Donald byrd choreographs the harlem nutcracker for donald byrdthe. The harlem nutcracker belongs most of all to berger, who sustains the. While largely forgotten today, the popular album marked a watershed in one of american musics most consequent and productive partnerships, as ellington gave strayhorn. In the late 70s, berger, a former member of the ellington orchestra, first pitched a balletjazz nutcracker to alvin ailey, who rejected the idea. Classical swing is a unique musical juxtaposition of the nutcracker suite by piotr tchaikovsky and the peer gynt suite by edvard grieg, combined with the harlem nutcracker and peer gynt arranged. Shchelkunchik listen help info is an 1892 twoact ballet fairy ballet. 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.
One of the originators of bigband jazz, ellington led his band for more than half a century, composed thousands of scores, and created one of the most distinctive ensemble sounds in. The marquee at the apollo advertises duke ellingtons nutcracker suite december 11, 2014 in new york. Ellingtons nutcracker will be set to a live jazz band playing the duke ellington orchestras composition. 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. Vasquezaguirre says this jazzy version of the holiday ballet will add diversity to the options for audiences and participants for the holiday season.
In the 1990s there was the harlem nutcracker, which also used the ellingtonstrayhorn music. Examples of how nationalities can be portrayed without stereotyping include donald byrds excellent 1996 harlem nutcracker. Sultans of sw harlem nutcracker david berger songs. Donald byrds harlem nutcracker was instantly loved when it debuted in. David berger and the sultans of swing jazz up the holiday season with a sample from duke ellingtons version of. Ellingtons jazz arrangement is of the shorter suite. New york when the new york city ballet paid tribute to the great american composer duke ellington, on his centenary, in 1999, ellington fans could only sigh. Come and enjoy the classic nutcracker tale set to the jazz music of duke ellington. 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. 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. This jazzy version of classic ballet is set in cottonclubera harlem. 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 dukes orchestra expressed. Live performance of a reimagining of the popular ballet by donald byrd, with music arranged by duke ellington.
David berger and the sultans of swing, duke ellington, billy. The sugar plum fairy emerged as the sultry sugar rum cherry, while the dance of the reed pipes became toot. Duke ellingtons the nutcracker suite tickets, fri, dec. The nutcracker suite, which is a famous piece of music contained within the nutcracker ballet, is eight pieces of music that were written and performed prior to the debut of the ballet in 1892. In 1996, byrd was a gutsy and wellrespected new york choreographer who wanted to transpose the nutcracker into harlem, set to duke ellington. The nutcracker suite duke ellington album wikipedia. Later, in the early 2000s, the tap innovator brenda bufalino created her own tap version. One of the greatest composers of the 20th century, and the leader for 50 years of a band that became the greatest of all jazz orchestras. In 1960, duke ellington and billy strayhorn arranged a clever adaptation of tchaikovskys nutcracker suite for the duke ellington orchestra. A sweet duke ellington suite, is a tribute to duke ellington, the harlem renaissance pianist and composer. Joining ballet afrique this season is the austin community college jazz ensemble with an impressive.
He wrote thousands of works, composing popular songs, art songs, a wide variety of instrumentals, suites, symphonic works, movie and tv scores, and music for ballet all of a very high quality. Ballet afrique presents duke ellingtons the nutcracker. Donald byrd used all of the original ellington music, and commissioned berger to fill in around it to create an eveninglength work. For almost 30 years, from 1939 until his death in 1967, billy strayhorn was a regular collaborator with ellington. Donald byrds the harlem nutcracker tickets on the boards. On a night in 1960, legendary musician and band leader duke ellington, along with his collaborator billy strayhorn, decided to jazz up tchaikovskys christmastime staple, nutcracker suite. Duke ellington and his orchestra the nutcracker suite. The intensive will expose students to the artistic and technical elements of modern dance and classical ballet.
In 1960, at the urging of billy strayhorn, the duke ellington orchestra recorded the nutcracker suite columbia, a brilliant jazz interpretation of tchaikovskys music. Duke ellington presents the nutcracker suite youtube. The ensemble is austins first african american group to. They will have conditioning and stretch classes, along with classes in the repertory of the duke ellington dance ensemble. Find duke ellington composition information on allmusic. Anna harwell celenza duke ellingtons nutcracker suite. Nutcracker suite overture youtube duke ellington and his orchestra. The beloved harlem nutcracker bankrupted choreographer donald. Duke ellingtons harlem nutcracker centerpiece of firstever jazz vespers news. The baltimore symphony orchestra performs duke ellingtons nutcracker with step afrika.
A new nutcracker is presented as a set of five connected movements selected from duke ellingtons score, and features a riveting example of our latest technology. Conductor david berger leads a fullscale ballet based on themes of tchaikovskys classic holiday piece the nutcracker, but this version is quite different from the original. The 2019 production of donald byrds the harlem nutcracker is a workshop. Featuring jazz interpretations of tchaikovskys the nutcracker, the album has come to be recognized as one of duke ellingtons most important albums of the 1960s.
Austin its a different take on the traditional nutcracker. The musical performance will take place december, 14, 2014 at the apollo. The story mirrors the basic plot of the ballet, with the theme here of an aging grandmothers acceptance of her husbands passing and her own impending death. The nutcracker suite is an album by american pianist, composer and bandleader duke. The jazznutcracker received its premiere in 1960 and was an instant hit. In 1960, ellington, an american pianist, composer and bandleader, recorded his jazz interpretation of the nutcracker. The tchaikovskys nutcracker suite rearranged by duke ellington and billy strayhorn duke ellington and his orchestra. As you may know, tchaikovsky composed two scores a fulllength nutcracker, which is used in the eveninglength ballet, and a shorter nutcracker suite. The harlem nutcracker concert onpl casse noisette youtube. Featuring jazz interpretations of tchaikovskys the nutcracker, the album has come to be recognised as one of duke ellingtons most important albums of the 1960s. 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 dukes orchestra expressed their doubts that the project would amount to much. The nutcracker gets a chance to swing the new york times. Special guest councilwoman natasha harpermadison appears in the iconic role of mother ginger. Its classical ballet meets barn dance set to a mandolinclad orchestra.
Danced before an onstage orchestra, the lincoln center jazz orchestra, duke. Visions of sugar rum cherries tap dance in her head the. This innovative interpretation of the nutcracker ballet combines the beauty and sizzle of harlem renaissance nightclubs, the power of true love, and the magic of turns out i had never even heard of the harlem nutcracker, a ballet retelling of tchaikovskys nutcracker, with the music of duke ellington. Cd recording of the ellingtonstrayhorn composition included. Club in harlem 192732, 193738 stimulated ellington to enlarge his band to 14. Ellingtons band members were not so sure that a classical ballet could become a coolcat jazz number. Charles osgood reports on the harlem nutcracker, a reinvention of the classic tchaikovsky ballet, reimagined by way of duke ellington and billy strayhorn. Inspired by tchaikovskys infamous suite, this nutcracker is unlike any youve seen before. Friends university presents 2019 ellingtons nutcracker.
The harlem nutcracker donald byrdthe group, new york city ballet, and. The beloved harlem nutcracker bankrupted choreographer. The friends university ballet department will present a jazz version of a holiday favorite, duke ellingtons nutcracker, complete with a live jazz band. In the late 90s, for a show called the harlem nutcracker, arrangerbandleader david berger utilized five themes from the ellingtonstrayhorn version and added nine of his own, being creative within the ellington style.
Donald byrd choreographs the harlem nutcracker for donald byrdthe group, transporting hoffmanns story to black america and using duke ellingtons and billy strayhorns jazz adaptation of the. In a story originally broadcast on sunday morning on december 8 1996, host charles osgood reports on the harlem nutcracker, a reinvention of the classic tchaikovsky ballet, reimagined by way. The friends university ballet department will once again present the jazz version of a holiday favorite, ellingtons nutcracker. Duke ellington, american pianist who was the greatest jazz composer and bandleader of his time. David berger and the sultans of swing, duke ellington, billy strayhorn, david berger. But duke and billy, inspired by their travels and by musical styles past and present, infused the composition with vegas glitz, hollywood glamour, and even a little new york jazz.
Dance majors develop their abilities through a progression of courses that include orientation, history, composition, production, tap, ethnic dance african, four levels of a vaganovabased ballet technique and three levels of modern dance. Their unique ability to create interesting combinations. One of the originators of bigband jazz, ellington led his band for more than half a century, composed thousands of scores and created one of the most distinctive ensemble sounds in all western music. Duke ellington, born april 29, 1899 in washington, d. In 1996, byrd was a gutsy and wellrespected new york choreographer who wanted to transpose the nutcracker into harlem, set to duke ellington and billy strayhorns jazz arrangements of the. Duke ellingtons harlem nutcracker centerpiece of first. Although he often went uncredited, it was strayhorns idea to adapt tchaikovskys nutcracker suite, and he received equal billing with ellington for it.
The nutcracker ballet and the harlem nutcracker make. On sunday afternoon, dancers with ballet afrique were practicing for a jazz version of the christmas classic at their studios in east. The music will be from the duke ellington orchestras 1960 recording of billy strayhorns nutcracker suite, supplemented with selections from david bergers harlem nutcracker. In the late 50s, duke ellington and billy strayhorn adapted tchaikovskys nutcracker suite, transforming it from russian classical music to american jazz. Set to david bergers version of the duke ellingtonbilly strayhorn arrangement of tchaikovskys nutcracker suite, the divertissements were drawn from the harlem renaissance, celebrating positive images of african americans. Duke ellington and his orchestra ellington, strayhorn, tchaikovsky duke ellington and his orchestra ellington, strayhorn, tchaikovsky the nutcracker suite.
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