Oriental Suite. The Complete Orchestral Music 1923-1924
Oriental Suite. The Complete Orchestral Music 1923-1924
4 CDs • 256 Page Hardbound Book • Never before published Photos • Recollections of Gurdjieff's closest Pupils
Historic Limited Edition •
See Tracks
Between 13 and 25 December 1923 the Gurdjieff Institute
gave a series of eight public demonstrations of the Sacred
Gymnastics and Movements at the Theatre des Champs
Elysees in Paris. The music, composed by Gurdjieff to accompany
these dances, was orchestrated by Thomas de
Hartmann and performed by an orchestra of thirty-five
musicians. In January 1924, Gurdjieff and his pupils sailed
to America for a series of public demonstrations in New
York, Boston and Chicago. At Gurdjieff's request, de Hartmann
adapted the full orchestral scores for a smaller ensemble
that would accompany the demonstrations there.
The four CDs enclosed with this book contain both the Paris
orchestrations and the American versions, all recorded
for the first time by the Metropole Orchestra and the Little
Orchestra. An addenda section features music that was intended
for Gurdjieff's unfinished ballet The Struggle of the
Magicians. In order to complete the reconstruction of the
orchestral Gurdjieff/de Hartmann music, the Oriental Suite,
compiled by de Hartmann in 1956, is included as well.
The 255 page book is profusely illustrated with many new
photos and unique historical documents. It further contains
recollections of people who were present when these
demonstrations were given, as well as a sampling of the
extensive press coverage that the Gurdjieff Institute generated
during its first (and final) public appearance.
Oriental Suite
The Complete Orchestral Music 1923-1924
Compiled, researched and produced by Gert-Jan Blom.
With recollections of
Mary C. Bell
J. G. Bennett
E. C. Bowyer
Raymond G. Carroll
Thomas de Hartmann
Olga de Hartmann
Anna Butkovsky-Hewitt
Maud Hoffman
Jessmin Howarth
Edward Moore
Gorham Munson
C. S. Nott
P. D. Ouspensky
Denis Saurat
Clifford Sharpe
Tcheslaw Tchekhovitch
Louise Welch
TRACKLISTING:
CD I - The Paris Demonstrations: Metropole Orchestra.
SET I:
1: N1 (First Obligatory, Throwing Out Arms)
2: N2 (Second Obligatory, First March, Salute)
3: N3 (Third Obligatory, March Forward, Arms Forward)
4: N3bis (Fourth Obligatory, Counting)
5: N4 (Fifth Obligatory, Note Values, Sun)
6: N5 (Sixth Obligatory, Mazurka)
7: N6 (Central Group, Old Group, Initiation of a Priestess)
SET II:
8: N7 (Dervishes with Hatchets, Ho-Ya)
9: N8 (The Great Prayer, The Big Prayer, Dervishes with Counting)
10: N9 (The First Dervish Prayer, Camel's Step)
11: N10 (Trembling Dervish, Warrior Dervish, Vertical)
12: N11 (Funeral of a Dervish, Funeral Ceremony)
13: N20 (Big Group)
14: N21/ N21bis (The Big Seven, Canon of Seven, 7)
15: N27 (Turning)
CD II - The Paris Demonstrations: Metropole Orchestra.
SET III:
1: N18 (The Spinners)
2: N19 (The Shoemaker)
3: N26 (Rugs, Rug Weaving #2, Carpet Weaving)
4: N12 (The Sacred Goose, Geese, Swans)
5: N13 (Oriental Dance, Woman's Dance in A - minor)
6: N14 (Essentuki Obligatory, Prayer No. 1, Chords)
7: N14bis (The Waltz)
8: N15 (Essentuki Women's Dance in G Minor, Women of Essentuki)
9: N23 (Greek Chorovod, Music for the Greek Round)
10: N24 (Big Chorovod, Women's Round Dance, Caucasian Round)
11: N25 (Pithia, Pythoness)
Here ends the program from the Theatre des Champs-Elysees.
ADDENDA
12: N0 (Marche, Entrance March + Chords)
13: N10 1/2 (Introduction)
14: N16 (Les Automates)
15: N17 (The Fall of the Priestess, Polyrhythms)
16: N22 (Round Dance in G - minor, Wine Dance)
17: N25bis (Clapping)
18: N27 1/2
19: N28 (Lezginka)
20: N29 (Armenian Dance 'Lily')
21: N30 (Black Magician)
22: N31 (Tempo di Valse)
23: N32 (Pilgrims)
24: N33 (Arabian Dance)
25: N34 (Untitled Dance)
26: N35 (Turkish Dance)
CD III - The American Demonstrations: The Little Orchestra.
SET I:
1: N1 (First Obligatory, Throwing Out Arms)
2: N2 (Second Obligatory, First March, Salute)
3: N3 (Third Obligatory, March Forward, Arms Forward)
4: N3bis (Fourth Obligatory, Counting)
5: N4 (Fifth Obligatory, Note Values, Sun)
6: N5 (Sixth Obligatory, Mazurka)
7: N6 (Central Group, Old Group, Initiation of a Priestess)
SET II:
8: N7 (Dervishes with Hatchets, Ho-Ya)
9: N8 (The Great Prayer, The Big Prayer, Dervishes With Counting)
10: N9 (The First Dervish Prayer, Camel's Step)
11: N10 (Trembling Dervish, Warrior Dervish, Vertical)
12: N11 (Funeral of a Dervish, Funeral Ceremony)
13: N20 (Big Group)
14: N21/ N21bis (Canon of Seven, The Big Seven)
CD IV - The American Demonstrations: The Little Orchestra.
SET III:
1: N27 (Turning)
2: N12 (The Sacred Goose, Geese, Swans)
3: N13 (Woman's Dance in A - minor, Oriental Dance)
4: N14 (Essentuki Obligatory, Woman's Dance #2)
5: N14bis (The Waltz)
6: N15 (Essentuki Women's Dance in G Minor, Women of Essentuki)
7: N18 (The Spinners)
8: N19 (The Shoemaker)
9: N26 (Rugs, Rug Weaving #2, Carpet Weaving)
10: N23 (Greek Chorovod, Music for the Greek Round)
11: N24 (Big Chorovod, Women's Round Dance, Caucasian Round)
12: N25 (Pithia, Pythoness)
Here ends the program from the American demonstration.
ORIENTAL SUITE (1956) - Metropole Orchestra
13: I - Song of the Aisors
14: II - Seid Dance (a.k.a. Caucasian Dance, Sayyid Dance)
15: III - Song of the Fisherwomen
16: IV - Bagpipe Music (a.k.a. Duduki)
17: V - Tibetan Masked Dance (a.k.a. Tibetan Masks No. 2)
Gurdjieff/ de Hartmann=Author
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