One of the most effective tools available to arrangers is rhythm. Just as the instrumentation alters the sound of a piece, tempo and meter powerfully affect the mood and movement of the music. Tchaikovsky wrote his suite specifically for ballet dancers. This required that he use meters and tempos suitable for a variety of European classical dances. Similarly, by infusing the Nutcracker with a swing feel, Ellington and Strayhorn brought an entirely new sense of rhythm to the music. And the tempos and meters they chose inspired a completely different, and American style of dance – swing.
Activity
Listen as a class to Tchaikovsky’s “Waltz of the Flowers” and Ellington and Strayhorn’s “Danse of the Floreadores.” Have your students describe the differences in rhythm and meter. How does rhythm affect the mood of each movement? Working in groups, have students choose one of the movements and choreograph and perform their own dance. Students may begin by sketching out a narrative, imagining the tale told by the various instruments. This narrative can then be translated to movement, as students evoke various characters or instruments through dance. Ask students to explain how the music (its instrumentation, harmonies and rhythms) inspired the choreography. This activity may also be performed using Tchaikovsky’s “Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy” and Ellington and Strayhorn’s “Sugar Rum Cherry.”
