Ballet for Band”

Cole Porter composed the score of a ballet-sketch Within the Quota for the Swedish Ballet, which gave the work its premiere at theTheatre des Champs-Elysees, in Paris, October 25, 1923. Its commission was arranged by his friend, composer Darius Milhaud, whose own ballet, The Creation of the World, had its world premiere on the same program. A satire on American life and the mythology of instant success, Porter's music displayed the influence of Stravinsky, Milhaud and jazz, encompassing parody and exaggeration. In 1969, William Bolcom reconstructed the music from Porter's scoring for three and four pianos and made settings for two pianos and for orchestra. Utilizing Bolcom's reconstruction and adaptation, Phillip J. Lang, arranger of many Broadway shows, such as My Fair Lady and Annie, has created this concert band arrangement.