L’Orchestre de la Suisse RomandeErnest Ansermet

TCHAIKOVSKYThe Nutcracker

Suite No. 3Suite No. 4 ‘Mozartiana’

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CD 1 69’09

The Nutcracker, Op. 711 Overture 3’08

ACT I2 No. 1: The Christmas Tree 4’103 No. 2: March 2’274 No. 3: Galop and Dance of the Parents 2’135 No. 4: Dance Scene – The Presents of Drosselmeyer 5’166 No. 5: Scene – Grandfather Dance 5’347 No. 6: Clara and the Nutcracker 6’348 No. 7: Battle between Nutcracker and Mouse King – 3’28

The Nutcracker wins and is transformed into Prince Charming9 No. 8: Scene – Pine forest in Winter 3’220 No. 9: Scene and Waltz of the Snowflakes 6’00

ACT II! No. 10: The Magic Castle on the Mountain of Sweets 4’01@ No. 11: Clara and Prince Charming 4’41

Divertissement:£ No. 12a: Chocolate (Spanish Dance) 1’10$ No. 12b: Coffee (Arabian Dance) 3’09% No. 12c: Tea (Chinese Dance) 1’03^ No. 12d: Trépak (Russian Dance) 1’05& No. 12e: Dance of the Mirlitons (Reed Pipes) 2’14* No. 12f: Polchinelle (The Clown) 2’37( No. 13: Waltz of the Flowers 6’26

Total timing: 147’36

CD 2 78’27

Pas de deux: 1 No. 14a: Intrada 5’352 No. 14b: Variation 1 (Tarantella) 0’403 No. 14c: Variation 2 (Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy) 1’584 No. 14d: Coda 1’215 No. 15: Final Waltz and Apotheosis 4’52

Suite for Orchestra No. 3 in G, Op. 556 I Elégie 9’297 II Valse mélancolique 5’438 III Scherzo 4’359 IV Tema con variazioni 17’29

Ruggiero Ricci, solo violin

Suite for Orchestra No. 4 in G, Op. 61 ‘Mozartiana’ 0 I Gigue 1’49! II Menuet 4’58@ III Preghiera 5’02£ IV Thème et variations 14’14

Ruggiero Ricci, solo violin

L’Orchestre de la Suisse RomandeErnest Ansermet

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The Nutcracker ballet occupies a unique place innot only the ballet repertoire but in the entirerange of mainstream classical music; arguably,no other composition has opened the door toclassical music to as many people as this work,whether in its entirety or as a Suite of dancesfrom the Divertissement. In Europe especially, avisit to a performance is a sine aqua non ofChristmas, as much as the traditionalpantomime in England. One thinks of well-scrubbed Renoiresque eight-year-old girls in theirbest black velvet party frocks, watched over byzealous nannies, their eyes bright withexcitement at the prospect of their first grownup occasion…

The story was based on the Elder Dumas’sadaptation of E.T.A. Hoffnung’s The Nutcrackerand the Mouse King. It was commissioned bythe Imperial Theatre in St. Petersburg in 1891.The composer was unenthusiastic about thework but began composition on it before a UStour (in which he conducted the inauguralperformance at Carnegie Hall) and resumedwork on his return. By March 1892, the workwas finished and the première was given in theDecember to not particularly appreciativeaudiences. Incredibly, the entire production wasdismissed by the press as ‘tiresome’, despite thefact that nine months earlier, the now famous

Suite had been wildly received, with no fewerthan five numbers being encored.

Ansermet’s recording of The Nutcracker wasreleased in April 1959.The special effects – thesqueaks, growls etc. – that Tchaikovsky calls forwere enhanced by stereo. Ansermet knew howto convey the sheer fantasy of the music andmaintains the exquisite transparent orchestraltextures, emphasizing all the time that this is astory of childhood innocence. The music-boxeffect of the violins in such a high register in theOverture always reminds of a comment heardyears ago to the effect that it’s almost likehearing a 33rpm LP played at 45rpm speed! Theacoustic is bright and spacious. Ansermet’stempos and phrasing are particularlysympathetic, never forced or inappropriatelyhigh powered, and in the famousDivertissement, touchingly gentle. Yet, in the‘Battle between Nutcracker and Mouse King’,there’s plenty of edge and menace.

Particular points to listen for are: the Pine Forestin Winter leading into the Dance of theSnowflakes, the arrival at the Mountain ofSweets and the bizarre dance of the toys withits Stravinskian overtones. For many, in spite ofthe slight cuts in this score for this recording, itremains among the very finest of Nutcrackers.No identification can be traced for the children’s

choir on the archival recording cards, original LPissue and subsequent reissues but it is thought tobe the the Petit Choeur du Collège de Villamont(from Lausanne).

ACT IAfter the miniature Overture, the curtain rises onChristmas festivities at the Stahlbaum home. Theparents are putting the finishing touches to aspectacular Christmas tree. Clara (sometimescalled Marie) and her brother Fritz enter withtheir friends and the children begin to march.This turns into a galop and then other adultsarrive and they, in turn, dance a polonaise. Thehigh jinks continue until suddenly, the lightsflicker and the vision of an old owl appearsabove the grandfather clock as the hour issounded. (Interestingly, the same guise used bythe evil Baron Rothbart in Swan Lake.)Simultaneously, Herr Drosselmeyer (sometimesdepicted as the children’s toymaker grandfather)who bears an uncanny resemblance to the owlbecause of a black eye patch, appears at thedoor accompanied by his handsome nephewwith huge bags of toys – presents for theStahlbaum children – a doll for Clara and a toysoldier for Fritz.

Drosselmeyer has another surprise up his sleeve:a nutcracker, which he gives to Clara. Fritz, in ajealous rage, rips it from her and stomps on it.

Drosselmeyer’s nephew chases the naughty boyaway and Clara comforts the Nutcracker andplaces it in a cradle beside her doll. Not to besilenced, Fritz and his friends continue to disruptthe gathering by parading round banging drumsand blowing trumpets. Dr. Stahlbaum decides allgood things must come to an end and winds upproceedings with a stately ‘Grossvater Tanz’(Grandfather Dance), which may be familiar tosome listeners from its use in Schumann’sCarnaval and Papillons. The guests depart andthe family retires to bed.

Clara, intrigued by the Nutcracker, cannot sleepand creeps downstairs as the old clock strikesmidnight and its faces begins to resembleDrosselmeyer. She imagines she sees him repairing the Nutcracker until she graduallyfalls asleep.

Suddenly, everything comes to life: theChristmas tree lights blink and the tree expandsso that the walls of the room disappear; dolls,soldiers and gingerbread men begin to march.A legion of mice, led by the Mouse King, attackthe soldiers who are led by the Nutcracker,protecting Clara. They fire a fusillade of sweetsat the marauding mice, to no avail, and the micebegin to devour the gingerbread men. Clarathrows her slipper at the Mouse King and theNutcracker runs him through with his sword.

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Suddenly, Clara’s doll cradle transports her outinto the starry night to the Kingdom of Snowwhere she is met by the Nutcracker, nowtransformed into a handsome prince whoresembles Drosselmeyer’s nephew. He presentsher with the Mouse King’s crown and invites herto his kingdom.

Clara and her prince travel through the PineForest and the act culminates with a waltz sungby a chorus led by the King and Queen of theSnowflakes and their courtiers.

ACT II Clara and the prince arrive at the Kingdom ofSweets. Here they meet the Sugar Plum Fairy,who, hearing that Clara has saved the prince’slife, shows them to a place of honour at a tableladen with treats. Now comes the famousDivertissement: Chocolate is represented by anexuberant Spanish fandango, Coffee by asinuous Arabian Dance, Tea by a traditionalChinese number, Lollypop canes perform aRussian Trépak, while Marzipan shepherdessesperform to a graceful Dance for Three Flutes(Mirlitons). Mother Gigogne (The Old Womanwho lived in a Shoe) and her polchinelles(buffoons) appear with her children hiddenunder her vast crinoline skirt.

Then we have the ubiquitous ‘Waltz of the

Flowers’ and the high point of the entire ballet:the pas de deux with the Suger Plum Fairy,characterized by the ethereal sounds of thecelesta, an instrument the composer heard inParis when he immediately vowed to be thefirst Russian to compose music for it. Everyonethen joins in the final waltz and apotheosis. TheSugar Plum Fairy takes Clara and her prince toa walnut shell boat which carries them off towho knows where…?

The word Suite has more meanings in musicthan almost any other term. In Bach’s time theterm could refer, inter alia, to a series ofcontrasting dances (sarabande, allemande,gigue, minuet, etc.) for orchestra or forharpsichord. Then there is the suite as a series ofexcerpts from a larger work, usually a ballet, or,in the case of Berg’s Lulu suite, an opera, whichrearranges the existing material and introducesnew music. Yet another type is a compositioninspired by a place: Holst’s St Paul’s Suite (afterthe girls’ school) or Grieg’s Holberg Suite, atribute to the eighteenth century Norwegianplaywright, Holberg. The final main example isthe type of suite from incidental music written toaccompany a play which is then reduced intosometimes more than one suite, e.g. Grieg’sPeer Gynt suites or Bizet’s L’Arlésienne suites.

Tchailovsky is one of few composers in the

nineteenth century who ventured into thisgenre. His forays produced four works, datingfrom 1879. According to Tchailkovsky’s almostobsessive diary notes, few of his works had amore troublesome gestation period than theThird Suite. Composition began on 28 April1884 and was completed on 4 July by whichtime his tune had changed and the final diaryreference is jubilant, if syntactically awkward: ‘Awork of greater genius than the new Suite neverwas! My opinion of the new born compositionis so optimistic. God knows what I will think ofit a year hence.’

This supremely accomplished work certainlybetrays no sign of the creative anguish thecomposer experienced and the premiere,conducted by Hans von Bülow at a concert ofthe Russian Music Society in St. Petersburg, metwith great acclaim.

The first movement, Elegy, combines duple andtriple rhythms and is expertly scored with anextended solo for cor anglais at the end. TheValse mélancolique that follows is rather darkerand more languid than the composer’straditional balletic waltzes, more in the mood ofthe second movement of the Sixth Symphony.The scherzo is brilliant and mercurial, with amartial central section with trumpets, trombonesand cymbals which rises to a considerable climax

before a reprise of the opening section. Thefinale, Tema con variazioni (Theme andvariations) is a case of the tail wagging the dog:it’s virtually as long as the three precedingmovements combined. Tchaikovsky, in his usualinimitable way, transforms the simple folksong-like theme into something elegant and urbane,before launching into the variations.

1: the strings play the theme pizzicato andflutes and clarinets play a florid counter subject.2: The violas play a variant accompanied bywoodwind and horns, with violin filigree.Variation 3 involves only woodwinds. Variation4 in B minor is a full orchestral version wherethe theme is played in unison by clarinets, coranglais and cellos. Variation 5 returns to thehome key of G major but the time changes to3/4 in fugal form. Variation 6 sees the fullorchestra in another wild tarantella-likeepisode. Variation 7 is a chorale (Protestanthymn) for winds alone and in Variation 8 thetheme is played in Russian folk song style sungby the cor anglais. Variation 9 is a brisk dancefor full orchestra with a prominent part for thetriangle, leading to a sprightly violin cadenza(10) and then to the penultimate variation withflutes and violins paired against bassoons anddouble basses. The final variation is anaristocratic polonaise of pomp and splendour.

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Ansermet’s performance of this work, notsurprisingly, is inspired by his great affinity withTchaikovsky’s ballet scores. In the openingmovement, he shows particular sensitivity in theway the music gently unfolds to reveal its riches.The second movement is particularly wistful anddelicately pastel-hued. The scherzo, whichwould have been worthy of inclusion in any ofthe symphonies, is dispatched with real panacheand superbly feathery string playing. Theorchestral textures are transparent throughout.In the mammoth final movement, the orchestrais magnificent. As in the ballet scores, thismovement presents a potential conflict betweenballetic and symphonic elements but Ansermetsatisfies both elements, ending the piece in ablaze of jubilation and glory.

Mozart ranked higher in Tchaikovsky’s esteemthan any other composer and his tragic death asthe musical equivalent of Christ’s sacrifice.Tchaikovsky had already paid indirect homage tothe spirit of the eighteenth century and Mozartin particular in his Rococo Variations and inMozartiana he used Mozart’s piano pieces andLiszt’s piano transcription of the communionanthem Ave Verum Corpus. Mozartiana is, ineffect, a divertimento based on Mozart’sthemes: The gigue is rather Schubertian, theminuet is perky but the pious treatment of Ave

Verum Corpus has been criticised as etiolatedand ‘clammy’. It is in the concluding theme andvariations (using eight of Mozart’s TenVariations for Piano on Gluck’s Der Pilgrimmevon Mecca) which comprise more than half ofthe entire work, that Tchaikovsky steps outfrom under Mozart’s shadow as it were andbecomes his own man. The peerless violinplaying of Ruggiero Ricci, no less, in the violinsolo in the penultimate variation enhances theperformance immeasurably.

Greg Keane

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ERNEST ANSERMET was a significant figurein twentieth-century music. He was born in1883 and followed his father’s profession ofmathematician, graduating from LausanneUniversity in 1903 and returning there asProfessor of Mathematics, although by thenhe had realised that music was his truevocation. He received tuition from ErnestBloch and conducted his first concerts atMontreux in 1910.

He became a friend of Debussy, Ravel andStravinsky, on whose recommendation hebecame conductor for Diaghilev’s BalletsRusses, a position which took him to Londonand South America and which enhanced hisreputation to the point where he premieredFalla’s Three-Cornered Hat, Prokofiev’s TheBuffoon and Stravinsky’s The Soldier’s Tale,Pulcinella and Renard. All his life, Ansermetwas associated with the ‘Diaghilev’ scores –Ravel, Debussy and romantic Russians likeRimsky-Korsakov and Borodin.

However, Ansermet’s talents extended wellbeyond this sphere of repertoire: he alsopremiered works by Bloch, Copland,Lutoslawski, Martinu, Walton and Britten’sopera The Rape of Lucretia. Ansermet’sgreatest legacy was undoubtedly the SuisseRomande Orchestra (Romande being the

French speaking region of Switzerland centredaround Geneva where the Orchestra is based)Ansermet remained its Chief Conductor fromits formation in 1918 until his retirement in1968, surely an unprecedented period in thehistory of music. After World War II, he signedan exclusive contract with Decca and, apartfrom a flirtation with the London Philharmonicand the occasional excursion (vide somerecordings with the Paris ConservatoireOrchestra), his recordings were madeexclusively with this orchestra until hisretirement. This made Ansermet unique, aseven conductors such as Furtwängler andKarajan, who both had marathon periods asChief Conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic,also frequently conducted other orchestrassuch as the Vienna Philharmonic and thePhilharmonia Orchestra.

The Suisse Romande was never one of theworld’s top ten orchestras, but on its day it wasa fine ensemble which benefited fromAnsermet’s scrupulous adherence to the score,clarity and flair for detail. In a 75th birthdayarticle, The Gramophone magazine commentedon his ‘mathematical accuracy’ – anunintentionally double-edged comment since itsuggests a sort of desiccated human abacus,largely devoid of spontaneity and intuition. t

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Ansermet was essentially unassuming, almostascetic, and had none of the grand seigneur,bullying podium psychopath, or the fatuousdynamism of the bogus celebrity about him.However, he was, especially towards the endof his life, often cantankerous and petulantand very jealous of any considerationdisplayed towards his Decca colleague andcontemporary, Pierre Monteux. It was ameasure of Ansermet’s influence that hemanaged to persuade Decca to cast himagainst type, as it were, and allow him torecord Beethoven and Brahms cycles when thecompany had such titans in theAustro/Germanic repertoire as Karl Böhm,Hans Knappertsbusch, Rafael Kubelik andGeorg Solti. Some of his last recordings wereof Bach cantatas.

No portrait of Ansermet, however brief, wouldbe complete without anecdotal evidence ofhis parsimonious side, delivered withconsiderable relish by John Culshaw in hisautobiography, Putting the Record Straight.Ansermet’s Geneva apartment had drawersand cupboards stuffed with material from theDiaghilev days – notes galore from theimpresario himself, or from Stravinsky andNijinsky, bundles of little sketches by Picasso,postcards from Debussy, Satie and Ravel –

which seemed to mean little to him. Despitethis veritable cornucopia, on the departurefrom the company of the recording producerJames Walker, who had worked with infinitepatience and loyalty to produce the bestresults possible during Ansermet’s decliningyears, all he received from Ansermet was abox of Swiss chocolates!

After his retirement as Chief Conductor of theSuisse Romande Orchestra in 1968, he madeonly one recording: a complete Firebird withthe New Philharmonia, which included arehearsal sequence. He survived only a fewmonths and died in February 1969. Had itbeen impossible for him to live without hisbeloved Suisse Romande Orchestra?

Greg Keane

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Ernest Ansermet’s complete Tchaikovsky recordings for DECCA:

Swan Lake; Rococo Variations; Symphony No. 6Decca Eloquence 480 0563

The Sleeping BeautyDecca Eloquence 480 0560

The Nutcracker; Suites Nos. 2 & 3Decca Eloquence 480 0557

Recording producers: James Walker (The Nutcracker); John Mordler (Suites)Recording engineers: Roy Wallace (The Nutcracker); James Lock (Suites)Recording location: Victoria Hall, Geneva, Switzerland, November 1958 (The Nutcracker), December1966 (Suites) Eloquence series manager: Cyrus Meher-HomjiArt direction: Chilu Tong · www.chilu.comBooklet editor: Bruce Raggatt

480 0557