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

Running time: 3 hours 10 minutes (till 21:20)

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 One  

Cinderella’s morning begins with sisters’ angry tricks and quarrels as usual. Only mice in the kitchen feel sorry for the girl, and her Father secretly from her Step-mother gives her wooden shoes. Her mother used to wear them. But peevish Step-mother doesn’t let her husband to spend time with his daughter. Only being alone, Cinderella sees a beggar at the fire-place. Where is she from? The girl feels sorry for the old woman and gives her shoes to her. 
Cinderella’s sisters are getting ready for the ball. They try dresses, quarrelling and envying each other’s clothes. The quarrel is interrupted by the Ball Organizer. The sisters are bad at dancing lessons, but Cinderella repeats all exercises easily and with grace. It causes envy of Sisters and Step-mother’s anger. She demands her money for dancing lessons back from the Teacher. 
Cinderella sees her Father for the ball and imagines herself a princess. Father catches the game and pretends being the prince. But her Step-mother appears and forces her husband to leave. Cinderella stays alone and cries. 
Suddenly the kitchen is filled with strange light and the girl sees old beggar. Funny little people peep from the fire-place – they are dwarves. Old dress falls down from the woman – and Cinderella sees a miraculously wonderful Fairy. There are four more Fairies of the Season with a suite of dwarves-months with her. The Spring Fairy gives Cinderella a wonderful dress, made of golden and silver brocade, decorated with precious stones. The Summer Fairy turns mice and rats into brave postilion and a pair of fast horses. The Autumn Fairy turns a pumpkin into a gorgeous carriage, and the Winter Fairy gives Cinderella a diamond crown and a sparkling cloak. But the best present is made by the main Fairy – it is porcelain shoes. The girl recognizes the Christian Mother in her. 
The Fairy warns Cinderella strictly, that she should return home before midnight. Otherwise her splendid dress will turn into and old dress again, horses will become mice, and the carriage – the pumpkin.

Act Two 

Guests are gathering to the ball at the King’s palace. Noble princes from far off countries – Spain, China and Chukot – are among them. 
There are a lot of beauties at the ball. But the one, who has entered the last, is the most charming. She has a gorgeous dress on, but it’s not the dress, that attracts everybody. It’s a strange girl herself. She radiates kindness and tenderness. Surely, it’s Cinderella. 
All the guests are eager to dance with the beauty and give her rich presents. 
The Prince suggests the girl his heart and sole. Beloved seem to fly into a magic garden – a permanently wonderful garden of the Seasons. 
Suddenly the clock strikes twelve. The ball is over for Cinderella. She rushes from the palace, dropping a tiny shoe. 
Even the Prince, who holds this tiny finding, can’t recognize his vanished beloved in a poorly dressed girl. 

The Prince does his best to find the beautiful stranger. But not a single shoe-maker can say what a skillful master has made this unusual porcelain shoe. 
The Prince leaves for far off countries, hoping to find his beloved there. But one misfortune follows the other – the porcelain shoe is small both Spanish and Chinese princesses. And far off the Chukot prince suggests the Prince marring his bride – according to the ways of his country. He is so sorry for his friend! But the Prince needs the only girl in the world – the one, whom the shoe will match. The Prince makes up his mind to return home. 
A porcelain shoe – it’s the only thing, left to Cinderella after the magic ball. In her dreams she dances again and she is happy again. Her Step-mother and sisters break her dreams. 
Cinderella’s father doesn’t want to suffer his wife’s and her daughters’ cruelty. He makes an attempt to force the sister sweep the floor. A terrible quarrel seems to be inevitable. Suddenly the Prince with his suite appears at the door. He has been to dozens of houses, trying to find his bride. Now it’s the turn of Cinderella’s father. 
The Step-mother and the sisters are out of their minds with the attempts to put on the shoe. The Step-mother is ready to shorten her foot. Trying to stop her, Cinderella drops the other porcelain shoe. The Prince sees his beloved. 
And than the merriest and the most gorgeous wedding was held!






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


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