#sphinxs

Nena and the Sphinx, 1960 Silver Gelatin Print, Norman Parkinson Estate Stamped

Schumann - Carnaval, Chopin - Les Sylphides

Robert Irving Conducting The Philharmonia Orchestra

Interesting to note: the orchestrators of tracks 12-20 of Carnaval ("Chopin"-"Davidsbündler") are unknown

In ballet, as in the other arts, certain figures stand supreme, and it can be fairly argued that, among modern choreographers, Michael Fokine is the greatest. He was born at St. Petersburg in 1880, and died in New York in 1942. He took to ballet while he was still young, entering the Imperial School of Ballet, attached to the Maryinsky Theatre, when he was only nine. He started his career as a dancer, but in 1905 composed his first ballet, “Acis et Galatée”. From this time onwards he progressed from strength to strength. Not only are the best of his ballets so good that they have been included in the repertoires of every important company, but he also acquired a considerable reputation as a reformer. It will not be amiss to quote him in this connection, for herein lay his originality, and much of his strength. 

“Dancing should be interpretation. It should not degenerate into mere gymnastics. The dance should explain the spirit of the actors in the spectacle. More than that, it should express the whole epoch to which the subject of the ballet belongs.”

“Les Sylphides” and “Carnaval” are two of his most famous creations.

“Carnaval” is based on Schumann’s pianoforte work of the same name. It shares the romantic quality of “Les Sylphides”, yet does not aim at its classical balance and abstraction. It does not have a fully-fledged plot in the manner of some ballets, yet there are definite and recognisable characters, ranging from the forlorn figure of Pierrot to the high-spirited, mischievous Harlequin.

Schumann based the work on the four notes, A, E flat, C and B, which, in German nomenclature, make up the name Asch (A, S, C, H) a village where his friend, Ernestine von Fricken, lived.

It will perhaps be as well to give a brief summary of the action of the ballet. Various dancing couples cross the stage, to be followed by Pierrot, wandering alone, aimless and forlorn. Harlequin then bounds on to the stage, capers around Pierrot, and flicks at him so that he loses his balance and falls over.

After further dancing, Eusebius is seen dreaming of his mistress, who suddenly appears, followed by Estrella, escorted by her admirer, Florestan. These flit away arm-in-arm, and there follows a “pas de deux” between Eusebius and Chiarina. Papillon then comes on to the stage; Pierrot tries to catch her with his conical hat, but dismally fails. 

Further dances follow, with Chiarina and two friends, all masked, and Florestan, in quest of Estrella. To the section Reconnaissance, Columbine and Harlequin dance on to the stage, followed by the pompous Pantalon, who is foiled and offended by these two, but immediately soothed by Columbine. More dancers enter, to congratulate the two lovers, Columbine and Harlequin. Pantolan and Pierrot are entangled together, and all ends in happiness and jollity.

The ballet was first produced at St. Petersburg in Lent, 1910. It has undergone several changes since then, though it remains essentially the same. Its effervescent gaiety has deservedly acquired for it an exceptional populraity, which shows no signs of diminishing.

if I may...

The review of this recital in NEUE ZEITSCHRIFT FÜR MUSIK was written by Schumann himself:

"Apprised of my nagging doubts as to whether such rhapsodic carnivalesque goings-on could make an impression on a crowd, he replied with the firm opinion that... he hoped so. And yet I believe he was mistaken. Allow me a few words on the composition, which owes its existence to a coincidence. The name of a little town, where a musical acquaintance of mine once lived, consists entirely of letters from the scale...

If there are many things in it to please one person or another, the musical moods change too quickly to be followed by a large audience, which does not want to be startled every minute....

This, as I said, my dear friend had failed to take into account; and notwithstanding the brilliance and great empathy of his playing, it was perhaps possible to reach this or that individual, but not to raise the entire mass."

Il s’agit ici d’un Ländler presque rêveur et dont le thème conjugue, sur un rythme doucement balancé, et l’argument AS. C. H. et comme un vague rappel sentimental du motif initial des Papillons Op. 2.

Le titre de Reconnaissance doit éveiller naturellement ici l’idée d’identification d’un être cher, sous le masque qui recouvre ses traits, et non, comme on est parfois tenté de l’imaginer, le sentiment de gratitude pareillement exprimé par l’emploi du même vocable. Ainsi que dans le numéro précédent, c’est aux notes la bémol, ut, si (AS. C. H.) que Schumann a recours pour déterminer l’impulsion de la séduisante ligne mélodique à laquelle font écho les légères vibrations des notes répétées qui épousent fidèlement son contour à l’octave inférieure.

Le motif thématique n’est utilisé à la main droite que d’une manière incidente, entre la 7e et la 8e mesure, sur les notes mi bémol, ut, si bémol, la, et, en guise de conclusion de la phrase mélodique, sur mi bémol, si, ut. On se gardera au reste de souligner ces allusions qui se trouvent tout naturellement incluses dans le contour pathétique du beau chant qui doit jaillir ici sous les doigts, à plein son comme à plein cœur. La répétition de la phrase dans la nuance piano impose une modification totale du sentiment initial, et même du tempo; celui-ci devenant plus lent, et l’élan spontané d’origine faisant place aux plus sensibles détails de la rêverie comme au plus délicats raffinements de la sonorité; la basse ne détenant plus ici qu’un rôle quasi atmosphérique et les crescendi de l’exposition se voyant transformés en imperceptibles frissons de brise nocturne.