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"Jewels" - music of "Emeralds"?


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I've tried to find out which music of Fauré Balanchine used for the first part of "Jewels" - but only found "Pelleas et Melisande" so far - which is quite HUGE, so I'd be very happy if someone helped me here with more details... (Contrary to many others, I like this music!)

Thanks!

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Sonja, on the NYCB web site, it is written that the music comes from "Pelleas et Melisande" and also from "Shylock". When I have some time, I'll try to find if there is more information about it on the POB programs for last year's performances.

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EMERALDS has been recorded in a 2 CD set by Nonesuch. (I think NYCB's gift bar still sells it; the release date is 1986/Elektra) Robert Irving is the conductor of these CDs.

The music listed on the disc is given as follows:

EMERALDS

Gabriel Faure

Incidental music to Pelleas et Melisande, Op. 80 and Shylock, Op. 57

total running time: 28:30

"Pelleas et Melisande"

1] Prelude: Quasi Adagio

2] Fileuse: Andantino quasi Allegretto

3]Sicilienne: Allegretto molto moderato

"Shylock"

4] Entr'Acte: Andante moderato; Allegretto

5] Epithalame: Adagio

6] Nocturne: Andante molto moderato

7] Final: Allegretto

"Pelleas et Melisande"

8] Le more de Melisande: Molto Adagio

(haven't figured out how to add accents to text outside my program)

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This recording is certainly available in England, so you surely should find it in Germany. For rare items like this I go to Tower Records, whose web site is at www.towerrecords.co.uk

According to the information I've quickly checked, at

http://uk.towerrecords.com/product.asp?pfid=1067589

the 2CD set is "A Balanchine Album", and also includes Agon, Serenade, and The Four Temperaments as well as the Fauré excerpts; it is Nonesuch catalogue number ZA 79135. At the moment it is on sale at

£18-34 (but stock is low, they say); is that a reasonable price for a 2CD set in Germany? Tower Records will surely deal by post, but I don't know whether they will be planning to trade in Euros!!!

Good luck with it (perhaps you could contact NYCB to find out if they sell it at a cheaper price - it is their orchestra that is recorded).

[ 10-05-2001: Message edited by: Richard Jones ]

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I've tried to find out which music of Fauré Balanchine used for the first part of "Jewels"

Hi Sonja

The music for Emeralds is drawn from Fauré's suites of incidental music for two stage plays: Maeterlinck's Pelléas et Mélisande and for Shylock (a French adaptation of the Merchant of Venice).

Balanchine chose specific movements from each of the suites (for example he omits those movements that require a singer), and slightly reordered things, as follows:

P&M: 1 Prelude

P&M: 2 La Fileuse

P&M: 3 Sicilienne [also very as a standalone piece]

Shylock: 2 Entracte

Shylock: 4 Epithalame

Shylock: 5 Nocturne

Shylock: 6 Final

P&M: 5 Mort de Mélisande

I believe Amazon has a recording that presents the Jewels music. But it is also possible to buy a recording that includes both suites in their complete and original forms. For example, Plasson conducting the Toulous orchestra.

Hope this helps - it is indeed beautiful music.

Cheers, Yvonne

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