55 replies to this topic

[cubanmiamiboy]

Thank you all for your responses and votes so far, and...keep'em coming..!

FYI, the Ballet of ballets keeps winning here with 19 votes...so good for our girl!

Here're some bits of the most rarely seen ones.

La Peri


Le Talisman


La Source


Ondine



Edited to add:
I also thought about including the Lopukhov version of Les Millions d'Arlequin, but I did not have enough space to do so. I think I will expand Alonso's take to include it too.

[Helene]

LiLing, on 05 February 2013 - 10:46 AM, said:

This is an interesting poll.  I am shocked to realize I have never seen Don Q live!  I am so familiar with it from DVDs, that I almost checked it.  

For me that was "Napoli."

I don't know what happened to my folder of PNB programs before 2001, but I found Jack Anderson's review from PNB's 1996 performance of "Paquita" during the company's last tour to City Center:

Quote

The company looked into the past with Yelena Vinogradova's production of the divertissements from ''Paquita,'' a Parisian ballet of 1846 that Marius Petipa restaged in St. Petersburg in 1881.

I didn't check this off, because I hadn't seen the Lacotte reconstruction.

[sandik]

Helene, on 05 February 2013 - 02:41 PM, said:

LiLing, on 05 February 2013 - 10:46 AM, said:

This is an interesting poll.  I am shocked to realize I have never seen Don Q live!  I am so familiar with it from DVDs, that I almost checked it.  

For me that was "Napoli."

I don't know what happened to my folder of PNB programs before 2001, but I found Jack Anderson's review from PNB's 1996 performance of "Paquita" during the company's last tour to City Center:

Quote

The company looked into the past with Yelena Vinogradova's production of the divertissements from ''Paquita,'' a Parisian ballet of 1846 that Marius Petipa restaged in St. Petersburg in 1881.

I didn't check this off, because I hadn't seen the Lacotte reconstruction.

I didn't check if off either, but because it was very clearly a set of diverts, without a dramatic arc.  They were beautiful, and very exquisitely coached, but it was interesting to see how unusual they seemed in the PNB repertory at the time (this was before Stowell and Russell remodeled their production of Swan Lake and Ronald Hynd staged Sleeping Beauty)

[cubanmiamiboy]

Now I have a question.  Should I have included Balanchine's "Harlequinade" within "Les Millions d'Arlequin" range...? Is that a complete production, meaning close following the Petipa heritage and original libretto/score...?

[Helene]

According to the Balanchine Catalogue:

About the two-act/full-length version that premiered in 1965 it says,

Quote

Note: In 1919, as a student, Balanchine danced in Petipa's Les Millions d'Harlequin. Balanchine's production follows the tradition of the commedia dell'arte, in the spirit of Petipa. In Act I, Harlequin outwits his adversaries, and with the help of the Good Fairy wins Colombine's hand. Act II is a celebration of this happy event. The décor was taken from Pollock's toy theaters of London.

Revisions: New York City Ballet: 1966, CARNIVAL NUMBER added to Act I, BALLABILE DES INVITÉS (8 couples) added to Act II; 1973, lengthened version using complete score, with addition of 12 couples, 24 children.

About the earlier Pas de Deux, the Catalogue states:

Quote

Note: In 1965, Balanchine choreographed the complete Harlequinade for the New York City Ballet, creating some new choreography to this music for the pas de deux that occurs in Act I. In particular, he completely rechoreographed the male variation. The 1952 piece commences with an entrée, to music used for the Alouette divertissement in Act II in 1965, and concludes with a coda to music used in the finale of Act II in the later ballet.

According to "Repertory in Review," Reynolds wrote (p. 232):

Quote

As a boy, Balanchine appeared with other children in Petipa's Harlequinade (which had premiered 10 February 1900, ST. Petersburg); on the ballet's sixty-fifth birthday, he made a version of his own.  Balanchine used the same story, followed the action as marked in the score (says Schorer, "where the score says 'Pierrot takes the key,' for example, he is guided by that eactly") and, presumably, caught the spirit, if he did not reproduce all the choreography, of the original.  (He has said that this was precisely his intent.)

She notes on p. 233 that, "[I]n 1973, restored some music that he had previously omitted, now using the complete score," and that 32 children replaced the small group of children in the original.  The new choreography included a polonaise for the children and a tarantella in Act I, the "cortege des invites."

She quotes Shaun O'Brian (p. 234),

Quote

"Incidentally, I remember a version of the ballet Romanov [a contemporary of Balanchine, also Russian-born] staged for the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, and there are many similarities, even some of the same steps.  Romanov was also remembering things from his childhood.  What I mean is that Balanchine has probably reproduced the sense and essential points of the original, while filling in the rest with new material."

[Natalia]

Cristian, you missed Lacotte's recreation of F.Taglioni's L'OMBRE, which spurred several of us 'ballet travelers' to go to Nancy, France, in the mid-90s. I still cannot decide if I preferred Ferri or Pontois, both were so divine, in different ways - Ferri with full power of her technique (and arched feet!) and Pontois' romantic perfume!

Also, don't forget the Bolshoi's affiliated academy's MAGIC FLUTE (chor. Melnikov, to Drigo) 10-11 years ago. That was my first look at N. Osipova, which still a student.

The 'After Gorsky' version of FILLE MAL GARDEE that I've seen live is the staging by Sofia Golovkina, for the Bolshoi's academy (again).

I'd add Bruce Mark's 'recreation-rethinking' of Bournonville's ABDALLAH to the list. This and most Bournonvilles in existence were presented at the 2005 Bournonville Festival. If ever there is another B'ville Fest in Copenhagen, I'd highly recommend it to anyone who wishes to quickly add titles to their bucket list.

[Mashinka]

Loved Abdullah!

Cavalry Halt by Ivanov is danced rather well by the Mikhailovsky Co, but as it dates back to the fin de siecle, I'm not sure if it's 19th or 20th century, could be either side.

[cubanmiamiboy]

I need more space then..! The system did not allow me to go with more than 3 questions with 10 options each one.  I will add Balanchine's Harlequinade to the "Les Millions..." though.  It looks as if it is another rightful descendant from its predecessor.

Natasha...I must say you're the only one here who has checked every single one of the ballets!

Giselle, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker are even with the most checks-(26).

Keep'em coming!

[Natalia]

cubanmiamiboy, on 06 February 2013 - 09:53 AM, said:

....Natasha...I must say you're the only one here who has checked every single one of the ballets!

....

It's a hobby...but it's turned out to be My Life. Work just pays the bills.   I've specifically gone after 19th-C rarities. Vikharev and Lacotte can be thanked for at least 50% of my joy.

Cristian, many ballet historians in Russia include the final Petipa ballets from the early 20th C as '19th-C ballet.' Hence, Konstantin Sergeyev's very Petipa-esque staging of The Seasons (Glazunov) in 1974, for the Vaganova Academy, should also be added to your list. Harlequinade is defiitely considered 19th-C. Krassovskaya even treats the very early Fokines -- most notably Pavillon d'Armide -- as the 'last gasp' of the 19th-C. Ditto the Legat Bros' Fairy Doll.

Until Kekhman took over the Maly-Mikhailovsky Theater, a very lovely triple bill of Harlequinade, Cavalry's Halt and Paquita Grand Pas used to be performed in that house. (Cav. Halt made a brief return during the Kekhman era during a recent London tour, I realize.)

It's not Russian, French or Danish...but Italy's Excelsior is definitely a window into the 19th-C. It's also in my Pantheon of Great 19-C Works that live on today.

[Helene]

Since this poll isn't about anking a pre-deined list or choosing "favorites" or "bests" where additional info would affect the choices, there's no limit to the number of poll threads you can create to capture what we've seen.

[cubanmiamiboy]

I had more ballets in my pre-list ar first, but then I though about norrowing it to put only those that have been staged for professional companies. which is why I almost did not include Martin's the Magic Flute, because I was reading that he had staged it just for the SAB, only later realizing that he had also presented it by the main company.  Was The Seasons danced by the professional company at any moment, Natasha..?

I also though about Cavalry's Halt, and even Armide and Chopiniana at one point...but then i thought I was getting to close to Diaguilev, which is a huge, revered field of its own.

[cubanmiamiboy]

How about this..?

[cubanmiamiboy]

Natalia, on 06 February 2013 - 11:00 AM, said:

It's not Russian, French or Danish...but Italy's Excelsior is definitely a window into the 19th-C. It's also in my Pantheon of Great 19-C Works that live on today.

Natasha...I added a spin off of the thread with some of your suggestions.  Check'em out!

[Natalia]

Thanks - looks great! Cristian, you asked about the K. Sergeyev Seasons, to Glazunov's full 45-minute score.  As far as I know, it was not staged in the pro company, although I know that some BA lurkers with connections to the late-great couple (Sergeyev & Dudinskaya), might have a definitive answer.  For now, I only know that The Seasons was presented only by the Vaganova Academy, only in June 1974. Zaklinsky, one of that year's grads, was the male lead & the lovely Chistiakova (who still had a year to go in the school) was a female lead. Among the junior students in the corps of snowflakes was Zaklinsky's future wife - Altinai Assylmuratova.  The choreography was 100% Sergeyev but it was very much in the Petipa manner; the sets & costumes were absolutely gorgeous, in the pure-classical style. It's incredible that this gem of a ballet has not been revived by the Vaganova Acad or anyone else. (Instead, Nacho Duato is all the rage at graduation.)

p.s. - No, I did not see it live. I saw a b&w film of the full work at some time when I was living in Russia, many years later (rerun on Kultura TV).

[sandik]

Natalia, on 06 February 2013 - 02:45 PM, said:

Cristian, you asked about the K. Sergeyev Seasons, to Glazunov's full 45-minute score.

Tangentially, Val Caniparoli made a very interesting ballet to this score for Pacific Northwest Ballet a few years ago (was also stage in Nashville, I think).  He kept several elements from the original scenario, and the overall structure was very much in a classical vein.  I remember thinking at the time how much of that structure seemed to be built into the score -- I would be very interested in seeing the Sergeyev version you describe.