Cala Records - CACD0529

CALA RECORDS
CACD0529

Stokowski conducts
Tchaikovsky: Aurora's Wedding and Encores

National Philharmonic Orchestra

Swan Lake had such a mixed reception in 1877 that Tchaikovsky was wary of any further excursions into the field of ballet. However, his interest was reawakened when the Director of the Imperial Theatres later proposed The Sleeping Beauty as another full- length dance project. It was to be based on the children's story in which a Princess, cursed by a wicked fairy, falls into a century-long deep sleep, only to be awakened by the kiss of a Prince whom she then marries. Tchaikovsky took to the idea with great enthusiasm and in 1890 the ballet was given its world premiere in St. Petersburg.

The Sleeping Beauty received its first performances outside Russia in a London season staged by Serge Diaghilev during 1921. Despite its artistic success it was a financial failure. Consequently, Diaghilev withdrew the complete ballet and the following year decided to salvage what he could by devising a one-act balletic fantasy from the original production. This he entitled Aurora's Wedding since it consisted mainly of divertissements from Act Three celebrating the marriage of Princess Aurora to Prince Desire.

TCHAIKOVSKY Aurora's Wedding 42:59
Edited by Serge Diaghilev from The Sleeping Beauty
[1] Introduction (Prologue) 3:11
[2] Polacca (Act 3) 4:41
[3] Pas de Six (Prologue) 8:58
[4] Scene; Danse des Duchesses; Danse des Marquises (Act 2) 2:11
[5] Farandole; Danse-Tempo di Mazurka (Act 2) 2:18
[6] Pas de Quatre (Act 3) 1:33
[7] Pas de Caractere-Chaperon Rouge et Ie Loup (Act 3) 1:08
[8] Pas de Quatre (Act 3) 4:52
[9] Coda-The Three Ivans (Act 3) 1:23
[10] Pas de Deux (Act 3) 3.56
[11] Finale-Tempo di Mazurka; Apotheose (Act 3) 7:42

STOKOWSKI ENCORES
Orchestral Transcriptions by Leopold Stokowski
[12] DEBUSSY Clair de lune 4:48
[13] DEBUSSY Night in Granada La Soiree dans Grenade 6:10
[14] ALBENIZ Festival in Seville Fete-Dieu a Seville 8:30
[15] NOVACEK Perpetuum Mobile 3:35
[16] SHOSTAKOVICH Prelude in E-flat minor 3:12
[17] RIMSKY-KORSAKOV The Flight of the Bumble-Bee 1:20
[18] TCHAIKOVSKY Humoresque 1:54
[19] CHOPIN Mazurka in B-flat minor 2:35
[20] CHOPIN Prelude in D minor 2:29
Total Time 78:29

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