The most beautiful music from the world's greatest ballets (Swan Lake, Spartacus, CoppÃ©lia, Masquerade, The Nutcracker, Sylvia, Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun and Giselle). The word 'ballet' is French; it was adopted by the English sometime in the seventeenth century. It was during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries that the genre really started to develop into the art form that we recognize on the stage today. A fusion of dance, music, drama, sets and lighting, ballet is one of the ultimate arts. Following are the stories of some of the world's greatest ballets, so the listener may enjoy more fully the collection presented here.

Tracklist:

Coppelia, Ballet Suite: I. Scene
Coppelia, Ballet Suite: II. Waltz
Coppelia, Ballet Suite: III. Dance of the Swans. Allegro
Coppelia, Ballet Suite: III. Dance of the Swans. Andante
Coppelia, Ballet Suite: III. Dance of the Swans. Waltz tempo
Sylvia: IV. Couples Dance
Sylvia: V. Hungarian Dance (Czardas)
Sylvia: VI. Spanish Dance
Sylvia: VII. Neapolitan Dance
Swan Lake Suite, Op. 20a: Finale
Spartacus Suite No. 2: I. Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia
Coppelia: I. Prelude
Coppelia: II. Waltz
Coppelia: III. Mazurka
Coppelia: IV. Ballad
Coppelia: V. Slav Theme And Variations
Coppelia: VI. Hungarian Dance (Czardas)
Masquerade Suite: I. Waltz
The Nutcracker, Op.71: I. Miniature Overture. Allegro giusto
The Nutcracker, Op.71: II. March
The Nutcracker, Op.71: III. Dance of the Sugar-plum Fairy
The Nutcracker, Op.71: IV. Russian Dance, "Trepak"
The Nutcracker, Op.71: V. Arab Dance
The Nutcracker, Op.71: VI. Chinese Dance
The Nutcracker, Op.71: VII. Dance of the Reeds
The Nutcracker, Op.71: VIII. Waltz of the Flowers
Swan Lake, Op.20: I. Prelude, "The Huntress"
Swan Lake, Op.20: II. Intermezzo - Valse lente
Swan Lake, Op.20: III. Pizzicato
Swan Lake, Op.20: IV. Marches et cortege de Bacchus
Swan Lake, Op.20: Prelude a l'apres-midi d'un faune
Swan Lake, Op.20, Act I: Allegro marcato
Swan Lake, Op.20, Act I: Variation A - Allegro
Swan Lake, Op.20, Act I: Galop
Swan Lake, Op.20, Act I: Waltz
Swan Lake, Op.20, Act I: Alla loure
The Sleeping Beauty, Op.66, Act I: Andante
The Sleeping Beauty, Op.66, Act II: Andantino non troppo
The Sleeping Beauty, Op.66, Act II: Allegro non troppo
The Sleeping Beauty, Op.66, Act II: Intermezzo
The Sleeping Beauty, Op.66, Act II: Transition
Giselle, Act II: Andante

UPC: 747313001170
Label: Naxos
Release Date: 1.27.09
Format: CD

Various Artists - Ultimate Ballet Album / Various (2 CD)