Vanessa Mae - 'The Sabre Dance' by Aram Khachaturian

Vanessa Mae - The Sabre Dance' by Aram Khachaturian (video)

The Saber Dance (Armenian: Սուսերով Պար) is a movement in the final act of the Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian's ballet Gayane, completed in 1942. It evokes a whirling war dance in an Armenian dance, where the dancers display their skill with sabers. Due to its exceptionally exciting rhythm, "The Saber Dance" established a place for itself in common concert practice, leading also to various adaptations in popular music. In its middle section it uses an Armenian folk song from Gyumri, Armenia.

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Vanessa-Mae, born 27 October 1978, coincidentally shares her birthday with famed violinist Niccolò Paganini, who was born 196 years earlier on 27 October 1782.
Vanessa-Mae began playing piano at the age of three and violin at five.
She was particularly famous in the United Kingdom throughout her childhood making regular appearances on television (for example on Blue Peter) mostly involving classical music and conservative style. According to Guinness World Records, she is the youngest soloist to record both the Beethoven and Tchaikovsky violin concertos, a feat she accomplished at the age of thirteen.[1] During this time she attended the Francis Holland School in central London.
Vanessa-Mae made her international professional debut at the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival in Germany in 1988, and also during 1988 made her concerto debut on stage with the Philharmonia Orchestra in London.
On entering adolescence Vanessa-Mae broke away from her traditional classical influences and became known for her flashy, sexy style appearing in music videos in stylish outfits. Her first pop-style album, The Violin Player, was released in 1995. She appeared on the 1997 Janet Jackson album The Velvet Rope playing a violin solo on the song "Velvet Rope".

(source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

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No copyright infringement intended. Content owner: Sony Music Entertainment Type: Audio content.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Vanessa Mae
• violin
• The Sabre Dance
• Aram Khachaturian
• Armenia
• Armenian
• composer
• classical violin
• violinist
• classical music

[GAkopyan31]

As an Armenian pianist, I'm very saddened that this beautiful piece by Khachaturian was completely destroyed and misrepresented in this performance. Khachaturian would turn his grave if he say this. This is not at all how Khachaturian's impression of the piece is meant to be displayed. I suggest keeping the Arabic influences and classical Armenian culture seperate, as the two don't mix whatsoever. And I'm Armenian with very strong roots, so I CAN say this wholeheartedly...

[Flajole1979]

No doubt about Vanessa M as a great violinst -entertainer, but this kind of interpritation is completely absurd. Leak of knowledge about culture and this of course addressed to her stage choregrapher or creative director - whoever ......just for a piece of mind arabic and armenian music are completely DIFFERENt

[ArmenianAgent008]

OMG!!! the preformence was incredible and vanessa was shining like a star...

But she did one mistake ... she destroyed the armenian culture "completly"...

The original "Khachadurian"s music is way better than this !@#$%^&*()_+\!!??  music...

[madatyan56]

this music is amazing!!!!!! armenian genius!! thanks for your music

[Imgonnausethisname]

@GAkopyan31 I thought this was weird when I heard it. I only learned of its name a few weeks ago becase I had come across a video that has....Oh...shit....I can't think of his name. But he plays a mash up of Vivaldis Storm and winter and Sabre dance and some other things. It is truly amazing.

I just can't remember the name of the video.

Anywho I agree with you.

[dixiedragon54]

another up side to this interpretation is how many young people would EVER listen to traditional classical music of their own volition? Not many but this at least brings the concept to formerly deaf ears and may eventually build into an appreciation for the art

[NoGirlsOnTheInternet]

I'm going to have to disagree with hate. He had his story and emotions to tell through his music and he did. Someone else had a different story to tell and different emotions they wanted to evoke while paying homage to his piece.

Music isn't just about playing the notes on the sheet to the T. If all you're doing is doggedly imitating the original and chastising people who use an existing piece to express something different, then you're missing the point of creative arts.

[ramonmong]

Nobody knows how Khaghaturian himself would react. He might have well said, "Hot damn! Why didn't I think of that tempo myself?" And after he becomes a millionaire from his royalties, he would try changing the tempos and beats of his other compositions.

Perhaps Khachaturian's original compositions caused the older, more traditional Armenian composers to turn in their graves as well, as soon as they heard young Aram's "modern" melodies.

[shasha1873]

@GAkopyan31 you have a good point. But we live in a world where all of white man's creations have been turned into junk.

[MrSeriousely]

fu what have you made with armenian music,you have added arabic ellements(((but your play is great!!!!!!!