Sounds of Classics

Sounds of Classics

<strong>Sounds of Classics</strong> (formerly the album <strong>Solo</strong>, released in 2002) is a complete ballet class with 30 tracks of classical music. Music by Verdi, Schumann, Tchaikovsky, and Minkus (among others) is performed by pianist Steven Mitchell. Steven is the ballet rehearsal pianist for the Metropolitan Opera. Pieces from <strong>Sounds of Classics</strong> include variations from Balanchine’s “Donizetti Variations” and Tchaikovsky’s haunting “Barcarolle” from “The Seasons” (used in the ballet “Eugene Onegin”). Other pieces come from “Le Corsaire”, “Fille ma Gardee”, “Rendezvous”, and “Le Corsaire”. Also included are ballet variations from Verdi’s operas “I Vespri Siciliani” and “Jerusalem”. 4 long tracks for pirouette exercises can accommodate many groups of dancers. A Polonaise is chosen for Petit Allegro for those who prefer rhythmic diversity. The pieces chosen here are not tunes normally heard on ballet class recordings; they are chosen for their freshness. For accompaniment at a conservatory level played with rhythmic variety that can develop stronger musicality, <strong>Sounds of Classics</strong> will be an excellent addition to your CD library!