Solor

Thank you for this very valueable info.....is that recording only excerts? I know Ill shock the living you know what out of my fellow ballet talkers, but I have never liked Stravinsky. But of course I LOVE "Sacre du Pritemps". Liadov worked for the Imperial Ballet - He orchestrated the Deldevez score for "Paquita" for the original Russian staging, as the manuscript was delayed from Paris, and all that was available was a piano reduction. I think he was also a rehearsal violinist?

WOW!!!!! There are more works by him? And recorded? Im very interested Phenby!!! Thats extraordinary! I was just listening to Pavillon as a matter of fact, this morning while driving to IHOP (yes I know.....a ballet dancer eating at IHOP?). Thank you much, I would love to get a hold of these other ballets on CD, which Im sure are glorious.

Thank you very much VRS, much appreciated! Im also curious about that mazurka in the "grotto" scene that starts of w Birbanto shooting off 2 pistols. This number sounds more Minkus-oid that Pugni-ish, but maybe it was added in by Maestro Drigo?

Thanks vrs........ I was wondering the origin of not only this scene but its music, as Sergeyev's version doesnt even have this scene, and not even the music, anywhere in his production. The music sound to me to be Cesare Pugni, but then I dunno....... The overture used in the Gusev production, which is found nowhere in my Bonynge recording of Adam's score, is not in the Sergeyev version either. during the overture there is the scene of Conrad's ship which is caught in a storm. After that scene, there are some very beautiful "imperial ballet" harp arpeggios followed by music which is by Adam (it's on the Bonynge recording) which opens the next scene where we find Conrad, Birbanto, and Ali lying down on a beach with thier wrecked ship in the background. Soon they go hide opstage right behind some barrels, and then new music begins which not by Adam, first we see Lankendem sleazing around for a moment, but once he leaves the stage - Gulnare makes her entrance with 10 (i think) other girls. They come on the stage doing grand jetes in a beautiful little ''Pas de something'' in which they hold hands, etc. in a circle and dance, while Gulnare performs some nice terre a terre combinations sur le pointe, and after a minute or so, Medora makes her entrance. Medora makes her entrance to a theme that reaccures in various guises throughout Gusev's staging, but shows up nowhere in Sergeyev's. This whole pas in which both Medora and Gulnare make thier entrance seems very 'Imperial Ballet' to me, and looks as though it comes from Petipa's time, or maybe a little after. After the dances continue, with grand jete in cirlces, etc. (very beautiful!), the music gets more serious, and then Medora discovers our heroes (and soon to be villian) lying behind the barrels. That "Medora theme" reaccures, this time played by a flute, and the girls help them up. Then the 'other' lietmotive that turns up throughout the ballet begins, in which Conrad gives "sort of" an account of the demise of his ship (which by the way doesnt have that ridiculous 'cross bones and skull' flag that turns up in ABT's staging), but through dance (it seems to me that once upon a time this little number of Conrad's contained pantomime, which is now replaced by dancing), Conrad also does a little combination at the start of this number that he performs a few more times throughout the ballet, sometimes with all of his cohorts joining in. Anyway, the 3 men go off somewhere, just in time for Lankendem and his men to snatch up our dear heroines and thier freinds (I always found it funny that they dont struggle at all). After they all depart from the stage, the 3 men return, and the 3rd theme that reaccures thorughout the ballet is played, ending the scene as the heroes (and soon to be villian) run off in pursuit. None of these 3 themes that show up in the ballet ever turn up in Sergeyev's staging. I find it very interesting that the music of Sergeyev's production (ABT, Boston, etc) is pretty much based on Adam's score, at least regarding all of the incidental/scene/action music, along with all of the usual interpolations (by interpolations I mean Delibes 'Jardin Anime', Prince Peter Von Oldenbourg's 'Pas d'Esclave', Pugni and Adam's 'Pas de Trois des Odalisques', and Drigo's 'Pas de Deux/a Trois') while Gusev's, which contains these same interpolations, only has about 3 or 4 short numbers which are from Adam's score, while the actual 'foundation' of he score (action music), if you will, sure aint by Adam. Gusev's 'incidental music' sounds to me to be by Cesare Pugni, and I was wondering wether all of this music made it's way into Le Corsaire via Petipa's early revivals for his wife (1863) and/or Grantzow (1868), for which Pugni wrote new tunes (he died in Jan. 1870).

WOW REALY? Geez I thought that they both died in the 1895 Petersburg version. Was it not however the Balletmaster's idea to have the ending changed? With regarding bourne's new version, when I said he presented Tchaikovskys original I merely meant that no music was revised, as extensively as it was in 1895, though it seems everyone reorders stuff. I was alwayys under the impression that he didnt like his score for Swan Lake, and that he thought it was to loud, etc.....Wiley says he was going to "take up the matter" of the ballet's instrumentation. for a new revival in Petersburg, which never came to be........ With regard to Tchaikovsky's so-called 'original intentions' how much instruction was he given when he composed Swan Lake? I dont think he just thought up a bunch of numbers, thier legnths, tempo, etc........was he not told what to write regarding number of scenes/dances, etc? Perhaps it's time to re-read "Tchaikovsky's Ballets", but even in that book I dint think that questionis answered, as this might be unknown.

mangled micheal? I dont think so... I myself actually like Drigo's version, as well as the original, equally. I find them to be different, rather than better or worse than than the other. Bourne's production plays out the full score of 1877. Most ''classical'' productions retain more or less Petipa and Ivanov's 1895 version of the music, which was mostly edited, with numbers tranferred to other scenes, etc. By default, it was Riccardo Eugenio Drigo who did the work, as he was then chief conductor and composer (though he never held the ''oficial post'' held by Minkus and Pugni) at the Mariinsky. Mostly Drigo toned down some of the scores "loud brassy parts", edited repeats. The biggest changes were his orchestrations of numbers from Tchai's op.72 for piano wich became Odile's solo, the waltz of the swans and the pas d'action of the last scene. He also modified the end of the adagio in act II, and the black swan adagio, taken from the 1st act. Mind you, he did all of this at the Balletmaster's request, not because he felt like it! If you ask me, Drigo was the best composer of all of the so-called 'specialist ballet composers'. Tchaikovsky really dug his score for Petipa's 1889 "The Talisman", and so did Alexander Benois, ALOT! Had Tchaikovsky lived, he would have modified Swan Lake himself, as there were plans to do so........how great that wouldve been! I wouldnt go so far as to say that Modest "overhauld" the libretto, he merely changed soem things.

Unfortunately Mme Holmes' Q&A on Le Corsaire does not give any info to the many revivals of the ballet that took place prior to her staging for the Boston ballet. I am working really hard an article for encyclopedia.com on Le Corsaire, and I would like to list every russian production along with the dates and who was in charge, as well, if possible, the ballerinas who danced Medora (or any casting if possible) as well as major changes. I know that Vaganova mounted the first post-revolution proiduction at the Mariinsky, while Gorsky's was in Jan. of 1912. Vladimir Bourmiester as well? I would also like to know the history of Corsaire at the Bolshoi of Moscow, as I know of only the post 1900 productions.....was there not production during the 19th century? I have been unable to locate anything useful on the interent, or even on ballettalk, for a list of all of the productions. I begg any of my history savvy ballettalkers to help me, as I cant find anything on this topic, even in my galaxy of ballet books, etc. Likewise where does the 'medora trumpet' variation come from, and who did the music? I was also curious about the 'beach' scene at the beginning of Gusev's production still danced at the Mariisnky, and the lietmotive for Medora that is only played in this version. Thanks alot you guys!!!!

this is very interesting RG, so where did the whole credit to the pas being from Esmeralda come from....is the music even by Drigo? Le Roi Candaule was Pugni's last ballet I thought

Terpsichore a ballet of Petipa's - ballet in 1 act. music Pugni, 11-15-1861 Tsarskoe Selo, court perfromance (-Garafola's 'diaries')

WOW - very cool RG! That is the same pic I provided above. In fact I should tell everyone that the pix I have posted in the past are NOT ALL MINE........I have found them here and there on the web (most of them), as well as scans of stuff I have from my own modest collection and books, etc. Many of the postcards I actually got from ebay (check it out - there are lots up for grabs.......and always out of Isreal?). I like to share these photos for those who have not seen them, as they are so wonderful. Now is the Royal Ballet Dowell/Wiley informed staging of Swan Lake available on DVD/video? I did not know of this production. by the way, how is it that you are able to put up photos like that RG with the thumbnail?

I was wondering of anyone could reccomend where I could begin in locating Donald Sidney-Fryer's "A Checklist of the Ballet Scores of Cesare Pugni" which was published in the Enciclopedia dello Spettacolo, Vol VIII, Rome, 1961. Does anyone know of this 'checklist' being published elsewhere other than the Rome encyclopedia? THANK YOU!

If that was once the Mariinksy's logic concerning filming productions, then that is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. On the contrary, it will get people to want to see the ballet in Petersburg....and even better, inspire a new generation, as not everyone by a long shot can just hop on a plane whenever they please and go to the Mariinksy. I myself have never set foot in the Mariinksy, or Russia for that matter, but it's the one thing I want to do before I die, and had I never seen that wonderful ballet company on video I would never have known of them! Had the Mariinksy/Kirov never filmed any of thier dancers, I would never have become a dancer myself! I was 8 years old when I saw Terekhova and Rouzimitov dance the "Le Corsaire" Pas de Deux in "Magic of the Kirov", which was shown on TV, I went straight to my mother and father, and much to thier shock, I said - "I WANT TO TAKE BALLET CLASS!" There were times when I was kid that I got a new video of the Kirov that I had not yet seen (even though they had been out for a long while, but I had yet to see any of them!), and I remember how excited I was to pop that tape in the VCR. I remember the first time I ever saw "La Bayadere", it was on a tape I got from the library of the 1977 film of the Kirov's production w/ Komleva and Terekhova......also, the first time I saw "Kirov Ballet in London", my mom got me the video as a gift. I had never before seen "Le Jardin Anime" the "Pas des Odalisques" or "La Esmeralda" Pas de Six.....I so entranced, especially after watching Margerita Kulik's very slowed down variation in the Shade's scene on that film, or Elena Evteyeva's Esmeralda.....I dont think I'll ever see a Ballerina dance that first Shade's variation and thrill me as much as Kulik did when I first saw that film, with her effortless triple pirouetteS en pointe w/ arms in 5th.

Ive been emailing the Dancing Times about back-issues non-stop for over 2 months now.....and still no reply.........?

--Now did the Mariinksy make use of that particular Marie Petipa costume for the 1999 reconstruction? I believe that is for Act III, as the tutu was for the Prologue and Act I (i think?) and the "notorious" costume that I offered in the pix at the bottom of my above post, was for the vision scene. I have a photo of Maire in that same costume photographed with Brianza in her Act I costume (lying on the floor) with the king and queen, catalabute, and I think a page or something...I dont have it scanned however. --now those swan costumes look alot shorter than the pic I provided from the 1895 Swan Lake....hmm? I wonder if the Sergeyev notations for Swan Lake contain parts for children in Act II/IV (aka act 1, scene 2/act III), or for that matter any famous scene that is usually inhabited by all woman. Wasnt the 1900 bayadere choreographed for 48 woman and some children? I have another photo of Kschessinska and Gerdt in the 1900 Shades scene, interestingly, not all of the Shades ballerinas in the background are costumed the same. I have to get that one scanned to share it. RG - Do you have any 1900/1877 Bayadare pics?

Thnx RG - I think it would be very fascinating to know what hasppened to Marius's children post-revolution, up to thier deaths, and what became of thier chidren, but that is a looong story Im sure, but like life, Im sure its anything but boring! Most of them seemed to have died relatively young..........I thinks it's even more interesting that none of his descendants ever came out of the woodwork to make an impact on the balletworld regarding ballets, etc., or even becoming great dancers, as Grand Pas Petipa had a big family. Yes Vera lived till 1961 - long enough into the 20th century to see her father's legacy take hold, and to see his ballets form the foundation of everyone's repertoire - I wonder what her views were on all of this, or if she contributed to any stagings of ballets, or anything 'ballet-ish' for that matter. Im sure she knew much!!!!

Who are these dancers? There are captions in Russian, which I dont speak/read. 1. - http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/7291/unknown23vp.jpg 2. - http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/4461/unknown34zg.jpg 3. - http://img93.imageshack.us/img93/2011/terp...fied19005ve.jpg 4. - http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/8563/unknown41gd.jpg 5. - http://img93.imageshack.us/img93/2810/unknown52qs.jpg 6. - http://img93.imageshack.us/img93/4325/unknown71aa.jpg

If Marie died in 1881, how could she have given birth to Marius Jr. in 1884? Surley a mistake.....typo?

"Coppelia" @ the Empire Theatre, London - early 1900s? http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/9386/copp...atre19008jn.jpg Heres a pic of a Ballerina named Pobelanskaya circa 1919, the second link is the back of the postcard. When I got this photo from ebay, the seller had translated a portion of the back for the auction. It was written by the dancer in the photograph, but I dont remeber what was said in the traslation - front photo - http://img92.imageshack.us/img92/9817/pobe...aya191918zw.jpg back writing - http://img49.imageshack.us/img49/9201/pobe...aya191929zk.jpg "Le Corsaire" -I dont know who these dancers are -1844 http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/1120/lecorsaire18443ab.jpg "The Nutcracker" - Vsevolozhsky's design for the costumes for the 'Dance with the Little Fifes' -1892 http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/9224/scos...edancewithl.jpg "Swan Lake" - Act II (or Act I, scene 2) corps -1895, St. Petersburg http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/8076/swanlake18957sh.jpg "Swan Lake" - Moscow production -1901 (I can make a pretty good guess and say that this is of Act II dancers (or Act I, scene 2). Note the use of children) http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/6586/sw...scow19012ro.jpg "The Nutcracker" Act II design by Konstantin Ivanov -1892 http://img95.imageshack.us/img95/2041/nutc...konstantini.jpg as well as this one, which one which? http://img95.imageshack.us/img95/6290/nutc...onstantini1.jpg "Swan Lake" Pavel Gerdt in his costume for Act II (or Act I, scene 2). -1895 http://img229.imageshack.us/img229/3027/pa...swanlake189.jpg "La Fille Mal Gardee" Pavel Gerdt as Colas -this photo looks as though it was taken long before Petipa/Ivanov's 1885 revival http://img93.imageshack.us/img93/376/pavel...llemalgarde.jpg "The Sleeping Beauty" Dancers costumed for the Prologue. The center dancer is in a costume similar to that of Marie Petipa's Lilac Fairy Prologue costume. The background is the same as in all of the "Sleeping Beauty" 1890 photos -1890, St. Petersburg http://img157.imageshack.us/img157/7461/sl...ctersfromth.jpg "The Sleeping Beauty" Marie Petipa costumed as the Lilac Fairy...her 'other' costume -1890 http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/636/sleep...petipatheli.jpg Compare the above photo to Veronika Part in the 'same' costume, below, -1999 http://img115.imageshack.us/img115/2640/ve...airy19990tq.jpg

Should anyone find a photo of Legnani as Odile, or of Ponomarev's sketch, please share them!

Today, while searching the internet like I always do for ballet releated news I stumbled onto the Le Ballets Trockedero's web page. I started to read the dancer's bio's - I dont think Ive laughed this hard in a long time! For those who have never read this protion of the web site, check it out....it is so funny! I could not stop laughing when I encountered the Trock's dancer Tibor Horvath's ballerina alter-ego Tatiana YouBetYaBootskaya - http://www.trockadero.org/artists_dancers.html

The Mariinksy is going to be filming some repertory? so when exactly are these films supposed to be coming out? What label is releasing them? What of the reconstructed Bayadere and Beauty? Thanks for the info Natalia. By the way, where di you here this?

I was wondering what number Pugni borrowed from for this variation, as I have heard it before.....was it Strauss or Walteufel?

I was reading an article on Pugni by Ivor Guest - it tells of a ballet called "Kenilworth" produced @ La Scala, the first known ballet to have Pugni's name attached, possibly as arranger of the pastiche score. Guest attributes the work to Gioja (he states "Gioja's "Kenilworth"......I have found no reference to this choreographer/balletmaster(?) in any of my sources I have here at home......who was this man?

I read in an article called "the musical world of Giselle" on Ballet.co.uk/magazine by Richard Joines that Adam had finished an opera that was left by Gaetano Donizetti......what work is this?

I have Richard Bonye's magnificent recording of the full, original "Giselle" from Decca. The recording contains many passages that are not part of the moden performance tradition. One passages in particular occurs right before the Grand Pas de deux of Act II, & is omitted from every production of "Giselle" I have ever seen - its a very beautiful movement, and sounds really like something one would hear maybe from an 18th century composer, much less Adam. It starts out with a very 18th century lush movement from the whole string-section, - of all of the music for this ballet this one number sounds really out of place Does anyone know what purpose this passage served in the original production - for those who have the CD, its the number that occurs right before the Grand pas de deux of Act II, (Track 7, CD 2) - the liner notes call this track 'Entree d'Hilarion, scene et fugue des Wilis'