Polovtsian Dances
The Polovtsian Dances, or Polovetsian Dances (Template:Langx), form an exotic scene at the end of act 2 of Alexander Borodin's opera Prince Igor.
The opera remained unfinished when the composer died in 1887, although he had worked on it for more than a decade. A performing version was prepared by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Alexander Glazunov in 1890.[1] Several other versions, or "completions", of the opera have been made. The dances are performed with chorus and last between 11 and 14 minutes. They occur in act 1 or act 2, depending on which version of the opera is being used. Their music is popular and often given in concert as an orchestral showpiece, often with the choral parts omitted. The opera also has a "Polovtsian march" which opens act 3, and an overture at the start. When the dances are given in concert, a suite may be performed: Overture – "Polovtsian dances and march" from Prince Igor.
Name
The name Polovtsian Dances refers to the Cumans (Polovtsy), who were nomadic invaders of Russia; the Cumans capture Igor in the opera and then entertain him with dances.[2]
Analysis
Script error: No such module "Unsubst". Script error: No such module "Listen". The first dance, which uses no chorus and is sometimes omitted in concerts, is No. 8, entitled "Dance of the Polovtsian Maidens" ["Пляска половецких девушек"]: presto, 6/8, F major; it is placed directly after the "Chorus of the Polovtsian Maidens" which opens the act and is followed by "Konchakovna's Cavatina".
Theme from No. 8
<score sound="1">\relative c{\key f \major \time 6/8 c4\p( bes8 a bes c bes a bes g a bes) a( g f g f e f e d d4) r8 \bar "||"}</score> Contains notable instrumental solo for clarinet.
No. 17, "Polovtsian Dance with Chorus"
The dances proper appear at the end of the act as an uninterrupted single number in several contrasting sections, as in the following list. Basic themes are identified by letters in brackets (e.g. [a]) and illustrated in the notation below the list.
- No. 17, "Polovtsian Dance with Chorus"
- [Половецкая пляска с хором tr. Polovetskaya plyaska s khorom]
- [a] Introduction: Andantino, Template:Sfrac, A major
- [b] Gliding Dance of the Maidens [Пляска девушек плавная]: Andantino, Template:Sfrac, F♯ minor
- [c + a] Wild Dance of the Men [Пляска мужчин дикая]: Allegro vivo, Template:Sfrac, F major
- [d] General Dance [Общая пляска]: Allegro, Template:Sfrac, D major
- [e] Dance of the Boys [Пляска мальчиков] and 2nd Dance of the Men [Пляска мужчин]: Presto, Template:Sfrac, D minor
- [b′ + e′] Gliding Dance of the Maidens (reprise, soon combined with the faster dancing of the boys): Moderato alla breve, Template:Sfrac, A major
- [e″] Dance of the Boys and 2nd Dance of the Men (reprise): Presto, Template:Sfrac, D minor
- [c′ + a″] General Dance: Allegro con spirito, Template:Sfrac, A major
- Themes from No. 17
[a] Introduction: Andantino, Template:Sfrac, A major: <score sound="1" lang="lilypond">\relative c{\set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \tempo 4 = 84 \key a \major \time 4/4 b8^"[a]"\p( cis d4) \times 2/3{fis8( e d} cis4) d8( cis16 b a4) r2 fis8( gis a4) \times 2/3{cis8( b a} gis4) a2 r2 \bar "||"}</score>
[b] Gliding Dance of the Maidens [Пляска девушек плавная]: Andantino, Template:Sfrac, F♯ minor: <score sound="1" lang="lilypond">\relative c{\set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \tempo 4 = 84 \key a \major \time 4/4 b,8-.\p^"[b]" b( fis'4)~fis8 e16( fis) \appoggiatura {d16[e]} d8( cis16 b) cis( d e8~)e4 e8( fis) \appoggiatura{cis16[d]} cis8( b16 a) fis8-. fis( b4~) b8( cis) \appoggiatura{b16[cis]} b8( a16 gis) a( gis fis8~)fis4 fis8 (gis a cis) \bar "||"}\layout{\context{\Score \override NonMusicalPaperColumn.line-break-permission = ##f \override NonMusicalPaperColumn.page-break-permission = ##f}}</score> Contains notable instrumental solos for oboe and English horn.
[c] Wild Dance of the Men [Пляска мужчин дикая]: Allegro vivo, Template:Sfrac, F major: <score sound="1" lang="lilypond">\relative c{\set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \tempo 4 = 152 \key f \major \time 4/4 g8-.\p^"[c]" g8->~g16( a bes8) bes16( c bes a) a( bes a g) f8-. f->~f16( g f e) e( f e ees) d( ees e f) \break g8-. g->~g16( a bes8) bes16( c bes a) a( bes a g) f8-. f->~f16( g f ees) des( ees des c) bes( c des f) \bar "||"}\layout{\context{\Score \override NonMusicalPaperColumn.line-break-permission = ##f \override NonMusicalPaperColumn.page-break-permission = ##f}}</score> Contains notable instrumental solo for clarinet.
[d] General Dance [Общая пляска]: Allegro, Template:Sfrac, D major: <score sound="1" lang="lilypond">\relative c{\set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \tempo 2. = 69 \key d \major \time 3/4 r4\ff^"[d]" a,->( b8) r r4 b->( cis8) r r4 cis->( d8) r r4 d->( e8) r r4 fis4.->( g8) g( fis) fis( eis) eis( e) e( dis) dis( d) d( cis) cis\trill( b) b4-. b-. \bar "||"}</score>
[e] Dance of the Boys [Пляска мальчиков] and 2nd Dance of the Men [Пляска мужчин]: Presto, Template:Sfrac, D minor: <score sound="1" lang="lilypond">\relative c{\set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \tempo 2. = 100 \key f \major \time 6/8 <<{r8^"[e]" r a(\p e'4.->)~ e2.~e8 r e( g4->) e8( g4->) e8( g4->) e8( a,->)}\\{\hideNotes r2. \unHideNotes r8 c (e d c bes a) r r d,-> r r c-> r r bes-> r4 a8->}>> \bar "||"}</score>
Lyrics
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| Russian lyrics[1][3] | Transliteration | English translation[4] |
|---|---|---|
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Улетай на крыльях ветра |
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Uletay na krylyakh vetra |
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Fly on the wings of the wind |
Там, под знойным небом, |
Tam, pod znoynym nebom, |
There, under the hot sky, |
Там так ярко солнце светит, |
Tam tak yarko solntse svetit, |
There the sun shines so brightly, |
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Пойте песни славы хану! Пой! |
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Poyte pesni slavy khanu! Poy! |
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Sing songs of praise to the Khan! Sing! |
Блеском славы |
Bleskom slavy |
In the brilliance of his glory, |
Чаги хана славят хана. |
Chagi khana slavyat khana. |
The Khan women slaves praise the Khan, |
Konchak [the Khan]: Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Do you see the captives |
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Sing songs of praise to the Khan! Sing! |
All the Slavs: Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Repeats opening phrase.Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Fly on the wings of the wind |
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Our Khan, Khan Konchak, is equal |
Ballets Russes performances
As part of his first Script error: No such module "Lang". at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, Sergei Diaghilev presented Polovtsian Scenes and Dances, consisting of act 2 of Prince Igor, with full orchestra and singers. The premiere took place on 18 May 1909. The choreography was by Michel Fokine and the sets and costumes were designed by Nicholas Roerich. In later seasons, without singers, the work was given as The Polovtsian Dances. For the 1923 season, it was partly re-choreographed by Bronislava Nijinska.[5]
In 1971, the ballet was presented by choreographer Igor Moiseyev in the USSR Folk Dance Ensemble (Одноактный балет "Половецкие пляски". Балет Игоря Моисеева). It was premiered at the Palais des Sports at the Porte de Versailles in Paris; in Moscow, in the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall, in Leningrad and other cities of the USSR. The ballet was filmed.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".
In popular culture
Themes from the Polovtsian Dances have been used widely in popular culture. The 1953 musical Kismet is mostly adapted from Borodin's music, including these dances.[6] The most prominent example is the popular standard "Stranger in Paradise," adapted from the "Gliding Dance of the Maidens".[7]
References
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- ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Template:Wikisourcelang-inline – Displayed title trans: Prince Igor (Borodin) / libretto – Wikisource. Target file trans title: Prince Igor (Borodin) / libretto #№ 17 "Polots Dance with Chorus".
- ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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External links
- Free scores of Polovtsian Dances in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)
- Prince Igor: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
- Template:Trim Template:Replace on YouTubeScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters"., Dutch National Opera
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