Ambroise: Music

Thomas Ambroise

Airs de Ballet are melodies that are used as interlude between for instance the various acts of a ballet. Below you will find three examples from the ballet The Gipsy by Thomas Ambroise. The ballet is a three-act play based on a libretto after the book Novelas ejemplares: La gitanilla by Miguel de Cervantes, the author of the famous Don Quijote alias Don Quichotte. The then celebrated dancer Fanny Elssler was the prima donna of this ballet.

Usually ballets have an orchestral accompaniment. This does not fit on the guitar, so this piece is a simplified arrangement which appeared in a 19thy century guitar magazine.

Click the title for playback and sheet music:

Sheet Music

The arrangement of El Zapateado is not too difficult, so a brisk tempo should be achievable pretty soon.

Sheet Music

The then celebrated dancer Fanny Elssler was the prima donna in the ballet The Gipsy. History states that this Polish-like La Cracovienne was one of her favourites. The piece is not too difficult, so a brisk tempo should be achievable pretty soon. Apparently, the dancer required quite some time for her steps, so the piece includes a lot of (over)repeated fragments. Feel free to shorten things a bit, the repeats are optional.

Sheet Music

The then celebrated dancer Fanny Elssler was the prima donna in the ballet The Gipsy. She introduced the Cachuca -a Spanish dance which resembles a Bolero- for the first time on stage. It is a Flamenco dance with the well-known castanet accompaniment. The piece is not too difficult, so a brisk tempo should be achievable pretty soon.