Albertina Rasch and The Great American Ballet: Piano Music for Concert and Stage by Dimitri Tiomkin, featuring Lynda Cochrane at the piano, is now available from Intrada on compact disc.
If we could name one great project conceived and completed during the worldwide COVID pandemic, it would be this alluring recording of enchanted music by Dimitri Tiomkin. The setting, Glasgow, Scotland, in April and May 2022, with pianist Lynda Cochrane, and guest attendee, Olivia Tiomkin. The Intrada CD is a perfect holiday gift or stocking stuffer.
Producer Patrick K. Russ compiled and transcribed for piano the original orchestrations by Ferde Grofe, Maurice de Packh, Edward Powell, Deems Taylor, Hans Spialek, and others. Executive Producers for Intrada are Douglass Fake, Roger Feigelson, and Frank K. DeWald, with art direction by Kay Marshall.
Last month in “Doug’s Corner,” Fake teased the forthcoming release as “newly-recorded premieres featuring delightful original piano pieces written by Dimitri Tiomkin for concert and stage performance, played to perfection by Lynda Cochrane, virtuoso pianist of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Lynda has worked with us on our previous RSNO releases as well as having played for composers like Jerry Goldsmith, Elmer Bernstein and numerous others. It’s all great music for you to consider adding to your ever-growing library!”
As a follow-up to Paris Under the Stars: Ballet Music for Albertina Rasch issued by Intrada on compact disc in 2019, some works on this CD first appeared in their orchestral version on that CD; those works can now be heard transcribed for solo piano alongside music specifically written by Tiomkin for the instrument and heard here for the first time.
Listen to clips and order here.
The Dimitri Tiomkin Collection at the University of Southern California’s Cinematic Arts Library is the source of the music scores. The informative liner notes by Warren M. Sherk provide context into the prolific period between 1927 and 1932 during which Tiomkin created this remarkable body of original music while also appearing as a concert pianist.
These works, along with Paris Under the Stars, confirm that Tiomkin and Rasch did indeed create an American Ballet.
Intrada CD release INT 7174.
Enjoy this promotional piece posted by Joe Sikoryak.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JU_8cDV9a1M