TRACK INFORMATION ENGLISH DEUTSCH ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ABOUT MORE Mari Kodama & Momo Kodama Tchaikovsky Ballet Suites for Piano Duo Nutcracker Sleeping Beauty Swan Lake Arensky Rachmaninov Debussy TRACK INFORMATION ENGLISH DEUTSCH ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ABOUT MORE Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) Swan Lake (Le Lac des cygnes) Op. 20 Suite for Piano Duo transcribed by Eduard Leontyevich Langer (1835-1905) Sleeping Beauty (La Belle au bois dormant) Op. 66 15 Scène Suite for Piano Duo transcribed by Sergei Rachmaninov (1873-1943) 16 Danses des cygnes 3. 02 1 Introduction – La Fée des Lilas 17 Scène 1. 28 2 Adagio - Pas d’action 4. 51 5. 03 3 Pas de caractère – Le chat botté 4. 44 Suite for Piano Duo transcribed by Claude Debussy (1862-1918) 4 Panorama 1. 57 18 Danse russe 5 Valse 2. 20 19 Danse espagnole 4. 05 20 Danse napolitaine 4. 18 Nutcracker (Casse-noisette) Op. 71 2. 40 Suite for Piano Duo transcribed by Anton Arensky (1861-1906) 2. 05 ← ← 6 Ouverture 7 Marche 8 Danse de la Fée-Dragée 3. 04 Total playing time: 63. 28 9 Le Café 2. 22 10 Le Thé 1. 58 11 Danse russe Trepak 3. 22 12 Danse des mirlitons 1. 08 13 Valse des Fleurs (Flower Waltz) 1. 03 14 Pas de deux (Grand adagio) 2. 24 6. 02 5. 19 Mari Kodama & Momo Kodama, Piano Mari Kodama & Momo Kodama Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) Swan Lake (Le Lac des cygnes) Op. 20 “One evening after a beautiful dinner, a good friend of ours with a love for rare and Our challenge was to use just two pianos, twenty fingers on four hands, to bring Tchaikovsky’s Ballet Music their task. But while such reductions of As brilliant as these compositional once writing, “Artists live a double life, during the choreographic preparations the symphonies of Beethoven, which From the six numbers in Langer’s suite, intertwinings that betray clearly music.” The result of these efforts Rachmaninoff with the preparation appearances by such characters as Puss With the exception of the Miniature pedalling. Of course, a two-piano Mari Kodama In Japan, Kodama is a regular guest Suite for Piano Duo transcribed by Eduard Leontyevich Langer (1835-1905) obscure music, handed us Arensky’s arrangement of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker to the same sense of vast scale while maintaining a measure of freedom, and – works of the highest complex orchestral scores in piano form ‘retellings’ are, they of course ultimately comprised of an everyday one and an for the ballet’s first production, there abound in such melodies. [...] Generally which Mari Kodama finds, musically symphonic principles. was probably the first dance-drama of a piano-four-hands transcription in Boots and the White Cat. Panorama Overture and the march from Act I, transcription can never entirely recreate of major Japanese orchestras, most Sleeping Beauty (La Belle au bois dormant) Op. 66 15 Scène play as a piano duet. There and then, we sight-read it over a glass of wine all in the perhaps a different way of interpreting the pieces. When you are with a whole were primarily intended for daily use in draw their strength from the original artistic one. [...] Anyone who thinks was no répétiteur, but just a lone speaking, as well, I truly cannot speaking, “on an extremely high level,” (Kohlhase) and a work, which, in terms of the entire ballet. Tchaikovsky was depicts the Lilac Fairy and Prince Désiré, the remainder of the music comes the incredibly refined and specifically “Intelligently measured power and recently the Tokyo Metropolitan Suite for Piano Duo transcribed by Sergei Rachmaninov (1873-1943) 16 Danses des cygnes 3. 02 name of fun. The scores turned out to be such wonderful music that we decided orchestra, you usually have the setting of a huge hall with a big stage and a sense quality the rehearsal hall, true transcriptions works by Tchaikovsky, whose greatness that the creative artist is capable of violinist to supply the tunes!) The world understand why the term, ‘ballet music’ for this album, the Kodama sisters Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker, of its importance for Russian ballet, is however dissatisfied with the results as they cross the sea to the enchanted from Act II. The ballet is based on E.T.A. orchestral treatment of the original passionate conviction.” Orchestra and the Yomiuri Nippon 1 Introduction – La Fée des Lilas 17 Scène 1. 28 to play it in our concerts, and that was of great success! Following that, we looked of grandeur. However, when you are with just two pianos, the atmosphere is much for solo piano, piano four hands, or as a ballet composer is everywhere expressing, in his art, what he feels in premiere of Swan Lake, which took should evoke anything of a negative selected three of the best-known ones both commissioned by the St Petersburg comparable to that of Glinka’s Ruslan of Rachmaninoff’s efforts, and there castle, gliding over gentle waves, before Hoffmann’s story, The Nutcracker work, for example, where the (in late- — The Los Angeles Times Orchestra in Tokyo. A brilliantly well- 2 Adagio - Pas d’action 4. 51 5. 03 up on more arrangements made by other famous composers, such as Debussy and more intimate, bringing a different quality to the music. Bearing in mind that the An inextricable bond exists between the even two pianos, went a step further. apparent in the three great narrative moments of high emotional intensity is place in 1877 at the Bolshoi Theatre, nature!” A clear and convincing – two scenes and the Dance of the Ballet, were primarily the result of and Lyudmila for Russian opera. For followed several phases of corrections the waltz from Aurora’s great birthday and the Mouse King, whose fairy-tale 19th-century Russia entirely unknown) received performance of the complete 3 Pas de caractère – Le chat botté 4. 44 Suite for Piano Duo transcribed by Claude Debussy (1862-1918) Rachmaninov, of Tchaikovsky’s ballets, that a friend had told us about. composers who made these transcriptions – Arensky, Debussy and Rachmaninoff, all piano and ballet, this due to the fact These versions translated the imposing ballets, Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake and entirely mistaken.” did not result in immediate success. message, that, between the lines, Little Swans. The selection is appositely the congenial collaboration of three Sleeping Beauty, Tchaikovsky composes and modifications, carried out by celebration brings the suite to a magical narrative ignited Tchaikovsky’s musical bell-like celesta is heard in the variation Born in Osaka, Mari Kodama was Beethoven Sonata cycle in Los Angeles 4 Panorama 1. 57 18 Danse russe brought their own personality in the works, we also wanted to embrace them and that the ballet dancer’s strenuous daily proportions of music for the stage The Nutcracker. In them, the internally Its way to world fame was first paved invokes the criterion of high quality, supplemented with Debussy’s piano men: choreographer Marius Petipa, music which, in its often daring both Alexander Siloti and Tchaikovsky conclusion. imagination. of the Sugar Plum Fairy. Nevertheless, raised in Germany, Switzerland, France, launched Kodama’s United States of 5 Valse 2. 20 19 Danse espagnole We practically grew up with the Nutcracker. We were about three or four years old reflect that in our playing. routine of rehearsing in a mirror-lined into chamber and concert music, and torn, emotionally unstable Tchaikovsky With his three ballets, Tchaikovsky led by a new production at St Petersburg, which Tchaikovsky, with his Swan Lake, transcriptions of three numbers from St Petersburg ballet director Igor harmonies, syncopation-dominated himself. The composer wrote Jurgenson the instrument’s silvery tone seems and England. She studied piano with America reputation, and was followed by 4. 05 20 Danse napolitaine 4. 18 when our music teacher gave us a recording – our first recording of Nutcracker, hall is not normally accompanied by helped to extend the familiarity of the reveals an entirely different side of his the genre of ballet music out of the choreographed by the great Marius was the first to inject into the genre. Act III – all three falling in the category Vsevolozhsky and Tchaikovsky himself. rhythms and captivating melodies, in July 1892: “I have tormented myself The successful trio of Vsevolozhsky, The subtlety of Anton Arensky’s miraculously to come through in the Germaine Mounier and chamber music acclaimed recital appearances in New Nutcracker (Casse-noisette) Op. 71 2. 40 which we played at the time. Growing up, we always looked forward to going to the This is our very first recording together and as we don’t often get the opportunity to an orchestra, but by a piano. Seated ballet repertoire far beyond the centres personality from the one presented in “aesthetic dustbin of facile utilitarian Petipa almost twenty years later, in 1895 It was in 1882 that Tchaikovsky began of national dances. In October 1880, In 1888, Vsevolozhsky mentions to goes much further than its predecessor, with the corrections to the four-hands Petipa and Tchaikovsky joined forces transcription of the suite for two Kodamas’ account. In the Miniature with Geneviève Joy-Dutilleux at the York, Paris, London, as well as throughout Suite for Piano Duo transcribed by Anton Arensky (1861-1906) 2. 05 ballet every Christmas and up to this day, there’s still something special about the play together, it has been a lot of fun doing this as sisters. Individually, we consider at the piano is a répétiteur, who, with of musical culture. The creators of these his symphonic works. In all three ballets, music à la C. Pugni and L.