Ariodante

A few weeks ago I asked a question about portraits of Marie Taglioni by the young princess Alexandrina Victoria, later known as Queen Victoria. I got a few kind answers (thanks again, Mel Johnson and Alymer), including an intriguing mention of Victoria's 3 dolls modelled on Taglioni and dressed in three different ballet costumes. Here is a link to the page where you can see those dolls (the second watercolour from the bottom): http://www.poupendol.com/queenvictorgb.html Or the picture only: http://img360.imageshack.us/my.php?image=z...riodante5gz.jpg The article says (a little further up, next to the previous watercolour): "as for the dancer Taglioni, so famous at the time, she appears three times in different suits : that of Guillaume Tell, the Sylphide and the Bayadère." La Sylphide is obvious, but then we are left with two folk-style costumes that are somewhat a mystery to me. The author of the article doesn't really know her ballet and puts Taglioni in the role of William Tell which is absurd, but of course she did dance the Tyrolean Pas IN "Guillaume Tell", the famous opera by Rossini. I found a colour print where Taglioni is shown as "La Tyrolienne" and the costume looks very much like the costume of the doll to the right. http://img381.imageshack.us/my.php?image=taglionit2zy9ff.jpg I thought the mystery was solved and La Bayadere must have been the costume to the left, even if it doesn't look particularly "bayaderish". But something was not right. A colleague pointed out to me that the golden "honeycomb" bodice on the chest looks like an element of a traditional Tyrolean costume and that it is likely that it is the doll to the left that represents "La Tyrolienne". I decided to confront the original book from which the watercolours were taken and check if there is any description or identification of those costumes. Happily, my library did have the book in some special collection! Here is what the book says: "The Princess must have been expert with her knitting-needles, for the graceful ballerina, as a Tyrolean peasant in "William Tell", wears neat little pink ad blue stockings and nicely fitting shoes. She is dressed in a short crimson silk skirt edged with bands of green and gold braid, a bodice of crimson and gold brocade with short sleeves of white muslin, and the most coquettish of muslin and lace aprons." - no doubt this refers to the doll to the left. [... - I'm skipping the description of La Sylphide] "She again appears dressed by the Baroness (Lehzen) as a peasant in "La Bayadere"*** and is a romantic and picturesque figure in her scarlet stomacher, wee scarlet tippet and blue velvet capote with bunches of pink roses." (*** at the word "La Bayadere" there is a footnote by the queen herself /she authorized the book/: "Dancing girl"). This is the description of the doll to the right in the costume that, as I mentioned, is known from a print as "La Tyrolienne". We know a portrait of Taglioni as "La Bayadere" and her costume is fabulous, nothing like the folk dress seen here. http://img381.imageshack.us/my.php?image=t...bayadere8kq.jpg We know that Taglioni played Zoloe, a bayadere, in opera-ballet "Le Dieu et la Bayadere" to the music of Auber and to her father's choreography. Yet the picture of Taglioni in that splendid costume is from "La Bayadere" choreographed by Deshayes. I am really confused: were there more than one "Bayadere" before Petipa's? Beaumont has a chapter on "Le Dieu et la Bayadere" but nothing on "La Bayadere", yet he mentions at page 287 (edition from 1938) that Taglioni "appeared with success in "Les Bayaderes", "La Belle au Bois Dormant", and "Guillaume Tell", so much that she received and accepted an invitation to become the ballerina at the Opera (Paris). [...] Since, however, the public clamoured to see her in new ballets, Scribe and Auber were commissioned to provide a work which resulted in "Le Dieu et la Bayadere" (1830)..." So we can say, that there were at least 3 Bayaderes before Petipa's: "La Bayadere", "Les Bayaderes" and "Le Dieu et la Bayadere"! How to solve the problem of those costumes? What important character (Taglioni wouldn't dance anything less than that, I think) and in which "Bayadere" would be wearing a peasant dress? And which peasant dress: the one to the right, as suggested by the Queen's description, but contradicted by a contemporary print identifying this costume as "La Tyrolienne" or the one to the left, which the Queen describes as Tyrolean? Thanks for reading this longish post and for any input! Best, Iza

Thanks a lot! For those who might be interested, I managed to find those dolls here (picture 2 from the bottom): http://www.poupendol.com/queenvictorgb.html

Thank you very much, Alymer! This was most helpful!

Has anybody come across a watercolor made by Queen Victoria after seeing a performance of La Sylphide with Taglioni? I would be grateful for any reference! Thanks in advance!

That's great news! The only thing I managed to find out is that it will be released on Bel Air Classiques label (the same that gave us "La Fille du Pharaon") but on their website there is absolutely nothing about it. They used to have some sort of catalogue, very busy, just as their website itself, but I can't find it now. Maybe you should try to write to them. As far as I know all theior DVDs are Region 0 so you shouldn't have any trouble watching them in the US. But I may be wrong about the region thing. Good luck! Iza

Thanks a lot! This is great - just what I was looking for. I am moderating a Polish ballet forum (www.balet.pl/forum_balet/index.php) and wanted to have a special topic on chronology since most of our users are young people who certainly could use some history lessons ;-). Thanks again - this is really great! Best, Iza

Speaking of chronology, is there any ballet "calendarium" on the web (like those that you can often find in some classical music sites) that would tell you what important event in the history of ballet took place on such and such a day? Dates of birth and death of composers, dancers, dates of premieres etc. Thanks a lot, Iza

Here is a list but in Polish! It might be fun to try to decipher it (I can help if necessary) but if you find it useless, please, remove :-). Have fun! (BTW, since I haven't compiled this list and never really checked it, I can't guarantee its accuracy). 1581 Ballet comique de la Reyne Lambert de Beaulieu Baltazarino di Belgioioso 1681 Le triomphe de l'amour Jean-Baptiste Lully 1761 Don Juan Christoph Willibald Gluck Gaspare Angiolini 1763 Medea i Jazon Johann Josef Rodolphe Jean-Georges Noverre 1789 Córka źle strzeżona muzyka nieznanych kompozytorów Jean Dauberval 1801 Prometeusz Ludwig van Beethoven Salvatore Vigano 1832 Sylfida Jean Schneitzhoeffer Filippo Taglioni 1841 Giselle Adolphe Adam Jean Coralli 1844 Esmeralda Cesare Pugni Jules Perrot 1845 Pas de quattre Cesare Pugni Jules Perrot 1869 Don Kichot Ludwig Aloisius Minkus Marius Petipa 1870 Coppelia Léo Delibes Arthur Saint-Léon 1877 Jezioro łabędzie Piotr Czajkowski Marius Petipa 1890 Śpiąca królewna Piotr Czajkowski Marius Petipa 1892 Dziadek do orzechów Piotr Czajkowski Lew Iwanow 1898 Rajmonda Aleksandr Głazunow Marius Petipa 1909 Sylfidy (Chopiniana) według Fryderyka Chopina Michaił Fokin 1910 Karnawał według Roberta Schumanna Michaił Fokin 1910 Ognisty ptak Igor Strawiński Michaił Fokin 1910 Szeherezada Nikołaj Rimski-Korsakow Michaił Fokin 1911 Pietruszka Igor Strawiński Michaił Fokin 1912 Dafnis i Chloe Maurice Ravel Michaił Fokin 1912 Popołudnie fauna według Claude'a Debussy'ego Wacław Niżyński 1913 Święto wiosny Igor Strawiński Wacław Niżyński 1919 Trójkątny kapelusz Manuel de Falla Léonide Massine 1920 Pulcinella Igor Strawiński Leonid Miasin 1926 Romeo i Julia według Sergiusza Prokofiewa Leonid Ławrowski 1928 Bolero według Maurice'a Ravela Bronisława Niżyńska 1932 Płomień Paryża Boris Asafjew według J.B. Lully'ego i in Wasilij Wajnonen 1932 Symfonia fantastyczna Hector Berlioz 1932 Zielony stół Frederic Cohen Kurt Joos 1934 Fontanna Bachczysaraju Boris Asafjew Rostisław Zacharow 1935 Icare bez muzyki Serge Lifar 1937 Szach-met Arthur Bliss Ninette de Valois 1942 Gajane Aram Chaczaturian Nina Anisimowa 1942 Pilar of fire A. Schonberg 1945 Cudowny mandaryn Béla Bartók Gyala Harangozó 1945 Kopciuszek Siergiej Prokofiew Rostisław Zacharow 1946 Cztery temperamenty Paul Hindemith Georges Balanchine 1946 Młody człowiek i śmierć Jan Sebastian Bach 1948 Orfeusz Igor Strawiński Georges Balanchine 1949 Carmen Georges Bizet Roland Petit 1955 Symfonia samotnego człowieka Pierre Henry i Pierre Schaeffer 1956 Spartakus Aram Chaczaturian Leonid Jakobson 1958 New York Export: Opus Jazz Robert Prince Jerome Robbins 1961 Legenda o miłości Arif Melikow Jurij Grigoriewicz 1965 Oniegin Piotr Czajkowski 1968 Bhakti muzyka hinduska Maurice Béjart

Thanks! Iza

I have one more question about Minkus's "Paquita". I've just got a CD with the music (conducted by Spassov) and one of the variations (no. II, track 22) is ascribed in the track list to POUNI (the previous one is by Delibes). My question: is POUNI a funny (erronoeus) spelling of (Cesare) Pougni or is it a different composer? Tried to find out on my own but all hits on the web refer to this very recording and the search seems fruitless. Thanks a lot! Iza

POB's "La Sylphide" will be available commercially in the US in ten loooong days! (June 21) I can't wait! All those descriptions are mouth watering! Best, iza

Really exciting! Can't wait to hear it - Gardiner is planning to record it soon. Best, I.

And let me tell you - her Polish was perfect! To me, they could go on in Polish forever . I don't want to distract anybody from the main topic but I wanted to ask what you mean by "dancer's body type". It is probably only visible to dancers that Bancroft wasn't one so what is it that gave her away? And what was in Shirley MacLaine's looks that was not convincing? Is there really something special that an ex-ballerina and now a mother of three teenage kids should convey in her looks? I totaly bought MacLaine's portrayal, never doubting that she might be a "real" person but I am not a dancer so I wouldn't know. Any comments on that? Thanks a lot! Iza

Great question!

Those of you who have computers with DVD players can play Region 2 DVDs very easily - you can change the settings in the computer (but only 5 times) to any region you want. That's what I do - I keep my computer DVD player set on Region 2, and my regular DVD player plays Region 1. Of course many DVDs are Region 0 and they will play on any DVD player, but DVDs in Region 0 may still be in NTSC or PAL system. Since computers don't use the TV system, there is no problem playing PAL DVDs on comp. DVD players. Best, I.

Watching "La Bayadere" from Opera Garnier on DVD I noticed very conspicuous lines on the floor, that were particularly striking in the Scene of the Shades. I've seen lines on stage quite often but those in Paris "La Bayadere" were so thick and striking that they almost looked as if they were painted or projected, like on a football field. It was particularly disturbing in the Shades Scene since the scenery was very romantic and those white lines somehow didn't harmonize with it, not to mention that seeing them made me think about technicalities instead of focusing on the dancing. Somehow, ballet always should look effortless and those lines look almost like huge "cheat sheets". It ruined the eery effect of the whole scene for me (well, not quite - it was too good to be really ruined by anything ;-) ). When I watched "Paquita" from Paris, which was filmed 10 years after "La Bayadere", I've noticed that the lines are much more subtle, almost invisible. Was the floor changed in the meantime or is there a special floor for "La Bayadere" that is part of the sets? I wonder if anybody who works for the Paris Ballet or at least knows Opera Garnier behind the scenes could answer my question. Thanks a lot in advance! Best, Iza

Now everything makes sense - so many posts here and elsewhere credited Minkus with only the Act I Pas de trois and II Act's Coda which amounted to really very little music. Maybe I misunderstood them - maybe their authors were taking it for granted that everybody knows that The Grand Pas is Minkus and since this Grand Pas is included in Lacotte's production, there is automatically more Minkus music in the whole thing. This music sounded "soooo Minkus" that I couldn't imagine it being written a few decades earlier. I was ultimately right but I didn't know why and now everything is clear. Thanks again. Izabela

I've just watched Lacotte's reconstruction of "Paquita" on DVD and loved every minute of it. But I am still confused about the music, particularly the parts that are supposed to be Minkus's. I was surprised when I read that only very little music is by Minkus, apparently only the pas the trois from act 1 and the coda which is really just a few minutes of music. Yet so much of the second act sounds like Minkus and doesn't fit into the mid-19th century pattern, at least to my ear. And, if Minkus did just a few additions to the score, why would he be credited with composing the music for "Paquita" by so many dictionaries? Is there a good source that discusses the music for "Paquita"? It shouldn't really matter that much but I came to ballet "from music" and somehow like to have all musical matters under control if I can help it . Thanks for any input. Izabela

Solor, that was quick! and seemed quite painless. In the meantime I got Fedotov's Sleeping Beauty - it is indeed, as you all say, a fabulous recording! Best, Iza

Thanks, Helene, for this useful info! Solor, I forgot where it was but it must have been in the credit card payment method. I don't know about bank transfers - I never use them because I heard money transfers abroad can be tricky, although they are generally safe. I hope they'll make Fedotov SL CD available through other sites where you can just pay with a CC but without those intermediaries. I've just got my Sleeping Beauty and that should keep me busy for a while :-)... I asked many ballet people in Poland about the SL under Fedotov but nobody seems to have it. There used to be a lot of Russian recordings on Polish market but things must have changed over the last few years. Best, Iza

That's a good point but I've seen a few legit sites which use this kind of method - they refer you to a special site where you can make a paymen t because they are unable to receive payments for some technical reasons. The site they refer you to is a kind of paypal site and a legitimate one. As to their requests about your identity documents and your statement, this is also something that those sites often do. I remember a nice British mail order shop MDT that requires their foreign customers send a xerox copy of their credit card which at the time I wanted to create my account sounded absurd to me (and it still sounds). Still, they are legit. But it is always best to avoid creating too many of those accounts that's why it is best to find a shop where you just pay with a credit card without any intermediaries. This whole process of creating a new account put me off this whole transaction - it is too much trouble. Best, I.

It is a REAL pain - you can't just pay with a credit card but you have to send them your recent statement and a photocopy of the front and back of your card and some ID. That's really too much! I've never made a bank transfer so I don't know if that's a big trouble. I think I'll wait until this Cd is available through other sites. Solor, if you buy it, let us know how it went. Iza

Dear Fedotov fans, here is the message I got from the Russian company: <<We don't actually know if the recording you are asking about is the same one as on our CD or not. We have released the CD with the cooperation with Victor Fedotov's widow and received the phonogram from her. The exact date of recording is unfortunately unknown to us. With the very best regards Maria Parshina>> She confirmed that it is a studio recording. Best, I.

Solor, I hope my SB under Fedotov comes soon - I can't wait! I'm still wating for an answer from the Fedotov Cd company - I just want to be sure that it is the same recording. I know it may be enough that Fedotov is conducting it but what if it is some "terribly live" recording that will be hard to listen to? I also came across a recording of SL by Svetlanov that also seems to be some sort of performance score, with the Black Swan pdd played in the 3rd act. How does it compare with Fedotov in terms of arrangement of the numbers? Thanks, Iza

As a foreigner maybe I should keep my mouth shut here but I was just thinking the same: I've always pronounced "ballet" the French way, with the accent at the last syllable - it is a French word after all. But I was quite surprised when watching the Canadian series "Footsteps" just a few days ago, I heard so many people pronounce it "bal'-ley". Still there was no consistency here - some were saying "bal-ley' ", some "bal'-ley". The second version sounds funny to me but who am I to complain . I see that dictionaries give both forms as correct. Best, Iza