David berger and the sultans of swing, duke ellington. A colorful interpretation of a holiday classic set to the music of duke ellington s the nutcracker suite. Just as the original score has opened the door to appreciation of european romanticism to countless american children, so exposure to ellington can do the same for todays youth in discovering the richness of american jazz, said choreographer and ballet director, andrea vazquez. It is a 2,031seat venue that also features european box. In 1960 duke ellington and billy strayhorn reinvented peter ilyich tchaikovskys holiday ballet classic, the nutcracker suite, as a jazzy, brassy. Before the ballet s premiere in 1892, tchaikovsky selected eight of the. Ellingtons nutcracker will add diversity to the options for audiences and participants for the holiday season. 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. 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. Ironically, ellington never much cared for the work he did on nutcracker, never playing it in concert.
This suite was first composed as a ballet score by russian composer pyotr ilyich tchaikovsky in 1892. In 1960, ellington, an american pianist, composer and bandleader, recorded his jazz interpretation of the nutcracker. Its a short walk from the sfjazz center to the war memorial opera house, which is where the eveninglength ballet the nutcracker made its north america premiere in the winter of 1944. Ellington strayhorn jazz nutcracker suitecentral washington university jazz band 1. Since its debut, fortunately, plenty of other people have played and recorded it, none of them any better than what we have here.
The tchaikovskys nutcracker suite rearranged by duke ellington and billy strayhorn duke ellington and his orchestra. The performance is jazzinfluenced including excerpts of duke ellington s nutcracker suite. Tchaikovskys nutcracker gets the ellington treatment. Duke ellington presents the nutcracker suite youtube. Ellington and strayhorn were behind some of the best jazz songs of all time. Featuring choreography by diane lala, a classical ballet becomes. 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. Celenza, a musicologist, loosely reimagines the recording sessions. The show is a collaboration with the austin community college jazz ensemble. Duke ellington and his orchestra ellington, strayhorn.
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. Ccm jazz and musical theatre present duke ellingtons nutcracker. Duke ellingtons the nutcracker suite tickets, fri, dec. An immediate sensation, the production unleashed an army of nutcrackers large and small that march across the country come the holidays, turning tchaikovskys spirited score into an enchanting. Choreography by daniel duell music by duke ellington photography by ron mckinney photography. At christmas 1960, the composing duo managed something truly extraordinary.
Tapping ellington and strayhorns nutcracker suite wise music. Welcome to the home of moscow ballet s great russian nutcracker in st. 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. Duke ellington s nutcracker suite jazzes up the holidays the jazz loft in stony brook gets in the holiday spirit with duke ellington inspired nutcracker suite thursday, friday and saturday. Friends university presents 2019 ellingtons nutcracker. Visions of sugar rum cherries tap dance in her head the. Austin, texas ballet afrique contemporary dance company will present duke ellingtons the nutcracker to a soldout crowd at the mccallum arts center friday. How is ellington s arrangement similar or different than tchaikovskys original composition. Ellingtons remarkable adaptation of the nutcracker suite is brought to. 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.
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. Duke ellington s nutcracker played on december 6, 2014 at the music center at strathmore 5301 tuckerman lane, in north bethesda, md. The mahaffey theater at the duke energy center for the arts first opened as part of the bayfront center entertainment complex in 1965. Duke ellington was a jazz composer, pianist and bandleader. The duke ellington orchestra keeps its transformed the nutcracker suite fresh and surprising, even 59 years after its. Ballet afrique contemporary dance company, among the citys most celebrated young groups, presents nutcracker suite with music by duke ellington, also at the boyd vance theater. Dallas black dance theatres season calendar is filled with world and local premieres of fresh, innovative dance, exquisite artistry and stellar performances.
He arranged a version of tchaikovskys nutcracker suite. Duke ellington, billy strayhorn and andy razaf, jazzin combines saucy innuendo and classic swing with pieces that. 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. Ballet afrique presents duke ellingtons the nutcracker. Tchaikovsky waltz of the flowers, nutcracker suite. Duke ellingtons nutcracker suite jazzes up the holidays. When they collaborated on this interpretation of tchaikovskys ballet music, they gave new life to a piece of music we all know and love. Were he still alive, vance a top actor, dancer, singer, director, activist and entertainer. The nutcracker suite is an album by american pianist, composer and bandleader duke. The ballet chicago studio company in ballet chicagos 2014 production of ellington suite at the harris theater for music and dance.
Austin its a different take on the traditional nutcracker. Ccm jazz orchestra with ccm musical theater dancers live concert of duke ellingtons nutcracker suite. Special guest councilwoman natasha harpermadison appears in the iconic role of mother ginger. Donald byrd used all of the original ellington music, and commissioned berger to fill in around it to create an eveninglength work.
Duke ellington s nutcracker suite peter ilyich tchaikovsky 18401893 originally composed the nutcracker as a ballet during the years 189192 the idea of the ballet was inspired by e t a hoffmanns 1816 story, the nutcracker and the mouse king. The nutcracker suite duke ellington album wikipedia. 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. Ellingtons jazz arrangement is of the shorter suite. Washingtonlee jazz big band duke ellingtons nutcracker suite. Ballet fantastique reimagines victor herberts lost holiday fairytale classic with retroglam new choreography, wit, and whimsy to the live music of swing shift jazz orchestra, playing duke ellington s nutcracker.
All of the selections are geared to a contemplative celebration of. Ccm jazz and musical theatre present duke ellingtons. Duke ellington and his orchestra the nutcracker suite. The christmas eve setting of tchaikovskys ballet, the nutcracker, has. Duke ellington, born april 29, 1899 in washington, d. In 1960, duke ellington and billy strayhorn reinvented tchaikovskys holiday ballet classic as a jazzy, brassy melting pot of musical styles past and present. Ucs college conservatory of music presents a special seasonal treat at 4 p. Ellington and strayhorn did not save all their gifts for royals. 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 friends university ballet department will present a jazz version of a holiday favorite, duke ellington s nutcracker, complete with a live jazz band. Joining ballet afrique this season is the austin community college jazz ensemble with an impressive.
Duke ellington and billy strayhorns nutcracker suite arrangements offer an ideal vehicle for shelbys jazz orchestra. This version of the nutcracker is a tribute to duke ellington. 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. All classes are taught by a professional faculty who work together to individualize each dancers education and to help every student reach their highest potential. In 1960, duke ellington and billy strayhorn composed jazz interpretations of pieces from tchaikovskys score, recorded and released on lp as the nutcracker suite.
The sugar plum fairy emerged as the sultry sugar rum cherry, while the dance of the reed pipes became toot. On sunday afternoon, dancers with ballet afrique were practicing. Ballet afriques nutcracker journey began in 2008 when the company set out to be austins first african american ballet ensemble on pointe. 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. 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. Michelle dorrance makes a tap nutcracker to duke ellington s swinging riffs on tchaikovskys classic score. This christmas season, the joffrey ballet will premiere an entirely new scenario and.
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