# I'm new; could you recommend me some Russian ballet pieces?



## Clouds Weep Snowflakes

I own DCs of:
The Nutcracker (Tchaikovsky) 
The Sleeping Beauty (Tchaikovsky) 
Swan Lake (Tchaikovsky) 
The Seasons (Glazunov)
Cinderella (Prokofiev)
Romeo And Juliette (Prokofiev)
What other compositions should I get in your opinion(s)?


----------



## Pyotr

Obviously there's Stravinsky's The Firebird and The Rite of Spring. Don't miss them.


----------



## Zhdanov

don't miss on Spartakus (Khachaturian) - best dance piece ever where music and choreography go in perfect synergy.


----------



## david johnson

Stravinsky: Petrushka Do not limit yourself to only ballets


----------



## jegreenwood

Clouds Weep Snowflakes said:


> I own DCs of:
> The Nutcracker (Tchaikovsky)
> The Sleeping Beauty (Tchaikovsky)
> Swan Lake (Tchaikovsky)
> The Seasons (Glazunov)
> Cinderella (Prokofiev)
> Romeo And Juliette (Prokofiev)
> What other compositions should I get in your opinion(s)?


By DCs do you mean CDs or DVDs?


----------



## Clouds Weep Snowflakes

jegreenwood said:


> By DCs do you mean CDs or DVDs?


CDs, what a lame typo XD...how do I edit it?


----------



## Clouds Weep Snowflakes

Zhdanov said:


> don't miss on Spartakus (Khachaturian) - best dance piece ever where music and choreography go in perfect synergy.


Could you supply and example? And any example of Stravinsky?
And thank you everyone!


----------



## Zhdanov

Clouds Weep Snowflakes said:


> Could you supply and example?


the ballet 1970s movie first -






















as for new videos they might release one day -


----------



## Zhdanov

Clouds Weep Snowflakes said:


> And any example of Stravinsky?


the 'Return Of The Firebird' DVD with Petrushka & Firebird on it -


----------



## jegreenwood

Clouds Weep Snowflakes said:


> CDs, what a lame typo XD...how do I edit it?


There's an Edit Post option available (for a limited time) for your entries.

I actually asked as I wondered how you felt about watching ballet? A good performance will add another dimension to the music. I often favor dances set to music not originally written for ballet. Among others, George Balanchine, co-founder of New York City Ballet often set his dances to music of Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky (Balanchine's friend) and many other composers. In most cases, these ballets did not tell a specific story; they just offered an opportunity to - as Balanchine put it - "see the music."


----------



## Clouds Weep Snowflakes

jegreenwood said:


> There's an Edit Post option available (for a limited time) for your entries.
> 
> I actually asked as I wondered how you felt about watching ballet? A good performance will add another dimension to the music. I often favor dances set to music not originally written for ballet. Among others, George Balanchine, co-founder of New York City Ballet often set his dances to music of Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky (Balanchine's friend) and many other composers. In most cases, these ballets did not tell a specific story; they just offered an opportunity to - as Balanchine put it - "see the music."


Watching the ballet is awesome! I would love to visit the Bolshoi theater one day!


----------



## jegreenwood

Clouds Weep Snowflakes said:


> Watching the ballet is awesome! I would love to visit the Bolshoi theater one day!


See if you can find a video (BluRay if possible) of "Swan Lake" or "Romeo and Juliet." Of course many full ballets as well as excerpts are available on YouTube. But filmed ballet benefits from sharp resolution.


----------



## Marsilius

jegreenwood said:


> But filmed ballet benefits from sharp resolution.


Unfortunately that's not always the case - and ballet is an art form that's particularly prone to technical deficiencies in film technology. Many critics have noted the dreaded "Blu-ray judder" in some filmed ballet performances. That phenomenon occurs when a moving camera tracks a dancer who's simultaneously moving both quickly and laterally left-to-right (or vice versa) across a stage which has stationary figures in the background (usually in classical ballet they are the assembled watching courtiers or the like). The technology seems unable to cope with three variables, two of which (camera and dancer) are moving and one of which (background figures) is static. The result is that the stationary background figures appear to judder all over the place in an unpleasantly eye-boggling way.

To overcome the juddering effect, canny ballet directors will pull back for a long shot at that point and keep the camera stationary, thereby resolving the issue. But other directors, preferring a more dramatic close-up of the fast-moving dancer, will opt to follow him or her with a tracking shot and that's where the problem arises.

Blu-ray discs are not cheap so, before you buy, try to read a full review that includes a technical assessment as well as an artistic one.


----------



## Dima

Clouds Weep Snowflakes said:


> I own DCs of:
> The Nutcracker (Tchaikovsky)
> The Sleeping Beauty (Tchaikovsky)
> Swan Lake (Tchaikovsky)
> The Seasons (Glazunov)
> Cinderella (Prokofiev)
> Romeo And Juliette (Prokofiev)
> What other compositions should I get in your opinion(s)?


Aram Khachaturian: ballet Gayaneh


----------



## Clouds Weep Snowflakes

Thank you everyone! Anything else?


----------



## Josquin13

When I think of Russian ballets, I immediately think of Sergei Diaghilev & the Ballets Russes, who took up residence in Paris & Monte Carlo during the first decades of the 20th century. A favorite ballet of mine that was composed for Diaghilev's company is Nikolai Tcherepnin's Narcisse et Echo, Op. 40, which may have influenced Ravel's Daphnis et Chloe, as there are striking similarities between the two ballets, such as the inventive use of a chorus.






In addition to Stravinsky's The Firebird, Rite of Spring, and Petrushka ballets, you might also look into Orpheus and The Fairy's Kiss:























Another worthwhile Russian ballet is Serge Prokofiev's late work, The Tale of the Stone Flower, Op. 118--once you've already heard his Romeo and Juliet and Cinderella ballets.














In addition, Reinhold Gliére's The Red Poppy might be of interest: 




Finally, even though it was composed as a symphonic suite, Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade was later danced to as a ballet by the Ballets Russes. Here are links to 3 excellent recordings:


----------



## Dima

Russian composers made two ballets from piano music of other famous composers. For that purpose they orchestrated piano music (and sometimes it sounds better than original in my view). The first one is Carnaval (with the orchestrated music of Schumann). 





Here it is on disk: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00VL8TC2W/ref=dm_ws_sp_ps_dp
Every part of Carnaval is orchestrated by different composer (here is the list): 
https://daniels-orchestral.com/robert-schumann/carnaval-opus-9-orchestrated/

The second one Chopiniana with the music of Chopin. It is very popular:


----------



## jegreenwood

Josquin13 said

----------

In addition to Stravinsky's The Firebird, Rite of Spring, and Petrushka ballets, you might also look into Orpheus and The Fairy's Kiss:

----------

"Orpheus" was commissioned by Balanchine in 1948 for NYCB. I have never seen it; it is not programmed as often as the two other original Balanchine/Stravinsky creations: "Apollo" (originally from when he was with Diaghilev, but the choreography was revised for NYCB) and "Agon." The latter is 12 tone Stravinsky from 1957, but the dance is spectacular.






In the original performances the pas de deux was between a black man and a white woman , something quite striking back then.

NYCB also has "Divertimento from 'Le Baiser De La Fée'" in its repertoire.


----------



## 89Koechel

Well, for what it's worth … I'd recommend Stravinsky's "Petrushka". I have a DVD dub (1970's performance) with the remarkable Rudolf Nureyev, plus Noella Pontois (as the Doll), and Charles Jude, as the Moor. Geez, in some, certain ways … Mr. Jude/Moor might be even BETTER than Nureyev, in this particular adaptation of Stravinsky's wonderful score! IN any case, it might be one of the best video depictions of ballet, that we might have. …. In other words, CWP, hope you'll find the best, of what you desire, in ballets. … Well, finally, did anyone mention Leo Delibes?


----------



## 89Koechel

Ooops, you mentioned Russian ballet pieces … and Leo Delibes was certainly not Russian. Anyway, he might be another composer of ballets, to discover.


----------



## Zhdanov

89Koechel said:


> Leo Delibes was certainly not Russian.


but his Coppelia is a staple with Russian ballet.


----------



## Orfeo

Glazunov: Raymonda
Glazunov: Lady Soubrette
Tcherepnin: Narcisse et Echo (already mentioned, but worth repeating)
Shostakovich: The Golden Age
Shostakovich: The Bolt
Shchedrin: Anna Karenina
Eshpay: Angara
Khrennikov: Napoleon Bonaparte
Weinberg: The Golden Key
Khachaturian, Karen (Soviet-Armenian): Cipollino
Amirov (Soviet-Azerbaijan): Arabian Nights
Karayev (Soviet-Azerbaijan): The Path of Thunder
Arif Melikov (Soviet-Azerbaijan): A Legend of Love
Kazhlayev (Soviet-Azerbaijan): Gorianka (Maiden of the Mountains)
Skulte (Soviet-Latvian): Sarka, Brooch of Freedom (avail. in YouTube)
Tubin (Soviet-Estonian): Kratt


----------



## jegreenwood

Prodigal Son - Prokofiev






There is also an older video in four parts of the entire ballet with Baryshnikov and Karin von Aroldingen.


----------



## 89Koechel

-> to Zhdanov - Very good point, and fine ('bout Delibes)!! … BTW, as to the photo, in your avatar - who IS that?


----------



## KenOC

89Koechel said:


> -> to Zhdanov - Very good point, and fine ('bout Delibes)!! … BTW, as to the photo, in your avatar - who IS that?


Some guy...ask Shostakovich, he might know.


----------



## KenOC

Best buddies?


----------



## CnC Bartok

Shostakovich wrote The Age of Gold, about a touring football team (!) The suite he extracted from it is worth hearing, I wouldn't recommend the whole ballet unless you get intrigued by the suite's offerings.

The big three Stravinsky ballets have already been pointed out. They are essential. However, do not overlook the fact that Stravinsky continued to compose music after he turned 35 (!), and works duch as Orpheus, Les Noces, and especially Apollo, are equally fine.


----------



## jegreenwood

I picked up Igor Stravinsky conducts Stravinsky - The Complete Ballets in 2012 (according to Amazon ). The box set is now now out of print, but PrestoClassical has it as a download (mp3 or CD quality FLAC). Or you can stream it from Tidal, the service I use. I assume other streaming services have it as well.


----------



## Zhdanov

CnC Bartok said:


> I wouldn't recommend the whole ballet


i would and strongly recommend The Golden Age -



















https://belairclassiques.com/film/shostakovich-golden-age-bolshoi-ballet-dvd-blu-ray?lang=en


----------



## CnC Bartok

To be fair, Zhdanov, you are being highly selective in quoting me. I did use the word "unless" quite soon afterwards.....


----------



## Dima

I have just seen ballet of Balanchine "Jewels" in 3 parts. Every part is by different composer.

The most remarkable dance is in second part "Rubies" on music of Stravinsky (Capriccio for piano and orchestra):






And the most remarkable music in this ballet is in 3 part "Diamonds" (it is used Symphony N3 of Tchaikovsky without first movement):


----------



## Clouds Weep Snowflakes

Thank you everyone! I'm keeping a link for this thread!


----------



## jegreenwood

Dima said:


> I have just seen ballet of Balanchine "Jewels" in 3 parts. Every part is by different composer.
> 
> The most remarkable dance is in second part "Rubies" on music of Stravinsky (Capriccio for piano and orchestra):
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> And the most remarkable music in this ballet is in 3 part "Diamonds" (it is used Symphony N3 of Tchaikovsky without first movement):


I have the Paris Ballet's DVD. Also parts of Jewels are included in one of the two DVDs that make up Choreography by Balanchine, a TV special from the 1970s. What you lose in video quality, you gain by knowing this performance was supervised by Balanchine, himself. I'm not sure, but I believe it included some of the dancers who originated the roles in 1967. Here's Emeralds.






I've seen the current generation of NYCB dancers perform it twice. On another occasion (a Balanchine/Stravinsky evening), I saw just Rubies.

One performance I did not get to see had The Paris Ballet dancing Emeralds, City Ballet dancing Rubies and the Mariinsky dancing Diamonds.


----------

