Kurt Jooss' The Green Table is one of the masterpieces of twentieth-century dance. Its message of the futile, relentless tragedy of war is universal in its humanitarian appeal. This studio recording, featuring The Joffrey Ballet of Chicago, was staged by the choreographer's daughter, Anna Markard, who endeavored to reconstruct his work as faithfully as possible. The sets and costumes follow the designs created by Hein Heckroth or the original 1932 production. The masks and lighting are by Markard's husband Hermann, a painter and designer. Cohen's score for two pianos is played by May Sofge and Fiona Boznos.
Christopher Bruce's reputation as one of Britian's outstanding dancer/choreographers is based partly on his mix of classical and modern idioms and partly on his commitment to socially conscious themes. Swansong was created by Bruce for the English National Ballet and was received with great critical acclaim when it was first performed in London. This recording recreates the production in studio, using the same bare setting, with a single chair. The dance exposes two uniformed guards (Matz Skoog, Kevin Richmond) who taunt, brutalize and finally kill, their victim (Koen Onzia), a prisoner in an unnamed political trap.
