31 August 2009

Disc 4 - Ballets Vol 4

The disc opens with the calm first scene of Apollo (or Apollon Musagète. This work was written in 1928 for the Ballets Russes of Balanchine. Here it's played by the Columbia SO, recorded in June 1964. Wikipedia entry is detailed and helpful.

The tracks are as follows:
First tableau
1. Prologue: The birth of Apollo (Largo - allegro - tempo I) (4:36)

Second scene
2. Variation d'Apollon (Appolon et les Muses) 2:55
3. Pas d'action (Apollon et les trois Muses: Calliope, Polymnie et Terpsichore) (moderato) 4:37
4. Variation de Calliope (l'Alexandrin) (allegretto) 1:29
5. Variation de Polyhymnia (allego) 1:16
6. Variation de Terpsichore (allegretto) 1:30
7. Variation d'Apollon (lento) 2:07
8. Pas de deux (Appolon et Terpsichore) (adagio) 3:47
9. Coda (Apollon et les Muses) (vivo - tempo sostenuto - agitato) 3:16
10. Apothéose (largo et tranquillo) 3:09

(I've taken the movement names - with their mix of English and French) from the cd sleeve.

The second ballet is Agon, according to the wikipedia Stravinsky article, "an important transitional composition between Stravinsky's neo-classical period and his serial style". There's a short article on the ballet itself. It was written in 1957 and this recording was made in June that year by the Los Angeles Festival Symphony Orchestra, under Stravinsky.

Tracks as follows:

11. Pas de quatre 1:48
12. Double pas de quatre 1:38
13. Triple pas de quatre 1:10
14. Prelude 0:50

First pas de trois
15. Saraband step 1:19
16. Gaillarde 1:18
17. Coda 1:27
18. Interlude 0:49

Second pas de trois
19. Bransle simple 0:57
20. Bransle gay 0:53
21. Bransle double 1:31
22. Interlude 0:51
23. Pas de deux 4:13
24. Coda 1:41
25. Four duos 0:33
26. Four trios 2:28

The final work is Card game, which sounds better in French: Jeu de cartes. A "ballet in three deals", it was written in 1936 - 37, and this recording is from March 1964 with the Cleveland Orchestra.

The tracks are:

27. First deal (Alla breve - Moderato assai - Tranquillo) 5:16
28. Second deal (Alla breve - Marcia - Variazioni 1 - 5 - Coda - Marcia) 9:44
29. Third deal (Alla breve - Valse - Presto - Tempo del principio) 7:33

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