Set to duke ellington s 1932 jazz standard of the same name, the ballet features a leading lady being wooed by a chorus of men before her partner finally appears. In 1960, at the urging of billy strayhorn, the duke ellington orchestra recorded the nutcracker suite columbia, a brilliant jazz interpretation of tchaikovskys music. He attended the pittsburgh ballet theater schools full time preprofessional program on full scholarship. This time of year, productions of the nutcracker descend on new york more reliably than snow. But duke and billy, inspired by their travels and by musical styles past and present, infuse the composition with vegas glitz, hollywood glamour, and even a little new york jazzatooty. Nutcracker suites harmonie ensemble new york, steven richman on allmusic 20 edward kennedy duke ellington devoted. Seeing as how it is christmas, i figured that another mass upload would be an appropriate gift to give out on youtube, and what better to start with, then duke ellington s rendition of the. 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.
Duke ellington and his orchestra ellington, strayhorn. David berger and the sultans of swing, duke ellington. Complete your duke ellington and his orchestra ellington, strayhorn, tchaikovsky collection. Perfect for valentines day and celebrating the legendary duke ellington, the new york state ballet will debut choreography by robert royce, feature a live jazz band conducted by dr. The new york state ballet and training academy has moved to a new location in june of 2019. Tickets to ellington s nutcracker sold out last year, so those who wish to attend should purchase their tickets early at friends. Duke ellington became famous for his big band sound, with many of his pieces becoming standards. His band and guest singers austin and washington breathe new life into the singular cultural fusion of tchaikovsky with the orchestral language of ellington. 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. 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. Ucs college conservatory of music presents a special seasonal treat at 4 p. Bolero gustavo dudamel conducts the wiener philharmoniker at lucerne festival. A new nutcracker is presented as a set of five connected movements selected from duke ellington s score, and features a riveting example of our latest technology. Duke ellington s swing version of nutcracker will be on the program when the new england jazz ensemble gives a performance at first congregational church of.
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. New york state ballet performances and dance training. Michelle dorrance makes a tap nutcracker to duke ellington s swinging riffs on tchaikovskys classic score. Six austin ways to see the nutcracker in austin this. In 2010, alastair macaulay, dance critic for the new york times who had previously taken kaufman to task for her criticism of the nutcracker began the nutcracker chronicles, a series of blog articles documenting his travels across the united states to see different productions of the ballet.
Friends university presents 2019 ellingtons nutcracker. Terry teachout, new york daily news highspirited harlem nutcracker drips with delicious excess. Duke s band members arent so sure that a classical ballet can become a coolcat jazz number. This christmas season, the joffrey ballet will premiere an entirely new scenario and. The tchaikovskys nutcracker suite rearranged by duke ellington and billy strayhorn duke ellington and his orchestra. In 1960 duke ellington and billy strayhorn reinvented peter ilyich tchaikovskys holiday ballet classic, the nutcracker suite, as a jazzy, brassy melting pot of musical styles past and present, according to the new york times. The piece can be performed by an orchestra or a jazz band and is suitable for a wide range of venues, concert formats, and private events. Duke ellington the volga vouty russian dance youtube. David berger, the music director, has added an hourandahalfs worth of new material to the halfhourlong suite originally scored in 1964 by ellington and strayhorn, and he deserves much of the credit for the success of the harlem nutcracker. Ccm jazz and musical theatre present duke ellingtons. The nutcracker suite duke ellington album wikipedia. Ellington s nutcracker will be set to a live jazz band playing the duke ellington orchestras composition.
In 1960 he turned to russian powerhouse peter ilych tchaikovsky to inspire his reimaging of the 1892 ballet warhorse the nutcracker. Ian boyan is in his second season with the new york state ballet. It juxtaposes two versions of tchaikovskys nutcracker suite on the same disc. Only two years later, in 1956, the company that became known as ballet austin was born. Jared chase, and feature the renowned singer jessica ann best. It also nods to the 1954 new york city ballet rendition by george balanchine, which helped boost the show into the ranks of annual holiday traditions in this country. The sugar plum fairy emerged as the sultry sugar rum cherry, while the dance of the reed. The friends university ballet department will once again present the jazz version of a holiday favorite, ellington s nutcracker.
For the ellington strayhorn nutcracker, richman has assembled some of the. Families and the youngatheart will enjoy the nutcracker presented in two waysfavorite excerpts from tchaikovskys ballet and duke ellington s version that swings. Duke ellington and his orchestra the nutcracker suite. For the love of duke is acclaimed director and choreographer susan stromans third work for new york city ballet. One of the most imaginative tap choreographers working today the new yorker, michelle dorrance and her tap dream team arrive just in time for the holidays with a threeweek run of a world premiere by michelle dorrance, hannah heller, and josette wigganfreund, set to duke ellington and billy strayhorns sublime interpretation of tchaikovskys nutcracker.
Duke ellington and his orchestra ellington, strayhorn, tchaikovsky the nutcracker suite. Just continuing my upload of the duke s rendition of the nutcracker suite. The music for the traditional nutcracker is performed by the harmonie ensemble new york, conducted by steven richman. Danced before an onstage orchestra, the lincoln center jazz orchestra, duke. While largely forgotten today, the popular album marked a watershed in one of american musics most consequent and productive partnerships, as ellington gave strayhorn. The marquee at the apollo advertises duke ellington s nutcracker suite december 11, 2014 in new york. Reviving the art of swinging the classics, steven richman and the harmonie ensemble new york present two different versions of the beloved nutcracker suite, sidebyside on the same album for the first time. Duke ellington the nutcracker suite rtv slovenia symphony. Act i of the nutcracker ends with snow falling and. Ballet austins nutcracker features many younger dancers. Young clara falls asleep at her familys christmas party and her beloved nutcracker doll come magically alive to battle the mouse king and take her to the land of sweets.