Notes and Editorial Reviews
FALLA
The Three-Cornered Hat.
1
PROKOFIEV
Chout:
Suite
2
•
Fabrice Bollon, cond; Ofelia Sala (sop);
1
Kirill Karabits, cond;
2
Southwest German RSO
•
HÄNSSLER 93.253 (76:24)
The premiere of Falla’s ballet
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style="font-style:italic">The Three-Cornered Hat
took place in London’s Alhambra Theatre on July 22, 1919. It was one of a series of celebrated productions by Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes, this one made special by Pablo Picasso’s costumes and scenery and by the conducting of Ernest Ansermet. Four years later, Ansermet conducted the premiere of Prokofiev’s
Chout
, the other Diaghilev-derived piece newly recorded in this series on Hänssler dedicated to the music of the Ballets Russes. Not merely because of his history, but because of the beautiful sounding, exquisitely paced recording, Ansermet’s oft-reissued recording of
The Three-Cornered Hat,
which featured Teresa Berganza in the short vocal role, has been my favorite. (I have this 1962 recording on a gold CD on Polygram and as part of the two-disc collection of Falla’s music that is part of the Musica Espanola series on Decca.) That said, and with a nod to Rozhdestvensky’s recording of
Chout
, I can heartily recommend this new recording as well.
The Three-Cornered Hat
is thrilling from the opening timpani rolls. The soundstage is deep and realistic; the rhythms, powerful and seductive without falling into sentimentalism. The chattering of the winds in the opening minutes made me laugh aloud, and the rest of the recording is as effective. Prokofiev’s
Chout
is not as celebrated, and here it has a different conductor, but I can imagine listeners who will want this disc especially for the Prokofiev, which has rarely been treated so lushly or so effectively. Again, the recorded sound is spectacular, the orchestra colorful, and the conducting strong and enlightening.
FANFARE: Michael Ullman
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Works on This Recording
1.
Chout: Suite, Op. 21a by Sergei Prokofiev
Conductor:
Kirill Karabits
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Baden-Baden Southwest German Radio Symphony Orchestra
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1920; USA
Length: 34 Minutes 29 Secs.
Notes: Engineer: Norbert Vossen.
2.
El sombrero de tres picos by Manuel de Falla
Performer:
Ofelia Sala (Soprano)
Conductor:
Fabrice Bollon
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Baden-Baden Southwest German Radio Symphony Orchestra
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1919; Spain
Sound Samples
El sombrero de 3 picos (The 3 Cornered Hat): Introduccion (Introduction)
El sombrero de 3 picos (The 3 Cornered Hat): Part I: L'apres-midi
El sombrero de 3 picos (The 3 Cornered Hat): Part I: Danse de l'apres la Meuniere
El sombrero de 3 picos (The 3 Cornered Hat): Part I: Les raisins
El sombrero de 3 picos (The 3 Cornered Hat): Part II: Les voisins
El sombrero de 3 picos (The 3 Cornered Hat): Part II: Dase du Meunier
El sombrero de 3 picos (The 3 Cornered Hat): Part II: Danza del corregidor (Corregidor's Dance)
El sombrero de 3 picos (The 3 Cornered Hat): Part II: Danza final (Jota) (Final Dance)
Skazka pro shuta (The Tale of the Buffoon), Op. 21bis, "Chout": I. Le Bouffon et sa Bouffonne (The Buffoon and his Wife)
Skazka pro shuta (The Tale of the Buffoon), Op. 21bis, "Chout": II. Danse des bouffonnes (Dance of the Wives)
Skazka pro shuta (The Tale of the Buffoon), Op. 21bis, "Chout": III. Les bouffons tuent leurs bouffonnes (The Buffoons kill their Wives)
Skazka pro shuta (The Tale of the Buffoon), Op. 21bis, "Chout": IV. Le Bouffon travesti en jeune femme (The Buffoon as a Young Woman)
Skazka pro shuta (The Tale of the Buffoon), Op. 21bis, "Chout": V. Troisieme entr'acte (Third Entr'acte)
Skazka pro shuta (The Tale of the Buffoon), Op. 21bis, "Chout": VI. Danse des filles des bouffons (Dance of the Buffoons' Daughters)
Skazka pro shuta (The Tale of the Buffoon), Op. 21bis, "Chout": VII. L'arrivee du marchand, la danse des reverences (Entry of the Merchant and his welcome)
Skazka pro shuta (The Tale of the Buffoon), Op. 21bis, "Chout": VIII. Dans la chambre a coucher du marchand (In the Merchant's bedroom)
Skazka pro shuta (The Tale of the Buffoon), Op. 21bis, "Chout": IX. La jeune femme est devenue chevre (The Young Woman becomes a Goat)
Skazka pro shuta (The Tale of the Buffoon), Op. 21bis, "Chout": X. Cinquieme entr'acte et l'enterrement de la chevre (Fifth Entr'acte and the Goat's burial)
Skazka pro shuta (The Tale of the Buffoon), Op. 21bis, "Chout": XI. La querelle du Bouffon avec le marchand (The Buffoon and the Merchant quarrel)
Skazka pro shuta (The Tale of the Buffoon), Op. 21bis, "Chout": XII. Danse finale (Final Dance)
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