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The Score of "La Bayadere" as Revised by John Lanchbery for

MrLopez2681 | USA | 03/08/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This recording by Richard Bonynge and the English Chamber Orchestra presents Minkus's score as prepared for Natalia Makarova's version of the full-length "La Bayadere", which she staged for American Ballet Theatre in 1980. Makarova later mounted the same version of "La Bayadere" for London's Royal Ballet in 1989. For both of these productions Makarova called upon John Lanchbery, composer and conductor of the Royal Opera House to revise, make additions, and re-orchestrate the music. Lanchbery had previously re-worked the Minkus scores for Rudolf Nureyev's Covent Garden stagings of "The Kingdom of the Shades" scene from "La Bayadere" and the "Paquita" Grand Pas Classique, both in 1960, and in 1973 Lanchbery revised Minkus's score for "Don Quixote" for Nureyev's production for the Australian Ballet. Lanchbery again re-worked the Minkus's music for the "Paquita" Grand Pas Classique in 1980 for Makarova's staging for the Uris Theatre, a version Makarova staged for Amercian Ballet Theatre as well.



Makarova made many changes to her productions of "La Bayadere" (the 1980 ABT staging and the 1990 Royal Ballet staging being virtually identicle). Among them, her removal of the Act II Grand Divertissement, which shortened Act II to the point of it being re-named as Act I-scene 3, and her creation of the last act, long gone from the Kirov/Mariinksy Ballet's version since the 1920's, in her own design. But the biggest and most obvious differences from the Russian staging of "La Bayadere" is the revised Minkus score. Lanchbery's orchestrations are very glossy and superficial, with the music taking on a very overly colorful, 'futuristic' sound, with lots of twinkeling and shining from the orchestra that turn the majority of the score into a kind of sacharine overload. I must admit however that aside from my own preference in hearing Minkus in his original hand, I do find some of Lanchbery's work on "La Bayadere" interesting, as some of the numbers really don't sound half bad, ironically enough when it seems Lanchbery has expanded on Minkus's original material. One can really hear in this music Lanchbery striving to make the original score's harmonics more interesting, which may not always work, but still it can provide for an interesting listening experience, particularly if one looks at the listening experience as a means of demonstrating the power of orchestration, or if one wants to compare the original Minkus to the revised. Lanchbery is quite fond of giving the brass and percussion sections more intersting parts to play, and he makes a point of varying any melody the second time around - for example his reorchestration of the "Entrance of the Shades" (CD 2, track 3).



A friend of mine who was a colleague of Lanchbery's told me that his work on "La Bayadere" (and other 19th century scores) were actually very clever. Contrary to popular belief he really enjoyed the music, but his main aim - at least with "La Bayadere" - was royalties. Editions Mario Bois has always owned the rights to the music (rather than a theatre), and Lanchbery ensured that the music was revised enough in such a way to ensure the maximum amount of profit for his work.



The best revised numbers are, for example - in Act I, Scene 1 the 'pas de deux of Solor and Nikiya' (CD 1, track 9 - simply called 'Allegro Non Troppo' in the accompanying booklet). For this number Lanchbery does a fine job, giving the main melody to solo clarinet, accented the second time around by harmony from the cellos and violas. Minkus's original scoring for this pas is rather dull, and overly simple. Other well done arrangements are for the 'Djambe Dance' of Act I, Scene 2 (CD 1, Tracks 12 and 13), with a very lush movement for strings and other colorful touches, the 'entrance for 4 bayaderes' of Act I, scene 3 (CD 1, Track 18) with wonderful effects from the harp, glockenspeil, and pizzicati for strings, the 'Grand Waltz' done 'a la Strauss' (CD 1, Track 17), and finally, Lanchbery's use of the drums and tympani at the end of each scene improve greatly on the drama. His best work for "La Bayadere" is without a doubt his re-orchestration for the scene "The Kingdom of the Shades". This is the first reorchestration Lanchbery ever did - in 1960 for Nureyev's staging of the scene. He did not completely change this section of the score, but instead expanded on Minkus's original ideas. Unfortunately this recording only includes the first 3 numbers of Lanchbery's orchestration, and for the rest of the scene gives way to the music that was to be used by Anna Pavlova for her production of "The Kingdom of the Shades" (CD 2, Tracks 6-12), which was to be titled "The Rajah's Dream". Though the music was prepared the production never materialized. The accompanying booklet does not credit who was responsible for these arrangements, wich are in a manner even more colorful and glossy than anything Lanchbery could have imagined - this is a rather unfortunate inclusion being that the Pavlova arrangements for "The Kingdom of the Shades" scene are already included on the 'Art of the Prima Ballerina' recording included in Bonynge's 10 CD set "Fete du Ballet", and also because Lanchbery's arrangements of this scene have yet to show up on disc. Lanchbery's full orchestration for the scene "The Kingdom of the Shades" has been recorded once in the early 80s by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra conducted by Lanchbery himself. This recording also contains excerpts of his work on the "Paquita" Grand Pas Classique and Pas de Trois (See LP or Cassette EMI-Angel 183-4215 - out-of-print).



Lanchbery's more poorly arranged numbers - 'Nikya's Variation' from Act I (CD 1, Track 6) - this number was originaly scored for solo flute and pizzicati, but instead we have Minkus's and no doubt Petipa's original intentions ruined with the main melody played by full strings, with lots of cheap decorative effects from the orchestra. The 'Dance of the Bayaderes' (CD 1, Track 3) is another poorly orchestrated track that should have been left the way it was orignaly scored, along with the ballet's finale/apotheosis (CD 2, Track 17), composed by Lanchbery himself, sounding very much like John William's music at the end of the movie "E.T.". The "Grand Pas d'action" of Act I, scene 3 (CD 1, Tracks 19-24) with horrific, over-brassy orchestrations for the "Entree" (Track 19) and the "Grand Adagio" (Track 20), which toward the end sounds remeniscent of Gershwin's "Raphsody in Blue". A huge defect of this recording is the use of a lever-harp for the harp candenzas, ruining the arpeggios that could sound far more lush from a concert-harp, as was used for the original score of "La Bayadere". On the plus side Bonynge does a fine job conducting the English Chamber Orchestra, and the recording quality is first rate.



The included booklet gives a so-so account of the history of "La Bayadere", and its plot, though there is no track by track analysis in relation to the scenario to follow along to the music to. But the worse part of the booklet is the titles for each track, such as 'Moderato', Maestoso', 'Andante Delicato' and so on, rather than the actual titles as they are known in ballet.



I know that many in the ballet world will agree with me when I say that Makarova should have kept Minkus's music as it was originaly composed, though I'm not sure if it was in fact her idea to reorchestrate his score. Minkus's beautiful, antiquated score of 1877 is a masterpiece of 19th century ballet music, and a one of a kind, as it is the only ballet of his that survives in modern performance with the original music more or less intact. Except for the scene "The Kingdom of the Shades", Minkus's original score has never been recorded in its entirety, so I suggest that anyone interested in hearing it watch the DVD of Rudolf Nureyev's 1992 staging of "La Bayadere" for the Paris Opera Ballet. This production credits Lanchbery with re-orchestrating the score, but there are only a few sections where he did anything to it, and they are so minute that one wonders why he did anything to the music in the first place (only a person 100% familiar with Minkus's original work can even make out where these changes are). The Kirov Ballet's 1977 film of their production of "La Bayadere" of course utilizes Minkus original orchestration, but the sound on the Paris Opera film is far better than that of the Kirov's, as the digital sound on the Paris Opera DVD allows one to marvel at the simple beauty of Minkus's music.



Overall, I reccomend this 2 CD set for the fact that it is the only recording of a version of the full-length "La Bayadere" available. There is a recording by the Sofia National Opera Orchestra conducted by Boris Spassov of Minkus's compositions for the scene "The Kingdom of the Shades" and the "Paquita" Grand Pas Classique, Pas de Trois, and Children's Polonaise and Mazurka (see CD Capriccio 10-544). The Spassov recording present's Minkus's music as he orignally scored it, and it is a marvel! There is also available through the Orchestra Victoria web page Lanchbery's revision of Minkus's "Don Quixote" (AKA 'Kitri goes Salsa-Raggae' by some in the ballet world), done for Nureyev's 1973 staging of the ballet for the Australian Ballet. Lanchbery has re-orchestrated many other ballets, among them Adolphe Adam's score for "Giselle", for which he did a wonderful job, though reorchestrating Adolphe Adam's marvelous score is light-years beyond being necessary (since there is no recording of his version of this music, one can hear his work on the "Live from Lincoln Center" video of American Ballet Theatre's amazing performance of "Giselle" starring Mikhail Baryshnikov, Natalia Makarova, and Martine Van Hamel). Theres also his work on the Grand Pas Classique from "Paquita" (for this, see the above EMI/Angel recording I mentioned, or watch the film "American Ballet Theatre at the Met: Mixed Bill", which includes more numbers than the EMI/Angel recording). Lanchbery's best work by far for the ballet is his adaptation of Ferdinand Herold's 1828 score for the ballet "La Fille Mal Gardee", done for the Royal Ballet in Sir Frederick Ashton's production (Lanchbery's work on "La Fille Mal Gardee" has been released on CD quite a few times - The Royal Liverpool Orchestra under the baton of conductor Barry Woodsworth, from the label EMI-Angel/CDC 7 49403-2. It has recently been re-released. The other recording available is only of highlights, conducted by Lanchbery himself with the Royal Opera House Orchestra/CD Decca 430 196-2. For the complete ballet, see CD Decca, 430 849-2, again conducted by Lanchbery, though sadly out-of-print and very expensive when one locates a used copy).



In 2002, the Kirov/Mariinksy Ballet restored "La Bayadere" to its 1900 form, as last revised by Petipa. The choreography, sets, costumes and music were completely restored. Hopefully, the Orchestra of the Mariinksy Theatre decides to record the original hand-written score of Minkus, which was thought to be lost until recently. Until then, this recording is the next best thing."

Sledgehammer Bayadère

Marc Haegeman | Gent, Belgium | 02/29/2004

(1 out of 5 stars)

"I see no reason to recommend this issue, unless for the fact it is a complete recording of a great ballet score, otherwise non available. Unfortunately enough, it comes in one of those fearful John Lanchbery sledgehammer arrangements that made a certain reputation in the ballet world in the West, if only for the fact that they are connected with reputed names like Rudolf Nureyev (for his staging of "Don Quixote") and in the case of "La Bayadère", Natalia Makarova, and thus regularly performed in various theatres. In Russia, though, where Minkus' music is played in more faithful arrangements Lanchbery's (called "the butcher" or "the ripper") orchestrations are sneered at, and not without reason. It suffices to compare this version of "La Bayadère" with the one Nureyev staged for the Paris Opera in 1992. Both are arrangements by Lanchbery, although in the latter case Nureyev asked him to respect Minkus' own orchestrations. Two different worlds.Moreover, to say that Minkus' original orchestration is dull, is unfair. The fact remains that until the Mariinsky Theatre recently unearthed Minkus' handwritten score of "La Bayadère" for their reconstruction of the complete ballet (2002), nobody had ever heard it in its original guise. In a time when musicians everywhere are making considerable efforts to go back to the original scores, following the indications of the composer as close as possible, even playing them on contemporary instruments, an arrangement a la Lanchbery is at best an irritating aberration. Enough to say that in this recording Minkus has become totally unrecognisable and what you hear is John Lanchbery - not Ludwig Minkus. Melodies have been corrupted with useless decorative counterpoint, harmonies have been thickened sometimes to the point that it makes Minkus sound like Wagner, there are some very unfortunate cuts (although for these Makarova might be to blame), a shoplifter reconstruction of the 4th act, and the general impression is one of pedantry, bombast and fake theatricality.In short, this CD issue is only for the Lanchbery fans. Anyone caring for 19th century ballet music and Minkus, will stay away from it and wait for a CD release of the original Minkus "Bayadère"."

Not the real ballet!

John-Michael Sherrick | West Nanticoke, PA United States | 08/05/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This mediocre recording of LA BAYADERE is quite different from the traditional performances in Russia. It's even more different from the Kirov's reconstruction of the performance score for the 1900 production. John Lanchberry has stated time and time again in interviews that he doesn't like the music of Minkus and it shows in his arrangement of the score. Some of the ballet's loveliest music is cut (although I think I read that Markarova,who staged the version for which Lanchberry revised the score, is responsible for that), his interpolations in the score (such as most of the third act)are dreadful, and the orchestrations are heavy-handed, pretentious, and far too modern-sounding for 1877. Supposedly the Kirov Ballet Orchestra is coming out with a cd based on the 1900 revival. For those of us who love 19th century ballet music, let's hope so. I only gave the recording 3 instead of 2 stars since some of Minkus' sparkling score survive the butchery."