ABOUT THE WORKS
Sergei Prokofiev: Suite 1 from Cinderella Ballet, Op. 107
Cinderella is a story written by the Italian Giambattista Basile published in 1634. Then, in 1697, the Frenchman Charles Perrault made an adaptation of this and other fantastic stories, on which future artists based themselves to create librettos for both operas, plays, ballets, cinematographic works, perhaps the most famous being Walt Disney’s animated version from 1950.
ABOUT PROKOFIEV’S BALLET
After the scandalous success of the Romeo and Juliet ballet, in which even the dancers argued that it was too complex music to be danced, Sergei decided to return to the traditional works of Russian ballet, such as those created by Tchaikovsky, making dance music in which Each character had its variation, incorporating pas de deux, adagios, gavottes, waltzes, among other traditional numbers, into the score.
It premiered at the Bolshoi Theater (Moscow, Russia) on November 21, 1945. The success was such that more performances were quickly organized in the following years. Although the work of the choreographers and librettist was exceptional, the brilliant score written by this genius, endowed with joy, passion and romanticism but with humor and irony, achieved an unbeatable conjunction.
In this first suite some of the most representative numbers of the ballet are compiled:
1. Introduction
2- Pas de Châle
3- Lawsuit
4- Fairy Godmother and Winter Fairy
5- Mazurka
6- Cinderella goes to the ball
7- Cinderella Waltz
8- Midnight
ABOUT RICHARD STRAUSS
In this fun and brilliant symphonic poem Richard Strauss presents us with Till Eulenspigel, who is a character from the German picaresque tradition, a mixture of villain, bandit, prankster, a kind of jester without a pattern. Till moves freely around the world, playing all kinds of pranks on the serious citizens with whom he lives, with no other intention than to have fun and have a good time.
According to those familiar with the legend, Till was an expert at angering merchants and also liked to dress up as a priest and, from time to time, acted as Don Juan. Tired of the pranks played by Mr. Eulenspiegel, the solemn German bourgeoisie take him prisoner, try him and, finally, he is condemned.
Strauss presents the musical development of this story under a complex version of the rondo form: a musical form that has as its characteristic a chorus “A” that is repeated and interspersed with new material “b,c,d”, something like AbAcAdA …. Following this structure, the composer takes us through this musical narrative, manipulating the melodies with great skill with the pen without neglecting his incomparable mastery in orchestration. With attention it is possible to follow Till’s adventures step by step, up to the point where, according to Strauss, the adventurer is taken to the scaffold, where he very soon finds himself with a noose around his neck. What happens next is left to the listener’s imagination.
PABLO HERRERO PONDAL
The director was born in 1974 in Buenos Aires. He developed his musical studies at the Faculty of Arts of the National University of Cuyo.
He completed his career in Orchestral Conducting under the guidance of David del Pino Klinge, from 1994 to 1999. He continued his further studies in Santiago, Chile. In June 2006, she debuted in the season of the National Orchestra of Georgia (former Soviet Union) and in the “Season of Discovery” of the Chilean Symphony Orchestra.
He conducted the Symphony Orchestra of the National University of Cuyo on several occasions. Also, he was invited to conduct the symphony orchestras of San Juan, Tucumán, Neuquén and Rosario. He is the principal conductor of the Mendoza Philharmonic Orchestra, an organization dependent on the Government of Mendoza.
