Mariangela Posted December 30, 2018 Share Posted December 30, 2018 Can you explain me why in the Sleeping Beauty, in the first act, when Aurora pretenders offer to her their roses for the second time she throws them away? I always asked myself š Thank you in advance and I hope you will have a beautiful 2019 šā¤ Link to comment
cargill Posted December 30, 2018 Share Posted December 30, 2018 In some productions she presents them to her mother, which is a much nicer touch! Link to comment
doug Posted December 30, 2018 Share Posted December 30, 2018 Marian Smith writes about this moment in a recent online essay, New Life for Character and Story in Sleeping Beauty, describing the Ratmansky production: "Finally, toward the end of the 'Rose Adagio'Ā and after Aurora has received a new set of roses from the admiring suitors, at the moment of a climactic fortissimo in the side drum and cymbals and a diminished chordāand immediately before she undertakes her last and most difficult set of balancesāAurora joyfully inhales the perfume of the roses and then humbly places them on the floor before her parents. (By contrast, in some productions, without stopping to smell the roses, she flings them toward her parents; the emphasis is on the Princess and her spectacular choreography, excluding the filial respect and tenderness that Ratmansky has chosen to include.)" http://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199935321.001.0001/oxfordhb-9780199935321-e-172 Link to comment
Mariangela Posted December 31, 2018 Author Share Posted December 31, 2018 58 minutes ago, cargill said: In some productions she presents them to her mother, which is a much nicer touch! Yes, I also think that! I've seen it in some productions that I don't remember... Which are?Ā Link to comment
Mariangela Posted December 31, 2018 Author Share Posted December 31, 2018 1 hour ago, doug said: Marian Smith writes about this moment in a recent online essay, New Life for Character and Story in Sleeping Beauty, describing the Ratmansky production: "Finallyļ»æļ»æļ»æļ»æ, toward the end of the 'Rose Adagio'Ā ļ»æand after Aurora has received a new set of roses from the admiring suitors, at the moment of a climactic fortissimo in the side drum and cymbals and a diminished chordāand immediately before she undertakes her last and most difficult set of balancesāAurora joyfully inhales the perfume of the roses and then humbly places them on the floor before her parents. (By contrast, in some productions, without stopping to smell the roses, she flings them toward her parents; the emphasis is on theļ»æ Princess and her spectacular choreography, excluding the filial respect and tenderness that Ratmansky has chosen to include.)"ļ»æ Thank you! Link to comment
vipa Posted December 31, 2018 Share Posted December 31, 2018 I remember seeing Alina Cojocaru in the old ABT production. She embraced the flowers and put them in front of the parents, which makes sense in that this is her coming out party. Clearly the ballerina has to get rid of the flowers. It's up to the production/dancer/coach to have it make sense. In my experience Cojocaru makes sense out of everything. Link to comment
Laurent Posted December 31, 2018 Share Posted December 31, 2018 (edited) 8 hours ago, cargill said: In some productions she presents them to her mother, which is a much nicer touch! The libretto of the original Petersbourg production states very clearly: Ā Quote (ā¦) and Aurora appears. This is the first time she is beholding her people, who are filled with enthusiasm from just a glance at her beauty. Aurora confusedly pauses at the terrace, yet, upon noticing her happy parents, rushes towards themā¦ Aurora notices four princes who request the honour of dancing with them;Ā as ifĀ still being a child, she requests the permission of her parents to do that, and she dances with them. She receives flowers from them and those flowers she offers to her parents for the pleasure they gave her by arranging such a brilliant celebration (on the occasion of her reaching adulthood). Ā (in front of me I have the Russian text of the libretto published in 1899) Edited December 31, 2018 by Laurent Link to comment
MadameP Posted December 31, 2018 Share Posted December 31, 2018 4 hours ago, Laurent said: The libretto of the original Petersbourg production states very clearly: Ā Ā (in front of me I have the Russian text of the libretto published in 1899) Ah ... thank you for this quote from the 1899 libretto! Ā This makes total sense. Ā I wish all Auroras would read this libretto. Ā Some Auroras do approach the King and Queen, showing them the roses and thenĀ dropping them Ā gentlyĀ at their feet and that seems appropriate, but throwing them always seems so disrespectful! Ā Link to comment
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