Caprices Of A Butterfly (Ballet de Drigo)

[JosBiviano]

I am presently reading a book on the life of Galina Ulanova entitled: "Galina Ulanova--The Making Of A Ballerina," translated from the Russian by S. Rosenberg. Within the first few beginning pages of the book, Madame Ulanova makes mention of her first dancing debut for the Imperial Ballet in Drigo's "Caprices Of A Butterfly." I've never heard of this ballet before and was wondering if anyone had any information on it? Was it an insert-piece into a much larger work, or was it, perhaps, a stand alone divertissement or 1-Act piece? Any information would be appreciated. Thank you.

[Mel Johnson]

It was a 1-act from 1889, with music by Nicolai Krotkov. It was revived in 1895, at which time, Drigo tweaked the score a little bit. I believe it's in the Sergeyev Notations.

[rg]

i just noticed this today.

The new york public library for the performing arts lists the ballet as follows, as mel has noted the 1895 indication for source material would indicate the year the older work was revived and revised:

:

Caprices du papillon

Original title: Kaprizy babochki. Chor: Marius Petipa; mus: Nikolai Krotkov; lib: Petipa after a poem by IA. P. Polonskii; scen: Vasilii Perminov. First perf: St. Petersburg, Maryinsky Theater, Oct 25, 1889 (O.S.).

*MGYB (Petipa) Moore, Lillian. Russian ballet master, 1958, p 98.//*MGZA Yezhegodnik imperatorskikh teatrov. St. Petersburg, Sezon 1895/96, p 233./

the work lasted beyond the imperial era, the attached photocard, posted elsewhere and earlier on BT shows a trio from the ballet as follows:

Victor Aleksandrovich Semenov, Elena Mikhailovna Lukom & Vladimir Ivanovich Ponomarev as, respectively, Grasshopper, Butterfly and Phoenix/Butterfly, LES CAPRICES DU PAPILLON, 1919

[JosBiviano]

Thank you both---RG and Mel !