Danse Slave

The Danse Slave is joyful ballet music from Act Ill of Emmanuel Chabrier's comic opera "La Roi malgre lui" ("A King In Spite of Himself") (1887). This opera is generally considered to be Chabrier's masterpiece although rarely performed today. It resembles earlier nineteenth century comic operas with spoken dialogue interspersed between arias and ensembles. With the exception of the dance sequences in this particular opera, Chabrier did not write ballet music. However, twentieth century choreographers have found his works well suited for ballet stage because of their vivaciousness, theatricality, and rhyth"mic verve. Danse Slave is a masterful combination of forward melodic motion set against a background of rhythmic intensity.