Le Corsaire: Pas de Deux Cover Image

Le Corsaire: Pas de Deux: Full Orchestra, Ensemble Works Conductor Score & Parts

$175.00 USD
$175.00 USD
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Le Corsaire: Pas de Deux Cover Image
Le Corsaire: Pas de Deux: Full Orchestra, Ensemble Works Conductor Score & Parts

Le Corsaire: Pas de Deux: Full Orchestra, Ensemble Works Conductor Score & Parts

By Riccardo Drigo / arr. William McDermott

Item: 36-A888402
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Le Corsaire: Pas de Deux: Full Orchestra, Ensemble Works Conductor Score

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Description
The ballet LE CORSAIRE, inspired by Lord Byron's poem, tells the story of the love between a pirate and a beautiful slave-girl against a backdrop of the open sea, remote grottoes, amid the hustle and bustle of an eastern bazaar, and the languid luxury of a sultan's harem. Premiered by the Ballet of the Académie Royale de Musique in Paris, France on January 23 1856, the original music was entirely by Adolphe Adam. Over the years, significant revisions and the addition of a substantial amount of new music has involved numerous other composers in the ballet, including Cesare Pugni, Léok Delibes, Ludwig Minkus, Pyotr Oldenburgsky, Ivan Trubetskoy, and Antoine Simon. Riccardo Drigo's (1846-1930) contribution of the "Pas de Deux" was requested by choreographer Marius Petipa's 1899 revival as a spectacular vehicle for the reigning ballerina, Pierna Legnani, and is now among classical ballet's most iconic and performed excerpts. This edition was orchestrated and revised by William McDermott in 1987. Instrumentation in set: 2(2dPicc).2.2.2: 4.2.3.0: Timp: Hp: Str (4-4-3-3-3).

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Additional Details
Series: Kalmus Ballet Library
Publisher: Keiser Productions, Inc.
UPC: 735816144951
SKU: 36-A888402
Instrumentation: 2(2dPicc).2.2.2: 4.2.3.0: Timp: Hp: Str (4-4-3-3-3 in set)

More about this title

About the Composer: Riccardo Drigo

Riccardo Drigo (1846-1930) was an Italian conductor and composer who spent the majority of his career at the Imperial Theatres in St. Petersburg, Russia, where he became one of the most prolific ballet composers of the late 19th century. His gift for orchestration and gift for creating memorable melodic material made him the preferred collaborator of choreographer Marius Petipa during the golden age of Russian Imperial Ballet.

Drigo's contributions to existing ballets, including Le Corsaire, demonstrate his ability to craft spectacular solo and ensemble pieces that showcase dancers while maintaining the highest standards of orchestral writing. His Pas de Deux for Le Corsaire remains a staple of classical ballet repertoire and offers orchestras an opportunity to perform one of the most refined examples of 19th-century ballet music.

Why we love this

This excerpt captures everything that makes classical ballet music so rewarding for orchestras to play: pristine melody supported by clear harmonic architecture, brilliant orchestral coloring, and moments of genuine virtuosity for the strings and wind sections. The Pas de Deux's enduring place in ballet programming means your orchestra will reach audiences who know and love this music from the stage.

What to expect

The Pas de Deux radiates aristocratic elegance and restrained passion. The melodic writing soars with genuine emotional depth while maintaining the formal discipline of classical ballet music, creating moments of unexpected tenderness alongside passages of brilliant orchestral display.

Who it's for

Orchestras with sufficient string strength and woodwind flexibility seeking substantial ballet repertoire that bridges community performances with concert hall credibility. This score serves orchestras that perform alongside dance companies, as well as ensembles programming 19th-century orchestral masterworks for general audiences.

How to get the most out of it

  • Balance the soloistic violin line with warmth from the lower strings; this is as much about lyrical phrasing as it is about technical precision.
  • The harp part, though not continuous, provides essential harmonic shimmer in key moments—bring it forward slightly during its entrances to illuminate the orchestration.
  • Shape the tempo with sensitivity to the dancers' needs rather than imposing a metronomic pulse; small rubato in the melodic sections rewards the music's inherent lyricism.
  • Keep the timpani light and precise; this is a delicate orchestration despite its grand context, and heavy-handed percussion obscures the refined harmonic writing.

How to use it

This excerpt works beautifully as a standalone orchestral selection in concert programming, offering audiences a bridge between symphonic and ballet traditions. It pairs naturally with other 19th-century orchestral works or with additional ballet selections, and its moderate length makes it ideal for gala concerts, education performances, or special seasonal programming.

Skills your students will build

  • Balancing soloistic violin writing with orchestral support in 19th-century idiom
  • Executing clean articulation and precise rhythm across the full orchestra
  • Responding to the expressive demands of dance accompaniment within a concert framework
  • Reading and executing harp parts in orchestral context
  • Sustaining lyrical phrasing across extended passages

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