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Nobilissima visione (The Noblest Vision) is a 50-minute ballet (or, more precisely, a "dance legend") in six scenes by Paul Hindemith, originally choreographed by Léonide Massine for the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. The libretto by Hindemith and Massine depicts episodes from the life of Saint Francis of Assisi. The work was completed in February 1938 and premiered at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London on 21 July 1938, with sets and costumes by Pavel Tchelitchew and under the baton of the composer. He led one performance of the new ballet at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York (for which the title was temporarily altered to Saint Francis) on 14 October of the same year.

After the ballet premiere, Hindemith extracted a 20-minute orchestral suite (retaining the Nobilissima visione name) in three movements, using five of the original eleven movements:

1. Introduction and Rondo
2. March and Pastorale
3. Passacaglia

The first performance of the suite in Venice was at Teatro La Fenice on 13 September 1938 and has become a regularly programmed orchestral work. Though the ballet was originally scored for a small orchestra, the suite was for a full symphony orchestra from the outset. The suite does not attempt to follow the action of the ballet, instead Hindemith extracted only those portions of the score which he felt would be most effective in the concert hall. Hindemith himself conducted the Philharmonia Orchestra in a 21 November 1956 stereophonic recording of the suite, which was released by EMI.

See also

• List of historical ballet characters

References

Notes

1. Selected Letters of Paul Hindemith, 1995, pp. 118-19.

Sources

• Hindemith, Paul (1995). Selected Letters of Paul Hindemith. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0300064513
• Phillip Huscher. "Suite from Nobillisima visions - Program Notes" (PDF). Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

v t e Francis of Assisi
Organisations	Order of Friars Minor (Custody of the Holy Land) Order of Saint Clare Secular Franciscan Order Third Order of Saint Francis
Works by Francis	Canticle of the Sun
Created	Sanctuary of Greccio Nativity scene (live)
Honors	Feast of Saints Francis and Catherine World Animal Day
Literature about	Little Flowers of St. Francis
Visual art	Nativity with Saint Francis and Saint Lawrence (Caravaggio) Saint Francis in Meditation (Caravaggio) Saint Francis in Prayer (Caravaggio) Saint Francis of Assisi in Ecstasy (Caravaggio) Saint Francis Receiving the Stigmata (Giotto) São Francisco (Gonçalves) St Francis (Zurbarán) Saint Francis Receiving the Stigmata (van Eyck) St. Francis in Ecstasy (Bellini) Saint Francis of Assisi in Ecstasy (studio of El Greco) St. Francis in Ecstasy (Zurbarán)
Music	"All Creatures of Our God and King" The Canticle of the Sun (Sowerby) Le Laudi (Suter oratorio) Légende No. 1 (Liszt) Laudato si' (Reulein oratorio) Quatre petites prières de saint François d'Assise
Stage	Nobilissima Visione (1938 ballet) Saint François d'Assise (1983 Messiaen opera) Samstag aus Licht (1983 Stockhausen opera)
Films	Frate Sole (1918) The Flowers of St. Francis (1950) Francis of Assisi (1961) Francesco di Assisi (1966) Brother Sun, Sister Moon (1972) Francesco (1989) St. Francis (2002) Clare and Francis (2007)
Related	List of places named after Saint Francis Madonna of Foligno Wolf of Gubbio Discalced Prayer of Saint Francis Society of Saint Francis Pope Francis "The Sermon of St. Francis" (poem) Pranchiyettan & the Saint
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