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NYCB Appoints Andrew Litton as Its New Music Director:


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You can read all the details in the New York Times. Mr. Litton has a distinguished resumé, but as far as I'm concerned this is what makes him particularly well-suited to the job:

Mr. Litton, who will begin in September, spoke with real enthusiasm about working with the company that performs the “Nutcracker” that he saw every year as a child, and that influenced his musical tastes when, as a young man, he dated a dancer there.
“I was — what did people of my father’s generation call it, a stage-door Johnny?” he said, recalling when he saw three ballets there a week.
Although he had heard Ravel’s G major piano concerto before, he said he had never considered learning it until he saw Jerome Robbins use it in his ballet “In G Major.”
“I completely fell in love with it, and, in fact, would go every time that was on,” he said, adding that he went on to play the piece, record it, and tour the world with it.
[Emphasis mine.]
He also hopes to secure a recording contract for the Orchestra and to record some of the music NYCB commissioned, but never used for a ballet.
Congratulations, Maestro!
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This really made me smile.

Mr. Litton, who will begin in September, spoke with real enthusiasm about working with the company that performs the Nutcracker that he saw every year as a child, and that influenced his musical tastes when, as a young man, he dated a dancer there.

I was what did people of my fathers generation call it, a stage-door Johnny? he said, recalling when he saw three ballets there a week.

But this seems especially important

He also hopes to secure a recording contract for the Orchestra and to record some of the music NYCB commissioned, but never used for a ballet.

Aside from the chance to hear works that didn't, for one reason or another, get used by the company, I'm hoping for recordings of seminal works at proper tempos. I've got a couple of recordings of works played as they are in the theater, and they're such a revelation, compared to other standard orchestral versions.

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quoting:

"He also hopes to secure a recording contract for the Orchestra and to record some of the music NYCB commissioned, but never used for a ballet."

Aside from the chance to hear works that didn't, for one reason or another, get used by the company, I'm hoping for recordings of seminal works at proper tempos. I've got a couple of recordings of works played as they are in the theater, and they're such a revelation, compared to other standard orchestral versions.

As I'm sure you know but some others may not, Robert Irving, longtime NYCB conductor under Balanchine, recorded the scores for Serenade, Agon, The Four Temperaments and Emeralds with the NYCB orchestra. The recording is still available.

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It would be wonderful if Litton could arrange for recordings of the NYCB orchestra, but I would prefer that any recordings be in the form of DVDs of ballet performances. NYCB has the technology to film, but like ABT, is far behind most other major ballet companies in releasing DVDs.

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As I'm sure you know but some others may not, Robert Irving, longtime NYCB conductor under Balanchine, recorded the scores for Serenade, Agon, The Four Temperaments and Emeralds with the NYCB orchestra. The recording is still available.

And since it's on Spotify, we can all listen to it right now for free if we're in the mood (and don't mind the occasional ad ...)

Search under "Robert Irving" and it pops right up as the "Top Result"

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This is wonderful news. I follow City Ballet from afar after years of attending the ballet when I lived in New York. I once heard that Andrew Litton had been underestimated, and now it's great to learn he will be leading City Ballet's orchestra, with its sophisticated repertory. And if anything is truly needed, it is more recording of City Ballet repertoire. I have the Balanchine Album and it is a priceless record of the music as Robert Irving conducted it during Balanchine's time. It is absolutely essential that more repertoire be recorded by Andrew Litton, demonstrating the tempi and interpretations that City Ballet uses.

I've often wondered if each piece of music is always played at the same tempo and with the same musical emphases at each NYCB performance. Are there definite metronome markings on the conductor's score? What flexibility, if any, does an NYCB conductor have to "change" the music according to his taste, as an orchestral conductor can do?

If anyone has the answer to this question, please do comment.

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