Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Neeme Järvi – Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker, Op. 71 – Ballet féerique in Two Acts (2014) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Neeme Järvi – Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker, Op. 71 – Ballet féerique in Two Acts (2014)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:24:32 minutes | 1,39 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Chandos

This is the concluding recording in Neeme Järvi’s series with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra devoted to Tchaikovsky’s three great ballets. This complete, uncut version of The Nutcracker follows The Sleeping Beauty (CHSA 5113(2)) and Swan Lake (CHSA 5124 (2)), both of which have been much awarded.

The Nutcracker draws its influences from both Hoffmann’s and Dumas’s tales of the same name, and makes delightful use of ‘le joli’, i.e. ‘the pretty’, in music – vivacious themes decked out in ingenious orchestration – already mastered by Léo Delibes in Coppélia.

The Nutcracker relates the dreams of Clara Silberhaus on Christmas Eve, aroused by the nutcracker which her mysterious godfather has given her. Then the guests’ lulling and languishing waltzes take her on a fantastic journey from a mystical snowy forest to the princely kingdom of Confiturembourg. Tchaikovsky illustrates this journey with various musical themes, such as confectionary, flowers, and Mirlitons, as well as Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, and Russian dances.

Commissioned by the director of the Imperial Theatres, Ivan Vsevolozhsky, and originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, The Nutcracker was premiered at the Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg in 1892. It came in a double-bill with the opera Iolanta, also commissioned by Vsevolozhsky. For this recording, Neeme Järvi and the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra have re-explored Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece together, in order to offer a completely new experience of one of the most-performed ballets in musical history.

Tracklist:
01. Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Neeme Järvi – Ouverture. Allegro giusto (02:59)
02. Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Neeme Järvi – Act I. Tableau I – Scène. Allegro non troppo – Poco più sostenuto – Tempo I – Più moderato – Allegro vivace – Meno – (03:33)
03. Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Neeme Järvi – Act I. Tableau I – Marche. Tempo di Marcia viva (02:16)
04. Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Neeme Järvi – Act I. Tableau I – Petit galop des enfants et Entrée des parents. Presto – Andante – Allegro – (02:38)
05. Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Neeme Järvi – Act I. Tableau I – Scène dansante. Andantino – Stringendo – Allegro vivo – Andantino sostenuto – Più andante – Allegro molto vivace – Molto più presto – Tempo di Valse (Pas de Deux) – Presto – (05:41)
06. Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Neeme Järvi – Act I. Tableau I – Scène et Danse du Gross-Vater. Andante (Tempo di Valse) – Poco animando – Tempo I – Andantino – Tempo I – Più allegro – Tempo I – Più mosso – Moderato assai – Andante – L’istesso tempo (La Berceuse) – Più mosso – Tempo I – Più mosso – L’istesso tempo – Tempo di Gross-Vater – Allegro vivacissimo – Tempo I (06:28)
07. Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Neeme Järvi – Act I. Tableau I – Scène. Allegro semplice – Moderato con moto – Allegro giusto – Più allegro – Moderato assai – (06:47)
08. Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Neeme Järvi – Act I. Tableau I – Scène. Allegro vivo – Pochissimo più mosso – La Bataille – La Seconde Bataille (03:23)
09. Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Neeme Järvi – Act I. Tableau II – Scène. Andante (03:18)
10. Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Neeme Järvi – Act I. Tableau II – Valse des Flocons de neige. Tempo di Valse, ma con moto – Presto – Poco meno (06:27)
11. Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Neeme Järvi – Act II – Scène. Andante – (04:28)
12. Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Neeme Järvi – Act II – Scène. Andante con moto – Un poco animando – Moderato – Allegro agitato – Poco più allegro – Tempo precedente [Allegro agitato] (04:45)
13. Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Neeme Järvi – Act II – Divertissement – a) Le Chocolat. Allegro brillante – Più mosso (01:09)
14. Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Neeme Järvi – Act II – Divertissement – b) Le Café. Commodo (03:15)
15. Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Neeme Järvi – Act II – Divertissement – c) Le Thé. Allegro moderato (01:02)
16. Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Neeme Järvi – Act II – Divertissement – d) Trépak. Tempo di Trepak, molto vivace – Stringendo – Prestissimo (01:06)
17. Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Neeme Järvi – Act II – Divertissement – e) Les Mirlitons. Moderato assai (02:13)
18. Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Neeme Järvi – Act II – Divertissement – f) La Mère Gigogne et les polichinelles. Allegro giocoso – Allegro vivo – Poco più (02:39)
19. Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Neeme Järvi – Act II – Valse des Fleurs. Tempo di Valse (06:44)
20. Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Neeme Järvi – Act II – Pas de Deux. Andante maestoso – Poco stringendo – Poco più mosso – Incalzando – Animando – Ritenuto – Tempo I – Poco stringendo – Tempo I (04:31)
21. Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Neeme Järvi – Act II – Variation I (Pour le danseur). Tempo di Tarantella – (00:44)
22. Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Neeme Järvi – Act II – Variation II (Pour la danseuse). Danse de la Fée-Dragée. Andante non troppo – Presto – (02:05)
23. Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Neeme Järvi – Act II – Coda. Vivace assai (01:24)
24. Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Neeme Järvi – Act II – Valse finale et Apothéose. Tempo di Valse – Molto meno – L’Apothéose (04:47)

Personnel:
Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra
Neeme Järvi conductor

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