The nutcracker suite duke ellington album wikipedia. The sugar plum fairy emerged as the sultry sugar rum cherry, while the dance of the reed. Nutcracker suites harmonie ensemble new york, steven richman on allmusic 20 edward kennedy duke ellington devoted. Terry teachout, new york daily news highspirited harlem nutcracker drips with delicious excess.
The process of adaptation that ellington and strayhorn began continues today in new productions, like the oregon ballet theaters revision of george balanchines nutcracker to exclude problematic elements like the yellowface of the chinese dance. Duke ellington and his orchestra ellington, strayhorn, tchaikovsky the nutcracker suite. Tickets to ellington s nutcracker sold out last year, so those who wish to attend should purchase their tickets early at friends. One of the most imaginative tap choreographers working today the new yorker, michelle dorrance and her tap dream team arrive just in time for the holidays with a threeweek run of a world premiere by michelle dorrance, hannah heller, and josette wigganfreund, set to duke ellington and billy strayhorns sublime interpretation of tchaikovskys nutcracker. Ballet austins nutcracker features many younger dancers. Featuring jazz interpretations of tchaikovskys the nutcracker, the album has come to be recognized as one of duke ellington s most important albums of the 1960s. For the ellington strayhorn nutcracker, richman has assembled some of the. Reviving the art of swinging the classics, steven richman and the harmonie ensemble new york present two different versions of the beloved nutcracker suite, sidebyside on the same album for the first time. A new nutcracker is presented as a set of five connected movements selected from duke ellington s score, and features a riveting example of our latest technology. Perfect for valentines day and celebrating the legendary duke ellington, the new york state ballet will debut choreography by robert royce, feature a live jazz band conducted by dr.
Duke ellington s swing version of nutcracker will be on the program when the new england jazz ensemble gives a performance at first congregational church of. Bolero gustavo dudamel conducts the wiener philharmoniker at lucerne festival. In 1960 duke ellington and billy strayhorn reinvented peter ilyich tchaikovskys holiday ballet classic, the nutcracker suite, as a jazzy, brassy melting pot of musical styles past and present, according to the new york times. While largely forgotten today, the popular album marked a watershed in one of american musics most consequent and productive partnerships, as ellington gave strayhorn.
He joined the delaware dance alliance at age 14 and has performed roles in twilight ballet, pirates of the caribbean and duke ellington nutcracker suite. Ellington s nutcracker will be set to a live jazz band playing the duke ellington orchestras composition. Seeing as how it is christmas, i figured that another mass upload would be an appropriate gift to give out on youtube, and what better to start with, then duke ellington s rendition of the. Complete your duke ellington and his orchestra ellington, strayhorn, tchaikovsky collection. Danced before an onstage orchestra, the lincoln center jazz orchestra, duke. In 1960 he turned to russian powerhouse peter ilych tchaikovsky to inspire his reimaging of the 1892 ballet warhorse the nutcracker.
David berger, the music director, has added an hourandahalfs worth of new material to the halfhourlong suite originally scored in 1964 by ellington and strayhorn, and he deserves much of the credit for the success of the harlem nutcracker. But duke and billy, inspired by their travels and by musical styles past and present, infuse the composition with vegas glitz, hollywood glamour, and even a little new york jazzatooty. It also nods to the 1954 new york city ballet rendition by george balanchine, which helped boost the show into the ranks of annual holiday traditions in this country. Michelle dorrance makes a tap nutcracker to duke ellington s swinging riffs on tchaikovskys classic score. This time of year, productions of the nutcracker descend on new york more reliably than snow. Visit our spacious studios this summer, located in the country club plaza at. The new york state ballet and training academy has moved to a new location in june of 2019. The tchaikovskys nutcracker suite rearranged by duke ellington and billy strayhorn duke ellington and his orchestra. Set to duke ellington s 1932 jazz standard of the same name, the ballet features a leading lady being wooed by a chorus of men before her partner finally appears. This christmas season, the joffrey ballet will premiere an entirely new scenario and. The friends university ballet department will once again present the jazz version of a holiday favorite, ellington s nutcracker. In 2010, alastair macaulay, dance critic for the new york times who had previously taken kaufman to task for her criticism of the nutcracker began the nutcracker chronicles, a series of blog articles documenting his travels across the united states to see different productions of the ballet.
Duke ellington and his orchestra the nutcracker suite. In 1960, at the urging of billy strayhorn, the duke ellington orchestra recorded the nutcracker suite columbia, a brilliant jazz interpretation of tchaikovskys music. Duke ellington became famous for his big band sound, with many of his pieces becoming standards. Ucs college conservatory of music presents a special seasonal treat at 4 p. On this recording, steven richman and his harmonie ensemble new york swing in the holiday season with a twist, pairing tchaikovskys original 1892 nutcracker suite with a 1960 jazz adaptation by duke ellington and billy strayhorn. Duke ellington and billy strayhorns nutcracker suite arrangements offer an ideal vehicle for shelbys jazz orchestra. Jared chase, and feature the renowned singer jessica ann best. New york state ballet performances and dance training.
Young clara falls asleep at her familys christmas party and her beloved nutcracker doll come magically alive to battle the mouse king and take her to the land of sweets. Ian boyan is in his second season with the new york state ballet. Duke ellington and his orchestra ellington, strayhorn. Just continuing my upload of the duke s rendition of the nutcracker suite. Six austin ways to see the nutcracker in austin this. David berger and the sultans of swing, duke ellington. He attended the pittsburgh ballet theater schools full time preprofessional program on full scholarship. Yet when the duke and his writing partner billy strayhorn first announced plans to take the classical ballet and perform a jazz version, even members of duke s orchestra expressed.
Duke ellington the nutcracker suite rtv slovenia symphony. Families and the youngatheart will enjoy the nutcracker presented in two waysfavorite excerpts from tchaikovskys ballet and duke ellington s version that swings. The marquee at the apollo advertises duke ellington s nutcracker suite december 11, 2014 in new york. It juxtaposes two versions of tchaikovskys nutcracker suite on the same disc. For the love of duke is acclaimed director and choreographer susan stromans third work for new york city ballet. The piece can be performed by an orchestra or a jazz band and is suitable for a wide range of venues, concert formats, and private events. Duke s band members arent so sure that a classical ballet can become a coolcat jazz number. His band and guest singers austin and washington breathe new life into the singular cultural fusion of tchaikovsky with the orchestral language of ellington. Friends university presents 2019 ellingtons nutcracker. Set to the music of duke ellington, the ballet features blossom got kissed, which stroman created for nycb in 1999, as well as a new companion piece. Act i of the nutcracker ends with snow falling and. The music for the traditional nutcracker is performed by the harmonie ensemble new york, conducted by steven richman. Duke ellington the volga vouty russian dance youtube. Only two years later, in 1956, the company that became known as ballet austin was born.
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