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Sabre Dance
Movement in Khachaturian's ballet Gayane From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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"Sabre Dance"[a] is a movement in the final act of Aram Khachaturian's ballet Gayane (1942), where the dancers display their skill with sabres.[3] It is Khachaturian's best known and most recognizable work worldwide.[4][5]
"Sabre Dance" is considered one of the signature pieces of 20th-century popular music.[6] It was popularized by pop covers in the U.S. in 1948 and has been covered by a number of rock bands since Dave Edmunds did in 1968. Its use in a wide range in films and television over the decades have significantly contributed to its renown.[7] "Sabre Dance" has also been used in sports, including by numerous figure skaters.
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Background
Khachaturian wrote "Sabre Dance", originally called the Dance of the Kurds, after completing the score of Gayane. He did so at the Kirov Theatre's request.[8] He later recounted that it "came into being quite by accident." The director's request for one more dance led the composer to create a contrasting warlike and lyrical piece in just eleven hours, which was then orchestrated, staged, and rehearsed within two days.[9] He wrote in November 1942 that it "immediately impressed" the orchestra, the dancers, and the audience during a full dress rehearsal. Khachaturian initially wanted to end it in a long and gradual diminuendo, but Nina Anisimova and the dancers persuaded him to end it with a gradual crescendo.[8]
Critic Victor Yuzefovich suggests that the Dance of the Polovtsians from Alexander Borodin's Prince Igor served as a prototype for "Sabre Dance" in terms of "emotional frenzy."[10]
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Composition
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"Sabre Dance" is a fast-paced orchestral work lasting approximately two-and-a-half minutes.[11] It follows an ABA form with a bridge and coda. The opening section presents the main theme four times, with the last two repetitions played higher in pitch. The middle section features woodwind instruments accompanied by timpani drums. The bridge is characterized by repeated patterns on the xylophone and dramatic sliding effects on the trombones. When the opening section returns, the theme is heard three times—the second time interrupted by a cymbal crash, and the third played at an even higher pitch. The work concludes with a descending melodic line followed by an upward climb to the final note.[12][13]
The orchestration emphasizes percussion instruments, particularly the xylophone.[14][15] The score calls for several specialized woodwind instruments including piccolo, English horn, and bass clarinet. A brief slower section includes a featured cello solo and alto saxophone. The harp plays throughout most of the piece, while the celesta appears only in the final three measures.[16] The ending creates musical tension by combining different musical scales and keys simultaneously.[17]
Its brief middle section is based on an Armenian folk song.[3][18] According to Tigran Mansurian, it is a synthesis of an Armenian wedding dance tune from Gyumri tied in a saxophone counterpoint "that seems to come straight from America."[19] Specifically, the fragment is a melodic motif from the folk male dance "Kalosi prken" from the Shirak region.[20][1] Tigranov suggested that "Sabre Dance" embodies the "manly, temperamental, and heroic" essence of Armenian male folk dances.[20]
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Critical reception and legacy
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"Sabre Dance" has received a mixed reception by critics. NPR's Tom Huizenga described it as "one of the catchiest, most familiar—perhaps most maddening—tunes to come out of the 20th century."[21] David Schwartz described it as "a raucous, silly, and altogether enjoyable piece."[22] Michael Dervan found it "high-tension, catchy and rhythmically insistent".[23] Its high energy and rapid motion have been commonly mentioned.[b] Steven J. Haller called it "a blistering, tub-thumping excess."[28] Another critic, David Mermelstein, found it "garish."[29] During his 1968 U.S. tour, Time magazine described the piece as "a three-minute piece of tuneless orchestral blooey," which had been enough to establish a worldwide reputation for Khachaturian.[30]
Critics Peter G. Davis and Martin Bernheimer called it "infamous" and "obnoxious."[31][32] Pianist Sviatoslav Richter expressed disdain for the dance, calling it his most hated piece and "a work that stinks to high heaven".[33]
Khachaturian felt that other melodies in the Gayane ballet were equally deserving of attention: "I would prefer other works of mine to be as popular as the Saber Dance." He added, "People remember the Saber Dance when Khachaturyan is mentioned. This is pleasing but also annoying."[34] He told an American interviewer, "It's like one button on my shirt, and I have many buttons."[35] Asked how he feels about its popularity by visiting American TV representatives in Moscow, Khachaturian jokingly responded: "Serves you right!"[36] A modern take of the piece was performed at Yerevan Cascade to Khachaturian's 110th anniversary in 2013.[37][38][39]
Orchestral recordings
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After World War II, records of dances from Gayane reached the West and "Sabre Dance" quickly became a sensation and "a popular classical hit."[42] In 1948, "Sabre Dance" was recorded by major orchestras, namely the Chicago Symphony Orchestra conducted by Artur Rodziński,[43][44] the New York Philharmonic conducted by Efrem Kurtz,[45] and the Boston Pops Orchestra conducted by Arthur Fiedler.[46] The Chicago and New York ones topped the Billboard Best-Selling Records by Classical Artists and ranked among the year's top-selling classical releases.[47] The Chicago Symphony Orchestra's version became the ensemble's first million-selling record.[48]
In 1948, the piece was also recorded by Victor Young's orchestra (Decca Records),[49] Ray Bloch's orchestra (Signature Records), Macklin Marrow's orchestra (MGM), the Angie Bond Trio (Dick Records), and the Harmonickings (Jubilee Records), Macklin Morrow (MGM), Harry Horlick (Crown Recordings).[49]
The piece has since been recorded by a number of orchestras, including the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra conducted by Fabien Sevitzky in 1953,[40] the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Yuri Temirkanov (1986),[50] the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Stanley Black (1989),[51] the Bolshoi Symphony Orchestra conducted by Alexander Lazarev (1994),[52] and the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Loris Tjeknavorian (2005).[53]
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Adaptations and arrangements
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Piano
The piece has been adapted and arranged for individual instruments. Oscar Levant published a piano solo arrangement of the work[54] and released it through Columbia Records in 1948.[55] He performed it five times on the radio program Kraft Music Hall between December 1947 and December 1948[54] and played the piece in the 1949 film The Barkleys of Broadway.[56] According to the Current Biography Yearbook, it was Levant's rendition that "received popular attention."[57] Oscar's performance in the film "marked a brazen bit of cross-marketing" and provided "what radio and albums could not: a chance to see Levant the concert pianist at work."[58]
Another pianist, David Rose, played it on The Red Skelton Show on NBC in 1948.[49] American pianist Liberace, who recorded it in 1951,[59][c] frequently performed it during his television appearances and concerts in the 1950s.[61][62][63] Pianist György Cziffra recorded it in 1954 with the Hungarian Radio,[64][65] which one critic described as a "madcap overhauling" of the piece.[66]
Other instruments
Besides the piano, "Sabre Dance" has been transcribed for multiple instruments. In 1948, the piece was transcribed for violin and piano and recorded by violinist Jascha Heifetz,[67][49][68] which Hideko Udagawa has described as "quite difficult."[69] Also in 1948 Charles Magnante offered an arrangement for the accordion and Harry James one for trumpet.[49] By May 1948, Leeds Music Corporation was selling 11 sheet music arrangements for the piece, including for 2 pianos (4 hands) by Pierre Luboshutz and a dance orchestra arrangement by Vic Schoen.[70]
Pete Rugolo's 1955 album Rugolomania features a bongo verison with Jack Costanzo playing the bongo solo.[71] Stan Kenton arranged and recorded a jazz version in 1966.[72] Balalaika player Mikhail Rozhkov and guitarist Georgiy Minyayev played it on the Soviet Central Television in 1966,[73] and performed it in the 1969 film Moskva v notakh.[74] The Osipov Balalaika Orchestra performed the piece in 1989 with traditional Russian instruments.[75] Larry Adler arragned it for the harmonica[76] and released it in 1978.[77] In 1985, James Galway recorded a flute adaptation of "Sabre Dance" along with other works of Khachaturian, performing with the Royal Philharmonic.[78][79]
Violinist Vanessa-Mae covered a version by Tolga Kashif in her 2004 album Choreography.[80] The classical crossover act Bond sampled it in the song "Highly Strung" in their 2004 album Classified.[81][82] In 2010, an organ recording featuring Eric Plutz, university organist at Princeton, performing orchestral transcriptions on Princeton's grand Aeolian Skinner-Mander organ.[22] By 2017, Bion Tsang trancribed it for cello and piano from Heifetz's violin arrangement.[83][84]
Pop covers
"There's a rash of sabre dance disks based on the familiar excerpts from Aram Khachaturian's Gay[a]ne Ballet Suite."
In 1948, "Sabre Dance" became a jukebox sensation in the United States,[89] with Newsweek going so far as to dub it the "Khachaturian Year" in America.[90] The song exemplified how the 1940s recording industry commonly produced multiple versions of popular hits.[91] Early 1948 audiences embraced the orchestral piece as a novelty.[92] By May, three distinct interpretations had climbed onto Billboard's Most-Played Juke Box Records chart: Freddy Martin's pop-boogie arrangement reached No. 8,[93] Woody Herman's dance-band instrumental (scored by Ralph Burns) peaked at No. 13,[94][95] and The Andrews Sisters' vocal rendition with harmonica accompaniment landed at No. 28.[96][97][92]
British pop vocal trio The King Brothers recorded a pop version in 1961.[98]
Rock covers
Welsh guitarist Dave Edmunds' band Love Sculpture released a frenzied instrumental[99] version in November 1968.[100][d] Pete Prown and HP Newquist called it "raucous but untraditional."[102] Motörhead's Lemmy described it as "the fastest thing you've ever heard in your fucking life!"[103] It brought Edmunds fame[101] and reached #5 in the UK Singles Chart,[104] and being charted in Switzerland,[105] the Netherlands,[106] and West Germany.[107] Edmunds repeatedly played it,[108] which became his "official guitar showcase piece."[109]
Rock versions were subsequently released by the Dutch band Ekseption (1969),[110] which was well received,[111][112] the English bands Spontaneous Combustion (1972)[113] and The Boys (1979).[114][115] The Pretenders performed it live at the Marquee Club, London in 1979, which was released in the 2006 reissue of their eponymous debut album.[116][117] The piece was covered by the rock bands U.K. Subs (1988),[118] Toy Dolls (1989),[119] Mekong Delta (1992),[120] Cheap Trick (1994),[121] Master's Hammer (1995),[122] and Skyclad (1996).[123] It is heavily sampled in "Sodom and Gomorrah" by the German heavy metal band Accept, from their 1994 album Death Row.[124] Tony Levin offered a progressive rock version in his 2006 album Resonator.[125]
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Use on screen
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"Sabre Dance" has been used in numerous films, animated films, television series, video games, and commercials over the years, often for humorous effects.[126] Steven Poole notes that it has "become a kind of global musical shorthand for cartoonish urgency,"[127] while Sheri Linden wrote that it has become "a kitsch staple of plate-spinning and magic acts."[128] The piece's popular familiarity has been enhanced by its traditional use as accompaniment by travelling circuses[12] and on television variety shows such as The Ed Sullivan Show (1948–1971) when novelty acts such as plate spinners appeared.[21][129] Conan O'Brien's late night talk show used it as the theme for the masturbating bear.[130] In the Soviet Union, it saw a prominent use in an episode of animated short Well, Just You Wait! (1973).[131][132]
"Sabre Dance" has featured in numerous films. In Billy Wilder's One, Two, Three (1961), the piece is regularly employed to amplify comic effect.[133][134] In Tengiz Abuladze's Repentance (1987) it is used to inject tension at a key moment.[135][136] In The Hudsucker Proxy (1994), the Coen brothers use it to underscore a rapid montage of the development of the hula hoop.[137] In Federico Fellini's 8½ (1963) the piece is adapted as a recurring lighthearted motif,[138][139] and a parody appears in Amarcord (1973).[140] In Tim Burton's Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985), the main theme is reminiscent of "Sabre Dance" to convey whimsical chaos and comic exuberance.[141][142]
In the U.S. and Britain, it has been widely used in popular comedy series, including The Benny Hill Show (1985),[143] Full House (1990),[144] The Simpsons (1991), Two and a Half Men (2004),[145] Family Guy ("Peterotica", 2006), SpongeBob SquarePants (2007), and The Big Bang Theory (2009).[146] Earlier, in 1962, it was used in "A Piano in the House" episode of The Twilight Zone.[147]
The piece was featured in The Amazing Race 28 (2016), when teams travelled to Armenia and had to search the Yerevan Opera Theater for their next clue.[148]
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Use in sports
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The piece has also been used in sports. The National Hockey League (NHL)'s Buffalo Sabres have used the piece as a theme song since the team was established in 1970.[149] After a hiatus, "Sabre Dance" was again made their theme song in 2011.[150][151]
Between 2010 and 2013, "Sabre Dance" was played at Donbas Arena, the venue of the Ukrainian football club Shakhtar in Donetsk, whenever the Armenian player Henrikh Mkhitaryan scored a goal.[152]
"Sabre Dance" was featured in the 2014 Winter Olympics opening ceremony held in Fisht Olympic Stadium, Sochi, Russia on February 7.[153][154][155]
Since the early 1980s, "Sabre Dance" has been a recurring choice for figure skating programs. It has been performed by competitors from a number of countries in both national and international events.[156]
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References
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