Danish composer Knudäge Riisager recalled the 1930 premiere production of his ballet Benzin as "one of the most famous failures in the annals of the theater." Based on a scenario by humorist Robert Storm Petersen, in spirit it is somewhat similar to John Alder Carpenter's ballet Krazy Kat (1921), which was based on the work of George Herriman. While Krazy Kat was a success, Benzin bombed not once, but twice, both in the original production and in a 1963 revival in which the piece was cut down to nearly half its original ...
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Danish composer Knudäge Riisager recalled the 1930 premiere production of his ballet Benzin as "one of the most famous failures in the annals of the theater." Based on a scenario by humorist Robert Storm Petersen, in spirit it is somewhat similar to John Alder Carpenter's ballet Krazy Kat (1921), which was based on the work of George Herriman. While Krazy Kat was a success, Benzin bombed not once, but twice, both in the original production and in a 1963 revival in which the piece was cut down to nearly half its original length. Despite its checkered reputation, conductor Owain Arwel Hughes and the Danish National Symphony have decided to brave this bad luck work and record the whole ballet, in its original form, for the Danish label Dacapo, in a multichannel hybrid SACD no less.The sound, as is usual for most Dacapo SACDs, is terrific. Arwel Hughes' and the Danish National's performance are both carefully done and imbued with a spirit of brio, however lurking in the background one gets a sense of...
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