Premiered at Covent Garden on April 8, 1946, this unusual ballet traces a vision, an allegory of a "timeless cycle" of human life (rather a pessimistic one to this writer, but nevertheless containing much of the ways of the world) which represents the birth of man, a success in his sphere of activity, loss of position to a younger generation, his vision of the "world crumbling before his eyes ... (he) only finds peace in death". The ballet opens after the fanfare upon a bare stage, gradually to be filled with scenery and characters - this section is aptly called "The Stage". The music built around strange gently pulsing chords above which a lovely melody sails - the feeling is that of both a romantic and strange, otherworldly space. "The Birth of Adam" follows - Adam Zero is the Principal Dancer. "Adam's Fates" arrive to clanging bells and an energetic, obsessive rhythm phrase - they clothe him in a costume of a spirited youth. This music directly seques into the "Dance of Spring" which expands the previous rhythm into wild variations in a triple meter, with mild suggestions of Spanish and Irish music. The "Awakening of Love" follows with the appearance of a young girl - tender melodies are blended with mild dissonances expressing doubt and longing. The "Bridal Ceremony" is pastoral in nature with a simple phrase reiterated and elaborated in increasingly richer harmonies and fullness of orchestral texture. "Adam Achieves Power" is like the birth-music in an energetic triple meter but with more earthbound and worldly basses, ironic modulations and harmonic complexities. At the "Re-entry of Adam's Fates", he is raised to the height of his powers, the acme of his career, expressed in massive brass fanfares and swooping strings. This music directly seques into the "Dance of Summer" which further elaborates on this deeply rich and matured texture. Nevertheless, this positive music ends on a minor chord (Adam's more youthful successor is waiting in the wings). We are thus prepared for the "Approach of Autumn", again featuring a simple repeated phrase, this time colored with a lonely oboe, tremolo strings like wind through the trees, some lovely counterpuntal melodies that express nostalgia, minor and whole-tone harmonies. Resisting the approach of old age, Adam goes out on the town in the wonderfully syncopated (Spanish rhythms, Boogie Woogie, etc.) "Night Club Scene" which gradually becomes more surreal and frightening. This seques directly into "The Destruction of Adam's World" in which the music reaches a terrifying climax, and then begins to taper off in resignation. The "Approach of Winter" opens with high, dissonant winds in a pulsing rhythm. The music is a kind of strange march, to which most of the scenery is gradually removed with the stage becoming bleaker. The "Dance with Death" opens with heavy drum beats. Death is a beautiful woman wearing a large red cloak, the music is grotesque and magnificently funeral, but with moments of tenderness. Death embraces Adam gently toward the end. The next section is "Finale: The stage is set again" with the company (The Stage Director as Omnipotence, The Choreographer as Adam's Creator and Destroyer, Adam's Fates - The Designer, Wardrobe Mistress and Dresser, The Ballerina as Adam's First Love, and The Understudies as Adam's Son and Daughter) waiting in the wings for the next Principal Dancer, Adam Zero. As a Coda, we again hear the Fanfare, indicating the cyclic nature of this scenario.

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