Anton ARENSKY Egyptian Nights (Complete ballet) Moscow Symphony Orchestra Dmitry Yablonsky Anton Stepanovich Arensky (1861–1906) Cleopatra is sheltering. Alarmed, Cleopatra orders him to This is followed by an Egyptian dance, with an ostinato be seized and soldiers set out in pursuit. Arsinoë gives accompaniment, its melody drawn from the book by Egyptian Nights, Op. 50 Cleopatra the arrow, to which is fixed a long papyrus on William Lane. The very diatonic Dance of the Ghazis , a The composer Anton Stepanovich Arensky belonged to a Arensky wrote his ballet Egyptian Nights in 1900 and which Amoun has written, ‘I love you’. Amoun is now dance for triumphant warriors, uses a melody taken from generation of Russian musicians who were able to profit the work was first staged at the Mariinsky Theatre in St brought before Cleopatra, who is struck by his beauty. To Jean-Benjamin-François de La Borde’s musicological from the systematic musical training offered by the Petersburg in March 1908, with choreography by Mikhail her reproaches he can only reply that he loves her and work, while a somewhat improbable waltz, a pas de deux , conservatoires that had been established by the Fokin. The obvious exoticism of the subject and the use of would give his life for one kiss. To a lyrical melody, she derives its theme from the research into Egyptian art and Rubinstein brothers in St Petersburg and Moscow in the apparently authentic melodies is somewhat concealed by gives him to understand that she will grant his wish but music by Guillaume André Villoteau, published early in the 1860s – institutions that had seemed foreign and suspect the harmonic language and instrumentation, except in that at the first light of day he must die, by poison. century when French interest in Egypt was at its height, as to Balakirev and his group of nationalist composers. certain dances where characteristic melodic intervals The following scene opens with a violin solo and a result of the conquests of Napoleon. Antony’s return, for Rimsky-Korsakov, one of Balakirev’s group, had himself appear. The work is based on Pushkin, as was Glière’s cadenza. Here Bérénice throws herself at the feet of which these dances should have provided a celebration, is acquired a considerable degree of professionalism, after 1905 ballet, Kleopatra . Cleopatra, begging her to pardon Amoun. Turning then to heralded by trumpets and again has recourse to other amateur beginnings, and it was he who taught Arensky One of the texts Arensky explored for authentic Amoun, she pleads with him to remember the love he had melodic material, this time derived from Emil Naumann’s when he entered the St Petersburg Conservatory in 1879. melodic material is William Lane’s An Account of the for her and to give up this dreadful fascination. Amoun influential Illustrierte Musikgeschichte . The Finale , with its After graduating in 1882, Arensky, like Tchaikovsky Manners and Customs of the Modern Egyptians , pays no attention to her and approaches Cleopatra, who reminiscences of the Ouverture , sees the departure of before him, accepted a position on the teaching staff of published in London in 1836. This provides the principal orders the poisoned cup to be brought. The High Priest, Antony and Cleopatra, sailing away in boats decked with the Moscow Conservatory, where he taught harmony theme of the Ouverture , with its lyrical relaxation of however, has substituted the poison for a potion of his garlands of roses. Now Amoun comes to himself again, and counterpoint. Rachmaninov, Scriabin and Glière tension at its heart and a return to the opening music, own. In the ballet the sounds of Antony’s return are heard sees the departure of Cleopatra and understands how were among his pupils. At the same time, he won a before the introduction to the first scene, set by the banks as Amoun falls back into the arms of the priests and is foolish he has been. He throws himself down at the feet of reputation for himself as a conductor and in 1895 was of the Nile. On the right there is a temple and there are carried into the temple. Bérénice, who forgives him, as the curtain falls. appointed director of the Imperial Chapel at the Winter palm trees, with an island in the background and in the A series of dances provides a divertissement. Jewish Palace, in succession to Balakirev, a position that distance pyramids and sphinxes. Bérénice, followed by girls dance to a melody known as Miriam’s Song of Joy . Keith Anderson involved moving back to St Petersburg. He remained her companions, comes out of the temple and goes to the director until 1901, by which time he was no longer on river to draw water. The key and mood of the music speaking terms with his assistant, Lyapunov, and changes as she meets her betrothed, Amoun, a moment Moscow Symphony Orchestra resigned in order to devote himself to composition, with for gentle flirtation to music that must recall, in its rhythm continued appearances as conductor and as a pianist. at least, an episode in Schumann’s Carnaval . Amoun is The Moscow Symphony Orchestra is one of Russia’s leading Recalling his pupil’s career, Rimsky-Korsakov mentions returning from the hunt and shows what he has killed. The orchestras. Since its inception in 1989, it has been an active Arensky’s dissipation, his drinking and his gambling, High Priest of the temple congratulates him and is happy participant in the musical life of its home city. The orchestra which moderated after his appointment to the Imperial at his coming marriage with Bérénice. At this moment a performs an annual series of concerts in the Grand Hall of the Chapel but resumed in 1901, when he had a pension of messenger arrives, giving news of Cleopatra’s approach. Moscow Conservatory with soloists such as Yuri Bashmet, Victor 6,000 roubles – twice that accorded to Balakirev for ten Cleopatra makes her entrance, to the agitation of Tretiakov, Vadim Repin, Alexander Knyazev and Alexander Rudin, years’ work – and could happily burn the candle at both Amoun who falls in love with her, tries to suppress his directed by eminent conductors. Former music directors have ends. This lifestyle, however, undermined his health and feelings, but fails. He tries to enter the temple but is included Antonio De Almeida and Vladimir Ziva, and Arthur Arnold he finally died of consumption in Finland. Rimsky- prevented, while Cleopatra goes in, leaving the young has been music director and conductor since 2012. A regular guest Korsakov goes on to compare Arensky to Anton man in despair. Cleopatra comes out of the temple and at international festivals, the Moscow Symphony Orchestra has Rubinstein in terms of his talent and taste: inferior in reclines on a bed prepared for her in the shade of a palm successfully toured the world, including the United States, South composition but superior in instrumentation. He adds tree. Arsinoë tries to distract her with his dancing, but he America, China, Japan, South Korea and most European countries. that Arensky later fell under the influence of fails. His effort is followed by a more exotic dance from The Orchestra is recognised for its outstanding discography, with Tchaikovsky, whom he had known in Moscow, and that Bérénice, as she tries to entertain the queen. At this its recording of film music by Bernard Herrmann (Marco Polo 8.225168) named among the top ten recordings of 2001 in he would soon be forgotten. The latter judgement proved moment Amoun appears on the temple steps, takes his The Economist . International awards for its recordings include CD of the Month awarded by CD Review , the prestigious only partly justified. bow and shoots an arrow straight at the tree under which Diapason d’Or and the Chairman’s Choice at the Cannes Classical Awards. www.moscowsymphony.ru/en Dmitry Yablonsky Dmitry Yablonsky, a GRAMMY-nominated cellist and conductor, was born in Moscow into a musical family. He began playing the cello when he was five years old and was accepted into the Central Music School for Gifted Children. At the age of nine he made his orchestral debut playing Haydn’s Cello Concerto . Since then his career has taken him to some of the most celebrated stages in the world, such as Carnegie Hall, La Scala, Moscow Conservatory’s Great Hall, St Petersburg Philharmonic Hall, Taiwan National Hall, Théâtre Mogador, Cité de la Musique and the Louvre, among others. As a conductor he has collaborated with many major orchestras, including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Novaya Rossiya, Kyiv Virtuosi, Israel Symphony Orchestra, Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, Belgian National Orchestra, Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, North Netherlands Orchestra, Limburgs Symfonie Orkest, Russian State Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre National d’Île de France, National Symphony Orchestra, Taiwan, Catania Opera Orchestra, Holland Symfonia and the Orquesta Filarmónica de la UNAM (OFUNAM), Mexico. In 2010 Yablonsky received the Diploma of Honorary Academician at the Independent Academy of Liberal Arts at the Russian Academy of Sciences. o g i He has transcribed and edited works for cello, which V a l l have been published by the International Music e i z Company and Dover Publications. In 2008 Naxos a r G released his recording of all 40 of Popper’s Études for : o t solo cello (8.557718–19), to critical acclaim. He o h teaches at the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music at P Tel Aviv University, Israel and was appointed Head of International Relations in 2017. He is an enthusiastic and charismatic character that leads him to initiate many projects and organise many festivals.