The Royal Ballet Gala Performance : Ernest Ansermet

《皇家芭蕾》是安塞美指挥皇家歌剧院管弦乐团演奏精选的、经典的古典芭蕾舞音乐，曲目包括柴可夫斯基的三大芭蕾舞剧「胡桃夹子」、「天鹅湖」与「睡美人」等等。唱片本身代表的并不仅仅是音乐，它诉说着皇家芭蕾的辉煌岁月。

皇家芭雷的音乐内容当然以古典芭蕾舞音乐为主，柴可夫斯基的三大芭蕾舞剧「胡桃钳」、「天鹅湖」与「睡美人」都收录其中。这CD具有不可思议的气氛，低频量感丰富且充满LP味，使用越高级的系统就越能享受大提琴部暗地翻滚而来的低频拉奏，和空间中残响回荡的感觉（好的音乐不是都会绕梁吗？），那不是一支支传来的，而是一整片充满于聆听室中。

For those who love ballet music, this CD is a must !

The Royal Ballet has historically been the most highly sought after of the RCA Living Stereo releases. Recorded in Kingsway Hall by the legendary Kenneth Wilkinson, this title features selections from The Nutcracker Suite, Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty among others. The performances are conducted by Ernst Ansermet directing the Royal Opera House Orchestra and the sonics are incomparable.  

This is a newly remastered K2 HD CD ..

PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893)

TNutcracker Suite, Op. 71a: excerpts
1.March
2.Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy
3.Arabian Dance (Coffee)
4.Chinese Dance (Tea)
5.Dance of the Mirlitons
6.Waltz of the Flowers

GIOACHINO ROSSINI (1792-1868)
La Boutique Fantasque: excerpts
7.Tarantella
8.Andantino mosso
9.Can-Can

LEO DELIBES (1836-1891)
Coppelia: excerpts
10.Prelude - Mazurka
11.Introduction and Waltz
12.Czardas (Danse hongroise)
13.Valse de la poupee

ADOLPHE ADAM (1803-1856)
Giselle: excerpts
14.Introduction and Waltz
15.Pas de deux and Variation

CD 2
PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY
Swan Lake, Op. 20: excerpts
1.Scene (moderato)
2.Danse des petits cygnes (moderato)
3.Pas de deux
4.Valse

ROBERT SCHUMANN (1810-1856)
Carnaval, Op. 9: excerpts
orch. Glazunov, Rimsky-Korsakov
5.Pierrot
6.Reconnaissance
7.Pantalon et Colombine
8.Aveu

PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY
The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66: excerpts
9.Introduction: Prologue - The Lilac Fairy
10.Rose Adagio
11.Valse

FREDERIC CHOPIN (1810-1849)

Les Sylphides: excerpts
orch. Roy Douglas
12.Prelude
13.Mazurka
14. Valse

Review from the net:

While the bulk of Ansermet's recordings were made with L'Orchestre de la Susise Romande, there were a few with the Paris Conservatoire Orchestra and the very occasional foray into recordings with London orchestras, one of these being with the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, in 1959 with producer Michael Williamson and engineer Kenneth Wilkinson in tow at London's Kingsway Hall.

Reviewing this recording, Audiophilia Online Magazine wrote: "This is the stuff of which dreams are made. The Royal Ballet Gala is one of the finest RCAs recorded in London's Kingsway Hall. The chunks of great ballet music are well served by orchestra, conductor and engineer. Performances are executed to a very high standard - the Royal Opera House Orchestra, both then and now, rank as one of the finest of opera orchestras.

"Conductor Ansermet keeps the pace moving, giving the listener the impression of a dance event rather than a dramatic concert hall reading. With the exception of some of the Tchaikovsky scenes, the music is light and remains so under Ansermet's gentle touch. Each ballet is given full attention by the players, something not always attained at Covent Garden during long ballet nights! The threat of eternity does have its merits.

The recorded sound is simply amazing! Lustrous is one word that comes to mind, accurate is another. Tonally, Messrs. Williamson and Wilkinson have used their considerable talents to capture the orchestra superbly. Woodwind and strings glow and resonate, transporting this listener to a time when simpler recording was better. Brass ring out thrillingly and percussion effects are very musical. Be it a bang, swish, rattle, crack or snap, each percussionist is situated perfectly within the beautiful Kingsway soundstage. Even the difficult-to-record sound of the celeste is captured in its purely mechanical form. Its delicate sound is heard to great effect during the Nutcracker - originating stage left, the sound decays across the stage of Kingsway with sparkling beauty. Wonderful."