This thread is dedicated to the great ballet conductor, arranger, John Lanchbery (1923-2003).



I first learnt his name through radio, when I heard �La Fille Mal Gard�e� probably 20 years ago. I just started to listen to classical music at that time. To me, the music of �la Fille� was so vivid, colourful and tuneful, suddenly I fall in love with it. But the title �La Fille Mal Gard�e� didn�t mean anything to me and soon was forgotten. What I remembered was that was a ballet score, performed by Covent Garden Orchestra, conducted by Lanchbery, released by DECCA. In the next few years, I tried to find a CD of it. When I eventually located one, all I could tell is DECCA, Lanchbery, Covent Garden Orchestra. I�ve forgotten the title �La Fille Mal Gard�e� so I could only guess this might be the disc I was after. Until I heard those charming tunes (Tambourine dance) played again, I was much relieved. Gradually, I became a ballet fan. The first few ballet videos I could find was all conducted by Lanchbery, i.e. Nureyev and Fonteyns Swan Lake, Romeo and juliet, ABT�s Giselle and two versions of La Fille Mal Gard�e.

When I moved to Melbourne in 1998, to my surprise, I found Mr. Lanchbery was even living in the same city. I became the subscriber of the Australian Ballet in 1999. The first show I watched is Nureyev�s Don Quixote, arranged by Lanchbery, the second one was Madam Butterfly, score arranged from the same opera by Lanchbery. I began to search for the information about him from book, magazines. More I read, I learnt Lanchbery is even more famous in the ballet world than I thought.

In 2002, the Australian Ballet celebrated its 40 birthday. I went to the birthday party with my first AB Programme, Don Quixote, hoping to see Maestro and obtain his autograph. Unfortunately, he wasn�t there that night. I wouldn�t know he probably wasn�t so well then. Merely half year later, the maestro passed away.

I attended the memorial service hold by the Australian Ballet. Followed by the tributes, the orchestra that he first conducted in early 70s, played a few pieces of his arrangement, accompanied by dancers. A guest artist Angel Corella from American Ballet Theatre danced in the Don Q pdd. He was here to dance the role of Romeo. The Romeo and Juliet season was then dedicated to Lanchbery.

It was a pity for me I never attended a live ballet conducted by the maestro, maybe he was officially retired from stage since 1999. It was announced his biography, compiled by Noel Pelly, would be published. Mr Pelly passed away not long after Jack. No ideal about at which stage the book was completed. Nine years passed now, still nothing heard. In 2009, the famous Paris Opera Ballet toured to Australia with Nureyev�s last work mounted for them, La Bayadere, with Lanchbery�s orchestration. At one show, I was sitting quite close to the pit. During the shade scene, I could hear the flute and the harp playing so vividly when the 32 dancers (�shades�) repeating the same steps, coming down from the mountain. It�s a magic.

Jack is not only a great ballet conductor, his credit also covers various arrangements, orchestrations to ballet scores as well as film scores. He is a master of orchestra. If given the subject, he could write an equally successful orchestral guide as Britten did. To quote his own words to finish this tribute: �I think that orchestral playing is the only true form of Communism, or maybe a benevolent dictatorship, if you prefer-it depends on the conductor. They�re all part of something and they all feel they�re needed and it�s a wonderful feeling. This is team spirit. �John Lanchbery.�


Lanchbery rehearsing Elizabethan Trust Melbourne Orchestra in 1977, the orchestra later changed its name to State Orchestra of Victoria, and more recently, Orchestra Victoria.

I uploaded a few discs he recorded here in Australia.

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Final curtain call of the AB�s Don Q season in New York in 1971: John Lanchbery, Nureyev(Guest artist), Lucette Aldous(as Kitri), Dame Peggy van Praagh (Director of AB), Sir Robert Helpmann(Co-Director of AB, also as Don), Sol Hurok(American host, Grandpa of the director who made the film, Hanover Street)

Don Quixote was a production the Australian Ballet is proud of. Though originally mounted for Vienna stage Opera Ballet by Nureyev in 1966, Nureyev came to stage it and danced the title role in 1970 at the request of Helpmann. Two year later, a film version was even directed by Nureyev and Helpmann. It was this film to open the famous Sydney opera house. The Australian Ballet has danced this production probably 400 times (The one I watched in 2007 was the 385th). Minkus� music was melodic, but the orchestration was very simple. Lanchbery�s version is more colourful in orchestration, also new numbers composed, i.e. new solos required by Nureyev. This version was first recorded in 1972, one complete taken for the soundtrack of the film version, the other highlights for the LP release (EMI). In 1998, Jack reunited with the same orchestra to record a digital version. Although the CD lasts 78 min and labelled as �complete�. It was not complete, still about 20 min to half an hour of music is missing. In 1999, the ABC restored the film as VHS and DVD.


Here is the ABC 1998 digital recording, with several bonus tracks from the 1972 version.
Minkus/Lanchbery: Don Quixote
John Lanchbery cond. State Orchestra of Victoria Total playing time: 78 min
01. Prologue: The Don dreams of becoming a knight and sets forth 7:44
02. Act I: Kitri's entrance 2:03
03. Act I: Kitri dances with Basilio � Jota 2:57
04. Act I: Gamache entres � Seguidillas 3:17
05. Act I: Entrance of the Matadors 1:30
06. Act I: Matadors' coda 1:05
07. Act I: Street fight 1:53
08. Act I: Galop 1:19
09. Act I: Spanish Waltz (Kitri, Basilio and friends) 3:05
10. Act I: Pas de Deux � Minuet 3:56
11. Act I: Bolero - Kitri's variation 1:28
12. Act I: Galop (Final of Act I) 2:16
13. Act II, Scene 1: Entry of Basilio and Kitri - Pas de Deux 5:05
14. Act II, Scene 1: Gypsy gallop 1:59
15. Act II, Scene 1: Zigeuner 3:03
16. Act II, Scene 1: The Don Fights with puppets and windmills 3:24
17. Act II, Scene 1: Nightmare 1:28
18. Act II, Scene 2: The Don's vision 2:47
19. Act II, Scene 2: Dance of the Driads 2:21
20. Act II, Scene 2: Amor's dance 0:52
21. Act II, Scene 2: The Don imagines Kitri as Dulcinea 2:07
22. Act II, Scene 2: Coda 3:09
23. Act III: Opening dance 4:21
24. Act III: Basilio proposes to Kitri 1:56
25. Act III: Fandango 2:35
26. Act III: Pas de Deux � Entr�e 1:41
27. Act III: Adage 3:58
28. Act III: Basilio's solo 0:53
29. Act III: Kitri's solo 1:13
30. Act III: coda 1:14
31. Act III: Final: Galop 1:26

Bonus tracks from 1972 version:
02a. Basilio�s entrance 2:09
05a. Street dancer 1:22
19a. Dryad Queen solo 1:56
32. Pdd Entr�e -a(The first part of this number is complete, whereas the 1998 recording trim it from 1�42�� down to 16�.)
33. Final (The first 1�20� of this number wasn�t heard in 1998 recording)

I renamed the track numbers so you can easily insert the first three into the 1998 version to make it slightly more complete. However, I leave the final two numbers as bonus.
Free Cloud Storage - MediaFire (http://www.mediafire.com/?u7yzj3jkd83hp)


The 1972 version (about 50 min) is included in EMI 2CD, Minkus and friends. This set contains Minkus/Lanchbery�s Don Q, Pas de dix from Paquita, 3rd Act from La Bayadere, Drigo/Lanchbery�s Le Corsaire Pdd and other Danish ballet works. Paquita and La Bayadere was recorded in Sydney in 1983, Lanchbery conducted Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

Minkus and Friends CD1:
Minkus/Lanchbery: Don Quixote (hightlights)
John Lanchbery,Elizabethan Trust Melbourne Orchestra 1972
01. Act 1: Introduction No.1-DonQ's House; No.2-DonQ and the Vision; No.9-Sancho Panza; No.10-DonQ off to �War� 7:43
02. Act 1: No.12-Kitri's Entrance; No.12a-Basilio's Entrance; No.13-Serenade; No.14-Jota" 7:00
03. Act 1: No.16-Entrance of Gamache 1:39
04. Act 1: No.17-Seguidillas 1:40
05. Act 1: No.18-Entrance of Matadors 1:30
06. Act 1: No.19-Street Dancer 1:22
07. Act 1: No.24-Pas de deux: Kitri and Basilio 3:05
08. Act 1: No.26-Pas de trois: Basilio with two girls 0:44
09. Act 1: No.28-Finale 2:42
10. Act 2: No.30-Czardas 2:02
11. Act 2: No.31-Gypsy Dance 2:48
12. Act 2: Magic Garden No.5-Dryad Queen Solo (Originally from Act 1) 1:56
13. Act 2: Magic Garden No.8-Ensemble Dance of the Dryads (Originally from Act 1) 3:08
14. Act 3: No.34-Opening Scene 4:14
15. Act 3: No.38-Fandango 2:25
16. Act 3: No.39-Pas de deux: Kitri and Basilio- Entr�e 3:05
17. Act 3: No.40-Pas de deux: Adagio 4:30
18. Act 3: No.43-Pas de deux: Kitri's solo 1:21
19. Finale of the Ballet 2:45

The first three numbers in bold (02. No.12a, 06, 12) were not presented in the 1998 digital version. The other two, (16, 19) were expanded, whereas the 1998 version were truncated probably due to time limitation of a single CD.

Minkus/Lanchbery: Paquita, Pas de Dix
John Lanchbery, Sydney Symphony Orchestra 1983
20. Paquita-Pas de Dix: Introduction 3:36
21. Paquita-Pas de Dix: Pas de deux-Spanish dance 3:19
22. Paquita-Pas de Dix: Variation I 4:26
23. Paquita-Pas de Dix: Variation II 1:02
24. Paquita-Pas de Dix: Variation III 1:06
25. Paquita-Pas de Dix: Variation IV 0:52
26. Paquita-Pas de Dix: Variation V 1:02
27. Finale 1:16

Minkus and Friends CD2:
Minkus/Lanchbery: La Bayadere Act 4, Kingdom of the Shades
John Lanchbery, Sydney Symphony Orchestra
01. La Bayadere Act 4: Intrudoction 2:16
02. Entrance of the Shades 7:58
03. Pas de trois: Three shades 2:42
04. Solor searches for and finds Nikiya's Shade 4:52
05. Pas de deux: Solor and Nikiya 3:41
06. First Shade's solo 0:51
07. Solor's solo 0:54
08. Second Shade's solo 1:20
09. Third Shade's solo 1:11
10. Pas de deux: Solor and Nikiya-Nikiya's solo 1:54
11. First Coda 1:07
12. Second coda 1:33
13. Finale 1:48

Drigo/Lanchbery: Le Corsaire-Pas de Deux, 14-17.
Terence Kern, London Festival Ballet Orchestra

Gade: Napoli-Suite dansante, 18-27.
Terence Kern, London Festival Ballet Orchestra

Paulli: The Kermesse in Bruges-Act 1, 28-33.
Ole Schmidt/Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra

Helsted: Flower Festival at Genzano-Pdd,34-39.
Ole Schmidt/Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra
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Further information about Lanchbery:
1. Two pages from Australian Ballet�s ballet news in 2002 and 2003.
2. Memorial service programme in 2003, 2 pages.
3. Complete catalogue published by Paris based Mario Bios (BMB 1996)
4. An obituarese (1999) to his wife, Australian ballerina, Elaine Fifield, though divorced long time ago.
5. Photo of Lanchbery rehearsing the Melbourne Elizabethan Theatre Trust Orchestra (Michael Cook, 1977)
LanchberyMemorial.rar (http://www.mediafire.com/?n5dhb65ebe5kd8h)


For those who are interested in ballet, I offer some scans from the ballet programmes from my collection. I didn�t scan the advertisements, dancer�s bio etc., but kept all the articles, and most of the ballet photos. Hope you�ll find them enjoyable.
1. Australian Ballet�s Don Q in 1972, you�ll find the musician list of the orchestra players in the EMI recording. Please note the names under pictures of Minkus and Petipa were mistakenly placed.
2. Australian Ballet�s Don Q in 1986.
3. Australian Ballet�s Don Q in 1993, dedicated to Nureyev who died early that year. It also has an article about the making of 1972 film version of Don Q.
4. Australian Ballet�s Don Q in 1999, has article about Minkus� music by conductor, Charles Baker, as well as more recollections from various persons involved in 1972 film, including Lanchbery�s.
5. Australian Ballet�s Don Q in 2007, including several other articles.
6. Royal Ballet�s Don Q in 2001, containing interesting articles (including two by John Percival) about Don Q, not only in music and dance.
7. Cover of Paris Opera Ballet�s Don Q programme
DQ_Programme_Scans.rar (http://www.mediafire.com/?dd3ofqb5bsrzy9s)

At the time of writing, I just learnt the Australian Ballet will open the next season (2013) with Don Q. Coincidently, ten years after Jack�s passing. I hope musically, it is a tribute to Lanchbery. Wish the book will eventually begin to see daylight.

Madame Butterfly ballet was created in 1995, based on Puccini�s opera. Opposite to Don Q�s entertaining manner, this is a pure drama. I think the CD recorded by ABC is pretty complete, as the PDF file stated the score is 80�.


Madame Butterfly - Ballet
John Lanchbery/State Orchestra of Victoria 1996 Total playing time: 80 min

01. Pinkerton, Sharpless and Goro 3:55
02. Pinkerton remembers Kate 4:55
03. Entrance of Butterfly 3:05
04. Butterfly and Pinkerton meet 2:08
05. Presentation of wedding gifts - arrival of marriage officials 2:06
06. The Wedding 1:10
07. Aunts and girlfriends dance 2:43
08. Entrance of the Bonze 1:45
09. Pinkerton and Butterfly alone 1:56
10. Pinkerton's solo 3:46
11. Pas de deux 6:48
12. Suzuki prays 2:17
13. Butterfly and Suzuki (One fine day) 4:00
14. Goro's entrance 1:05
15. Arrival of Prince Yamadori 3:27
16. The Prince's offer of marriage rejected 2:10
17. Goro's anger 1:07
18. The letter 1:57
19. Entrance of Butterfly's son 3:21
20. Goro attacks Suzuki - Pinkerton's ship is sighted 2:45
21. Suzuki and Butterfly prepare for Pinkerton's arrival 1:50
22. Dance with fans (Humming Chorus) 4:05
23. Butterfly's dream 5:38
24. Pinkerton's return 5:37
25. Butterfly bids her child farewell - Death of Butterfly 6:17
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The Sentimental Bloke (1985) is another entertaining ballet, arranged from the musical dated from 1961. This ballet is totally Australian, apart from music arrangement by Lanchbery. One scene was set to famous Melbourne cup. St. Kilda pier was also featured in the art design.


The Sentimental Bloke - Ballet
John Lanchbery/State Orchestra of Victoria 1998 Total playing time: 70 min

01. Introduction - At the Markets 2:30
02. Spadgers Lane, A Few Days Later 2:20
03. Ginger Mick 3:07
04. Bill Enters 3:01
05. Mr Smithers (The Stror' At Coot) 4:09
06. Bill and Doreen 'intrajuiced' At Last 3:18
07. They Make A Date 2:23
08. Bill In Ecstasy 1:07
09. Sunday Arvo 5:20
10. Doreen's Promise 4:13
11. Rose and Ginger Mick's Stouch 1:02
12. At the Ballet 2:53
13. The Stror' At Coot 4:20
14. Bill Is Heartbroken 1:21
15. The Melbourne Cup 4:31
16. Bill And Doreen Meet Again 1:38
17. Still in Love! 2:14
18. Bill's Lucky Day 2:10
19. The Stror' At Coot's Revenge 1:23
20. Bill Meets 'Mar' 4:26
21. Doreen Is Heartbroken 1:24
22. The Two-up Game 3:51
23. Bill And Doreen Reunited 1:38
24. Final - They Get Hitched! 5:10
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Merry Widow was arranged from Lehar�s operetta, it has very entertaining moments (i.e. Can Can), however, without losing its drama. Margot Fonteyn was guest artist when she was in mid 50. There were two recordings Lanchbery made. The earlier Adelaide one features choral, which was omitted in both later Melbourne recording and all the performances. Although the 1976 recording was AAD, the sound was very good indeed.


The Merry Widow - Ballet
John Lanchbery/State Orchestra of Victoria 1999 Total playing time: 77 min

01. Act I Scene 1: Introduction 3:52
02. Act I Scene 1: Camille and Valencienne 3:10
03. Act I Scene 1: Mazurka (Danilo) 1:50
04. Act I Scene 2: Scene change into Ballroom; Entrance of Hanna 8:21
05. Act I Scene 2: Danilo and Hanna ('Vilja') 7:12
06. Act I Scene 2: Polka (Valencienne and Camille); Finale of Act I 6:47
07. Act II: Opening Polonaise 2:34
08. Act II: Men's Czardas 2:28
09. Act II: Ladies Dance 2:22
10. Act II: Hanna's National Dance 2:26
11. Act II: Pas de Deux (Hanna and Danilo) 3:03
12. Act II: Guests exit; Love Scene 2:25
13. Act II: Pas de Deux (Camille and Valencienne) 5:26
14. Act II: Finale of Act II 4:53
15. Act III: Opening Polka 6:24
16. Act III: Can Can, Cakewalk and Melos; Finale (Pas de Deux) 13:42
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The Merry Widow ballet (Highlights)
John Lanchbery/The Adelaide Symphony & the Adelaide Singers* 1976 58 min

01. Act 1: INTRODUCTION* 3:58
02. Act 1: CAMILLE AND VALENCIENNE 1:14
03. Act 1: MAZURKA (Danilo) 1:45
04. Act 1: SCENE CHANGE INTO BALLROOM 8:16
05. Act 1: THE BALLROOM- Entrance of the Widow* 5:49
06. Act 1: DANILO AND WIDOW - Final Act 1* 1:45
07. Act 2: OPENING POLONAISE 1:59
08. Act 2: CHORAL DANCE LADIES* 2:06
09. Act 2: MENS CZARDAS 2:15
10. Act 2: NATIONAL DANCE OF THE WIDOW 2:27
11. Act 2: PAS DE DEUX - Widow and Danilo 1:28
12. Act 2: GUESTS EXIT - Love Scene 2:16
13. Act 2: PAS DE DEUX - Camille and Valencienne 4:45
14. Act 2: FINALE - ACT 2 4:46
15. Act 3: CAN CAN - Cakewalk and Melos; FINALE - Pas De Deux * 12:35
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---------- Post added at 07:48 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:46 PM ----------


This thread is dedicated to the great ballet conductor, arranger, John Lanchbery (1923-2003).



Hope you enjoy the music and reading! All the artworks are scanned, audio file is in MP3 V0 at the moment. When I have time, I'll find a few more CDs to upload.

Thank you so much for this very deserved hommage to a great conductor!
It would be great if you could post his music of Pleaasure Dome.

SUPERB !!!!

I'd like to chime in with Lanchbery's beautiful original score for the ballet film "Tales of Beatrix Potter" of 1971.

Rip includes artwork and booklet scans!



Beatrix Potter's ever-popular animal stories were turned into a ballet by London's Royal Ballet in 1970,
with music director John Lanchbery providing the score for The Tales of Beatrix Potter - he did so by
using popular songs/themes of Victorian times, and the result is an imaginative, utterly charming and very colorful ballet.

It is also the "original soundtrack" of the film version of the ballet made in 1971.



Music Composed and Conducted by John Lanchbery
Played by The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
Source: EMI Classics 7243 5 72813 2 4 (EAC Rip)
Format: mp3, 320kbit/s (CBR), ADD Stereo
Coverter: LAME 3.98 (via DB Poweramp Batch Converter)
File Size: 125 MB

Download Link: DepositFiles (http://depositfiles.com/files/a7xucm340)

Thank you so much for this very deserved hommage to a great conductor!
It would be great if you could post his music of Pleaasure Dome.

I am sorry I don't really know about this music. It seems dated from his early career at late 1940s.

---------- Post added at 09:00 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:48 PM ----------




I'd like to chime in with Lanchbery's beautiful original score for the ballet film "Tales of Beatrix Potter" of 1971.

Rip includes artwork and booklet scans!

Music Composed and Conducted by John Lanchbery
Played by The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden


Thanks! Wimpel69. This has been posted twice,
Thread 79552
Thread 119784 a blu-ray rip.

Some years ago, I borrowed a video of this film from the library, I couldn't play it for more than 5 minutes. Very boring for adults. So I missed its music. Probably it's time to re-visit it now with my children.

Btw, I just got a complete Peter Rabit library for my daughter:-)

thank you very much

What a treasure trove! Thank you so much!

Edit - So Lanchbery repurposed the Mikus tune "Dance of the Dryads" for his Beatrix Potter score - Pigling Bland if memory serves - and what a great tune it is :)

A complete La Fille Mal Gardee, conducted by Lanchbery himself, recorded in 1983, coupled with the other ballet score �Mam'zelle Angot� conducted by Richard Bonynge. The booklet contains the detailed tracklist and Ivor Guest�s liner notes.
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La Bayadere is one of my favourite ballets. Present in this 1992 DECCA recording is mainly Lanchbery�s version for Makarova�s production for ABT in early 80s. Makarova wanted to re-create the long lost final act, however she had never seen that performed, nor did she had the complete score in hand. There is no published Minkus score in the west at that time. Lanchbery helped her to arrange the score to suit her intention as well as composing a few new numbers. This Minkus/Lanchbery/Makarova version certainly has lots of weakness, but it was the most frequently performed version around the world. This 1992 DECCA recording wasn�t conducted by Lanchbery himself, but Richard Bonynge, which resulted in a hybrid version. For some reason, Bonynge loved the arrangement Pavlova used, so he chose those pieces to replace Lanchbery�s on CD2, track 6-12. The result is fast tempo and doesn�t fit in any current choreography. For those who want to hear the Lanchbery�s version of the �Kingdom of the shades�, please find it in EMI�s Minkus and Friends, CD2. It was Lanchbery conducting Sydney Symphony Orchestra in 1983. Get the link from the above post.

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All in MP3 V0, plus booklet. Enjoy!

Wonderful!
Keep 'em coming!

I was lucky to find 6 links still working!
Thank you very much, Koala.

Most of the links are down, what a shame... Looks like a wonderful post. Only heard some pieces but worth it for sure.

There is another thread with several Lanchberry CDs, and the links (Deposit Files) all seem to work.
Go here: Thread 121898

Thank you, Yepsa.
But it seems to me there's no Lanchbery CD.

Thank you, Yepsa.
But it seems to me there's no Lanchbery CD.

How embarrassing---I don't find any there either. Not sure what other classical forum I had been using, but when I figure it out I'll share it here. So sorry chaps!

Thanks so much koala123 - I have a few things that Lanchbery orchestrated which are not commercially available, if your interested (I have a huge collection of ballet music). Sadly, the one thing I don't have is his "Madame Butterfly", & the link to your upload of "Madame Butterfly" is dead :(

mrlopez, perhaps you could post a "Highlights" list.
Thanks.

TALES OF BEATRIX POTTER.
COMPLETE DIGITAL SCORE:
John Lanchbery.rar (148,56 MB) - uploaded.to (http://ul.to/bwzs1oei)

Thanks.

Thank you for this interesting and fascinating thread .. as well as the music that comes with it :-)