Carl A. Nielsen

Dance of the Cockerel / Hanedans

Dance Of The Cockerel (Hanedans) from the opera Masquerade by Carl Nielsen, arranged for for Piano Duet (4 hands) by Esther Bobrova Lange. Arranger's preface: Dance of the Cockerel is a ballet insertion from Act Three of Carl Nielsen's opera, Masquerade, it is written for a large symphony orchestra. In this version for piano duet (four hands), I used the full orchestral score, making sure that the essential orchestra parts were included. The melodic parts and the accompaniment are equally distributed between the primo and secondo parts. The nuances and articulations are written according to the original score, yet with consideration to the possibilities of the piano. In one of his letters, Carl Nielsen wrote that Dance of the Cockerel is like a polonaise. Presumably he meant that it should be played with pride and dignity in order to characterize a young cockerel surrounded by adoring hens that fight for his favour. (Esther Bobrova Lange)