The association between music and chess goes all the way back to a chess ballet performed for King Louis XIV of France. The idea of a modern chess ballet, drawing on the new freedoms that flowered in the world of dance after Russian modernism reached the West around World War I, is an appealing one. British composer Sir Arthur Bliss reached the same conclusion, and his 1937 ballet Checkmate was a success; Bliss made various concert arrangements of the music, and it brought him chances to write various dance scores. The ...
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The association between music and chess goes all the way back to a chess ballet performed for King Louis XIV of France. The idea of a modern chess ballet, drawing on the new freedoms that flowered in the world of dance after Russian modernism reached the West around World War I, is an appealing one. British composer Sir Arthur Bliss reached the same conclusion, and his 1937 ballet Checkmate was a success; Bliss made various concert arrangements of the music, and it brought him chances to write various dance scores. The ballet's 12 sections introduce the various pieces on the chessboard and lead up to a climactic struggle, with the work's title indicating the outcome. Checkmate is rarely heard these days, for even with the unusual structure dictated by the subject matter, its musical originality does not match its freshness of concept. Edgier music might have captured the game's odd mixture of conflict and intellectual calculation, but Bliss' large score is a bit overblown. Perhaps he wasn't a chess...
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Add this copy of Sir Arthur Bliss: Checkmate (Complete Ballet); Mêlée to cart. $20.39, new condition, Sold by Importcds rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Sunrise, FL, UNITED STATES, published 2005 by Naxos.
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Arthur Bliss. New. New in new packaging. USA Orders only! Brand New product! please allow delivery times of 3-7 business days within the USA. US orders only please.
Add this copy of Checkmate to cart. $28.97, new condition, Sold by newtownvideo rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from huntingdon valley, PA, UNITED STATES, published 2005 by Naxos.
Add this copy of Bliss-Checkmate; Mêlée Fantasque to cart. $36.74, new condition, Sold by Revaluation Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Exeter, DEVON, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2005 by NAXOS.
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