rg Posted January 19, 2005 Share Posted January 19, 2005 some time ago there were questions about the so-called 'harp varition' often heard and seen in the PAQUITA GRAND PAS CLASSIQUE: a correspondent who reads music and who saw the pp. from a russian-language book on the grand pas as recently published in russia noted that the harp variation danced by makhalina on 'classic kirov' (as the ballerina's variation) and likewise danced by jaffe in the ABT telecast of makarova's prod. is the very one given in the russian book as being by riccardo drigo and from his score for the 1892 version of LA SYLPHIDE choreographed by Petipa for v. nikitina. meanwhile as i noted sometime earlier on this site there is, according to the lazzarinis a 'harp variation' composed especially for anna pavlova by drigo in 1904 was danced by her at her debut, one if mem. serves especially overseen by petipa himself. i suppose it could be that drigo recycled his vari. from SYLPHIDE and didn't fess up or that the lazzarinis are mistaken or that two different harp variations are in question here. Link to comment
doug Posted January 20, 2005 Share Posted January 20, 2005 I have always understood the Drigo variation composed for Pavlova to be the waltz in C major, but I could be mistaken. The Paquita scores at Harvard include five variations (including the C major waltz) but not the "harp variation." But I will re-check my notes. Link to comment
rg Posted January 20, 2005 Author Share Posted January 20, 2005 thanks doug, can you tell me if this 'waltz' is danced by any of the ballerinas dancing PAUITA variations on the 'standard' video versions? kirov's on KIROV CLASSICS? or on the ABT at the Met tape? or ?? also is this waltz the work of minkus? drigo? or ? Link to comment
Solor Posted February 3, 2005 Share Posted February 3, 2005 HEY RG! - U are MISTAKEN...............the variation of Jaffe in the ABT Video is DIFFERENT than thatof the one danced by Makhalina...........the Variation danced by Jaffe I have never seen before, on film or live. Howevere the variation of Makhalina is the standard "lead ballerina of Paquita" solo danced everywhere. So which one are u speaking of as far as Drigo being the composer? As far as what I hear, the "standard lead ballerina of Paquita" variation is Minkus........it sounds like him. However the variation danced by Jaffe sounds alot lke Drigo. I dont know why it just does! I am quite familiar with the 2 as I have many recordings of them both. When I was studying at the PNB school when I was a kid, I remember hearing the "Jaffe" variation in class. I went up to the piano player and she showed me the sheet music and it said R Drigo "Le Reveil De Flora Solo and Variation". I asked her where she got it and she said at a store in New York that had sheet music fo ballet class. I wasnt sure so I have asked a few times in this forum since. Solor Link to comment
doug Posted February 4, 2005 Share Posted February 4, 2005 I will try to help sort out what I can from my end. And I can check the scores at PNB and clarify. I had no idea a variation from Awakening of Flora found its way into the Soviet Paquita. Link to comment
rg Posted February 4, 2005 Author Share Posted February 4, 2005 i stand corrected then. i'll try to have a look/listen in the near future and see: WHAT COULD I HAVE BEEN THINKING!!!!! Link to comment
rg Posted February 4, 2005 Author Share Posted February 4, 2005 just re-screened ABT makarova Paquita w/jaffe and i wonder under what 'influence' i might have been to be so mistaken. to be sure this is not any standard vari. and i have no identification(s) for it. maybe doug will know more to help here. i suppose you've checked the bonynge 'homage to pavlova' recording that includes an approx. 30 min. chunk of 'flora' to see if this appears in that segment of the recording? Link to comment
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