Awakening of Flora vs. The Sleeping Beauty

[Joseph]

I am reading "Era of the Russian Ballet 1770-1965" written by Natalia Roslavleva; in it there is some mentioning of a ballet called "The Awakening of Flora." But then right after it would say "...The Sleeping Beauty." The thing that confused me was that it mentions a ballerina dancing the role of Aurora in "The Awakening of Flora," but then right after says something to the extent of the same ballerina dancing Aurora in "The Sleeping Beauty."

Anyone know what the deal is here?

[Mel Johnson]

Flora is A sleeping beauty, but not THE Sleeping Beauty. It's another ballet with music by Riccardo Drigo.

[Joseph]

wow, so same plot and everything - just a different composer???

[Mel Johnson]

Nope, different everything. Le Reveil de Flore is a pseudo-antique neo-Anacreontic ballet that is a sort of allegory. Petipa did quite a few of them towards the end of his career. Glazunov's "The Seasons" is another one.

[Joseph]

Ah ok,

I was confused because of the same character name "Aurora" in each ballet. Or was I reading it wrong???

Thanks Mel for your knowledge!

[rg]

Anna Kristianovna Johanson was the first Aurora in the 1-act FLORA'S AWAKENING; the title figure of Flora was created on Mathilde Kshessinska. Aurora's dance number came 4th in the choreographic numbers; it was called "Arrivee d'Aurore" (for Johanson); this was followed by a "Valse" led by Kshessinska, w/ Johanson among the 12 surrounding dancers.

here are the particulars of the first performance, four years after THE SLEEPING BEAUTY.

One assumes Johanson's Aurora also took part in the ballet's final number, no. 10 in the sequence of dances, led by Kshessinska and "all participants"

Flora's awakening : Original title: Probuzhdenie Flory. Chor: Lev Ivanov and Marius Petipa; mus: Riccardo Drigo. First perf: St. Petersburg, Peterhof, July 28, 1894

[Joseph]

Great! Thanks to both of you!

[Solor]

Anna Kristianovna Johanson was the first Aurora in the 1-act FLORA'S AWAKENING; the title figure of Flora was created on Mathilde Kshessinska. Aurora's dance number came 4th in the choreographic numbers; it was called "Arrivee d'Aurore" (for Johanson); this was followed by a "Valse" led by Kshessinska, w/ Johanson among the 12 surrounding dancers.

here are the particulars of the first performance, four years after THE SLEEPING BEAUTY.

One assumes Johanson's Aurora also took part in the ballet's final number, no. 10 in the sequence of dances, led by Kshessinska and "all participants"

Flora's awakening : Original title: Probuzhdenie Flory. Chor: Lev Ivanov and Marius Petipa; mus: Riccardo Drigo. First perf: St. Petersburg, Peterhof, July 28, 1894

I have the out-of-print 1992 re-release "Homage to Pavlova" which is part of Bonynge's "Ballet Gala" set, as well as the massive 10CD "Fete du ballet", which includes "Homage to Pavlova" among many other previously out-of-print Bonynge conducted treasures. Both of these releases devide the extract of Riccardo Drigo's Marvelous music for "The Awakening of Flora" into 2 tracks, which are titled simply as 'part 1' & 'part 2'. Unfortunately there is no explanation of the music offered in relation to the stage action. Perhaps the original LP release of "Homage to Pavlova" from 1972(?) gives more explicit linernotes concerning "Flora"?

I spliced up Bonynge's recording of "The Awakening of Flora" so that all of the numbers were in thier own individual tracks. I seperated each number where it seemed to me that the music came to an end. Heres what I got -

1. a short introduction, with 'fanfares' from the brass and strings sections that sound almost identicle in structure to the opening of the Polonaise from Tchaikovsky's "Eugene Onegin"

2. - 5. musically these numbers appear to me to be 'action' scenes

6. a brilliant variation for pizzicati, a la the female variation from the Soviet "Talisman" Pas de Deux, or Delibes Pizzicati from "Sylvia"

7. Grand Pas de (?) - a RAVISHING 'grand adage' for solo violin, accompanied by harp, pizzicati, etc. (what a gorgeous melody!)

8. Grand Pas de (?) - a short variation in 3/4,

9. Grand Pas de (?) - an absolutely beautiful variation that seems likely to be for the Prima Ballerina, orchestrated for solo harp with pizzicati (typical orchestration by Maestro Drigo for a 'Prima Ballerina variation' - perhaps a preferance of Mme. Kschessinskaya, as she did create the majority of the lead roles in the ballets Drigo scored)

10. Grand Pas de (?) - a Grand Valse Brilliante Vienna-ish coda (done a la Strauss),

11. finally a finale allegro in quick 2/4 (i think its 2/4?), and then what appers to be an apotheosis

Perhaps RG of someone knows of the dances as listed above (or others) in relation to the Bonynge recording?

[rg]

wiley's THE LIFE AND BALLETS OF LEV IVANOV includes 2 particular pp. on FLORA - 257-58, which include a scene by scene break up, a full cast list from the first performance, and a list of the order of the dances, by their individual title and participants, for ex:

(1) 'Danse de Diane" - Miss Leonova, etc.