Don Quixote (Ballet by Ludvig Minkus) - Bolshoi Theatre

Ballet in three acts
Libretto by Marius Petipa after the novel of the same name by Miguel de Cervantes
Choreography: Marius Petipa, Alexander Gorsky
New choreographic version: Alexei Fadeyechev
Set Designer: Sergei Barkhin
Costumes, based on sketches by Vasily Diyachkov (1903), revived by Tatiana Artamonova, Yelena Merkurova
Music Director: Alexander Kopylov

SYNOPSIS

Prologue
Don Quixote, having read his fill of romances about knights and chivalry, decides to set off on his travels in order to achieve great feats, which will bring glory to his name. As his sword-bearer, he chooses the loyal Sancho Panza, a man of sober outlook who is not prone to dreams.

Act I
In Barcelona there is festive anima tion in the air. Kitri, daughter of the innkeeper, is flirting with Basilio, the barber, who is in love with her. Finding them together Lorenzo, Kitri's father, chases Basilio away: the barber is no fit match for his daughter. Lorenzo intends Kitri to marry Gamache, a rich noble man. Kitri refuses outright to submit to her father's will.
At the height of the merry-making, Don Quixote appears in the square, accompanied by his sword bearer, Sancho Panza. Catching sight of the innkeeper, Don Quixote mistakes him for the owner of a knight's castle and greets him with respect. Lorenzo responds in like terms and invites Don Quixote into the inn. Sancho Panza is left in the square. But when some young people start to mock Sancho, Don Quixote immediately hurries to his sword-bearer's rescue.
Seeing Kitri, Don Quixote thinks she is the beautiful Dulcinea whom he has seen in his dreams and chosen as ‘the lady of his heart'. But Kitri disappears. She has run off with Basilio. Lorenzo, Gamache and Don Quixote set out to look for her.

Act II
Scene 1
Kitri and Basilio are hiding in a tavern. Here they are found by Lorenzo, Gamache and Don Quixote. Lorenzo wishes to make an immediate announce ment of the betrothal of Kitri and Gamache. But Basilio, by agreement with Kitri, pretends to take his life. Kitri sobs over the body of her sweetheart. Don Quixote overcīme by noble indignation accuses Lorenzo of hardheartedness and, threatening him with his sword forces him to agree to his daughter's marriage with the barber Basilio jumps to his feet. There is no point in him pretending to be dead am longer.

Scene 2
In the glade by the windmills is a sprawling gipsy encampment. Here too is a puppet theatre. Don Quixote and Sancho soon appear on the scene. The owner of the puppet theatre invites Don Quixote to watch a show. Don Quixote follows the performance with rapt attention and, forgetting it is theatre, rushes on to the stage, sword in hand, to defend those who need his protection. He breaks down the stage, sends the puppets flying and, catching sight of the windmills, mistakes them for evil magicians whom he has to get the better of. Grabbing a mill sail, he is first lifted into the air and then falls to the ground.

Scene 3
The wounded Don Quixote and Sancho Panza find themselves in a forest. To Don Quixote, the forest seems to be full of monsters and giants. Sancho Panza settles Don Quixote down to sleep, while he runs off for help. In his dreams, Don Quixote sees Dulcinea, ‘the lady of his heart', surrounded by Dryads and fairies Sancho Panza comes back with the Duke and Duchess who have been hunting in the forest. He begs them to help the dreaming Don Quixote. The Duke and Duchess invite the wandering knight to visit them m their castle.

Act III
The Duke's castle. All is ready for the reception of Don Quixote.
Having heard from Sancho Panza the happy story of Kitri and Basilio's love, the Duke and Duchess have kindly agreed to allow them to hold their wedding in the castle. Don Quixote and Sancho Panza are invited to occupy the seats of honor. A solemn procession files past. Catching sight of Kitri, Don Quixote again mis takes her for ‘the lady of his reveries'. But the Duke and Sancho Panza manage to persuade him that she is the very same innkeeper's daughter whom he helped to unite with Basilio, her sweetheart.
The festivities continue. All thank the va liant knight and his faithful sword-bearer.

 

Don Quixote (Ballet by Ludvig Minkus) - Bolshoi Theatre

Ballet in three acts
Libretto by Marius Petipa after the novel of the same name by Miguel de Cervantes
Choreography: Marius Petipa, Alexander Gorsky
New choreographic version: Alexei Fadeyechev
Set Designer: Sergei Barkhin
Costumes, based on sketches by Vasily Diyachkov (1903), revived by Tatiana Artamonova, Yelena Merkurova
Music Director: Alexander Kopylov

SYNOPSIS

Prologue
Don Quixote, having read his fill of romances about knights and chivalry, decides to set off on his travels in order to achieve great feats, which will bring glory to his name. As his sword-bearer, he chooses the loyal Sancho Panza, a man of sober outlook who is not prone to dreams.

Act I
In Barcelona there is festive anima tion in the air. Kitri, daughter of the innkeeper, is flirting with Basilio, the barber, who is in love with her. Finding them together Lorenzo, Kitri's father, chases Basilio away: the barber is no fit match for his daughter. Lorenzo intends Kitri to marry Gamache, a rich noble man. Kitri refuses outright to submit to her father's will.
At the height of the merry-making, Don Quixote appears in the square, accompanied by his sword bearer, Sancho Panza. Catching sight of the innkeeper, Don Quixote mistakes him for the owner of a knight's castle and greets him with respect. Lorenzo responds in like terms and invites Don Quixote into the inn. Sancho Panza is left in the square. But when some young people start to mock Sancho, Don Quixote immediately hurries to his sword-bearer's rescue.
Seeing Kitri, Don Quixote thinks she is the beautiful Dulcinea whom he has seen in his dreams and chosen as ‘the lady of his heart'. But Kitri disappears. She has run off with Basilio. Lorenzo, Gamache and Don Quixote set out to look for her.

Act II
Scene 1
Kitri and Basilio are hiding in a tavern. Here they are found by Lorenzo, Gamache and Don Quixote. Lorenzo wishes to make an immediate announce ment of the betrothal of Kitri and Gamache. But Basilio, by agreement with Kitri, pretends to take his life. Kitri sobs over the body of her sweetheart. Don Quixote overcīme by noble indignation accuses Lorenzo of hardheartedness and, threatening him with his sword forces him to agree to his daughter's marriage with the barber Basilio jumps to his feet. There is no point in him pretending to be dead am longer.

Scene 2
In the glade by the windmills is a sprawling gipsy encampment. Here too is a puppet theatre. Don Quixote and Sancho soon appear on the scene. The owner of the puppet theatre invites Don Quixote to watch a show. Don Quixote follows the performance with rapt attention and, forgetting it is theatre, rushes on to the stage, sword in hand, to defend those who need his protection. He breaks down the stage, sends the puppets flying and, catching sight of the windmills, mistakes them for evil magicians whom he has to get the better of. Grabbing a mill sail, he is first lifted into the air and then falls to the ground.

Scene 3
The wounded Don Quixote and Sancho Panza find themselves in a forest. To Don Quixote, the forest seems to be full of monsters and giants. Sancho Panza settles Don Quixote down to sleep, while he runs off for help. In his dreams, Don Quixote sees Dulcinea, ‘the lady of his heart', surrounded by Dryads and fairies Sancho Panza comes back with the Duke and Duchess who have been hunting in the forest. He begs them to help the dreaming Don Quixote. The Duke and Duchess invite the wandering knight to visit them m their castle.

Act III
The Duke's castle. All is ready for the reception of Don Quixote.
Having heard from Sancho Panza the happy story of Kitri and Basilio's love, the Duke and Duchess have kindly agreed to allow them to hold their wedding in the castle. Don Quixote and Sancho Panza are invited to occupy the seats of honor. A solemn procession files past. Catching sight of Kitri, Don Quixote again mis takes her for ‘the lady of his reveries'. But the Duke and Sancho Panza manage to persuade him that she is the very same innkeeper's daughter whom he helped to unite with Basilio, her sweetheart.
The festivities continue. All thank the va liant knight and his faithful sword-bearer.

 

Die Fledermaus (Operetta by Johann Strauss) - Bolshoi Theatre

Operetta in three acts.
Libretto by Karl Haffner and Richard Genee
Music Director: Christoph-Mathias Mueller
Stage Director: Vasily Barkhatov
Set Designer: Zinovy Margolin
Costume Designer: Igor Chapurin
Lighting Designer: Damir Ismagilov
Chorus Master: Valery Borisov
Choreographer: Denis Boroditsky
Will be premiered on March 17, 2010.

Die Fledermaus (Operetta by Johann Strauss) - Bolshoi Theatre

Operetta in three acts.
Libretto by Karl Haffner and Richard Genee
Music Director: Christoph-Mathias Mueller
Stage Director: Vasily Barkhatov
Set Designer: Zinovy Margolin
Costume Designer: Igor Chapurin
Lighting Designer: Damir Ismagilov
Chorus Master: Valery Borisov
Choreographer: Denis Boroditsky
Will be premiered on March 17, 2010.

Die Fledermaus (Operetta by Johann Strauss) - Bolshoi Theatre

Operetta in three acts.
Libretto by Karl Haffner and Richard Genee
Music Director: Christoph-Mathias Mueller
Stage Director: Vasily Barkhatov
Set Designer: Zinovy Margolin
Costume Designer: Igor Chapurin
Lighting Designer: Damir Ismagilov
Chorus Master: Valery Borisov
Choreographer: Denis Boroditsky
Will be premiered on March 17, 2010.

Die Fledermaus (Operetta by Johann Strauss) - Bolshoi Theatre

Operetta in three acts.
Libretto by Karl Haffner and Richard Genee
Music Director: Christoph-Mathias Mueller
Stage Director: Vasily Barkhatov
Set Designer: Zinovy Margolin
Costume Designer: Igor Chapurin
Lighting Designer: Damir Ismagilov
Chorus Master: Valery Borisov
Choreographer: Denis Boroditsky
Will be premiered on March 17, 2010.

Die Fledermaus (Operetta by Johann Strauss) - Bolshoi Theatre

Operetta in three acts.
Libretto by Karl Haffner and Richard Genee
Music Director: Christoph-Mathias Mueller
Stage Director: Vasily Barkhatov
Set Designer: Zinovy Margolin
Costume Designer: Igor Chapurin
Lighting Designer: Damir Ismagilov
Chorus Master: Valery Borisov
Choreographer: Denis Boroditsky
Will be premiered on March 17, 2010.

Flames of Paris (Ballet by Boris Asafiev) - Bolshoi Theatre

Ballet in two acts
Book by Alexander Belinsky and Alexei Ratmansky
on the basis of the original libretto by Nikolai Volkov and Vladimir Dmitriev
Choreographer - Alexei Ratmansky
with use of the original choreography by Vasily Vainonen
Music Director - Pavel Sorokin
Scenographers - Ilya Utkin, Evgeny Monakhov
Costume Designer - Yelena Markovskaya
Lighting Designer - Damir Ismagilov
Music dramaturgy conception - Yuri Burlaka
Premiered on July 3, 2008.
Presented with one interval.
Running time: 2 hours 15 minutes.

SYNOPSIS

Act I
Scene 1
A suburb of Marseilles, the town which gave its name to the French National anthem. Through the forest a large group of people are on the move. This is the battalion of the Marseillais who are on their way to Paris. A cannon which they are taking with them indicates their intentions. Among the men of Marseilles is Philippe.
It is by the cannon that Philippe makes the acquaintance of the peasant girl Jeanne. He kisses her on parting. Jeanne's brother, Jerome, longs to join the Marseillais.
In the distance is the castle of the Marquis Costa de Beauregard, the local seigneur. Hunters are returning to the castle, among whom are the Marquis and his daughter, Adeline.
The 'noble' Marquis makes advances to the pretty peasant girl, Jeanne. The latter tries to free herself from his pawing, but only manages to do so with the help of Jerome, who comes to his sister's defense.
Jerome is beaten up by the hunters from the Marquis's suite, and thrown into a prison cellar. Adeline, who has observed the scene, frees Jerome, and in their hearts a mutual feeling for each other is born. The sinister, old woman Jarcasse, who has been employed by the Marquis to keep an eye on his daughter, informs her adored master of the escape. The Marquis slaps his daughter and orders her to get into a carriage, accompanied by Jarcasse. They are going to Paris.
Jerome bids farewell to his parents. It is not safe for him to remain on the Marquis's estate. He and Jeanne go off with a detachment of the Marseillais. Their parents are inconsolable.
Volunteers are enrolling in the detachment. Together with the crowd, the men of Marseilles dance a farandola. The men put on red caps in place of their old headwear. Jerome is given a gun by the leader of the insurgents, Gilbert. Jerome and Philippe 'harness' themselves to the cannon. The detachment moves off to Paris to the strains of the Marseillaise.

Scene 2
The sound of the Marseillaise gives way to an elegant minuet. The royal palace. The Marquis and Adeline have arrived here. The Master of Ceremonies announces the start of the ball.
Rinaldo and Armida, a court ballet, with the Paris stars Mireille de Poitiers and Antoine Mistral:
Sarabande - Armida and her friends. Armida's forces return from a campaign. Prisoners are led in. Among them is Prince Rinaldo.
Amour aims an arrow at the hearts of Armida and Rinaldo. Variation - Amour. Armida frees Rinaldo.
Pas de deux Rinaldo and Armida.
The phantom of Rinaldo's bride appears. Rinaldo abandons Armida and sails off in a boat after the phantom. Armida conjures up a storm. Waves cast Rinaldo onto the seashore, he is surrounded by furies.
Dance - Furies. Rinaldo falls dead at Armida's feet.
King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette make their entrance. Greetings, oaths of loyalty and toasts to the prosperity of the monarchy follow.
The tipsy Marquis chooses the Actress as his next 'victim', and starts to 'court' her in the same way as he had Jeanne, the peasant girl. The strains of the Marseillaise are heard from the street. The courtiers and officers panic. Making use of this, Adeline escapes from the palace.

Act II
Scene 3
A square in Paris, into which the men of Marseilles march, among whom are Philippe, Jerome and Jeanne. A shot from their cannon is to give the signal for the start of the assault on the Tuileries.
Suddenly, in the square, Jerome catches sight of Adeline. He rushes over to her. The sinister, old woman Jarcasse spies on their meeting.
In the meantime, in honor of the arrival of the detachment of men from Marseilles, a barrel of wine is rolled out into the square. Dances get underway: the Auvergne dance gives way to the Marseillaise dance, then the temperamental dance of the Basques starts up, in which all the chief characters take part: Jeanne, Philippe, Adeline, Jerome and Gilbert, the captain of the Marseillais.
In the crowd, flushed with wine, petty brawls break out here and there. Stuffed dolls of Louis and Marie Antoinette are torn to pieces. Jeanne with a spear in her hands dances the carmagnole to the singing of the crowd. Philippe, who is drunk, lights the fuse, there is volley of cannon fire, after which the crowd dashes off to storm the Tuileries.
Against a background of shots being fired and the beating of drums, Adeline and Jerome declare their love for each other. They are oblivious to what is going on around them.
The Marseillais break into the palace. They are led by Jeanne, waving a flag. Fighting. The palace is taken.

Scene 4
The crowd fills the square which is decorated with lanterns. Members of the Convention and new government mount the tribune.
The crowd rejoices. The famous artists, Mireille de Poitiers and Antoine Mistral, who before had entertained the king and his courtiers, now perform the Freedom dance for the people. The new dance is little different to the old, only now, the actress holds the Republican flag in her hands. Artist David is sketching the celebration.
By the cannon, from which the first volley had been fired, the President of the Convention unites the hands of Jeanne and Philippe. These are the first young newly weds of the new Republic
The sound of Jeanne and Philippe's betrothal dance gives way to the muffled thuds of the falling knife of the guillotine.
The condemned Marquis is led in. Seeing her father, Adeline rushes over to him, but Jerome, Jeanne and Philippe beg her not to give herself away. In order to revenge the Marquis, Jarcasse betrays Adeline, revealing her true origins. Roused to fury, the crowd demands her death. Beside himself with despair, Jerome tries to save Adeline, but to no avail. She is guillotined. Frightened for their lives, Jeanne and Philippe restrain the struggling Jerome.
The celebration continues. To the strains of Ca ira, the triumphant populace moves downstage towards the audience.

 

 

La Fille mal Gardee (Ballet by Peter Ludwig Hertel) - Bolshoi Theatre

Ballet in two acts.
Libretto by Jean Dauberval
Choreographer: Yuri Grigorovich
Scenes in choreography by Jean Dauberval, Jules Perrot,
Marius Petipa, Alexander Gorsky used
Sets and Costumes: Jean Pierre Cassigneul (France)
Music Director: Igor Dronov
Lighting Designer: Mikhail Sokolov
Assistant choreographer: Andrei Melanin
Extracts from music by Riccardo Drigo, Louis Herold,
Cesare Pugni, Georges Bizet used.
Scenery reconstruction supervised by Mikhail Sapozhnikov.
Premiered on November 6, 2009.

SYNOPSIS

Act I
Scene 1
Early morning. Colas, a young peasant, turns up by the home of the rich farmer Marcelina. He is in love with Lise, Marcelina's niece, and wants to see her. But this is not so easy! Even when she hires peasants to help with the harvesting, Marcelina does not allow Lise to go off with them to the fields, but finds her a job to do in the yard. It is therefore not surprising that the first rendez-vous between the two lovers is at the oil-press. But again Marcelina appears on the scene and chases off the unwanted suitor. But here is an eligible bridegroom - Nikez. Though he is simpleminded, his father - Michaud is very well-off, and Marcelina persuades Lise to come and be introduced to her rich guests. The only hurdle in the way of the match is Colas.

Scene 2
Harvest-time. Though busy with the harvesting, Marcelina continues to dream of a match between Lise and Nikez, for all the latter's dumbwitted escapades. But the betrothal ceremony, in the form of a game with ribbons, again ends in favor of Lise and Colas.
...The dancing is brought to an end by a storm. All run off to take shelter from the rain.

Act II
Scene 3
The storm has blown over. Marcelina and Lise return home and sit down at their spinning-wheels. Peasants deliver the hay sheaves they have managed to save from the rain. Marcelina goes off with them, leaving Lise locked up indoors. Lise dreams of her beloved. Suddenly she notices Colas who, unbeknown to her, has hidden himself in the room. An indignant Lise tells him to leave. But, the door is locked and Colas is trapped inside. Lise soon gets over her anger and, as a sign of reconciliation, she and Colas exchange kerchiefs. Hearing a noise at the door, a panic-stricken Lise hides Colas in the larder. Marcelina comes in and, noticing the new kerchief round Lise's neck, locks her into the larder as punishment, never suspecting that Colas is in there too.
...Enter Michaud, already quite at home. He is followed by a notary for the signing of the wedding contract and even by a brass orchestra, hired for the occasion. Making no effort to conceal her joy, Marcelina hands Nikez the key to the larder. The door opens and... out come a bashful Lise and Colas. Michaud is mortally off ended. The wedding contract is torn up. The lovers fall at Marcelina's feet who has no option but to give them her blessing.

 

Giselle (Adolphe Adam. Ballet in two acts Production by Vladimir Vasiliev) - Bolshoi Theatre

Ballet in two acts Production by Vladimir Vasiliev
Libretto by Theophile Gautier and Jean-Henry Saint-Georges
Production: Vladimir Vasiliev
Choreography: Jean Coralli, Jules Perrot, Mauris Petipa, Alexander Gorsky, Leonid Lavrovsky, Vladimir Vasiliev
Set Designer: Sergei Barkhin
Costume Designer: Hubert de Givanchi Philippe Venet participating
Music Director: Algis Zhuraytis
Adviser: Galina Ulanova
Lighting Designer: Mikhail Sokolov

SYNOPSIS

Act I
A small, peaceful village, bathed in sunlight. It is inhabited by simple, artless people. Giselle, a young peasant girl, is re joicing in the sun, the blue sky, the singing of the birds and, most of all, in the happiness of pure, trusting love which has lit up her life. She is in love and is confident that she is loved. The gamekeeper, who is in love with Giselle, tries in vain to per suade her that Albrecht, her loved one, is not a peasant at all but a nobleman in disguise and that he is deceiving her.
The gamekeeper manages to steal into the cottage which Albrecht is renting in the village and here he finds a silver sword with a coat of arms on it. Now the gamekeeper knows for sure that Albrecht is concealing his noble origins.
A party of distinguished noblemen, attended by a sumptuous suite, seek rest and refreshment in the village after the hunt. The peasants give their guests a cordial welcome.
Albrecht is embarrassed by this unexpected meeting: he tries to hide the fact he knows them for, in their company, is his betrothed, Bathilde. Meanwhile the gamekeeper shows everyone Albrecht's sword and, unmasking him, tells them of the latter's deceit. Giselle is shocked to the core by the perfidy of her loved one. The pure, crystal-clear world of her faith, hopes and dreams has been destroyed. She goes mad and dies.

Act II
Night-time. The ghostly forms of the Wilis, died brides, appear among the graves of the village church yard which is bathed in moonlight. "Dressed in bridal gowns and garlands of flow ers...The irresistibly beautiful Wilis danced to the light of the moon. And as they felt the time given them for dancing was running out and that they had again to return to their icy graves, their dancing became more and more impassioned and ra­pid..." (Heinrich Heine).
The Wilis catch sight of the gamekeeper who, suffering from pangs of con science, has come to visit Giselle's grave. At the command of Myrtha, the unrelenting Queen of the Wilis, the Wilis encircle the gamekeeper and make him dance until he drops lifeless, to the ground.
Albrecht too, is unable to forget Giselle. And, at dead of night, he co mes to her grave. The Wilis immedi ately encircle the youth. Albrecht is now threatened by the same horrify ing fate as the gamekeeper. But the shadow of Giselle now appears and her eternal and self-sacrificing love protects and saves Albrecht from the anger of the Wilis.
The ghostly, white forms of the Wilis vanish with the first rays of the rising sun. And Giselle's ethereal shadow va nishes too, but Giselle will always be alive in Albrecht's memory - the ever-present regret for a lost love, a love that is stronger than death.

 

Flames of Paris (Ballet by Boris Asafiev) - Bolshoi Theatre

Ballet in two acts
Book by Alexander Belinsky and Alexei Ratmansky
on the basis of the original libretto by Nikolai Volkov and Vladimir Dmitriev
Choreographer - Alexei Ratmansky
with use of the original choreography by Vasily Vainonen
Music Director - Pavel Sorokin
Scenographers - Ilya Utkin, Evgeny Monakhov
Costume Designer - Yelena Markovskaya
Lighting Designer - Damir Ismagilov
Music dramaturgy conception - Yuri Burlaka
Premiered on July 3, 2008.
Presented with one interval.
Running time: 2 hours 15 minutes.

SYNOPSIS

Act I
Scene 1
A suburb of Marseilles, the town which gave its name to the French National anthem. Through the forest a large group of people are on the move. This is the battalion of the Marseillais who are on their way to Paris. A cannon which they are taking with them indicates their intentions. Among the men of Marseilles is Philippe.
It is by the cannon that Philippe makes the acquaintance of the peasant girl Jeanne. He kisses her on parting. Jeanne's brother, Jerome, longs to join the Marseillais.
In the distance is the castle of the Marquis Costa de Beauregard, the local seigneur. Hunters are returning to the castle, among whom are the Marquis and his daughter, Adeline.
The 'noble' Marquis makes advances to the pretty peasant girl, Jeanne. The latter tries to free herself from his pawing, but only manages to do so with the help of Jerome, who comes to his sister's defense.
Jerome is beaten up by the hunters from the Marquis's suite, and thrown into a prison cellar. Adeline, who has observed the scene, frees Jerome, and in their hearts a mutual feeling for each other is born. The sinister, old woman Jarcasse, who has been employed by the Marquis to keep an eye on his daughter, informs her adored master of the escape. The Marquis slaps his daughter and orders her to get into a carriage, accompanied by Jarcasse. They are going to Paris.
Jerome bids farewell to his parents. It is not safe for him to remain on the Marquis's estate. He and Jeanne go off with a detachment of the Marseillais. Their parents are inconsolable.
Volunteers are enrolling in the detachment. Together with the crowd, the men of Marseilles dance a farandola. The men put on red caps in place of their old headwear. Jerome is given a gun by the leader of the insurgents, Gilbert. Jerome and Philippe 'harness' themselves to the cannon. The detachment moves off to Paris to the strains of the Marseillaise.

Scene 2
The sound of the Marseillaise gives way to an elegant minuet. The royal palace. The Marquis and Adeline have arrived here. The Master of Ceremonies announces the start of the ball.
Rinaldo and Armida, a court ballet, with the Paris stars Mireille de Poitiers and Antoine Mistral:
Sarabande - Armida and her friends. Armida's forces return from a campaign. Prisoners are led in. Among them is Prince Rinaldo.
Amour aims an arrow at the hearts of Armida and Rinaldo. Variation - Amour. Armida frees Rinaldo.
Pas de deux Rinaldo and Armida.
The phantom of Rinaldo's bride appears. Rinaldo abandons Armida and sails off in a boat after the phantom. Armida conjures up a storm. Waves cast Rinaldo onto the seashore, he is surrounded by furies.
Dance - Furies. Rinaldo falls dead at Armida's feet.
King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette make their entrance. Greetings, oaths of loyalty and toasts to the prosperity of the monarchy follow.
The tipsy Marquis chooses the Actress as his next 'victim', and starts to 'court' her in the same way as he had Jeanne, the peasant girl. The strains of the Marseillaise are heard from the street. The courtiers and officers panic. Making use of this, Adeline escapes from the palace.

Act II
Scene 3
A square in Paris, into which the men of Marseilles march, among whom are Philippe, Jerome and Jeanne. A shot from their cannon is to give the signal for the start of the assault on the Tuileries.
Suddenly, in the square, Jerome catches sight of Adeline. He rushes over to her. The sinister, old woman Jarcasse spies on their meeting.
In the meantime, in honor of the arrival of the detachment of men from Marseilles, a barrel of wine is rolled out into the square. Dances get underway: the Auvergne dance gives way to the Marseillaise dance, then the temperamental dance of the Basques starts up, in which all the chief characters take part: Jeanne, Philippe, Adeline, Jerome and Gilbert, the captain of the Marseillais.
In the crowd, flushed with wine, petty brawls break out here and there. Stuffed dolls of Louis and Marie Antoinette are torn to pieces. Jeanne with a spear in her hands dances the carmagnole to the singing of the crowd. Philippe, who is drunk, lights the fuse, there is volley of cannon fire, after which the crowd dashes off to storm the Tuileries.
Against a background of shots being fired and the beating of drums, Adeline and Jerome declare their love for each other. They are oblivious to what is going on around them.
The Marseillais break into the palace. They are led by Jeanne, waving a flag. Fighting. The palace is taken.

Scene 4
The crowd fills the square which is decorated with lanterns. Members of the Convention and new government mount the tribune.
The crowd rejoices. The famous artists, Mireille de Poitiers and Antoine Mistral, who before had entertained the king and his courtiers, now perform the Freedom dance for the people. The new dance is little different to the old, only now, the actress holds the Republican flag in her hands. Artist David is sketching the celebration.
By the cannon, from which the first volley had been fired, the President of the Convention unites the hands of Jeanne and Philippe. These are the first young newly weds of the new Republic
The sound of Jeanne and Philippe's betrothal dance gives way to the muffled thuds of the falling knife of the guillotine.
The condemned Marquis is led in. Seeing her father, Adeline rushes over to him, but Jerome, Jeanne and Philippe beg her not to give herself away. In order to revenge the Marquis, Jarcasse betrays Adeline, revealing her true origins. Roused to fury, the crowd demands her death. Beside himself with despair, Jerome tries to save Adeline, but to no avail. She is guillotined. Frightened for their lives, Jeanne and Philippe restrain the struggling Jerome.
The celebration continues. To the strains of Ca ira, the triumphant populace moves downstage towards the audience.

 

 

Serenade (Choreography by George Balanchine)Giselle (Adolphe Adam. Ballet in two acts Production by Vladimir Vasiliev) - Bolshoi Theatre

Serenade
One act ballet
Music: Pyotr Tchaikovsky (Serenade in C Major for String Orchestra, Op. 48)
Choreography: George Balanchine (1935)
Staging: Francia Russell and Karin von Aroldingen
Costume design: Karinska
Original lighting design: Ronald Bates
Lighting: Vladimir Lukasevich
World premiere: 6 June 1934, School of American Ballet, White Plains, New York
Premiere at the Mariinsky Theatre: 30 April 1998, St Petersburg
Running time: 30 minutes

Giselle 
Ballet in two acts Production by Vladimir Vasiliev
Libretto by Theophile Gautier and Jean-Henry Saint-Georges
Production: Vladimir Vasiliev
Choreography: Jean Coralli, Jules Perrot, Mauris Petipa, Alexander Gorsky, Leonid Lavrovsky, Vladimir Vasiliev
Set Designer: Sergei Barkhin
Costume Designer: Hubert de Givanchi Philippe Venet participating
Music Director: Algis Zhuraytis
Adviser: Galina Ulanova
Lighting Designer: Mikhail Sokolov

SYNOPSIS

Act I
A small, peaceful village, bathed in sunlight. It is inhabited by simple, artless people. Giselle, a young peasant girl, is re joicing in the sun, the blue sky, the singing of the birds and, most of all, in the happiness of pure, trusting love which has lit up her life. She is in love and is confident that she is loved. The gamekeeper, who is in love with Giselle, tries in vain to per suade her that Albrecht, her loved one, is not a peasant at all but a nobleman in disguise and that he is deceiving her.
The gamekeeper manages to steal into the cottage which Albrecht is renting in the village and here he finds a silver sword with a coat of arms on it. Now the gamekeeper knows for sure that Albrecht is concealing his noble origins.
A party of distinguished noblemen, attended by a sumptuous suite, seek rest and refreshment in the village after the hunt. The peasants give their guests a cordial welcome.
Albrecht is embarrassed by this unexpected meeting: he tries to hide the fact he knows them for, in their company, is his betrothed, Bathilde. Meanwhile the gamekeeper shows everyone Albrecht's sword and, unmasking him, tells them of the latter's deceit. Giselle is shocked to the core by the perfidy of her loved one. The pure, crystal-clear world of her faith, hopes and dreams has been destroyed. She goes mad and dies.

Act II
Night-time. The ghostly forms of the Wilis, died brides, appear among the graves of the village church yard which is bathed in moonlight. "Dressed in bridal gowns and garlands of flow ers...The irresistibly beautiful Wilis danced to the light of the moon. And as they felt the time given them for dancing was running out and that they had again to return to their icy graves, their dancing became more and more impassioned and ra pid..." (Heinrich Heine).
The Wilis catch sight of the gamekeeper who, suffering from pangs of con science, has come to visit Giselle's grave. At the command of Myrtha, the unrelenting Queen of the Wilis, the Wilis encircle the gamekeeper and make him dance until he drops lifeless, to the ground.
Albrecht too, is unable to forget Giselle. And, at dead of night, he co mes to her grave. The Wilis immedi ately encircle the youth. Albrecht is now threatened by the same horrify ing fate as the gamekeeper. But the shadow of Giselle now appears and her eternal and self-sacrificing love protects and saves Albrecht from the anger of the Wilis.
The ghostly, white forms of the Wilis vanish with the first rays of the rising sun. And Giselle's ethereal shadow va nishes too, but Giselle will always be alive in Albrecht's memory - the ever-present regret for a lost love, a love that is stronger than death.

 

Flames of Paris (Ballet by Boris Asafiev) - Bolshoi Theatre

Ballet in two acts
Book by Alexander Belinsky and Alexei Ratmansky
on the basis of the original libretto by Nikolai Volkov and Vladimir Dmitriev
Choreographer - Alexei Ratmansky
with use of the original choreography by Vasily Vainonen
Music Director - Pavel Sorokin
Scenographers - Ilya Utkin, Evgeny Monakhov
Costume Designer - Yelena Markovskaya
Lighting Designer - Damir Ismagilov
Music dramaturgy conception - Yuri Burlaka
Premiered on July 3, 2008.
Presented with one interval.
Running time: 2 hours 15 minutes.

SYNOPSIS

Act I
Scene 1
A suburb of Marseilles, the town which gave its name to the French National anthem. Through the forest a large group of people are on the move. This is the battalion of the Marseillais who are on their way to Paris. A cannon which they are taking with them indicates their intentions. Among the men of Marseilles is Philippe.
It is by the cannon that Philippe makes the acquaintance of the peasant girl Jeanne. He kisses her on parting. Jeanne's brother, Jerome, longs to join the Marseillais.
In the distance is the castle of the Marquis Costa de Beauregard, the local seigneur. Hunters are returning to the castle, among whom are the Marquis and his daughter, Adeline.
The 'noble' Marquis makes advances to the pretty peasant girl, Jeanne. The latter tries to free herself from his pawing, but only manages to do so with the help of Jerome, who comes to his sister's defense.
Jerome is beaten up by the hunters from the Marquis's suite, and thrown into a prison cellar. Adeline, who has observed the scene, frees Jerome, and in their hearts a mutual feeling for each other is born. The sinister, old woman Jarcasse, who has been employed by the Marquis to keep an eye on his daughter, informs her adored master of the escape. The Marquis slaps his daughter and orders her to get into a carriage, accompanied by Jarcasse. They are going to Paris.
Jerome bids farewell to his parents. It is not safe for him to remain on the Marquis's estate. He and Jeanne go off with a detachment of the Marseillais. Their parents are inconsolable.
Volunteers are enrolling in the detachment. Together with the crowd, the men of Marseilles dance a farandola. The men put on red caps in place of their old headwear. Jerome is given a gun by the leader of the insurgents, Gilbert. Jerome and Philippe 'harness' themselves to the cannon. The detachment moves off to Paris to the strains of the Marseillaise.

Scene 2
The sound of the Marseillaise gives way to an elegant minuet. The royal palace. The Marquis and Adeline have arrived here. The Master of Ceremonies announces the start of the ball.
Rinaldo and Armida, a court ballet, with the Paris stars Mireille de Poitiers and Antoine Mistral:
Sarabande - Armida and her friends. Armida's forces return from a campaign. Prisoners are led in. Among them is Prince Rinaldo.
Amour aims an arrow at the hearts of Armida and Rinaldo. Variation - Amour. Armida frees Rinaldo.
Pas de deux Rinaldo and Armida.
The phantom of Rinaldo's bride appears. Rinaldo abandons Armida and sails off in a boat after the phantom. Armida conjures up a storm. Waves cast Rinaldo onto the seashore, he is surrounded by furies.
Dance - Furies. Rinaldo falls dead at Armida's feet.
King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette make their entrance. Greetings, oaths of loyalty and toasts to the prosperity of the monarchy follow.
The tipsy Marquis chooses the Actress as his next 'victim', and starts to 'court' her in the same way as he had Jeanne, the peasant girl. The strains of the Marseillaise are heard from the street. The courtiers and officers panic. Making use of this, Adeline escapes from the palace.

Act II
Scene 3
A square in Paris, into which the men of Marseilles march, among whom are Philippe, Jerome and Jeanne. A shot from their cannon is to give the signal for the start of the assault on the Tuileries.
Suddenly, in the square, Jerome catches sight of Adeline. He rushes over to her. The sinister, old woman Jarcasse spies on their meeting.
In the meantime, in honor of the arrival of the detachment of men from Marseilles, a barrel of wine is rolled out into the square. Dances get underway: the Auvergne dance gives way to the Marseillaise dance, then the temperamental dance of the Basques starts up, in which all the chief characters take part: Jeanne, Philippe, Adeline, Jerome and Gilbert, the captain of the Marseillais.
In the crowd, flushed with wine, petty brawls break out here and there. Stuffed dolls of Louis and Marie Antoinette are torn to pieces. Jeanne with a spear in her hands dances the carmagnole to the singing of the crowd. Philippe, who is drunk, lights the fuse, there is volley of cannon fire, after which the crowd dashes off to storm the Tuileries.
Against a background of shots being fired and the beating of drums, Adeline and Jerome declare their love for each other. They are oblivious to what is going on around them.
The Marseillais break into the palace. They are led by Jeanne, waving a flag. Fighting. The palace is taken.

Scene 4
The crowd fills the square which is decorated with lanterns. Members of the Convention and new government mount the tribune.
The crowd rejoices. The famous artists, Mireille de Poitiers and Antoine Mistral, who before had entertained the king and his courtiers, now perform the Freedom dance for the people. The new dance is little different to the old, only now, the actress holds the Republican flag in her hands. Artist David is sketching the celebration.
By the cannon, from which the first volley had been fired, the President of the Convention unites the hands of Jeanne and Philippe. These are the first young newly weds of the new Republic
The sound of Jeanne and Philippe's betrothal dance gives way to the muffled thuds of the falling knife of the guillotine.
The condemned Marquis is led in. Seeing her father, Adeline rushes over to him, but Jerome, Jeanne and Philippe beg her not to give herself away. In order to revenge the Marquis, Jarcasse betrays Adeline, revealing her true origins. Roused to fury, the crowd demands her death. Beside himself with despair, Jerome tries to save Adeline, but to no avail. She is guillotined. Frightened for their lives, Jeanne and Philippe restrain the struggling Jerome.
The celebration continues. To the strains of Ca ira, the triumphant populace moves downstage towards the audience.