Fairies, Fairies and More Fairies

[volcanohunter]

Violente is for "energy". And her variation is certainly energetic!

I've heard (BUT I'M NOT SURE) that Violente also is authority or power (energy) since her pointing of the fingers should symbolize electricity.

That bit of trivia is mentioned on the Royal Ballet web site:

"[Petipa's] choreography embraced many new developments of the day. In the fifth fairy variation (Violante, who brings the gift of temperament), Petipa wanted to show the sparkling power and darting nature of electricity, then a new innovation that greatly impressed him."

http://info.royaloperahouse.org/ballet/ind...cs=1009&cs=2698

[Mel Johnson]

Petipa actually attended a science lecture in St. Petersburg which featured a large static generator and a lot of different things which acted as dischargers, most colorfully, the lecturer's own fingers. I just hope that lecturer was well insulated, as some of those old static generators could develop quite a wallop of a charge. Anyway, "Mr. P." thought that it looked neat, so he wanted to incorporate the image in the new show.

[jllaney]

Thanks so much for the education rg.

[vissi d'arte]

Hi!

I was watching some dvd:s of the Sleeping Beauty (the Paris Opera version by Nureyev,and the one by Sir Peter Wright with Sofiane Sylve); when it occured to me I don't know the names of the fairies in the prologue in these two productions. And it doesn't say, they're just called the six fairies or something....??

In Nureyev's production it's seven fairies because the Lilac Fairy is entirely a mime role, as in Sir Peter Wrigth's production....; but Nureyev also choose to make the second variation a duett for two fairies. So I'm wondering if any one knows the names of the fairies in both these production, and what giftes and virtues they bring!!!

The Production I know best, the swedish royal ballet production by Dame Beryl Gray, has them called:

Fairy of Beauty

Fairy of Grace

Fairy of Abundance

Fairy of Well Sound

and Fairy of Authority

Please answer me!!! I'm curious and confused!!!

The swedish royal ballet's III act she has kept the Florestan pas de trois with Florestan and his sisters, Silver and Diamond. It's really a beautiful production, one of my favorites.

[carbro]

The University of Pittsburgh hosts a translation of Perrault's tale. It identifies the fairies by their gifts:

Presently the fairies began to bestow their gifts upon the princess. The youngest ordained that she should be the most beautiful person in the world; the next, that she should have the temper of an angel; the third, that she should do everything with wonderful grace; the fourth, that she should dance to perfection; the fifth, that she should sing like a nightingale; and the sixth, that she should play every kind of music with the utmost skill.

For our Auroras, the Fourth Fairy's gift would be the most important.

[Lexie]

In the royal Ballet Version I am used to, Violente is described as 'Fairy of Passion' but the electricity theory explains the pointing.

The Breadcrumb Fairy is described as 'Fairy of Generosity', and the gold 'fairy' in the last act is played by a male.

[Mel Johnson]

The Act III fairies always seem to give choreographers the whibbies, so all sorts of things have happened to them. The Sapphire (5/4) variation proved so musically daunting that it didn't get used, Gold went to the Vision Scene and I don't know what happened to the entree music in that production. Diamond sort of segues into the coda, so I think it got used, but the pas de quatre fairies did a sort of curtain-raiser in the entree to the grand pas de deux to the principal couple.

[Sonora]

In Martins' version for NYCB, are the first-act fairies named or otherwise identified - cannot recall.

[Kathleen O'Connell]

In Martins' version for NYCB, are the first-act fairies named or otherwise identified - cannot recall.

They are: Tenderness, Vivacity, Generosity, Eloquence, and Courage