NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Leon Minkus

Léon Fedorovich Minkus (born Aloisius Ludwig Minkus on March 23, 1826 in Grossmeseritsch (Czech Velké Meziříčí), near Brünn (Czech Brno), Austria-Hungary - died on December 7, 1917 in Vienna, Austria). Czechoslovakian composer of ballet music, famous for the ballets he scored during the mid 1860s until the late 1880s, specifically his ballets Don Quixote -1869, and La Bayadere -1877, as well as the additional music he scored for the ballets Paquita and Giselle. The majority of Minkus's works were commissioned for the Grand Ballet Spectacles of the great choreographer Marius Petipa, unrivaled Balletmaster of the Tsar's Imperial Ballet of St. Petersburg, Russia. Minkus belongs to a group of 19th century composers known as the specialist ballet composers, whom composed music exclusively for the ballet. Brno listen[?] (-Czech, German: BrÃ¼nn) is the second-largest city of the Czech Republic, located in the southeast of the country, at the confluence of the Svitava and Svratka rivers. ... // Geography Brno (helpÂ· info) (-Czech, German: BrÃ¼nn) is the second largest city in the Czech Republic, located in the southeast part of the country, at the confluence of the Svitava and Svratka rivers. ... Austria-Hungary, also known as the Dual monarchy (or: the k. ... This article is about the city and federal state in Austria. ... The Waltz of the Snowflakes from Tchaikovskys The Nutcracker Ballet is the name given to a specific dance form and technique. ... The Waltz of the Snowflakes from Tchaikovskys The Nutcracker Ballet is the name given to a specific dance form and technique. ... The Waltz of the Snowflakes from Tchaikovskys The Nutcracker Ballet is the name given to a specific dance form and technique. ... Don Quixote de la Mancha (spelled Don Quijote in modern Spanish) (IPA: ) is a novel by the Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra. ... The Waltz of the Snowflakes from Tchaikovskys The Nutcracker Ballet is the name given to a specific dance form and technique. ... Giselle, danced to familiar music by the French ballet and opera composer Adolphe Adam, and choreographed by Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot, is a Romantic-era ballet first danced in Paris in 1841. ... Marius Petipa (March 11, 1818 â€” July 14, 1910) was the French dancer and choreographer who virtually invented the now-traditional structure of classical ballet in a career that was centered at the Imperial Theater in St Petersburg. ... Look up Tsar in Wiktionary, the free dictionary For the US community of Czar, see Czar, West Virginia. ... The Mariinsky Ballet is one of the most famous ballet schools in history (formerly the Kirov Ballet, and also the Academic State Theatre), located in St. ... Saint Petersburg listen (Russian: Санкт-Петербу́рг, English transliteration: Sankt-Peterburg), colloquially known as Питер (transliterated Piter), formerly known as Leningrad (Ленингра́д, 1924–1991) and Petrograd (Петрогра́д, 1914–1924), is a city located in Northwestern Russia on the delta of the river Neva at the east end of the Gulf of... The Waltz of the Snowflakes from Tchaikovskys The Nutcracker Ballet is the name given to a specific dance form and technique. ...

Life

Not much is known about the life of the composer Léon Fedorovich Minkus, who was the most popular and performed composer of ballet music during the late 19th century, and who is still today is one of the most performed composers in theatres all over the world. Detailed information on the life of the composer is often very hard to come by - even among various monumental studies (dictionarys/encyclopedias) of musicians/composers Minkus is usually only given very vague articles, or is merely referred to as a reference to a few other composers and given no article of his own. When comparing these sources one will undoubtedly find contadicting information, be it his nationality, his place or date of birth, his place or date of death, or even his forename. The Waltz of the Snowflakes from Tchaikovskys The Nutcracker Ballet is the name given to a specific dance form and technique. ...

Reliable accounts state that he was born Aloisius Ludwig Minkus in Grossmeseritsch (Czech Velké Meziříčí), near Brünn, Austria-Hungary] on March 23, 1826. According to the great ballet historian Konstantin Skalkovsky (as mentioned in his study In the Theatre World) Minkus was of Czechoslavakian descent, a reliable statement considering Skalkovsky was personaly acquainted with the composer. Nothing is known about Minkus' parentage or his early life/childhood (though it has been said by some historians that the composer was an orfan), nor has it ever been made clear by historians, or even any contemporary accounts from his time as to wether the composer was ever married or had any children. Likewise it is unkown as to what influences the young Minkus had that lead him in the direction of music. At some point, most likely in either his late childhood or early teens, Minkus began playing/studying the violin which he excelled in tremendously. He relocated to Vienna, Austria in his late teens, where he studied at the Vienna Conservatory, becoming a well known violin virtuoso. He began composing seriously in his late teens, scoring light music for dancing as well as salon-like pieces for the violin, five of which were published from 1846-1847. Around this time he began conducting (for a time he conducted an orchestra which competed against the young Johann Strauss II). Brno listen[?] (-Czech, German: BrÃ¼nn) is the second-largest city of the Czech Republic, located in the southeast of the country, at the confluence of the Svitava and Svratka rivers. ... The Waltz of the Snowflakes from Tchaikovskys The Nutcracker Ballet is the name given to a specific dance form and technique. ... The pitches of open strings on a violin The violin is a bowed stringed musical instrument that has four strings tuned a perfect fifth apart, the lowest being the G just below middle C. It is the smallest and highest-tuned member of the violin family of string instruments, which... This article is about the city and federal state in Austria. ... The pitches of open strings on a violin The violin is a bowed stringed musical instrument that has four strings tuned a perfect fifth apart, the lowest being the G just below middle C. It is the smallest and highest-tuned member of the violin family of string instruments, which... The pitches of open strings on a violin The violin is a bowed stringed musical instrument that has four strings tuned a perfect fifth apart, the lowest being the G just below middle C. It is the smallest and highest-tuned member of the violin family of string instruments, which... Johann Strauss II The Waltz King coming to life in the Stadtpark, Vienna Johann Strauss II (or Johann StrauÃŸ Sohn - Johann Strauss son - or Johann Strauss the Younger, or Johann Strauss Jr. ...

In early 1846 the 19-year-old Minkus went to Paris, where he continued his career as a violin virtuoso, where at some point he began conducting seriously. He then emigrated to St. Petersburg, Russia in 1853, becoming conductor of the private orchestra of Prince Nikolai Yusupov until 1856. It was during his early years in Russia that Minkus took on the name Léon Fedorovich (strangely enough in Russia is and has always been referred to as Ludwig and not Léon). From 1856 until 1861 Minkus served as lead violinist in the orchestra of the St. Petersburg Imperial Bolshoi Theatre, as well as conductor/lead violinist for the Imperial Italian Opera. In 1861 Minkus was appointed Concertmaster of the Moscow Imperial Bolshoi Theatre, as well as professor of violin at the newly established Moscow Conservatory. In 1864 he was appointed Inspector of the Imperial Theatre Orchestras. The Eiffel Tower has become a symbol of Paris throughout the world. ... The pitches of open strings on a violin The violin is a bowed stringed musical instrument that has four strings tuned a perfect fifth apart, the lowest being the G just below middle C. It is the smallest and highest-tuned member of the violin family of string instruments, which... Saint Petersburg listen (Russian: Санкт-Петербу́рг, English transliteration: Sankt-Peterburg), colloquially known as Питер (transliterated Piter), formerly known as Leningrad (Ленингра́д, 1924–1991) and Petrograd (Петрогра́д, 1914–1924), is a city located in Northwestern Russia on the delta of the river Neva at the east end of the Gulf of... The pitches of open strings on a violin The violin is a bowed stringed musical instrument that has four strings tuned a perfect fifth apart, the lowest being the G just below middle C. It is the smallest and highest-tuned member of the violin family of string instruments, which... The pitches of open strings on a violin The violin is a bowed stringed musical instrument that has four strings tuned a perfect fifth apart, the lowest being the G just below middle C. It is the smallest and highest-tuned member of the violin family of string instruments, which... Italian opera can be divided into three periods, the Baroque, the Romantic and the modern. ... Bolshoi Theatre (For the rock music band Bolshoi, see The Bolshoi. ... The pitches of open strings on a violin The violin is a bowed stringed musical instrument that has four strings tuned a perfect fifth apart, the lowest being the G just below middle C. It is the smallest and highest-tuned member of the violin family of string instruments, which... The Moscow Conservatory is a prominent music school in Russia. ...

Minkus' career as a ballet composer most likely began while serving as lead violinist at the St. Petersburg Imperial Bolshoi Theatre, as it was the custom at that time for the lead violinist of the orchestra to occasionally tailor the scores for various ballets to fit the needs of the choreographer. It appears that Minkus' first composition for the ballet was an entr'acte he composed especially for a revival of Adolphe Adam's 1852 ballet Orfa in 1862. On November 12, 1863 Minkus' first full-length ballet The Flame of Love or The Salamander premiered with great success at the Moscow Imperial Bolshoi Theatre. The choreographer was the great Arthur Saint-Léon of whom Minkus was a good friend (Saint-Léon stayed in Minkus's apartment in Moscow during the winter months of 1865-1866). At that time Saint-Léon was the greatest choreographer in both Paris and St. Petersburg. Saint-Léon then mounted Minkus' The Flame of Love or The Salamander in a new staging under the title Fiametta for the Imperial Ballet of the St. Petersburg Imperial Bolshoi Theatre, a production which made its debut on February 13, 1864. Minkus later accompanied Saint-Léon to mount the work for the Ballet of the Paris Opera, which debuted on July 11, 1864. For the Paris staging the title of the ballet was changed yet again, this time as Nemea ou l'Amour Vengé (Nemea or the Love Avenges) (the change of titles of this work has caused much confusion among historians). Saint-Léon then commissioned Minkus to score the music for the ballet La Source with the composer Leo Delibes (Minkus wrote Act I and Act III, scene 2, Delibes wrote Act II and Act III, scene 1). Surviving documents and contemporary press reports do not give an account as to why the score was shared between the two composers, though it is believed that it was due to the fact that Delibes was then an unexperienced composer of ballet music. La Source premiered on November 12, 1866 to a modest success. Minkus scored two more ballets for Saint-Léon, both for theImperial Ballet in St. Petersburg - The Golden Fish (or 'The Gold Fish') in 1867, and Liliya (The Lily) in 1869 (some sources maintain that these works were first mounted in Paris which is not correct). The Waltz of the Snowflakes from Tchaikovskys The Nutcracker Ballet is the name given to a specific dance form and technique. ... The pitches of open strings on a violin The violin is a bowed stringed musical instrument that has four strings tuned a perfect fifth apart, the lowest being the G just below middle C. It is the smallest and highest-tuned member of the violin family of string instruments, which... The pitches of open strings on a violin The violin is a bowed stringed musical instrument that has four strings tuned a perfect fifth apart, the lowest being the G just below middle C. It is the smallest and highest-tuned member of the violin family of string instruments, which... The Waltz of the Snowflakes from Tchaikovskys The Nutcracker Ballet is the name given to a specific dance form and technique. ... The Waltz of the Snowflakes from Tchaikovskys The Nutcracker Ballet is the name given to a specific dance form and technique. ... Entracte is French for between the acts. It can have the meaning of a pause between two parts of a stage production, synonym to intermission, but is more often used to indicate that part of a theatre production that is performed between acts as an intermezzo or interlude. ... Adolphe Adam Adolphe Charles Adam (July 24, 1803 â€“ May 3, 1856) was a French composer and music critic. ... The Waltz of the Snowflakes from Tchaikovskys The Nutcracker Ballet is the name given to a specific dance form and technique. ... Bolshoi Theatre (For the rock music band Bolshoi, see The Bolshoi. ... The Eiffel Tower has become a symbol of Paris throughout the world. ... Saint Petersburg (Russian: Санкт-Петербу́рг, English transliteration: Sankt-Peterburg), colloquially known as Питер (transliterated Piter), formerly known as Leningrad (Ленингра́д, 1924–1991) and Petrograd (Петрогра́д, 1914–1924), is a city located in Northwestern Russia on the delta of the river Neva at the east end of the Gulf of Finland... The Mariinsky Ballet is one of the most famous ballet schools in history (formerly the Kirov Ballet, and also the Academic State Theatre), located in St. ... The Paris Opera Ballet is the ballet company of the Paris Opera. ... The Eiffel Tower has become a symbol of Paris throughout the world. ... The Waltz of the Snowflakes from Tchaikovskys The Nutcracker Ballet is the name given to a specific dance form and technique. ... The Waltz of the Snowflakes from Tchaikovskys The Nutcracker Ballet is the name given to a specific dance form and technique. ... La Source is a ballet in three acts with a score collaborated on by LÃ©o Delibes and LÃ©on Minkus. ... (Clément Philibert) Leo Delibes (February 21, 1836 – January 16, 1891) was a French composer of Romantic music. ... Delibes is the last name of some famous people: Leo Delibes (1836-1891), a French composer Miguel Delibes (1920- ), a Spanish Writer This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The Waltz of the Snowflakes from Tchaikovskys The Nutcracker Ballet is the name given to a specific dance form and technique. ... La Source is a ballet in three acts with a score collaborated on by LÃ©o Delibes and LÃ©on Minkus. ... The Waltz of the Snowflakes from Tchaikovskys The Nutcracker Ballet is the name given to a specific dance form and technique. ... The Mariinsky Ballet is one of the most famous ballet schools in history (formerly the Kirov Ballet, and also the Academic State Theatre), located in St. ... Saint Petersburg (Russian: Санкт-Петербу́рг, English transliteration: Sankt-Peterburg), colloquially known as Питер (transliterated Piter), formerly known as Leningrad (Ленингра́д, 1924–1991) and Petrograd (Петрогра́д, 1914–1924), is a city located in Northwestern Russia on the delta of the river Neva at the east end of the Gulf of Finland... The Eiffel Tower has become a symbol of Paris throughout the world. ...

Just before Saint-Léon's death in 1870 Minkus began working with none other than the great choreographer Marius Petipa. His first collaboration with the choreographer was on the ballet Don Quixote, staged for the Ballet of the Moscow Imperial Bolshoi Theatre premiering on December 14, 1869 to a resounding success. The ballet was later re-staged for the Imperial Ballet on November 9, 1871, instantly becoming a classic and earning Minkus great acclaim for his joyous score of spanish-style melodies. The success of the 1871 staging of Don Quixote earned for Minkus the official post of First Imperial Ballet Composer to the Tsar's Imperial Ballet for a modest salary of 2,000 roubles a year (which was doubled in the 1880s), a position previously occupied by the italian composer Cesare Pugni who died in 1870. Don Quixote marked the beginning of a successfull collaboration between Minkus and Marius Petipa. Petipa and Minkus went on to create a series of successes during the 1870s and 1880s, including Minkus' greatest masterpiece and one of Petipa's most enduring works - La Bayadere in 1877. Marius Petipa (March 11, 1818 â€” July 14, 1910) was the French dancer and choreographer who virtually invented the now-traditional structure of classical ballet in a career that was centered at the Imperial Theater in St Petersburg. ... Don Quixote de la Mancha (spelled Don Quijote in modern Spanish) (IPA: ) is a novel by the Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra. ... The Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow houses the world renowned Bolshoi Ballet, which has been home to some of the worlds greatest ballet dancers, including Anna Pavlova, Vaslav Nijinsky, Rudolf Nureyev, Mikhail Baryshnikov and Natalia Makarova. ... The Waltz of the Snowflakes from Tchaikovskys The Nutcracker Ballet is the name given to a specific dance form and technique. ... The Mariinsky Ballet is one of the most famous ballet schools in history (formerly the Kirov Ballet, and also the Academic State Theatre), located in St. ... Don Quixote de la Mancha (spelled Don Quijote in modern Spanish) (IPA: ) is a novel by the Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra. ... Look up Tsar in Wiktionary, the free dictionary For the US community of Czar, see Czar, West Virginia. ... The Mariinsky Ballet is one of the most famous ballet schools in history (formerly the Kirov Ballet, and also the Academic State Theatre), located in St. ... Cesare Pugni famously composed the score for Jules Perrots ballet, Pas de Quatre, in 1845. ... Don Quixote de la Mancha (spelled Don Quijote in modern Spanish) (IPA: ) is a novel by the Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra. ... Marius Petipa (March 11, 1818 â€” July 14, 1910) was the French dancer and choreographer who virtually invented the now-traditional structure of classical ballet in a career that was centered at the Imperial Theater in St Petersburg. ... Marius Petipa (March 11, 1818 â€” July 14, 1910) was the French dancer and choreographer who virtually invented the now-traditional structure of classical ballet in a career that was centered at the Imperial Theater in St Petersburg. ... Marius Petipa (March 11, 1818 â€” July 14, 1910) was the French dancer and choreographer who virtually invented the now-traditional structure of classical ballet in a career that was centered at the Imperial Theater in St Petersburg. ...

In 1886 the director of the Imperial Theatres Ivan Vsevolozhsky abolished the post of First Imperial Ballet Composer as a means of allowing other, more acclaimed composers to try their hand at composing for the ballet, such as Tchaikovksy and later Glazunov. Minkus' last score for Petipa and the Imperial Ballet was the ballet Kalkabrino, which premiered on February 13, 1891. Minkus retired on a modest pension in 1891, the amount of which outraged him. He left to Vienna in early 1892, and lived out his years there until his death on December 7, 1917 at the age of 91. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Russian Пётр Ильи́ч Чайко́вский, sometimes transliterated as Piotr, Anglicised as Peter Ilich), (May 7, 1840 – November 6, 1893 (N.S.); April 25, 1840 – October 25, 1893 (O.S.)) was a Russian composer of the Romantic era. ... Alexander Konstantinovich Glazunov (or Glazounov) (August 10, 1865 – March 21, 1936) was a Russian composer, as well as an influential music teacher. ... Marius Petipa (March 11, 1818 â€” July 14, 1910) was the French dancer and choreographer who virtually invented the now-traditional structure of classical ballet in a career that was centered at the Imperial Theater in St Petersburg. ... The Waltz of the Snowflakes from Tchaikovskys The Nutcracker Ballet is the name given to a specific dance form and technique. ... Vienna (German: Wien [viËn]; Slovenian: Dunaj, Hungarian: BÃ©cs, Czech: VÃdeÅˆ, Slovak: ViedeÅˆ, Romany Vidnya; Croatian and Serbian: BeÄ) is the capital of Austria, and also one of the nine States of Austria. ...

Minkus' Music

The fact that Minkus the composer, as well as Minkus the man fell so far into obscurity has alot to do with the way that ballet music was composed and handeled during his prime. In those days the Balletmaster had full reign over the scores provided him by the composer, with the music looked at as simply a means of accompanyment to what was seen on stage that should not under any circumstance make a spectacle of itself. Ballets of the 19th century were a marriage of two things - dance and mime. The music provided for the dancing of the ballets had to be above all dansante, with light, rich, lively melody, and an uncomplicated regularly phrased rhythmic and orchestral structure, capable of accenting the movements of classical ballet with all the right "punches" in all the right spots. The music provided for the mime scenes/scenes of action had to set the mood of the drama, and accompany the action almost in the spirit of a silent film. By contract Minkus was obligated to compose ballet music on demand - he was obligated to compose a new ballet every season, as well as the endless task of the revision of scores to already exsisting works for Petipa's numerous revivals. As well, Minkus was required to compose almost countless supplementary Pas and variations whenever needed. As a result of the way his scores were handeled it is difficult to trace with any accuracy all of his works, ss overtime whatever was interpolated became credited to that work's orignal composer. In that same regard many numbers of other composers that were interpolated into his own works thus over time became credited to him. The Waltz of the Snowflakes from Tchaikovskys The Nutcracker Ballet is the name given to a specific dance form and technique. ... The Waltz of the Snowflakes from Tchaikovskys The Nutcracker Ballet is the name given to a specific dance form and technique. ... The Waltz of the Snowflakes from Tchaikovskys The Nutcracker Ballet is the name given to a specific dance form and technique. ... The Waltz of the Snowflakes from Tchaikovskys The Nutcracker Ballet is the name given to a specific dance form and technique. ... Marius Petipa (March 11, 1818 â€” July 14, 1910) was the French dancer and choreographer who virtually invented the now-traditional structure of classical ballet in a career that was centered at the Imperial Theater in St Petersburg. ...

Like many of the specialist ballet composers that came before him Minkus often wrote much of his scores during rehearsals, writing two or three melodic passages for the same Pas to be chosen by the choreographer, as well as tailoring the music to fit any changes. Many of his orignal scores contain numerous repeats of various phrases, undoubtedly anticipating cuts in production. There were instances where Minkus would compose music for a large ensemble dance in sections - an opening, four or five melodic passages, and an ending - to be assembled at the behest choreographer. Even more interesting, there were even times where the music had to be composed to already set dances. Minkus was often required to interpolate the music of another composer into his ballets, most often at the behest of a Ballerina wanting to dance a Pas or solo from another work. Such interpolations often required Minkus to tailor the music of any surrounding numbers for smooth transitions. Most of the numbers in Minkus' ballets are in either double or triple time, rarely if ever straying to a different time signature. 3/4 is without a doubt the time siganture that purveys over the majority of his scores - hindu temple maidens, under-water nymphs, gypsies, Spanish bull-fighters, young rajahs, farm girls, princes and princesses, king and queens - wether they were alive or were ghosts, all danced to waltz rhythm.

Minkus' greatest talent was undoubtedly his abilty to create the most memorable variety of melodies of which his ballets had alot. Many critics, dancers, and balletomanes alike marveled at the wealth of orignal, sparkling melodies Minkus would provide for the scores he wrote. Indeed the various complete ballets and other peices that have survuved in performance to this days demonstrate Minkus' nealry limitless imagination when it came to melody. The great ballet historian Konstantin Skalkovsky tells in his study In the Theatre World of how Tsar Alexander II, who it was said disliked music, absolutly adored Minkus' march from his 1878 ballet Roxana, The Beauty of Montenegro, so much so that he had the Russian troops storm the Plevna to it. Also, Minkus proved quite adept at composing solos for violin, an instrument he excelled in, of which most of his compositions have their share. The majority of these solos were written with the talents of the famous violinist Leopold Auer in mind, who served as lead violinist in the St. Petersburg Imperial Orchestra. The Waltz of the Snowflakes from Tchaikovskys The Nutcracker Ballet is the name given to a specific dance form and technique. ... Look up Tsar in Wiktionary, the free dictionary For the US community of Czar, see Czar, West Virginia. ... A number of historical people were named Alexander II: Alexander II of Macedon was King of Macedon from 370 to 368 B.C. Alexander II of Epirus was the King of Epirus in 272 B.C. Pope Alexander II was Pope from 1061 to 1073. ... Plevna may refer to: Plevna, Kansas Plevna, Montana Plevna is also another name for Pleven in Bulgaria. ... The pitches of open strings on a violin The violin is a bowed stringed musical instrument that has four strings tuned a perfect fifth apart, the lowest being the G just below middle C. It is the smallest and highest-tuned member of the violin family of string instruments, which... The pitches of open strings on a violin The violin is a bowed stringed musical instrument that has four strings tuned a perfect fifth apart, the lowest being the G just below middle C. It is the smallest and highest-tuned member of the violin family of string instruments, which... Leopold Auer Leopold Auer (June 7, 1845 â€“ July 15, 1930) was a Hungarian violinist, teacher, conductor and composer. ... The pitches of open strings on a violin The violin is a bowed stringed musical instrument that has four strings tuned a perfect fifth apart, the lowest being the G just below middle C. It is the smallest and highest-tuned member of the violin family of string instruments, which... Saint Petersburg (Russian: Санкт-Петербу́рг, English transliteration: Sankt-Peterburg), colloquially known as Питер (transliterated Piter), formerly known as Leningrad (Ленингра́д, 1924–1991) and Petrograd (Петрогра́д, 1914–1924), is a city located in Northwestern Russia on the delta of the river Neva at the east end of the Gulf of Finland...

Minkus' greatest weakness was no doubt for orchestration, and his almost in inability at making anything really interesting come out of the orchestra with regard to harmonics. Even the best of his scores demonstrate the simplest of arrangements, and often many passages are very dull and colorless in that regard. His orchestra was large - almost every score he ever wrote for the Imperial Ballet called for strings, flutes, piccolo, clarinets, oboes, bassoons, three trombones, tuba, two harps, drums, tympani, triangle, gong, glockenspiel, and xylophone - though he rarely used it as a whole, usually only exploiting the brass sections to thicken the effect of larger sounding sections. The bulk of the main melody of all of the numbers in his compositions were almost always orchestrated for the first violin and flute sections (one often wonders when these unfortunate musicians had time to turn their pages!) - his orignal 1877 score for La Bayadere as well as his 1869 score for Don Quixote are pretty much all supported by first violin melody with flutes. Minkus was also quite find of the bass drum for marking time in his compositions, most likely to add weight to his thin arrangements. See also string (disambiguation) Strings (as a sound (voice) in electronic musical instruments and synthesizers) is an imitation of classical string ensembles sound. ... This article pertains to the musical instrument. ... A Yamaha piccolo. ... A bass clarinet, which sounds an octave lower than the more common Bb soprano clarinet. ... == Modern Oboe The oboe is a musical instrument of the woodwind double reed family. ... A Fox Instruments bassoon. ... A lip-reed aerophone with a predominantly cylindrical bore, the trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. ... The tuba is the largest of the low-brass instruments and is one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra, first appearing in the mid-19th century, when it largely replaced the ophicleide. ... The harp is a chordophone which has its strings positioned perpendicular to the soundboard. ... For other kinds of drums, see drum (disambiguation). ... Timpani, or kettledrums, are musical instruments in the percussion family. ... A triangle is one of the basic shapes of geometry: a two-dimensional figure with three vertices and three sides which are straight line segments. ... The neutrality of this article is disputed. ... Glockenspiel The Glockenspiel (German, play of bells, also known as orchestra bells and, in its portable form, bell lyra or bell lyre) is a musical instrument in the percussion family. ... Xylophone in Bali 1937 The xylophone (from the Greek meaning wooden sound) is a musical instrument in the percussion family which probably originated in Indonesia (Nettl 1956, p. ... The pitches of open strings on a violin The violin is a bowed stringed musical instrument that has four strings tuned a perfect fifth apart, the lowest being the G just below middle C. It is the smallest and highest-tuned member of the violin family of string instruments, which... Don Quixote de la Mancha (spelled Don Quijote in modern Spanish) (IPA: ) is a novel by the Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra. ... The pitches of open strings on a violin The violin is a bowed stringed musical instrument that has four strings tuned a perfect fifth apart, the lowest being the G just below middle C. It is the smallest and highest-tuned member of the violin family of string instruments, which... A bass drum is a large drum that produces a note of low definite or indefinite pitch. ...

In Russia, where Minkus' ballets have been in the repertory since their orignal inception, and have never been retouched regarding orchestration, the composer is much respected for his ablitlies with ballet music, though in the west this is merely a recent thing, as many companies have chosen to perfom Minkus' music as revised by John Lanchbery. In the past Minkus has been unfortunatly compared to the likes of Tchaikovsky, Glazunov, Stravinsky, or Prokofiev, and considered an inferoir composer. As a matter of taste one could agree, but its far more accurate to say that Minkus was a much different composer of ballet music, not an inferior one. Any composer who could work under the conditions Minkus did and still have the imagination and skill to do his work long enough to satisfy the very learned and critical public of 19th century Imperial St. Petersburg is nowhere near inferior. The Waltz of the Snowflakes from Tchaikovskys The Nutcracker Ballet is the name given to a specific dance form and technique. ... The Waltz of the Snowflakes from Tchaikovskys The Nutcracker Ballet is the name given to a specific dance form and technique. ... John Lanchbery (May 15, 1923–February 27, 2003) was an English composer, famous for his ballet arrangements. ... Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Russian Пётр Ильи́ч Чайко́вский, sometimes transliterated as Piotr, Anglicised as Peter Ilich), (May 7, 1840 – November 6, 1893 (N.S.); April 25, 1840 – October 25, 1893 (O.S.)) was a Russian composer of the Romantic era. ... Alexander Konstantinovich Glazunov (or Glazounov) (August 10, 1865 – March 21, 1936) was a Russian composer, as well as an influential music teacher. ... Igor Fyodorovitch Stravinsky () (June 17, 1882 – April 6, 1971) was a composer of modern classical music. ... Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev (Серге́й Серге́евич Проко́фьев) (April 271, 1891 – March 5, 1953) was one of the Soviet Unions greatest composers. ...

In 2001, the Kirov Ballet (the former Imperial Ballet mounted a reconstruction of the Petipa/Minkus ballet La Bayadere, based on the choreographer's last revival of the ballet in 1900. For this reconstruction the Kirov Ballet completely restored Minkus's orignal hand-written score as it was orginally composed. The antiquated score, hailed as a masterpiece of 19th century ballet music from the so-called 'pre-Tchaikovsky' period was a phenominal example of a by-gone era in not only the history of ballet but also in music, and demonstrates how talented the composer Léon Fedorovich Minkus really was. The Mariinsky Ballet is one of the most famous ballet schools in history (formerly the Kirov Ballet, and also the Academic State Theatre), located in St. ... The Mariinsky Ballet is one of the most famous ballet schools in history (formerly the Kirov Ballet, and also the Academic State Theatre), located in St. ... Marius Petipa (March 11, 1818 â€” July 14, 1910) was the French dancer and choreographer who virtually invented the now-traditional structure of classical ballet in a career that was centered at the Imperial Theater in St Petersburg. ... The Mariinsky Ballet is one of the most famous ballet schools in history (formerly the Kirov Ballet, and also the Academic State Theatre), located in St. ... Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Russian Пётр Ильи́ч Чайко́вский, sometimes transliterated as Piotr, Anglicised as Peter Ilich), (May 7, 1840 – November 6, 1893 (N.S.); April 25, 1840 – October 25, 1893 (O.S.)) was a Russian composer of the Romantic era. ...

The Works of Léon Minkus

NOTE: It is nearly impossible to list every piece of music Minkus ever composed, as he was always called upon to score supplemental Pas and variations, as well as to revise other composer's scores. Here is a full list of his orginal ballets, as well as his most major and important revisions to already exsisting scores -

Revisions & supplemental material - Bolshoi Theatre (For the rock music band Bolshoi, see The Bolshoi. ... The Mariinsky Ballet is one of the most famous ballet schools in history (formerly the Kirov Ballet, and also the Academic State Theatre), located in St. ... The Paris Opera Ballet is the ballet company of the Paris Opera. ... Marius Petipa (March 11, 1818 â€” July 14, 1910) was the French dancer and choreographer who virtually invented the now-traditional structure of classical ballet in a career that was centered at the Imperial Theater in St Petersburg. ... The Mariinsky Ballet is one of the most famous ballet schools in history (formerly the Kirov Ballet, and also the Academic State Theatre), located in St. ... La Source is a ballet in three acts with a score collaborated on by LÃ©o Delibes and LÃ©on Minkus. ... (ClÃ©ment Philibert) LÃ©o Delibes (February 21, 1836 â€“ January 16, 1891) was a French composer of Romantic music. ... The Paris Opera Ballet is the ballet company of the Paris Opera. ... The Mariinsky Ballet is one of the most famous ballet schools in history (formerly the Kirov Ballet, and also the Academic State Theatre), located in St. ... The Mariinsky Ballet is one of the most famous ballet schools in history (formerly the Kirov Ballet, and also the Academic State Theatre), located in St. ... Don Quixote de la Mancha (spelled Don Quijote in modern Spanish) (IPA: ) is a novel by the Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra. ... Marius Petipa (March 11, 1818 â€” July 14, 1910) was the French dancer and choreographer who virtually invented the now-traditional structure of classical ballet in a career that was centered at the Imperial Theater in St Petersburg. ... Bolshoi Theatre (For the rock music band Bolshoi, see The Bolshoi. ... The Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow houses the world renowned Bolshoi Ballet, which has been home to some of the worlds greatest ballet dancers, including Anna Pavlova, Vaslav Nijinsky, Rudolf Nureyev, Mikhail Baryshnikov and Natalia Makarova. ... Marius Petipa (March 11, 1818 â€” July 14, 1910) was the French dancer and choreographer who virtually invented the now-traditional structure of classical ballet in a career that was centered at the Imperial Theater in St Petersburg. ... The Mariinsky Ballet is one of the most famous ballet schools in history (formerly the Kirov Ballet, and also the Academic State Theatre), located in St. ... Camargo may refer to: Camargo, Kentucky Camargo, Oklahoma Camargo, Illinois This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Marius Petipa (March 11, 1818 â€” July 14, 1910) was the French dancer and choreographer who virtually invented the now-traditional structure of classical ballet in a career that was centered at the Imperial Theater in St Petersburg. ... The Mariinsky Ballet is one of the most famous ballet schools in history (formerly the Kirov Ballet, and also the Academic State Theatre), located in St. ... Lev Ivanov (1834 â€“ 1901) was a Russian ballet dancer and choreographer. ... The Maryinsky (or Mariinsky) Theatre (or Theater), is the St Petersburg theatre where the Mariinsky Ballet is located. ... The Mariinsky Ballet is one of the most famous ballet schools in history (formerly the Kirov Ballet, and also the Academic State Theatre), located in St. ... Jacques Offenbach (20 June 1819 â€“ 5 October 1880), composer and cellist, was one of the originators of the operetta form, a precursor of the modern musical comedy. ... Marius Petipa (March 11, 1818 â€” July 14, 1910) was the French dancer and choreographer who virtually invented the now-traditional structure of classical ballet in a career that was centered at the Imperial Theater in St Petersburg. ... The Mariinsky Ballet is one of the most famous ballet schools in history (formerly the Kirov Ballet, and also the Academic State Theatre), located in St. ... Marius Petipa (March 11, 1818 â€” July 14, 1910) was the French dancer and choreographer who virtually invented the now-traditional structure of classical ballet in a career that was centered at the Imperial Theater in St Petersburg. ... The Mariinsky Ballet is one of the most famous ballet schools in history (formerly the Kirov Ballet, and also the Academic State Theatre), located in St. ... Marius Petipa (March 11, 1818 â€” July 14, 1910) was the French dancer and choreographer who virtually invented the now-traditional structure of classical ballet in a career that was centered at the Imperial Theater in St Petersburg. ... The Mariinsky Ballet is one of the most famous ballet schools in history (formerly the Kirov Ballet, and also the Academic State Theatre), located in St. ... Marius Petipa (March 11, 1818 â€” July 14, 1910) was the French dancer and choreographer who virtually invented the now-traditional structure of classical ballet in a career that was centered at the Imperial Theater in St Petersburg. ... (ClÃ©ment Philibert) LÃ©o Delibes (February 21, 1836 â€“ January 16, 1891) was a French composer of Romantic music. ... The Mariinsky Ballet is one of the most famous ballet schools in history (formerly the Kirov Ballet, and also the Academic State Theatre), located in St. ... Peterhof: the Samson Fountain and Sea Channel Peterhof, (Russian: ÐŸÐµÑ‚ÐµÑ€Ð³Ð¾Ñ„, Petergof, originally Piterhof, Dutch: Peters Court) is a series of palaces and gardens, laid out on the orders of Tsar Peter the Great, and sometimes called the Russian Versailles. It is located about 20 km west and 6 km south... Wilhelm II of Prussia and Germany, Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor Albert von Hohenzollern (January 27, 1859 - June 4, 1941) was the last German Emperor (Kaiser) and the last King (König) of Prussia from 1888 - 1918. ... Marius Petipa (March 11, 1818 â€” July 14, 1910) was the French dancer and choreographer who virtually invented the now-traditional structure of classical ballet in a career that was centered at the Imperial Theater in St Petersburg. ... Marius Petipa (March 11, 1818 â€” July 14, 1910) was the French dancer and choreographer who virtually invented the now-traditional structure of classical ballet in a career that was centered at the Imperial Theater in St Petersburg. ... View of the Mariinsky Theatre in the 1890ies The Mariinsky Theatre, known as the Kirov Opera and Ballet Theatre in 1934-92, is a historic theatre of opera and ballet in St Petersburg. ... Marius Petipa (March 11, 1818 â€” July 14, 1910) was the French dancer and choreographer who virtually invented the now-traditional structure of classical ballet in a career that was centered at the Imperial Theater in St Petersburg. ... The Mariinsky Ballet is one of the most famous ballet schools in history (formerly the Kirov Ballet, and also the Academic State Theatre), located in St. ... The Mariinsky Ballet is one of the most famous ballet schools in history (formerly the Kirov Ballet, and also the Academic State Theatre), located in St. ... Mlada was a projected 4-act opera-ballet which was planned in 1872 as a collaborative effort between four nineteenth-century Russian composers: Cui, Rimsky-Korsakov, Mussorgsky and Borodin were each supposed to compose an act. ... Marius Petipa (March 11, 1818 â€” July 14, 1910) was the French dancer and choreographer who virtually invented the now-traditional structure of classical ballet in a career that was centered at the Imperial Theater in St Petersburg. ... Marius Petipa (March 11, 1818 â€” July 14, 1910) was the French dancer and choreographer who virtually invented the now-traditional structure of classical ballet in a career that was centered at the Imperial Theater in St Petersburg. ... The Mariinsky Ballet is one of the most famous ballet schools in history (formerly the Kirov Ballet, and also the Academic State Theatre), located in St. ... View of the Mariinsky Theatre in the 1890ies The Mariinsky Theatre, known as the Kirov Opera and Ballet Theatre in 1934-92, is a historic theatre of opera and ballet in St Petersburg. ... Marius Petipa (March 11, 1818 â€” July 14, 1910) was the French dancer and choreographer who virtually invented the now-traditional structure of classical ballet in a career that was centered at the Imperial Theater in St Petersburg. ... The Mariinsky Ballet is one of the most famous ballet schools in history (formerly the Kirov Ballet, and also the Academic State Theatre), located in St. ... Marius Petipa (March 11, 1818 â€” July 14, 1910) was the French dancer and choreographer who virtually invented the now-traditional structure of classical ballet in a career that was centered at the Imperial Theater in St Petersburg. ... Don Quixote de la Mancha (spelled Don Quijote in modern Spanish) (IPA: ) is a novel by the Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra. ... Night and Day may mean: Night and Day (song), a song written by Cole Porter for the 1932 play The Gay Divorcee; it subsequently became an American standard and has been peformed and recorded by dozens of artists, notably Frank Sinatra. ... Marius Petipa (March 11, 1818 â€” July 14, 1910) was the French dancer and choreographer who virtually invented the now-traditional structure of classical ballet in a career that was centered at the Imperial Theater in St Petersburg. ... The Mariinsky Ballet is one of the most famous ballet schools in history (formerly the Kirov Ballet, and also the Academic State Theatre), located in St. ... Marius Petipa (March 11, 1818 â€” July 14, 1910) was the French dancer and choreographer who virtually invented the now-traditional structure of classical ballet in a career that was centered at the Imperial Theater in St Petersburg. ... The Mariinsky Ballet is one of the most famous ballet schools in history (formerly the Kirov Ballet, and also the Academic State Theatre), located in St. ... Marius Petipa (March 11, 1818 â€” July 14, 1910) was the French dancer and choreographer who virtually invented the now-traditional structure of classical ballet in a career that was centered at the Imperial Theater in St Petersburg. ... Peterhof: the Samson Fountain and Sea Channel Peterhof, (Russian: ÐŸÐµÑ‚ÐµÑ€Ð³Ð¾Ñ„, Petergof, originally Piterhof, Dutch: Peters Court) is a series of palaces and gardens, laid out on the orders of Tsar Peter the Great, and sometimes called the Russian Versailles. It is located about 20 km west and 6 km south... The Maryinsky (or Mariinsky) Theatre (or Theater), is the St Petersburg theatre where the Mariinsky Ballet is located. ... The Mariinsky Ballet is one of the most famous ballet schools in history (formerly the Kirov Ballet, and also the Academic State Theatre), located in St. ... The Mariinsky Ballet is one of the most famous ballet schools in history (formerly the Kirov Ballet, and also the Academic State Theatre), located in St. ... View of the Mariinsky Theatre in the 1890ies The Mariinsky Theatre, known as the Kirov Opera and Ballet Theatre in 1934-92, is a historic theatre of opera and ballet in St Petersburg. ... Marius Petipa (March 11, 1818 â€” July 14, 1910) was the French dancer and choreographer who virtually invented the now-traditional structure of classical ballet in a career that was centered at the Imperial Theater in St Petersburg. ... View of the Mariinsky Theatre in the 1890ies The Mariinsky Theatre, known as the Kirov Opera and Ballet Theatre in 1934-92, is a historic theatre of opera and ballet in St Petersburg. ... The Mariinsky Ballet is one of the most famous ballet schools in history (formerly the Kirov Ballet, and also the Academic State Theatre), located in St. ...

Categories: 1826 births | 1917 deaths | Czech composers | Violinists A Midsummer Nights Dream is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare. ... Marius Petipa (March 11, 1818 â€” July 14, 1910) was the French dancer and choreographer who virtually invented the now-traditional structure of classical ballet in a career that was centered at the Imperial Theater in St Petersburg. ... Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy at the age of thirty Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, known generally as Felix Mendelssohn (February 3, 1809 â€“ November 4, 1847) was a German composer of the early Romantic period. ... The Mariinsky Ballet is one of the most famous ballet schools in history (formerly the Kirov Ballet, and also the Academic State Theatre), located in St. ... Pas de deux is also a dressage preformance using two horses. ... Pas de deux is also a dressage preformance using two horses. ... Marius Petipa (March 11, 1818 â€” July 14, 1910) was the French dancer and choreographer who virtually invented the now-traditional structure of classical ballet in a career that was centered at the Imperial Theater in St Petersburg. ... Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Russian Пётр Ильи́ч Чайко́вский, sometimes transliterated as Piotr, Anglicised as Peter Ilich), (May 7, 1840 – November 6, 1893 (N.S.); April 25, 1840 – October 25, 1893 (O.S.)) was a Russian composer of the Romantic era. ... // Swan Lake (Russian: Ð›ÐµÐ±ÐµÐ´Ð¸Ð½Ð¾Ðµ ÐžÐ·ÐµÑ€Ð¾) is one of the most famous and critically-acclaimed ballets, with music by Tchaikovsky. ... Bolshoi Theatre (For the rock music band Bolshoi, see The Bolshoi. ... Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Russian Пётр Ильи́ч Чайко́вский, sometimes transliterated as Piotr, Anglicised as Peter Ilich), (May 7, 1840 – November 6, 1893 (N.S.); April 25, 1840 – October 25, 1893 (O.S.)) was a Russian composer of the Romantic era. ... Saint Petersburg (Russian: Санкт-Петербу́рг, English transliteration: Sankt-Peterburg), colloquially known as Питер (transliterated Piter), formerly known as Leningrad (Ленингра́д, 1924–1991) and Petrograd (Петрогра́д, 1914–1924), is a city located in Northwestern Russia on the delta of the river Neva at the east end of the Gulf of Finland... Moscow (Russian: ÐœÐ¾ÑÐºÐ²Ð°Ì, Moskva, IPA: â–¶ (helpÂ· info)) is the capital of Russia, located on the river Moskva. ... Marius Petipa (March 11, 1818 â€” July 14, 1910) was the French dancer and choreographer who virtually invented the now-traditional structure of classical ballet in a career that was centered at the Imperial Theater in St Petersburg. ... Pas de deux is also a dressage preformance using two horses. ... // Swan Lake (Russian: Ð›ÐµÐ±ÐµÐ´Ð¸Ð½Ð¾Ðµ ÐžÐ·ÐµÑ€Ð¾) is one of the most famous and critically-acclaimed ballets, with music by Tchaikovsky. ... Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Russian Пётр Ильи́ч Чайко́вский, sometimes transliterated as Piotr, Anglicised as Peter Ilich), (May 7, 1840 – November 6, 1893 (N.S.); April 25, 1840 – October 25, 1893 (O.S.)) was a Russian composer of the Romantic era. ... Pas de deux is also a dressage preformance using two horses. ... Marius Petipa (March 11, 1818 â€” July 14, 1910) was the French dancer and choreographer who virtually invented the now-traditional structure of classical ballet in a career that was centered at the Imperial Theater in St P

Encyclopedia > Leon Minkus

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Minkus' Music

The Works of Léon Minkus