Chopiniana Schéhérazade The Firebird
St Petersburg, Mariinsky Theatre
23 March Saturday 19:00
Nikita Korneyev and Camilla Mazzi
Fokine’s Chopiniana is an homage to the Romantic era with its white ballet, fleeting arabesques, airy dances of ethereal sylphides and perpetual longing for perfection. Fokine, inspired by antique engravings depicting the legendary Marie Taglioni and her contemporaries and weary of ballet virtuosity and technique show offs, created a storyless ballet sketch at the beginning of the 20th century. The sketch was “in the style of that long-forgotten time when ballet was governed by poetry, when a dancer rose en pointe not to demonstrate the steel-like arch of her foot but in order to create the impression of lightness, barely touching the ground, something ethereal and fantastical.” The choreographer wrote: “I have tried not to surprise people with the newness, but rather to restore conventional ballet dancing to the point of its greatest advances. I don’t know if this is how our ballet predecessors danced. And no-one else knows that. But in my dreams this is precisely how they did dance.”
Viktoria Tereshkina as Zobeide and Vladimir Shklyarov as Slave
In 1910, Shéhérazade was a great success in Paris. The fashionistas of the time, having just shouted "bravo" at Les saisons russes premiere, hurried to put on serouals and turbans à la Eastern style which were created for the production by artist Léon Bakst. Fabric manufacturers launched the production of linens with ornaments in blue and orange colours, while jewelers sold gaudy trinkets, which were reminiscent of the shiny things worn by the artists on stage, with unprecedented success. Sergei Diaghilev was hoping to make a splash with a Paris performance of the ballet written after One Thousand and One Nights with the fabulous music by Rimsky-Korsakov and oriental exotics. Fokine sought to show all actions and feelings through poses and movements in his choreography. Ida Rubinstein drove the public crazy with her regal beauty, Vaslav Nijinsky – with animal-like flexibility of his half-naked body while soaring over the stage. Such passionate orgies as in Shéhérazade had never been seen by the Parisian ballet-goers before. And while modern theatre-goers would unlikely be stunned by the scenes of passionate embraces and bloody massacre at the harem, juicy musical, artistic and choreographic elements of Shéhérazade can still fire the imagination of a sensitive spectator. Olga Makarova
Lea Thomasson and Yuri Smekalov as Ivan Tsarevich
Igor Stravinsky began his career with The Firebird. It was his first commissioned work, his theatrical debut, followed by a huge success. After the ballet was premiered in Paris, this previously unknown aspiring composer was now ranked among the main newsmakers of the new European art. Stravinsky was invited to write a new score for the Ballets Russes by Diaghilev, since Anatoly Lyadov, composer known for his ability to evoke the world of Russian fairy tales, had failed this order on time. Diaghilev who had a knack for discovering new talents had been impressed by young Stravinsky's Scherzo Fantastique for symphony orchestra, which was “burning and sparkling” as choreographer Michel Fokine put it. It was Fokine who came up with a “glowing image” of the Firebird. By the time Stravinsky became involved with the score, the libretto had already been completed. Fokine had a clear vision of the ballet and guided the composer. Colourful musical themes of the Firebird, the round dance of the Princesses with its Russian femininity, the “Infernal Dance of All Kastchei's Subjects” that turns into a riot of rhythm, it all grew out of discussions between the composer, choreographer and designers, Alexander Golovin and Léon Bakst. In 1910, they created an export Russian fairy tale and it conquered Paris. Yet in Russia, Stravinsky’s The Firebird was performed only in 1921 Fedor Lopukhov's avant-garde production. Fokine's version of The Firebird, for which Stravinsky created his score, became a part of the Mariinsky Theatre’s repertoire only in the late 20th century. Olga Makarova
Swan Lake
25 April Tuesday 19:00
Music by Pyotr Tchaikovsky Choreography by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov Libretto by Vladimir Begichev and Vasily Geltser Sets and costumes designed by Vyacheslav Okunev Lighting Designer Yevgeny Ganzburg Swan Lake is the most popular ballet in the world and a symbol of the art of choreography. It is all but impossible that any civilised person could be found who is unfamiliar with the music of the Dance of the Cygnets. Pyotr Tchaikovsky's innovative and truly symphonic score allowed the two outstanding choreographers Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov to create their widely-acclaimed masterpiece (1895). The refined images of the white swans, the technically and stylistically demanding role of Odette-Odile and the female protagonist's thirty-two fouettés in the finale of Act II invariably excite the audience's imagination. The Leonid Yakobson Ballet Theatre offers a revived version of the ballet. The sets and costumes have been executed by Vyacheslav Okunev, People's Artist of Russia and recipient of the Golden Mask and Golden Sofit theatre prizes. The St Petersburg State Academic Leonid Yacobson Ballet Theatre directed by Honoured Artist of Russia Andrian Fadeyev is a unique dance company. The theatre can take pride in its fifty-year history and is privileged to bear the name of one of the 20th century’s most outstanding Russian choreographers. Today, the St Petersburg State Academic Leonid Yacobson Ballet Theatre is one of the country’s greatest ballet companies and it has been a recipient of St Petersburg’s loftiest theatre award the Golden Sofit, Russia’s national theatre prize the Golden Mask and the prestigious Taglioni European Ballet Award.
Le Corsaire
26 April Wednesday 19:00
Shklyrov Photo by: Razina Music by Adolphe Adam, Cesare Pugni, Léo Delibes, Riccardo Drigo and Pyotr Oldenburgsky Libretto by Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Joseph Mazilier, edited by Yuri Slonimsky and Pyotr Gusev Choreography by Marius Petipa and Pyotr Gusev Production by Pyotr Gusev (1987) after the composition and choreography of Marius Petipa Set design by Teymuraz Murvanidze Assistant designer: Mikhail Shishliannikov Costume design by Galina Solovyova Lighting design by Vladimir Lukasevich The plot of the ballet Le Corsaire contains all the components required to make it a success with the audience: a story about pirates with a shipwreck, abductions, loving passions and perfidious treachery... Moreover there is the variety of the cast and the choreography, the oriental flavour of the vivid costumes, the exotic character dances and the triumphant harmony of classicism. It is not by chance that this ballet has been in the international repertoire for more than a century and a half. It traces its roots back to the mid 19th century, when the composer Adolphe Adan wrote a score based on the plot of George Byron's poem The Corsair, while the choreographer Joseph Mazilier created the dances and in 1856 staged his production at the Opéra de Paris. Since then who has not laid his or her hands on it. New scenes appeared in the ballet, the score came to feature musical extracts by other composers and, in a word, Le Corsaire set out on an independent voyage taking in the stages of Europe. It came to St Petersburg thanks to the choreographer Jules Perrot, and Marius Petipa ennobled the loudly-screeching diversity of the Eastern bazaar with the refined classical scene Le Jardin animé. To us, too, Le Corsaire has come down as a colourful marathon of varied dances, intermingled with pantomime explanations of the relationships between the characters. The dances in the production involve the corps de ballet as well as the soloists. The choreography presents, in all its beauty, the expressive means of virtuoso classical dance, both female and male: in the ballet there are two ballerina roles and three male principal roles. And the few young dancers do not dream of dazzling with virtuoso technique in the variations and duets in this ballet, of interrupting well-earned applause with their perfect performance of fouettés or diagonals that stun the imagination with their flying tricks. Olga Makarova
Romeo and Juliet
27 April Thursday 19:00
Shirinkina - Juliet Photo by: Baranovsky Music by Sergei Prokofiev Libretto by Andrian Piotrovsky, Sergei Prokofiev, Sergei Radlov and Leonid Lavrovsky, based on the tragedy by William Shakespeare Choreography by Leonid Lavrovsky Set and costume design by Pyotr Williams Lighting Adaptation for the Mariinsky II by Andrei Ponizovsky and Yegor Kartashov The ballet Romeo and Juliet might never have been. In 1934 Prokofiev discussed the possibility of staging The Gambler and The Fiery Angel in Leningrad. At the time, Andrian Piotrovsky (the director of the Leningrad studios and a consultant for the GATOB) forwarded the idea of a new opera and, among other plots, he suggested Shakespeare’s tragedy. The idea for Romeo as a ballet finally took shape in May 1935. The second “godfather” of this production was Sergei Radlov. A co-writer of the scene plan, he proposed radical re-workings of Shakespeare, the most fantastical of which involved a happy ending. In the summer of 1935 the score was completed. During this time the GATOB production fell through and the idea was taken up by the Bolshoi Theatre. A stormy time began for the lovers of Verona: the failure of the first public performance (4 October 1935), the reworking of the finale in line with Shakespeare, the performance of two symphony suites from the ballet (1936-1937 season), a new contract with the GATOB (then known as the Kirov Theatre) and only on 11 January 1938 did the premiere of Romeo take place. Apropos, the premiere of Romeo took place in the Czech city of Brno – encyclopaedias list this as the world premiere. It is known that this was a one-act ballet which featured only selected excerpts (possibly the music of the two suites). It was in Leningrad that the score was heard in its entirety for the first time. Here the production was entrusted to Leonid Lavrovsky. The choreographer made a meticulous study of Veronese archives, medieval novels and descriptions of early dances. For his principal expressive means he chose dramatically vivid pantomime dance. Swearing allegiance to the spirit of Shakespeare, Lavrovsky demanded the removal of all radical elements from the libretto in addition to expanding several parts and augmenting the orchestration. Prokofiev resisted the changes even after the premiere. The production was designed by Pyotr Williams, one of the finest theatre designers of the age. Williams’ Italy arbitrarily combined heterogeneous elements of the Renaissance: on the squares of Verona there was the cupola of Santa Maria del Fiore and in the costume sketches one could find traces of portraits by Botticelli and Cranach the Elder. Verona literally moved to the expanses of Leningrad: many columnists noted the restrained and not remotely southern flavour of the production. The first cast was to be legendary – first and foremost the legendary Galina Ulanova. Ulanova’s arabesque as Juliet became a symbol of understatement in an era of silence and subtext, and when she ran across the stage it was a desperate flight for freedom. Lavrovsky and Williams’ ballet is one of the finest creations in Soviet ballet and a rare case for Prokofiev’s works where the first version proved canonical. In 1946 the production was staged at the Bolshoi Theatre with Ulanova as Juliet. In 1956 it created a furore in London during a tour by the Moscow company and became a starting point for international 20th century versions – by Ashton, MacMillan, Nureyev and Neumeier. In 2012 it was released on DVD. To this day it has packed auditoriums, and it is hard to believe that the music of Romeo was once considered “anti-ballet” and that on the eve of the premiere they were expecting a failure. Bogdan Korolyok
La Fille du Pharaon
29 April Saturday 19:00
Fille du Pharaon Photo by: Neff Music by Cesare Pugni, edited by the Mariinsky Theater (2023) Libretto by Jean-Henry Saint-Georges and Marius Petipa after the story Le roman de la momie by Theophile Gautier Musical Director: Valery Gergiev Choreography by Marius Petipa The choreographer of the reconstruction is Toni Candeloro Production assistant, transcription of choreography recordings: Juan Bockamp Set and costume Designer: Robert Perdziola The settings and costumes were created based on sketches of the original production of the Imperial Ballet at the Imperial Bolshoi (Stone) Theatre on January 18 (30), 1862 (art design by Andreas Roller, set design by Hermann Wagner, costumes by Kelver and Stolyarov) and sketches of the production at the Mariinsky theatre presented on November 10 (22), 1885 (art design by Orest Allegri, set design by Pyotr Lambin, costumes by Grigoriev and Evgeny Ponomarev) Lighting Designer: Egor Kartashov Musical preparation: Lyudmila Sveshnikova Tutor: Wanda Lubkovskaya Marius Petipa´s choreographic text was restored using Nikolai Sergeyev´s notation from the Harvard Theatre Collection. Prologue Scene 1. A Desert near the Pyramids of Gizeh A caravan of merchants stops to rest near the Pyramid. Englishmen, a young traveler Lord Wilson and his servant John Bull are invited to join them. Bayadères entertain them with dancing. Suddenly, a sandstorm makes everyone seek shelter in the pyramid. Scene 2. Inside the Pyramid The old watchman explains that they find themselves inside the resting place of the Pharaohs' daughter Aspicсia. Smoking opium, Lord Wilson falls into a delirious sleep. A magical transformation takes place, the mummies come to life. Reassured to find herself as beautiful as she ever was, Aspicсia approaches the sleeping Lord Wilson. She makes him follow her into the past. Act I Scene 3. In the Forest The Pharaoh’s daughter and her retinue are lion hunting. Taking a break, Aspiccia’s confidante Ramzé starts playing lute causing all others to fall asleep. Aspiccia is frightened by a monkey, then a bee stings her. A lion pursued by huntresses threatens her, but the young Egyptian Ta-Hor bravely shoots the beast. Aspiccia thanks him. The Pharaoh enters with his retinue. He orders Ta-Hor and Pasifonte to be captured, but Aspiccia explains what has happened. The Pharaoh invites them to his palace. Act II Scene 4. The Pharaoh's Palace in Thebes Aspiccia presents Ta-Hor with rich gifts in gratitude for saving her life, but he declines them. The Pharaoh greets his guest, the Nubian King. Struck by Aspiccia’s beauty, the Nubian King asks for her hand. Ta-Hor reaches out for his dagger to challenge his opponent, but Aspiccia’s pleading gaze calms his anger. Aspiccia and Ta-Hor decide to run away. Ramzé helps them to succeed giving them a secret door key. A slave informs the Pharaoh about the escape of the lovers. The Pharaoh threatens Ramzé with his wrath, but true to her mistress, she does not say a word. The Nubian King pursues the fugitives, while the Pharaoh is in anger and sorrow. Act III Scene 5. The Fisherman's Hut A fisherman’s couple is celebrating their recent wedding. Guised in peasant clothes, Aspiccia, Ta-Hor and Pasifonte knock, asking for shelter. Aspiccia tells the company they were caught in a storm while fishing and barely made it back to shore. At nightfall, the fishermen set off to fish. Ta-Hor offers them his help. Aspiccia stays alone and is startled by the Nubian King. He reminds her that she is his fiancée. Aspiccia orders him to leave, telling that she is in love with another man. The Nubian King is deeply offended. Aspiccia finding no escape throws herself into the Nile. Ta-Hor and Pasifonte return, but instead of the princess, they find the Nubian King, who demands that they be captured. Scene 6. In the Nile Aspiccia’s body descends to the bottom of the river. The Nile greets her and arranges a celebration in her honor, to which rivers are invited from different countries. Aspiccia asks to see her loved ones again. She perceives her father in deep sadness, and her beloved in chains. Struck by this, she begs to be brought back to the surface. The Nile grants her wish. Act IV Scene 7. The Pharaoh's Palace in Thebes The Pharaoh doesn't understand what has happened to his daughter. To demonstrate what punishment awaits the captive Ta-Hor, Pasifonte and Ramzeé, he orders a slave to be killed by a venomous snake. Just in time Aspiccia and the fishermen enter the palace. She tells her father about her adventures. Pleading for justice, she accuses the Nubian King for mistreating her. The Pharaoh liberates the innocent, blesses his daughter's union with Ta-Hor, and orders the Nubian King to leave. The feast begins. Epilogue Aspiccia calls for Lord Wilson. Or is it still a dream?