Rewinding a little, the charismatic violinist Nicola Benedetti had just dazzled the audience into a collective tremble with her solo interpretations of Bach and Paganini, so the house was in an excited state by the time she set about Tchaikovsky's famously "difficult" trio.
A prolific composer, Braxton has written hundreds of pieces (many of them with simply opus numbers as titles) for everything from solo performance to interpretation by full orchestras, and he has collaborated with experimental musicians worldwide – particularly in the UK and in Europe, where he has been a significant inspiration to the improv avant garde.
Even if the performances fail -- though these are more solo turns than dramatic interpretations -- the sizzle of great lovers heats the play.
In "I Wanna Be Ready," Jeffrey Gerodias was impressive for his quiet eloquence and a simplicity that recalled Dudley Williams's standard-setting interpretation of the solo.
There is, in particular, film in the New York Public Library of Danilova dancing the Act III pas de deux that shows a far more nuanced understanding of the old steps (especially the solo) than Ms. Osipova's interpretation.
Mr. Boal offered an interestingly voluptuous interpretation of the Melancholic solo.
Yanira Castro's choreography is tight, contained and orderly; in "Nancy" she offered four interpretations of the same solo, which was inspired by Nancy Ellis, a longtime collaborator.
Largely avoiding the tropes that characterize too many balletic interpretations of Spanish music, "Solo" uses the music as a bass line to exalt the dancer's extraordinary lightness, which is accentuated by a diaphanous white costume.
Her world-weary interpretation, coupled with a superb solo by Mr. Hersch, made it one of the highlights of the set.
In Mr. Radcliffe's interpretation the big Act 2 solo, "I Believe in You," seemed to be over before it had begun.
