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Dance Suite from Keyboard Pieces by François Couperin

January 01, 1970

The orchestral Dance Suite from Keyboard Pieces by François Couperin (Tanzsuite aus Klavierstücken von François Couperin), TrV 245 was composed by Richard Strauss in 1923 and consists of eight movements, each one based on a selection of pieces from François Couperin's Pièces de Clavecin written for the solo harpsichord over the period 1713 to 1730. It is also sometimes referred to as simply The Couperin Suite.

Schmutzer's Engraved portrait of Strauss, 1922

Composition history edit

 
François Couperin, (1668–1733). Anonymous artist, Collection of the Château de Versailles.

The origins of the Dance Suite arose out of the collaboration of Strauss with Heinrich Kröller (1880–1930) who had choreographed Strauss' ballet Josephslegende for its 1921 Berlin premier.[1] The arrangements by Strauss of Couperin's keyboard pieces were part of a "Ballettsoirée" (ballet evening) which premiered on 17 February 1923 (as part of the Vienna Fasching or carnival), which consisted of four parts. Part 1 was François Couperin: social and theatrical dances in the manner of Louis XV based on books 1–4 of Couperin's Pièces de Clavecin (composed over the period 1713 to 1730). Part 2 was Maurice Ravel's Mother Goose which made its Viennese premier (with Ravel's orchestration). Part 3 was a selection of Rameau's music titled The Ballerina's suitors: a dance scene in Ballet style from the time of Louis XIV (it is not known if the music was arranged for the modern orchestra, and if so by whom). The evening concluded (as it had to) with part 4 entitled "Galloppwalzer" by Vienna's very own Johann Strauss II, consisting of the Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka Op. 214 followed by the Accelerationen-Walzer Op.234. This was "pure dance display" evoking the Vienna of the "Ringstrasse era" (1858-1900).[2]

As co-director of the Vienna opera, Strauss had collaborated closely with Kröller in selecting the music for the "Ballet evening". However, Strauss's main role was selecting and orchestrating the Couperin keyboard pieces. Strauss had long been a Francophone and he had a longstanding interest in French music. In his work on Ariadne auf Naxos and Le bourgeois gentilhomme suite he had "appropriated and reinterpreted"[3] music from the French Baroque (Jean-Baptiste Lully in particular).

The music he had arranged for the Ballettsoirée was published as his Tanzsuite aus Klavierstücken von François Couperin, (TrV 245) in 1923 (Strauss did not give it an opus number). Each piece in the Dance suite is based on two or more of Couperin's keyboard pieces, except for the final march which is based on a single piece. The grouping of the pieces reflects the needs of the Ballet. Whilst the orchestration retains the period feel (for example, the ornamentation), the Ballet suggested more recent combinations of instruments: for example the opening section of the Carillon is arranged for Glockenspiel, Celesta, Harp and Harpsichord which is more suggestive of a Tchaikovsky ballet than the French Baroque. Strauss also composed codas to end several of the movements. "Strauss seems to have made a purposeful attempt to integrate the past and the 1923 present, whereby his Tanzesuite has a special relationship to canonized neoclassicism".[4]

Performance history edit

The complete Balletsoirée was performed only twice, once on 17 February 1923 conducted by Clemens Krauss[5] and again in Vienna on 25 July 1929.[6] However, the dance suite took on a life of its own, often under the title "Couperin Suite", both as a concert piece and as a stand-alone short ballet. The ballet had its German premiere at Darmstadt on 24 March 1924, and at the Dresden Opera in 1930. Subsequent performances with new choreography were put on in Vienna (1944, 1970), Bayreuth and Munich (1951), Dresden (2014).[7] Part of the Dance suite was used for the music to go with the 1926 silent film Der Rosenkavalier which was performed several times in Germany, London and New York.

Strauss returned to Couperin and wrote a second suite Divertimento for Chamber Orchestra after Keyboard Pieces by Couperin, Op. 86 which was published in 1942. This contained additional material Strauss had written for a ballet Verklungene Feste: Tanzvisionen aus zwei Jahrhunderten (Bygone Celebrations: Dance Visions from Two Centuries) in 1940.

Source of each movement edit

Strauss Suite Score Source in Couperin (Book, order, piece)
1. Einzug und feierlicher Reigen (Pavanne)  
  1. Les Graces incomparable, ou le Conti (3,16,1)
  2. La Superbe, ou le Forqueray (3,17,1)
2. Courante  
  1. Premier Courante (1,1,2)
  2. Seconde Courante (1,1,3)
  3. Les Nonetes (1,1,13)
3. Carillon  
  1. Le Carillon de Cithere (3,14,6)
  2. L'Evaporee (3,15,3)
4. Sarabande  
  1. Sarabande: La Majestueuse (1,1,4)
  2. Les sentimens, sarabande (1,1,11)
5. Gavotte  
  1. La Fileuse (2,12,6)
  2. Gavotte (4,26,2)
  3. Les sartires, chevre pieds (seconde partie) (4,23,5)
  4. La bourbonnoise, gavotte (1,1,14)
  5. La Princesse Marie (premier partie)(4,20,1)
6. Wirbeltanz  
  1. Le Turbulent 3,18,4)
  2. Le petits moulins a vent (3,17,2)
  3. Les tricoteuses (4,23,2)
7. Allemande und Menuett  
  1. Allemande a deux clavecins (2,9,1)
  2. Les charmes (2,9,3)
8. Marsch  
  1. Les matelots provencales (Premier partie) (1,3,11)
Source: Norman Del Mar (vol. 2, p. 277); Heisler, pp 109–10)

Couperin's collection of solo harpsichord pieces (pièces de clavecin) is organized into 25 suites for which Couperin used the term "ordre" in the sense of "sequence". Each sequence consists of several pieces, with a title for each piece. Depending on the publisher, these are also divided into volumes. However, the original publication was in four volumes (volume 1 published in 1713 contains sequences 1–5, volume 2 published in 1717 contains sequences 6–12, volume 3 published in 1722 contains sequences 13–19, volume 4 published in 1730 contains sequences 20–25). In the second column the name of the piece is given followed by three numbers: first the "livre" or volume in which it was originally published; second the "ordre" or sequence in which it occurs; thirdly its position in this sequence. For example, the 8th movement of the dance suite "Marsch" comes from "Les matelots provençals" the 11th piece in sequence 3 contained in volume 1.

Instrumentation edit

 
Strauss the conductor, around 1924

The dance suite uses a chamber orchestra with the following instrumentation:

  • 2 flutes, oboe, cor anglais (oboe), 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons
  • 2 horns, trumpet, trombone
  • Glockenspiel
  • Harpsichord, harp, celesta
  • Strings 4, 3, 2, 2, 2

Recordings edit

There have been several recordings of this piece, including:

CD title (release date) Orchestra and conductor Reference
Richard Strauss - Komponist, Dirigent, Pianist und Klavierbegleiter, Volume 3 (2010) Vienna Philharmonic, Richard Strauss Documents 291373
Tanzsuite aus Klavierstücken von François Couperin (2006) Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Erich Leinsdorf COE Records – CDCOE809
Richard Strauss: Complete Tone Poems and Concertos (2014) Sinfonietta de Montréal, Charles Dutoit Decca Collectors Edition – 4786480
Ballet Suites after Couperin (1999) Bamberg Symphony, Karl Anton Rickenbacher Koch – 365352
R. Strauss: Complete Orchestral Works (remaster 2014) Staatskapelle Dresden, Rudolf Kempe Warner Classics – 4317802
Strauss: Verklungene Feste / Tanzsuite / Divertimento. (1993) Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, Hiroshi Wakasugi Denon Records B00000DT02

The recording with Strauss conducting the Vienna Philharmonic was made in 1944 as part of his 80th birthday celebrations.

References edit

  1. ^ Heisler, p. 100
  2. ^ Heisler p. 119
  3. ^ Heisler, p. 108
  4. ^ Heisler, p. 112
  5. ^ Heisler, p. 175.
  6. ^ Heisler, p. 126
  7. ^ Heisler, p. 174

Sources edit

  • Wayne Heisler Jr., The Ballet Collaborations of Richard Strauss, University of Rochester Press, 2009. ISBN 978-1-58046-321-8
  • Norman Del Mar, Richard Strauss: a critical commentary on his life and works (second edition), Volume 2. Faber and Faber, London (1986). ISBN 978-0-571-25097-4.

External links edit

January 01, 1970
dance, suite, from, keyboard, pieces, françois, couperin, orchestral, tanzsuite, klavierstücken, françois, couperin, composed, richard, strauss, 1923, consists, eight, movements, each, based, selection, pieces, from, françois, couperin, pièces, clavecin, writt. The orchestral Dance Suite from Keyboard Pieces by Francois Couperin Tanzsuite aus Klavierstucken von Francois Couperin TrV 245 was composed by Richard Strauss in 1923 and consists of eight movements each one based on a selection of pieces from Francois Couperin s Pieces de Clavecin written for the solo harpsichord over the period 1713 to 1730 It is also sometimes referred to as simply The Couperin Suite Schmutzer s Engraved portrait of Strauss 1922 Contents 1 Composition history 2 Performance history 3 Source of each movement 4 Instrumentation 5 Recordings 6 References 7 Sources 8 External linksComposition history edit nbsp Francois Couperin 1668 1733 Anonymous artist Collection of the Chateau de Versailles The origins of the Dance Suite arose out of the collaboration of Strauss with Heinrich Kroller 1880 1930 who had choreographed Strauss ballet Josephslegende for its 1921 Berlin premier 1 The arrangements by Strauss of Couperin s keyboard pieces were part of a Ballettsoiree ballet evening which premiered on 17 February 1923 as part of the Vienna Fasching or carnival which consisted of four parts Part 1 was Francois Couperin social and theatrical dances in the manner of Louis XV based on books 1 4 of Couperin s Pieces de Clavecin composed over the period 1713 to 1730 Part 2 was Maurice Ravel s Mother Goose which made its Viennese premier with Ravel s orchestration Part 3 was a selection of Rameau s music titled The Ballerina s suitors a dance scene in Ballet style from the time of Louis XIV it is not known if the music was arranged for the modern orchestra and if so by whom The evening concluded as it had to with part 4 entitled Galloppwalzer by Vienna s very own Johann Strauss II consisting of the Tritsch Tratsch Polka Op 214 followed by the Accelerationen Walzer Op 234 This was pure dance display evoking the Vienna of the Ringstrasse era 1858 1900 2 As co director of the Vienna opera Strauss had collaborated closely with Kroller in selecting the music for the Ballet evening However Strauss s main role was selecting and orchestrating the Couperin keyboard pieces Strauss had long been a Francophone and he had a longstanding interest in French music In his work on Ariadne auf Naxos and Le bourgeois gentilhomme suite he had appropriated and reinterpreted 3 music from the French Baroque Jean Baptiste Lully in particular The music he had arranged for the Ballettsoiree was published as his Tanzsuite aus Klavierstucken von Francois Couperin TrV 245 in 1923 Strauss did not give it an opus number Each piece in the Dance suite is based on two or more of Couperin s keyboard pieces except for the final march which is based on a single piece The grouping of the pieces reflects the needs of the Ballet Whilst the orchestration retains the period feel for example the ornamentation the Ballet suggested more recent combinations of instruments for example the opening section of the Carillon is arranged for Glockenspiel Celesta Harp and Harpsichord which is more suggestive of a Tchaikovsky ballet than the French Baroque Strauss also composed codas to end several of the movements Strauss seems to have made a purposeful attempt to integrate the past and the 1923 present whereby his Tanzesuite has a special relationship to canonized neoclassicism 4 Performance history editThe complete Balletsoiree was performed only twice once on 17 February 1923 conducted by Clemens Krauss 5 and again in Vienna on 25 July 1929 6 However the dance suite took on a life of its own often under the title Couperin Suite both as a concert piece and as a stand alone short ballet The ballet had its German premiere at Darmstadt on 24 March 1924 and at the Dresden Opera in 1930 Subsequent performances with new choreography were put on in Vienna 1944 1970 Bayreuth and Munich 1951 Dresden 2014 7 Part of the Dance suite was used for the music to go with the 1926 silent film Der Rosenkavalier which was performed several times in Germany London and New York Strauss returned to Couperin and wrote a second suite Divertimento for Chamber Orchestra after Keyboard Pieces by Couperin Op 86 which was published in 1942 This contained additional material Strauss had written for a ballet Verklungene Feste Tanzvisionen aus zwei Jahrhunderten Bygone Celebrations Dance Visions from Two Centuries in 1940 Source of each movement editStrauss Suite Score Source in Couperin Book order piece 1 Einzug und feierlicher Reigen Pavanne nbsp Les Graces incomparable ou le Conti 3 16 1 La Superbe ou le Forqueray 3 17 1 2 Courante nbsp Premier Courante 1 1 2 Seconde Courante 1 1 3 Les Nonetes 1 1 13 3 Carillon nbsp Le Carillon de Cithere 3 14 6 L Evaporee 3 15 3 4 Sarabande nbsp Sarabande La Majestueuse 1 1 4 Les sentimens sarabande 1 1 11 5 Gavotte nbsp La Fileuse 2 12 6 Gavotte 4 26 2 Les sartires chevre pieds seconde partie 4 23 5 La bourbonnoise gavotte 1 1 14 La Princesse Marie premier partie 4 20 1 6 Wirbeltanz nbsp Le Turbulent 3 18 4 Le petits moulins a vent 3 17 2 Les tricoteuses 4 23 2 7 Allemande und Menuett nbsp Allemande a deux clavecins 2 9 1 Les charmes 2 9 3 8 Marsch nbsp Les matelots provencales Premier partie 1 3 11 Source Norman Del Mar vol 2 p 277 Heisler pp 109 10 Couperin s collection of solo harpsichord pieces pieces de clavecin is organized into 25 suites for which Couperin used the term ordre in the sense of sequence Each sequence consists of several pieces with a title for each piece Depending on the publisher these are also divided into volumes However the original publication was in four volumes volume 1 published in 1713 contains sequences 1 5 volume 2 published in 1717 contains sequences 6 12 volume 3 published in 1722 contains sequences 13 19 volume 4 published in 1730 contains sequences 20 25 In the second column the name of the piece is given followed by three numbers first the livre or volume in which it was originally published second the ordre or sequence in which it occurs thirdly its position in this sequence For example the 8th movement of the dance suite Marsch comes from Les matelots provencals the 11th piece in sequence 3 contained in volume 1 Instrumentation edit nbsp Strauss the conductor around 1924 The dance suite uses a chamber orchestra with the following instrumentation 2 flutes oboe cor anglais oboe 2 clarinets 2 bassoons 2 horns trumpet trombone Glockenspiel Harpsichord harp celesta Strings 4 3 2 2 2Recordings editThere have been several recordings of this piece including CD title release date Orchestra and conductor Reference Richard Strauss Komponist Dirigent Pianist und Klavierbegleiter Volume 3 2010 Vienna Philharmonic Richard Strauss Documents 291373 Tanzsuite aus Klavierstucken von Francois Couperin 2006 Chamber Orchestra of Europe Erich Leinsdorf COE Records CDCOE809 Richard Strauss Complete Tone Poems and Concertos 2014 Sinfonietta de Montreal Charles Dutoit Decca Collectors Edition 4786480 Ballet Suites after Couperin 1999 Bamberg Symphony Karl Anton Rickenbacher Koch 365352 R Strauss Complete Orchestral Works remaster 2014 Staatskapelle Dresden Rudolf Kempe Warner Classics 4317802 Strauss Verklungene Feste Tanzsuite Divertimento 1993 Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra Hiroshi Wakasugi Denon Records B00000DT02 The recording with Strauss conducting the Vienna Philharmonic was made in 1944 as part of his 80th birthday celebrations References edit Heisler p 100 Heisler p 119 Heisler p 108 Heisler p 112 Heisler p 175 Heisler p 126 Heisler p 174Sources editWayne Heisler Jr The Ballet Collaborations of Richard Strauss University of Rochester Press 2009 ISBN 978 1 58046 321 8 Norman Del Mar Richard Strauss a critical commentary on his life and works second edition Volume 2 Faber and Faber London 1986 ISBN 978 0 571 25097 4 External links editTanzsuite aus Klavierstucken von Francois Couperin TrV 245 Scores at the International Music Score Library Project Portal nbsp Classical music Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Dance Suite from Keyboard Pieces by Francois Couperin amp oldid 1211600503, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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