Tchaikovsky Suite from Swan Lake Glazunov Two Concert Waltzes Shostakovich The Golden Age Stravinsky Circus Polka Orchestre de la Suisse Romande Kazuki Yamada Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) And dancing on the concept of the “fan” – one is with tangos, foxtrots, polkas, and by a motor, and full of humorous and Swan Lake (Le lac des cygnes) (1875-1876) The Golden Age (Zolotoy vek) (1929-1930) considered “bolejet” (literally = ill) for other dances. And at the end – there ironic interruptions. Suite, Op. 20a Ballet Suite, Op. 22 stage: swans, one’s team: one shares the fever. And is great solidarity between the Soviet 1 Scène – Moderato 2. 55 11 Introduction – allegro non troppo 4. 04 as a fan of Zenit, Shostakovich had footballers and the western labourers. A telephone conversation between 2 Valse 7. 21 12 Adagio 8. 42 elephants – and his fair share of downright hard times: Of course. Before the première in choreographer Georges Balanchine 3 Danses des cygnes (Dances of the swans) – Allegro moderato 1. 36 13 Polka – Allegretto 2. 19 “Being a supporter is at times more October 1930, Shostakovich had already and his friend Igor Stravinsky (1882 – 4 Scène – Andante 7. 13 14 Dance – Allegro 2. 13 footballers frustrating than pleasurable.” He was decided to extract a four-movement 1971) from January 1942 demonstrates 5 Danse hongroise (Czardas) (Hungarian Dance) – 3. 04 often a guest at the stadium: even suite from the music. Fortunately so, as the rather dry sense of humour of Moderato assai – Allegro moderato Alexandre Doisy, Soprano sax Russian ballet when Leningrad was under siege from the première of The Golden Age came the composer. During this phone- 6 Danse éspagnole (Spanish Dance) – Allegro non troppo 2. 28 the German army, he attended lower- under attack from the state-controlled call, Balanchine asked Stravinsky to 7 Danse napolitaine (Neapolitan Dance) – Allegro moderato – 2. 13 music league matches whenever possible. In critics. As is so often the case, the collaborate with him on a ballet for Andantino quasi moderato – Presto Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971) 1929, Shostakovich composed his fi rst, audience was impressed, but the elephants. When Stravinsky asked how 8 Mazurka 4. 20 15 Circus Polka, composed for a young elephant (1942) 3. 50 In an ideal situation, football players three-act ballet to a scenic design reviewers were merciless, claiming that old the elephants were, Balanchine perform their “dance” on a grass pitch by fi lm director Alexander Ivanovsky. the music was “inappropriate” for ballet told him: “Very young.” Whereupon Bogdan Zvoristeanu, Violin – as once did the “white ballet” of Real Entitled The Golden Age, it portrays an purposes. The composer was indeed Stravinsky replied – according to François Guye, Cello Total playing time: 70. 54 Madrid, led by its soloists Puskás and away-game of a Soviet football team deeply aff ected; nevertheless, he Balanchine – rather drily: “All right. If Olivier Bombrun, Cornet Di Stéfano. But surely not on the ballet in an unnamed western city at the time quickly started work on his next ballet. the elephants are very young, then I’ll Notburga Puskas, Harp stage! Defi nitely not. However, not only of an industrial exhibition. During the The mere fact that the suite has since do it.” The reason for this really peculiar was Dmitri Shostakovich (1906 – 1975) away-game of the Soviet team, plenty been arranged for numerous ensembles commission was that the American passionate about music, he was also of bizarre events take place in the demonstrates that Shostakovich was circus Barnum & Bailey was looking for Alexander Glazunov (1865-1936) a great football fan. More specifi cally, ideologically “false” world, which allow well able to write popular music. And a new attraction for its world-famous 9 Concert Waltz No. 1 in D, Op. 47 (1893) 9. 13 Orchestre de la Suisse Romande a fan of his hometown club Zenit St. for the inclusion of numerous dance from a musical point of view, it is an elephant troupe. Stravinsky’s irreverent 10 Concert Waltz No. 2 in F, Op. 51 (1894) 8. 46 Conducted by Kazuki Yamada Petersburg. The Russian language interludes and parodies. For example, excellent portrayal of the ’twenties, agreement to write this “elephant has a more intense description for the ballet is repeatedly interspersed grotesque, pushing forward as if driven ballet” was probably also based on the English uncertain fi nancial situation in which Although posterity primarily recognizes dancers. Vibrantly written in a light introduced symphonic processing created several months after the symphony concerts, the annual UN Day or promotion of leading contemporary Kazuki Yamada, the composer found himself at the Alexander Glazunov (1865 – 1936) as and easily comprehensible manner by and development methods to the première of the ballet (on February 20, concert, as well as opera performances composers. Pieces by Claude Debussy, time; not until he became a naturalized an excellent symphonic composer and a creatively minded composer, whose genre. The music no longer simply 1877), and presents in addition to the at the Grand Théâtre of Geneva. Its Igor Stravinsky, Darius Milhaud, Arthur conductor US citizen later on, were his earlier orchestrator, he was also intimately style incorporated the traditional added the tonal mood to the plot; national dances the ever-enchanting reputation has been built up over Honegger, Frank Martin, Benjamin works to bring in any royalties for him involved with ballet. Among others, it while keeping an open mind for the rather, both the dramatic and the Dance of the Little Swans, which is the years thanks to its interpretation Britten, Heinz Holliger, Peter Eötvös, “The BBC SO have found a star in the in the United States. He completed was the great Peter Tchaikovsky who innovative. And whose orchestration emotional development of the action mainly dominated by the woodwind: of 20th-century French and Russian James MacMillan, Pascal Dusapin, making: let’s hope we hear more of the Circus Polka: for a Young Elephant aroused his passion for this world – skills were exceptional: just listen to the was now subjected to a precise and the opening scene begins with the repertoire. Michael Jarrell and Richard Dubugnon him.” on February 5, 1942 and after its the elder composer even considered coda of the fi rst waltz, where brass and diff erentiated characterization. In the oboe, with the wistful fate motif have been premiered in Geneva by the The Telegraph première on April 9, no less than 424 Glazunov to be his own possible percussion add a radiant brilliance to score, the “dances” and “scenes” are supported by the harp, followed by The orchestra’s Music and Artistic OSR. performances followed. The elephants successor. Glazunov wrote as follows: the waltz. carefully separated: further evidence the waltz, with its sweeping and yet Director from the 2016-2017 season Yamada appears with such orchestras were dressed in pink tutus, led by “Through my acquaintance and later of the development of ideas, which is richly contrasting melody, and the is Jonathan Nott. Its Principal Guest The orchestra has developed a as Orchestre de Paris, Philharmonia Balanchine’s wife, prima ballerina Vera friendship with him (Tchaikovsky), I Likewise, Peter Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) driven forward by the music in precisely triumphant closing stretta. Conductor is Japanese maestro Kazuki privileged partnership with PENTATONE. Orchestra, Dresden Philharmonic, Zorina. Despite the title Polka, the discovered the theatre, this tantalizing was equally comfortable composing these scenes. Motifs are developed in Yamada. Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, beat undergoes continuous changes illusory world. After attending both symphonic and (ballet) stage the symphonic sense, thereby carried The OSR’s international tours have St Petersburg Philharmonic, Helsinki here; the basic rhythmic structure is rehearsals for the Sleeping Beauty and music. The individuality and spiritual through in their entirety. The multitude Orchestre de la Under its founding conductor and taken it to the most prestigious Philharmonic, Czech Philharmonic, characterized by syncopations and later for the Nutcracker, I felt a burning nobility of the music have ensured of national characters represented by subsequent music directors (Paul venues in Europe (Berlin, London, City of Birmingham Symphony, Royal shifts; quotes from Ravel and Strauss desire to try my hand at a ballet.” He that the scores of his three major the “dances” – such as the polonaise, Suisse Romande Kletzki 1967- 1970, Wolfgang Sawallisch Vienna, Salzburg, Paris, Budapest Stockholm Philharmonic, Gothenburg can be heard; and at the end, the polka wrote the Concert Waltzes on this ballets – Swan Lake, The Nutcracker waltz, mazurka, czárdás, and tarantella 1970-1980, Horst Stein 1980-1985, and Amsterdam), Asia (Tokyo, Seoul, Symphony, Orchestre de Chambre de is grotesquely distorted into a tribute recording – Op. 47 and Op. 51 – in and Sleeping Beauty – feature among – demonstrates the cosmopolitan Founded in 1918 by Ernest Ansermet, Armin Jordan 1985-1997, Fabio Luisi Beijing), as well as in major cities on Lausanne, Orquesta Sinfonica y Coro de to Schubert’s famous Military March 1893 and 1894, i.e. before composing the milestones of ballet music. They precision of Tchaikovsky the composer. permanent conductor until 1967, the 1997-2002, Pinchas Steinberg 2002- the American continents (Boston, New RTVE and Tonkünstler-Orchester at the in D major. Pure satire dressed up as a his great ballets. However, these replaced the static, aesthetically rigid There is nothing to authenticate the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, 2005, Marek Janowski 2005-2012 and York, San Francisco, Washington, São Vienna Musikverein. Russian scherzo! concertante pieces could easily be music written to this end by lesser compilation of the Suite Op. 20a (as with its 112 permanent musicians, Neeme Järvi 2012-2015), the OSR has Paulo, Buenos Aires and Montevideo).