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20 July 2018 (Fri), 19:00 Russian National Ballet Theatre - Classical Ballet The Sleeping Beauty (ballet in 2 acts with prologue)

Running time: 3 hours 10 minutes (till 21:00)

The performance has 1 intermission

Schedule for The Sleeping Beauty (ballet in 2 acts with prologue) 2022

Choreography: Marius Petipa

Orchestra: Symphony orchestra of the Summer Ballet Seasons

Classical Ballet in 2 act

The Sleeping Beauty, a crowning jewel of Marius Petipa’s career, is often considered the finest achievement of the Classical ballet. It is a grandiose and refined blending of the traditional mime, expressive pas d’action and spectacular divertissements in a lavish theatrical setting. Tchiakovsky was delighted with the invitation to write the music for a ballet based on Charles Perrault’s well known fairy tale. A baby princess, condemned at her christening by an evil fairy to prick her finger and die on her 16th birthday, is saved by the gift of the good Lilac Fairy, who declares the princess will only sleep until awakened by the kiss of a prince. The fairy tale replete with a king and queen, fairies both good and evil, a beautiful princess and dream prince, magical stage effects, and courtly splendor, lent itself perfectly to the full evening ballet that was Petipa’s pride.

Although different productions have cast the kingdom of King Florestan and his queen in varying centuries, it is really a storybook kingdom set in the realm of the imagination. In the Prologue, the hall of the palace where the christening is about to take place is resplendent with color, and imposing with its high ceilings and great stone archways. The master of ceremonies, pages, heralds, ladies in waiting, and finally the King and Queen all promenade into the royal setting, looking most distinguished in their elaborate dress. Next, the fairies of the kingdom join the scene of courtly pageantry with the Lilac Fairy, six cavaliers and maids of honor entering last. All dance in honor of the King and Queen and baby Aruora, about to be christened, Each of the fairies dances her own solo, presenting a gift to the Princess. The dances of no real dramatic significance are an example of Petipa’s use of the well timed divertissement. Just as the Lilac Fairy finishes her dance a strange and frightening rumble is heard. Its meaning soon becomes clear: the master of ceremonies has forgotten to invite the evil fairy Carabosse! The grotesque woman, her face a white mask, her long dress black and tattered enters in a huge black coach drawn by four ugly rats. Stepping down, she gesticulates with her hand and threatens with her stick that they will have to pay the price for their omission. In mime, she delivers the ominous curse that the Princess will prick her finger on a spindle and die. The master of ceremonies is in disgrace, the King and Queen are in despair. But the Lilac Fairy has not given her the gift. She steps forward and assures the royal court that on her 16th Birthday the princess will indeed prick her finger, but then fall asleep for 100 years. Carabosse speeds off in a rage while the others surround the infant’s cradle as if to protect her from further harm.

The Sleeping Beauty was the first of Petipa’s classics to be seen in Western Europe. Under the title The Sleeping Princess, it was presented by Serge Diaghilev (1872-1929) in London in 1921. In 1939, it was remounted in Great Britain and has been considered the foundation of the Classical ballet repertory in that country ever since. It has now been adopted worldwide, and performance of the leading role remains a kind of initiation rite for aspiring ballerinas.

The Sleeping Beauty is a supreme demonstration of the challenge of Petipa’s style - steel point work, sharply accented spinning turns, soaring leaps, high extensions, brilliant battery (beats in the air), daring lifts and, in addition, it gives a fairy tale plot lavish stage treatment. However, its production actually checked a growing tendency toward shapeless extravaganza in 19th century ballet, adhering closely to the principle of choreographic symphonism: meaning that, like the composition of a symphony, it had a certain formal structure. The Sleeping Beauty was choreographed in strict association with Tchaikovsky’s music. There are themes developed and resumed throughout the ballet, and each act is a unity unto itself. Tchaikovsky willingly took instruction from Petipa as to the length tempo and character of each musical sequence ( as he would also do in The Nutcracker). The themes - a young girl’s coming of age and the triumph of good over evil are developed dramatically and musically during the course of the ballet. Each of the three acts includes an adagio for Princess Aurora, the first celebrating her girlhood, the second her falling in love, and the third her marriage. In these pas d’actions, Petipa makes fuller use than previous choreographers of the dramatic potential of the Classical ballet, as for example, when Aurora’s curved (questioning) attitudes become sharp (exclamatory) arabesques and her balances grow steadily surer.

Music For Ballets Fragment 1 Fragment 2 







Synopsis

Act I
Scene 1

Guests come to the New Year party. Drosselmeier, Masha’s godfather, has prepared wonderful presents for children, including a funny Nutcracker doll. The children are eagerly waiting for the moment when they are shown the Christmas tree and the holiday presents. The desired moment finally comes: they see the decorated Christmas tree sparkling with lights.
Drosselmeier appears disguised as a magician and entertains the children with tricks. His ability to animate toys astonishes the children. Masha likes the awkward, funny Nutcracker a lot, and Drosselmeier gives the toy to the girl.
Playing with the Nutcracker, children accidentally break it. Masha is very upset. Drosselmeier, with the help of magic, repairs the doll and calms Masha down. Gradually the party comes to an end, the guests leave, and the room is empty. Masha, taking a candlestick, creeps up to the tree to have one more look at her favorite toy before going to sleep, and, making sure that the Nutcracker is in his place, the girl plunges into the world of dreams and gradually falls asleep.

Scene 2
On New Year's Eve Masha has a magic dream. She suddenly faces a large mouse army led by the Mouse King. The Nutcracker and toy soldiers bravely protect her, but the forces are not equal. The mice capture the dolls. Taking a magic candlestick, Masha throws it at the mice. The army runs away.
The Nutcracker who is lying on the floor suddenly turns into a handsome Prince. He leads Masha into a fairy, enchanted forest, where the magnificent winter reigns, the snowy whirlwinds swirl, the snowflakes turn around and sparkle. They pick up Masha and the Nutcracker Prince and carry them away, dancing and taking them farther and farther into the snowy forest wilderness.
Suddenly Masha and the Prince see a wonderful rook, get aboard and go to the amazing magic land of Confitureurburg.

Act II
Scene 3
Masha and the Nutcracker Prince are in the domain of the Mouse King. The captive dolls languish and suffer. Having entered the struggle with the mice and having defeated their king, the Prince and Masha release the captive dolls and sail together with them for a holiday in the sweet city of Confiturenburg. A lot of dolls from different countries come to the festive ball. They perform Russian, Oriental, Spanish, Chinese and other dances. The festival ends with the waltz of flowers.
Waking up, Masha realizes that it was just a dream...
 






Schedule for The Sleeping Beauty (ballet in 2 acts with prologue) 2022


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