Duke Ellington's Nutcracker Suite

by Anna Harwell Celenza, Don Tate (Illustrator)

Overview

It's a challenge to transform the "Nutcracker Suite's" romantic orchestra into jumpin' jazz melodies, but that's exactly what Duke Ellington and his collaborator, Billy Strayhorn, did.

Ellington's band memebers were not so sure that a classical ballet could become a cool-cat jazz number. But Duke and Billy, inspired by their travels and by musical styles past and present, infused the composition with Vegas glitz, Hollywood glamour, and even a little New York jazz.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781570917011
Publisher:	Charlesbridge
Publication date:	09/25/2018
Series:	Once Upon a Masterpiece , #5
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.60(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	6 - 9 Years

About the Author

Anna Harwell Celenza is a musicologist and the author of several books for adults and children regarding music history and the history of art. Her children’s books include THE FAREWELL SYMPHONY, PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION, GERSHWIN'S RHAPSODY IN BLUE, and VIVALDI'S FOUR SEASONS. Anna lives in Baltimore, Maryland.

Read an Excerpt

Record producers from across America flocked to Vegas to talk with Duke, but only Irving Townsend said what the bandleader wanted to hear. 
(Continues…)

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Excerpted from "Duke Ellington's Nutcracker Suite"
by .
Copyright © 2018 Anna Harwell Celenza.
Excerpted by permission of Charlesbridge.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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