LDV60

26 PROKOFIEV | COWELL What do you mean by that? Let’s start with Prokofiev. Not only did he compose the music for the ballet, he also derived from it three cycles of piano arrangements and, finally, three orchestral suites. The sets of piano music assemble numbers that don’t follow the narrative of the ballet. They were compiled over a period of time, for the effect they would produce in concert. For this recording, I changed the order of the pieces so as to respect the dramatic progression of the story. I dare to think that Prokofiev would have accepted this order, just as he authorised conductors to organise their own orchestral suites from the ballets Cinderella and Romeo and Juliet . In my view, the version I propose is more coherent and more enjoyable for the listener. In order to give rhythm to the narrative, I have incorporated four pieces by Cowell within the ballet. Each of them symbolises the passage from one key scene to another. Aeolian Harp , for example, marks the arrival of the Fairy Godmother. The three notes in The Banshee echo the twelve strokes of midnight, and The Tides of Manaunaun illustrates the arrival at the castle. Finally, The Fairy Bells accompanies the epilogue.