Tennant/Lowe
The Most Incredible Thing
Performed by Pet Shop Boys and the Wrocław Score Orchestra conducted by Dominic Wheeler
2CD/Digital Release date: March 14
Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe release the music for their first ever full-length ballet, The Most Incredible Thing, on March 14 through Parlophone Records. The ballet is a collaboration with choreographer Javier De Frutos and Britain’s leading contemporary dance theatre, Sadler’s Wells. Based on the Hans Christian Anderson story of the same title, it runs at Sadler’s Wells in London from 17–26 March 2011.
Tennant and Lowe proposed Andersen’s story as the basis for a new ballet to Sadler’s Wells in London in 2007 after a friend, the then Royal Ballet principal, Ivan Putrov, asked Neil Tennant if Pet Shop Boys would consider writing a piece of music for him to dance to at Sadler’s Wells. Coincidentally a couple of days later, Chris Lowe suggested to Neil Tennant that “The Most Incredible Thing” would make an excellent narrative for a ballet and, inspired by this synchronicity, they approached Sadler’s Wells with the project. The following year Javier De Frutos was chosen as the choreographer. The story is about a competition in a mythical kingdom where the King announces that whoever invents the most incredible thing will win the hand of the Princess in marriage and half of the Kingdom. What follows is creative, destructive but ultimately happy.
Tennant and Lowe composed most of Act One in autumn, 2008, and the rest of the score in 2010. The music is a combination of electronics and orchestra. They approached the young German musician Sven Helbig to create the orchestrations and at the end of 2010 these were recorded in Poland with the WrocÅ‚aw Score Orchestra conducted by Dominic Wheeler. After the initial run of performances of The Most Incredible Thing in March, a return to Sadler’s Wells followed by a tour is planned for 2012.
Neil & Chris said: “This is a very exciting project to be part of. In the past we have written dance music so to write music for a ballet seems like a logical development. Also we have always been fascinated by giving our music a theatrical context.”
The album is released worldwide (international release dates vary slightly), including a simultaneous USA release by Astralwerks. Production is by Pet Shop Boys and Sven Helbig and the album was mixed by Bob Kraushaar. Artwork design is by Farrow/PSB based on an original paper-cut by Hans Christian Andersen.
The Most Incredible release
We are sad to hear that the distinguished British photographer Martin Parr, famous for his wryly distinctive images of everyday life, has died. In 2002 we asked him to direct the video for our song “London” and he made a short film which, in its combination of urban pathos and quirky London street life, was instantly recognisable as his work. We send our sincere condolences to his family and friends. Neil and Chris xx
Photo: New York Times
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