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When you read it, you'll see why we owe her our gratitude. And she has kindly offered to answer any follow-up questions you might have.This Q&A session was arranged through the graciousness of pmeja, who also brings you your weekend Links.
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Ballet Talker: Was the production modified from the Bolshoi's version to suit ABT?
Anna-Marie Holmes: The production was taken to Boston Ballet and then ABT, and then modified the next year for ABT and the filming for PBS.
BTer: Who choreographed the "bedroom" pas de deux between Conrad and Medora?
A-M: That was choreographed with love by Constantine Sergeyev with help from his wife Dudinskaya.
BTer: Have changes been made from the "original," and, if so, what has been changed, and what is the reason behind those changes? (The use of the term "original" can be interpreted however you like
) A-M: Corsaire was first produced for the Paris Opera with choreography by Mazilier in 1856. It was then taken to Russia and premiered by Petipa in 1899. The so-called original by Petipa was changed by Gusev at the Kirov, and then Sergeyev did a version after Petipa, but not Gusev.
When they were going to remount Corsaire at the Kirov, they decided to do Gusev again, so Sergeyev went to the Bolshoi and mounted Corsaire after Petipa, not Gusev, for them. It was a big success, but Grigorovich wanted to mount his own Corsaire with a bigger boat etc., so Dudinskaya contacted me and told me that the Corsaire that they had done for the Bolshoi was sitting in Moscow and that they already had a new Grigorovich production, so we could probably buy it very reasonably. I went to Moscow and bought the Sergeyev/Petipa production and brought Dudinskaya and Disnitsky (he assisted Sergeyev) to Boston to stage it. I staged it with the help of Legat Terekhova and Bereznoi for ABT initially. Then I went back to ABT and restaged the new version myself.
We had to cut time for the filming, and Victor Barbee and Kevin McKenzie had some other ideas. I refused to cut Jardin Animee, but I did put the Odalisques in the first act to give more dancing and more woman for Lankadem to sell to the pasha. I also refused to cut the Petipa character dances in the first act and the Forband in the second. I did cut the Pashas wife solo that was choreographed in the 3rd act by Sergeyev, and reluctantly cut the character dance for Medora in the 2nd act choreographed by Petipa.
BTer: What is the music and composer for the pas de deux between Conrad and Medora at the end of the second act, after the departure of Lankadem with the rose, beginning from their entrance into the cave together? It is so beautiful!
A-M: This was music by Prince Oldenburg and choreographed by Constantine Sergeyev.
BTer: What seems to have come down to us today is a comic ballet. Not only do the "good guys" win at the end, but the mime passages are shot through with how dumb the Pasha and his court are. Do you think that this has been modified by a trip through "Marxist-Leninist Realism", or is this the Old Way, persistently making fun of the Turks, the Russian ancestral enemy? Or is it just a one-act, swelled by the inclusion of all sorts of other stuff?
A-M: There were not to be any political shots in this ballet. Just a lot of fun and I made the fat Pasha a funnier character trying to imitate Medora's dancing etc.
BTer: What sections of music are each of the composers credited responsible for?
A-M: I do not have the score in front of me now, but I know the Jardin Animee is Delibes. The big pas de trois is Drigo and Adam. Actually Adam composed most of Corsaire with these other additions. There is a CD out of Corsaire by Adolphe Adam played by the Zapolsky Philharmonic Orchestra. It is the complete three act ballet. It is a three compact disc set by Slovadisk. Mikulas Klimcak-Bordjov is the conductor.
BTer: Why is the incidental music of the Boston Ballet/American Ballet Theatre version so completely different from the music of the Mariinksy staging?
A-M: The music that was chosen for Boston and ABT was the choice of Sergeyev and Petipa. The Marinsky is that of Gusev.
BTer: What is the history of "Le Corsaire" from its very first staging until now? What of the history of what was interpolated, when, by whom, and for whom?
A-M: Corsaire was first performed by the Paris Opera Ballet Jan 23, 1856, and the choreography was by Mazilier. Carolina Galetti Rosati danced as Medora and Domenico Segareli was Conrad. Two years later Jules Perrot did a Corsaire in Russia adding pas d'esclave by Petipa, and then five years later Petipa did a Corsaire and added the enchanted garden by Delibes, as there was not enough dancing for the women. Petipa then added music by Pugni and the pas de deux by Drigo for the 1899 production at the Marinsky.
Gusev did his version of Le Corsaire for the Kirov. which was performed at the Met in NY July 3, 1989. Then I brought Le Corsaire to Boston Ballet March 27, 1997. Natasha Akhmarova danced Medora (she now is artistic director of the Perm ballet), Robert Wallace was Conrad, Lazlo Berdo was Birbanto, Patrick Armand was Ali and Arthur Leeth was Lankadem. ABT premiered Corsaire June 19, 1998.
BTer: Why are the character dances from Act I Scene 2 (the Slave Market) in the Mariinksy staging absent from Western productions?
A-M: Gusev did the character dances in the Marinsky staging, and Petipa did the character dances in my version.
BTer: Why was the waltz variation by Ludwig Minkus from "Don Quixote" chosen for the solo of Medora in the scene 'Jardin Anime' in place of the traditional variation of Medora that is danced at the Mariinksy?
A-M: The waltz variation you are speaking about was added by Dudinskaya for herself.
BTer: Who composed the traditional variation of Medora's 'Jardin Anime' variation?
A-M: Petipa, but it has been changed a lot by Gusev and Vinogradov.
BTer: Who composed Gulnare's variation for the same scene?
A-M: Gulnares by Delibes (these two variations have been credited to many different composers in various sources.)
BTer: Why do the orchestrations of the 'Pas d'esclave' and the 'Trio of the Odalisques' differ so much from that of the Mariinksy staging? Who did the re-orchestrations?
A-M: Orchestrations are from original, but some reorchestrating was done by Kevin Galie.
BTer: Will there ever be a recording on CD of the music of this ballet? There is no recording available of the full-length "Le Corsaire" on CD. (There was a recording done by Richard Bonynge, but only of fragments of Adolphe Adam's original score and the 'Flower Waltz' of Delibes for 'Jardin Anime'.)
A-M: You can get the Adolphe Adam recording by Slovadisk. I am thinking about recording this.
BTer: What role did Natalia Dudinskaya play in the staging of this ballet?
A-M: Dudinskaya was like my Mother- she played a huge role in the staging and in all the changes.
BTer: Does this staging for Boston Ballet/ABT stem from the Bolshoi or the Mariinksy? Did the Bolshoi version come from the Mariinksy?
A-M: Sergeyev first did Corsaire after Petipa for the Kirov and then took it to the Bolshoi. It was the last ballet he restaged before he died.
BTer: I would like to ask about the character dance that Medora had during the pirate scene. I saw it in Boston, and thought it was just charming, and seemed to be a real breath of the 19th century. Is there any chance it will be revived?
A-M: When I restage Corsaire for another company, I will do the little character dance for Medora again. I also loved it.
BTer: Ditto the dance for Zamora (the Pasha's favorite) in the last act.
A-M: I am not sure I would put this back in. It would depend on the company and dancers. This was choreographed by Constantine Sergeyev. It needs a really gorgeous long-legged, high extension ballerina.
BTer: I would like to ask some general questions about the process of "staging" a full-length ballet like Le Corsaire. What aspects of the production are you responsible for when you undertake to stage something like Corsaire? What aspects of the production are you NOT responsible for? Does this differ from company to company?
A-M: I am responsible for staging all the choreography. I present a breakdown of scenes, hours, individual dancers and group scenes and how long to stage each piece. Corsaire Scenery and Costumes were bought by Boston Ballet from the Bolshoi, who sold them to ABT. I was not involved in the initial design of this production but hope to be involved when I do it again.
Companies do differ with their rehearsal process. Some only do the ballet that you are staging and other have three or four ballets going on at the same time.
BTer: In what order do you address the various parts of this task?
A-M: I usually start at the beginning and go to the end, but rehearsals sometimes do not work that way, and I have to do all the principals first and then do the corps, or visa versa.
BTer: What has to be done first, before actually showing up at the rehearsal hall? In other words, what do you "bring" to your first meeting with the dancers? Are there other members of the company's artistic staff with whom you meet with before you meet with the dancers?
A-M: I meet with the artistic director, and the casting has to be decided first. Then I have complete notes and music to work from. Usually a company will ask for the piano scores months in advance so their pianists can practice the music.
BTer: What develops during the process of working with the dancers? Do you find yourself changing things in any significant way during the course of actually setting the ballet on dancers? If so, what kinds of things tend to have to be adjusted?
A-M: There are some ballets and variations where it has to be as was done originally, and then there are principals that have a favorite side or a favorite step that they would like to add. If it enhances the ballet to do so, such as in a ballet like Corsaire -- then I am usually in agreement, but not change just for change's sake.
BTer: What influence do you have on casting? Is this only for the first cast, or do you set guidelines to be followed with other casts?
A-M: I usually work with the artistic director on the casting for his or her company. There are politics in every company in the world, and this cannot be avoided, but I try to put my influence in as delicately as possible.
BTer: What kind of records must you keep about process of staging a ballet? In what form? How are they preserved and accessed by the company after you've left?
A-M: I have extensive notes, diagrams and videos of the productions I have staged. I also have all the old Nicholas Sergeyev notes of all the ballets that he brought out of Russia.
BTer: What is it like to sit in the audience and watch the first performance(s) of something you've created in this manner? Can you sit back, let it go, and enjoy it? Or do continue to work on things that should be changed?
A-M: I cannot sit back- I am always looking for ways to improve the ballet or the dancer and make it more enjoyable for the audience, and, at the same time, preserving as much taste and integrity as I can.
