Bolshoi Ballet - Paquita Grand pas - w/ Zakharova -5/6

5/6 of Yuri Burlaka's reconstruction of the Grand Pas classique from "Paquita" for the Bolshoi Ballet. November 17, 2008. Moscow, Russia.


**A missing solo -
There is one variation that the Bolshoi Ballet does not include in their production that should be mentioned: it is the variation traditionally associated with the "Cupid" character in the so-called dream scene of "Don Quixote". This solo always causes confusion in the ballet world since it also turns up in various stagings of the "Paquita" Grand pas classique, particularly the Kirov/Mariinsky Ballet's version. The solo was originally created for the ballerina Varvara Nikitina's performance in the full-length "Paquita" circa 1885 by the Imperial Ballet's then resident conductor Alexei Papkov (it is not by Minkus, as he often credited). In 1902, Alexander Gorsky used the variation for the Cupid character in his new version of the Petipa/Minkus "Don Quixote" for the Imperial Ballet (it is from the Gorsky version that all modern revivals derive). This may be a bit surprising to some people, since the music fits the Cupid character so well, but nevertheless, it was originally from "Paquita".


**since my DVDs did not contain Gracheva's solo, I was forced to cut it from a Russian news-cast for completeness.


**The origins of the variations -
1. Variation danced by Yelena Andrienko. Music by Ludwig Minkus (1892?). Variation for Anna Johansson. This solo is credited to be by Minkus & to have been written for Anna Johansson's performance in Petipa's 1892 revival of "La Naïade et le Pêcheur" (originally staged in 1843 by Jules Perrot as "Ondine, ou La Naïade"). Johansson was the daughter of the legendary Swedish teacher & student of Bournonville Christian Johansson, who danced & later taught in St. Petersburg for decades. In the Soviet era this variation found its way into "The Little Humpbacked Horse", & has often been incorrectly credited to Cesare Pugni. Since Minkus retired in 1886 & left to Vienna in 1891 I doubt this solo is correctly credited.

2. Variation danced by Anna Leonova. Music by Alexei Papkov (year?). Variation for Alexandra Shapashnikova. There are many versions of the "Paquita" Grand pas classique that assign the music of this variation to the lead male of the pas, but it is actually for a woman. The origins of the variation are unknown to me - the Bolshoi credits this variation to Minkus in their souvenir program of the "Paquita" Grand pas classique, & my piano score also credits Minkus. The violin répétiteur of the Imperial Ballet's production of the full-length "Paquita" (created circa 1900) credits the variation to the composer Papkov, who was the main ballet conductor in St. Petersburg until he was succeeded by Riccardo Drigo in 1886 (interestingly, Papkov is also the real composer of Cupid's solo in "Don Quixote"!) Alexandra Shaposhnikova was the wife of the legendary danseur Pavel Gerdt, & mother of the famous ballerina & Bolshoi pedagogue Elizaveta Gerdt.

3. Variation danced by Maria Alexandrova. Music by Riccardo Drigo (1892). Variation for Varvara Nikitina. When Petipa revived Filippo Taglioni's original 1832 "La Sylphide" at the Mariinsky in 1892, this variation was arranged especially for Varvara Nikitina, who danced the lead. Today it is considered to be more or less the "traditional" solo for the lead ballerina of the "Paquita" Grand pas classique.

4. Variation danced by Nadezhda Gracheva. Music by Yuli Gerber (1870). This variation is taken from Petipa's ballet "Trilby".


**The variations -

I have tried my best to identify the origins of all of the variations that are included in the Bolshoi Ballet's reconstruction of the "Paquita" Grand pas classique. I have utilized my complete piano reduction of the pas, as well as the répétiteur for two violins of the Imperial Ballet's production of the full-length "Paquita" that was created circa 1900 (this répétiteur can be found in the archives of Harvard University's Theatre Collection as part of the Sergeyev Collection). If anyone notices errors or has any questions, please contact me!

All of the different versions of the Grand pas that are performed throughout the world today typically contain various combinations of about 13 variations (& sometimes more!). It is important to note that the majority of these variations are all that remain in performance of whichever 19th century ballet they were extracted from, & many of them were arranged especially for some of the greatest dancers of the late 19th & early 20th centuries. Unfortunately most ballet companies have no clue that these solos are really valuable little pieces of ballet history unto themselves, & all to often know nothing of their history. Even the Bolshoi has gotten some of the information concerning the variations wrong -
http://www.bolshoi.ru/en/performances/281/libretto/


--ENJOY!!

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Bolshoi
• Ballet
• Paquita
• grand
• Pas
• Classique
• Svetlana
• Zakharova
• Andrei
• Uvarov
• Petipa
• Minkus

[MrGr4]

Dear Mr Lopez, you have mentioned that "...Johansson was the daughter of the legendary Danish teacher Christian Johansson...". To my knowelege Johansson was Swedish, not Danish. He was the student of Danish chreographer Bournonville.Thank you for all your postings.

[mrlopez2681]

@MrGr4 - oh ye - I believe you are correct. I suppose I was thinking more along the lines of "danish training" rather than his C. Johansson's nationality. I will fix this. Thanks for telling me. :)

[danceluverful]

does anyone else find it annoying how the floor is so shiny sometimes you cant see their legs.....?

[mrlopez2681]

@danceluverful - the foor is not to blame, it is merely the brightness of the video, which I was unable to correct.

[sangfroidjen]

Thanks for these videos. Do you know where I can find the complete scores for Paquita? I had a CD of Paquita with Spassov conducting a few years ago but I lost it. I think it's now out of print.

[mrlopez2681]

you can still get it....I think i worte a review about it on amazon.

[galya51]

Beautiful variations made even more meaningful and relevant today by your quite interesting and detailed history. Makes me regret that their are no videos of the "old-time" great ballerinas.

[azuenko]

what's the variation called at 4:50??

[thaisaladini]

lliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii­iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii­iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii­iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiindo ! 

[kitri801]

thank you for the comment on the cupid-solo! and this wonderful post:-9

[22daiaa]

she's beutifullll ♥

[98girlfun1]

Isnt there another version of this song?

[sofiabaptista]

Really amazing legs and whole technique...but I cannot see her soul...sorry

[luciagil4ever]

me encanta porque yo hago ballet

[jessDance00]

ZAKHAROVA?????!!!!!!!!!