Drigos "Awakening of Flora" question

[MinkusPugni]

I have already brought this topic up in the Le Corsaire music topic but, I want to bring it up here aswell. I have a recording of Don Quixote (Decca) and in it is Medora's Variation from Le Corsaire (Jardin Anime). I have never seen a production with this music in it but apparently it is a "Classical Variation" in the last act. Has anyone seen a production with this in it?

[Mel Johnson]

Nureyev didn't introduce the Corsaire pas de deux to the west, but he and Fonteyn sure popularized it! Nureyev chose to substitute the Queen Dryad variation (minus one measure) from Don Q for Medora's actual rather speedy 2/4 variation there. It served Fonteyn better.

[Mel Johnson]

If it's in rondo form! Usually, it's ABA & Coda, unless C stands for coda.

[MinkusPugni]

Okay. I have seen one of Michael Fokine's two productions of Les Sylphides. I bought a recording of the ballet music arranged by Roy Douglas. The version of the music I have seen (as far as I can tell) is:

1. Prelude op. 28, No. 7

2. Nocturne op. 32, No. 2

3. Waltz Op. 70, No. 1 (First Girls' Variation)

4. Mazurka Op. 33, No. 2 (Second Girls' Variation)

5. Mazurka Op. 33, no. 3 (Danseur's Variation)

6. Prelude Op. 28, No. 7

7. Waltz Op. 64, No. 2

8. Waltz Op. 18, No. 1

But the Danseur's variation was different. I'm not sure which piece it is. I have looked through all my Chopin and can't find it. I believe the Roy Douglas one is Fokine's first production as the one I have seen by the ABT was orchestrated by someone else. Can anybody enlighten me on what piece the Danseur's variation is in the original one?

[MinkusPugni]

In my score of Swan Lake and also on my recording, The White Swan Pas de Deux (during the Danse des Cygnes) leads straight on to the next piece without any "finish". In some recordings that have multiple things on them (just random choices) for all different sorts of ballets, it has a finish but it is different from ones I have seen performed. The music that the swans all temps leve to during the pas de deux is repeated before a tremelo of the strings and then a second last dramatic note before an anti climax of a pizzicato strings. Where can I get a recording like this? Also, it doesn't credit any arranger so it must be appendixed like so many other things in that score are.

[MinkusPugni]

Is it possible to upload music onto the server so other people can download it? I have some compositions I'd like to share with everyone. I am composing them for some sort of ballet which I haven't decided yet and I'd love to get everyone's opinion.

[MinkusPugni]

If it's in rondo form!    Usually, it's ABA & Coda, unless C stands for coda.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well, it could stand for coda but C is just another section. Rondo form has to have many more "A"s than that. A coda is another section... I guess it could be A1 coz it is kinda a variation on A. Oh well, lol.

[MinkusPugni]

I meant her variation from the Jardin Anime. After Gulnare's variation. And yeah I know all that about the pas de deux but this isn't a variation of the pas de deux. Why ARE there two different Kitri variations for the grand pas de deux? Anyways, it's a strange pas seul in the middle of the last act that doesn't quite fit in, lol.

[Alexandra]

Welcome MinkusPugni

I'm afraid that what you're proposing isn't possible. We don't have the capability (nor the bandwidth) to do something like that.

[MinkusPugni]

It is from Paquita. Just buy a CD of it. For some reason, that ABT version on had 5 variations or something when there's like 12. But anyway. The most beautiful piece of music from Paquita isn't actually by Minkus - it's that piece by Cherepnin. I think its the fifth variation in a full production.

[MinkusPugni]

Its a great disc. The Paquita music is brilliant though different orchestrations make that music sound better. Not many productions are danced to that original orchestration. The best piece on that disc is track 25. I was very dissapointed to find the ABT left some of those solos out. But that is such a beautiful variation.

[MinkusPugni]

The fouette competition isn't to perpetuum mobile. Perpetuum mobile is to perpetuum mobile lol. Why do you think the fouette comp is to perpetuum mobile? I love Graduation Ball! It is the best ballet ever! I know that the first piece is an arrangement of "Acceleration Walzer" by Strauss but I'm not sure of any others. I have asked the Australian Ballet which pieces are contained in the score but they haven't gotten back to me yet. I will post the proper pieces soon!

[MinkusPugni]

That's quite strange because I thought the ballet goes as follows (this is how the Australian Ballet does it anyway):

1. Entrance

2. Entrance of Cadets

3. Waltz

4. Drummer Boy

5. La Sylphide pas de Deux (i love that music - but its not actually from La Sylphide)

6. Pigtails' solo

7. Romantic girl's solo

8. Fouette competition

9. Love letters

10. Perpetuum Mobile

11. Students leave for dinner

12. Mazurka

13. Galop Finale

I think I'm missing something in there. Anyway, that's how I thought it goes. I love that ballet so much! I performed it as a child. I was the drummer boy! I was also the boy in Perpetuum Mobile.

I love the part when Pigtails goes over to the cadets and she falls over into the splits and then they pick her up but she stays in the splits. Haha!

I also love Pigtails' solo and the Perpetuum Mobile. God I just love the whole thing!

[MinkusPugni]

I love the waltz from Eugene Onegin. The music is pretty good too. But the choreography is just brilliant!

[MinkusPugni]

There are no recordings of Le Corsaire due to copyright enfringement. It's too hard because some people aren't credited for their work and others have said "yeah I composed that" when they didn't. It's just too hard. I have a midi of the introduction to the Odalisque pas de trois if you would like me to send it to you.

[MinkusPugni]

There are only out of print videos of Conservatoire. I have one. Your best bet is to take the music from the video. I'm afraid there aren't any recordings of Le Conservatoire.

[MinkusPugni]

There is so much music that was composed by John Lanchberry for productions such as the Nureyev one. Heaps of the Minkus score is only half there or lost. Many different versions are around and it just depends which one you get. If you get a Lanchberry one then you'll probably find the dance you're talking about.

[MinkusPugni]

It is better if the music is slower because then you can speed it up to the tempo that you want on your computer. You can't slow it down however. Just copy them into a program such as "Nero Wave Editor" and you're set.

[MinkusPugni]

What about MIDI files? They are only a few KB... probably even less than pictures.

[Mel Johnson]

Actually, nobody's asked anybody recently if they've written a part of Corsaire because all the cited composers died before 1926. Hence, public domain internationally. The problem is finding an arranger/orchestrator.

[Mel Johnson]

That's the Drigo 1895 version.

[MinkusPugni]

Huh? It's Tchaikovsky. It's the same music but it ends differently.

[Mel Johnson]

Fascinating.

And when did YOU work for David Lichine?

[Mel Johnson]

The original 2/4 allegro coda to the pas d'action in Act II aka "White Swan pas de deux" was dropped by Drigo and replaced by the softer violin/woodwinds version.

[Mel Johnson]

It's also fairly illegal under the International Copyright Agreements (aka the Berne Conventions and the Geneva Conventions on Copyright)