He reinterpreted tchaikovskys nutcracker suite as a jazz composer. Its a work that is reimagined by the composing genius. And this is the last of the nutcracker suite i do not intend to stick the other 2 suites up as of the moment, as the first is the best. The nutcracker suite is an album by american pianist, composer and bandleader duke ellington recorded for the columbia label in 1960 featuring jazz interpretations of the nutcracker by tchaikovsky, arranged by ellington and billy strayhorn. Ellington and billy strayhorn wrote the queens suite for queen elizabeth ii who was presented with a single pressing of the. One could go on for days citing the innovations duke ellington and billy strayhorn brought to all levels of jazz music, from their compositional. Green bay jazz orchestra and courtney sherman uwgreen bays newest holiday tradition returns. Duke ellington was a jazz composer, pianist and bandleader in the early part of the 20th century.
His music for jazz orchestra from the nutcracker takes the music of tchaikovsky to a new, modern dimension that will no doubt resonate with many the way the classical ballet music does not. 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. His band and guest singers austin and washington breathe new life into the singular cultural fusion of tchaikovsky with the orchestral language of ellington. Coarranged by billy strayhorn, this is a remarkable work by the ellington orchestra. The musical performance will take place december, 14, 2014 at the apollo. But he adds a solid pulse to the band which swings from start to finish and sounds fully at home with the challenging charts. The music for peer gynt is all at once subtle, dramatic and at times, haunting. Harmonia mundi presents both the traditional and the swinging duke ellington billy strayhorn versions of the nutcracker suite on the same cd for the very first time. Duke ellington, billy strayhorn and the adventures of peer.
B5 peter illyitch tchaikovsky from the nutcracker suite. The nutcracker suite the nutcracker suite nine movement suite arr. Featuring jazz interpretations of tchaikovskys the nutcracker, the album has come to be recognised as one of duke ellington s most important albums of the 1960s. Ensemblenew york, and a 1960 duke ellingtonbilly strayhorn jazz version. The legendary composing and arranging skills of duke ellington and billy strayhorn also make it nutcracker season for jazz aficionados. Enter your zip code below to purchase from an indie close to you. The nutcracker suite cajkovskiellingtonstrayhorn, priredba j. Ellington s reworking of griegs peer gynt suites including in the hall of the mountain king and his tribute to john steinbeck suite. Three suites highlights the genius that is duke ellington. March and dance of the sugar plum fairy b6 jacques offenbach overture. When duke ellington and billy strayhorn got their hands on the nutcracker suite, no one would have guessed how tchaikovskys sugar plum fairies could swing. Justin varnes the jazz corner hilton head island, sc december 15, 2017 every christmas is the nutcracker season for ballet aficionados.
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. Scopri pubblicazioni, recensioni, brani, consigli, e molto altro su duke ellington and his orchestra ellington, strayhorn, tchaikovsky the nutcracker suite in discogs. Silent fims, roxy music and a jazzedup nutcracker suite coming up. At christmas 1960, the composing duo managed something truly extraordinary. Duke ellington and his orchestra the nutcracker suite.
The album won a grammy award for best jazz performance by a big band in 1976. This is some of the greatest music of the suites written or in this case, arranged by ellington and strayhorn. Here are some of my favorite ideas for teaching the nutcracker from lesson processes to books, dvds, extra resources, and lots more. The nutcracker suite duke ellington album wikipedia. Its a 30minute suite, not a fulllength ballet score. However this cd is very disappointing because 1 it is taken from a vinyl source you can hear the surface noise 2 the ending of the last movement is chopped off, and 3 there is only 31 mins of music on the whole cd cds take 75 mins with ease. Nutcracker suite is a work that most of us know from the christmas holiday, a ballet that as a schoolchild one had to see. A sweet duke ellington suite, is a tribute to duke ellington, the harlem renaissance pianist and composer. This christmas season, the joffrey ballet will premiere an entirely new scenario and. Duke ellington and his orchestra nutcracker suitepeer. The ensemble is austins first african american group to. Duke ellington, coleman hawkins, oscar peterson benjamin francis webster march 27, 1909 september 20, 1973 was an american jazz tenor saxophonist.
Ellington and strayhorns nutcracker suite i came across this columbia record video concerning the release of duke ellington s nutcracker suite recording. Duke ellington and his orchestra ellington, strayhorn, tchaikovsky duke ellington and his orchestra ellington, strayhorn, tchaikovsky the nutcracker suite. In duke ellington and billy strayhorns reworking of tchaikovskys nutcracker suite from 1960, the jazz composers didnt lean on tchaikovsky for anything beyond the strength of a melody. Michelle dorrance, center, rehearsing dancers at gibney studios in. Heres a clever, wellexecuted album with a clever, wellexecuted plan. Duke ellington the nutcracker suite rtv slovenia symphony. This authentic edition of tchaikovskys nutcracker suite, as arranged in 1960 by billy strayhorn and duke ellington, was assembled from the original manuscripts held in the strayhorn repository and the ellington collection of the smithsonian institutions national museum of american history. Duke ellington, the nutcracker suite 1960 classical.
Suite thursday when you count it make them 4 suites though. At that age i had little knowledge of a world beyond my family and home. The christmas carols blog extolling the beauty of christmas carols and other sacred music. Michelle dorrance makes a tap nutcracker to duke ellington s swinging riffs on tchaikovskys classic score.
Duke ellington sugar rum cherry dance of the sugarplum fairy by masterxelpud. The tchaikovskys nutcracker suite rearranged by duke ellington and billy strayhorn. The hope college symphony orchestra and jazz arts collective will present a unique opportunity to hear two versions of a holiday favorite with sidebyside performance of the pyotr tchaikovsky and duke ellington nutcracker suites on thursday, nov. Swing for the holidays weidner center for the performing. Duke ellingtons nutcracker suite with cd audio hardcover. In 1960 duke ellington and his orchestra recorded an album for the columbia label titled swinging suites by edward e. This album paired two multimovement compositions created collaboratively by duke ellington and billy strayhorn. Complete your purchase to save the mp3 version to your music library. Duke ellington and his orchestra nutcracker suite peer. Ellington and strayhorn did not save all their gifts for royals. Duke ellington s nutcracker suite works on me like a time machine. Duke ellingtons nutcracker with duke ellington orchestra.
The nutcracker suite additional works to be announced jazz up your holidays with duke ellington s dazzling reimagining of tchaikovskys the nutcracker, performed by the duke ellington orchestrathe only ensemble directly carrying on the tradition from duke himself. The queens suite is as beautiful and fascinating as the story of its creation, which begins when an american duke met the queen of england. Visions of sugar rum cherries tap dance in her head the. From a silent film celebration to a bigband nutcracker suite, bainbridge.
The ellington suites is an album by american pianist, composer, and bandleader duke ellington which collects three suites recorded in 1959, 1971, and 1972 released on the pablo label in 1976. The ellington strayhorn arrangement, as recorded by the ellington band, poses a challenge to a dance company. Born in kansas city, missouri, he is considered one of the three most important swing tenors. This edition of tchaikovskys the nutcracker suite, arranged in 1960 by billy strayhorn and duke ellington, was assembled from the original manuscripts held in the strayhorn repository and the ellington collection of the smithsonian institutions national museum of american history. The nutcracker suite hd remastered by his orchestra, strayhorn. Tchaikovskys the nutcracker, performed by the duke ellington orchestrathe only ensemble. 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. Peer gynt suites nos 1 and 2 and ellington strayhorn. Listen to the duke ellington version of the russian dance entitled the volga vouty.
It juxtaposes two versions of tchaikovskys nutcracker suite on the same disc. While largely forgotten today, the popular album marked a watershed in one of american musics most consequent and productive partnerships, as ellington gave strayhorn. For purposes of accuracy, the manuscripts were crosschecked carefully with the original duke ellington. Id call it nostalgia, but i was only four years old when it was first recorded. Orpheus in the underworld b7 edvard grieg anitras dance b8 johann strauss the beautiful blue danube waltz c1 bedrich smetana dance of the comedians c2 georges bizet dance boheme. Lindberg alfred publishing belwin division this authentic edition of tchaikovskys nutcracker suite, as arranged in 1960 by billy strayhorn and duke ellington, was assembled from the original manuscripts held in the strayhorn repository and the. Tomorrows warriors 25th anniversary jam featuring duke. Complete your duke ellington and his orchestra ellington, strayhorn, tchaikovsky collection. It is one of my most favorite programs by duke ellington. Audio engineer adam abeshouse recorded the music at avatar studios, new york city and.
One of duke ellington s most delightful adaptations of another composers material is his reworking of tchaikovskys nutcracker suite into jazz. Duke ellington arabesque cookie arabian dance youtube. Its produced by the finest ballet companies as in the american ballet. America certainly can put duke ellington on the same pedestal. While performing at the leeds music festival in 1958, composer, pianist, and band leader duke ellington was invited to attend the mayors reception at leeds civic hall.
Ellington, along with your jazzy holiday favorites, is certain to make for a cheery night. Check out the nutcracker suite hd remastered by his orchestra. Another great resource is duke ellingtons nutcracker suite once upon a. The museum holds the original scorepart of our vast duke ellington collectionwith 100,000 pages of his unpublished music. Duke ellington s nutcracker suite once upon a masterpiece by anna harwell celenza and don tate sep 25, 2018.
The presidents own united states marine big band performs the nutcracker suite by piotr ilyich tchaikovsky, arranged by duke ellington and billy strayhorn, and edited by jeff lindberg. Duke ellington and billy strayhorns nutcracker suite arrangements offer an ideal vehicle for shelbys jazz orchestra. The marquee at the apollo advertises duke ellington s nutcracker suite december 11, 2014 in new york. Ensemblenew york, and a 1960 duke ellingtonbilly strayhorn jazz version performed by a fourteenpiece jazz ensemble.
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