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From Moscow to Siberia via Tibilisi


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Wow! Thanks for this, leonid. I'm sure I would have remembered seeing this if it had been posted previously.

Very intriguing. Wish I could see it. Congratulations to State Ballet of Georgia and its imaginative director, Ms. A., for taking on what is sure to be a challenging and exciting production.

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The "Jockey Dance" from this ballet has been included on excerpt programs performed by soloists from the Royal Danish ballet on tour--I think I've seen it twice (it's quite clever). I remember how startled I was to read in program notes at a Sadler's Wells performance a few years back that Bournonville was inspired by Bakunin's escape from a Siberian prison--Bakunin/Bournonville seeming a rather unlikely combination...

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I remember how startled I was to read in program notes at a Sadler's Wells performance a few years back that Bournonville was inspired by Bakunin's escape from a Siberian prison--Bakunin/Bournonville seeming a rather unlikely combination...

Which puts Wagner at two degrees of separation from Bournonville through Bakunin.

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Bournonville staged Wagner's operas in Copenhagen -- while expressing exasperation for The Music of the Future.

There's not a scrap of "Siberia to Moscow" left, as far as I know, except for the Jockey Dance (to represent the Thames. Bournonville had seen Petipa's "Pharoah's Daughter" and liked the idea of having different dances for different rivers. His were character dances, of course. He didn't have six or seven ballerinas.

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I remember how startled I was to read in program notes at a Sadler's Wells performance a few years back that Bournonville was inspired by Bakunin's escape from a Siberian prison--Bakunin/Bournonville seeming a rather unlikely combination...

That's interesting because I had always assumed that it was loosely based on Madame Cottin's novel Elizabeth or The Exiles of Siberia, with the heroine's name changed to the more Russian-sounding Natalia. Elizabeth travels from Tobolsk to Moscow to petition the Tsar on behalf of her unjustly exiled father. I have an edition printed in 1817, bound together with Paul and Virginia, which I believe also provided a libretto for Bournonville.

Elizabeth is full wonderful spellings, such as Cremelines for Kremlin, as well as much lofty sentiment, but perhaps Alexandra can throw more light on the matter.

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May I ask you folks, - you say you are quoting My Theatre Life. I have a copy (in two volumes) of "Mit teaterliv - erindringer og tidsbilleder".

Yes, I read Danish. I only speak it though when I have had enough to drink, but my reading is always OK. :lol:

I have learnt that translations are not always to be trusted, but when it comes to languages you dont speak, you simply have to resort to translations, be they good or plain awful. :unsure:

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