Petipa & Delibes's Coppélia reconstruction w/ Alexandrova: Act III (3/3)

**see clip 1 for general historical notes


**Notes on the pas de deux -

The Bolshoi has used the costume design of the Tsar Maiden from the Imperial Ballet's production of "The Little Humpbacked Horse" as a costume for Swanilda, which helps to explain her magnificently regal look.

It was not until "Coppélia" came to Russia (or perhaps a little earlier) that the piece titled "La Paix" began to serve as an Adage for what is now a Grand pas de deux classique. This may have everything to do with the fact that the role of Franz was originally a travesty role, i.e. performed by a woman in male garb.

**Extra female solo ("Le Travail": Variation for Dionisiia Potapenko, 1904) -
This variation is notated as "Le Travail" ("Work"), a female solo celebrating the harvest, & borrowing its title & theme (at least with regard to the costume) from the number in the divertissement. It is set to the music for the male variation from Delibes' ballet "Sylvia", which companies all over the world usually use as an inserted variation for Franz. This solo was arranged by Petipa especially for the ballerina Dionisiia Potapenko in 1904. The old Maestro Petipa mentions attending the performance of "Coppélia" in his diaries, calling her performance "awful", & going on to complain that a review in the local paper said she danced well, which he found "sickening"!!

**"Dance of the Bridegroom", supplemental solo for Franz -
As men began to take over the travesty role of Franz things began to change in "Coppélia". One interesting product of this change is the extra variation danced by Franz. The music is not by Delibes, but by the French-American composer Ernest Guiraud who would later work with the Paris Opéra. Its origins are totally unknown to me, but I suspect it is extracted from Guiraud's 1873 ballet "Le Forgeron de Gretna-Green" & added to "Coppélia" at some point as men gradually took over the role of Franz. The 1882 staging of "Coppélia" at the Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow by Joseph Hansen could very well be the production that brought it to Russia. Alexander Glazunov obviously based the male variation from his 1898 score for Petipa's "Raymonda" on Guiraud's solo (traditionally found in the Act III "Raymonda Pas de dix"), which can be seen/heard here -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-6SuJWjMFE

**"Danse de fête": Variation de Swanhilde / Galop final -
The choreography for the variation & Galop final is, I believe, that of Tamara Karsavina's performance ca. 1910. Perhaps it dates a little earlier, maybe to Olga Preobrajenska's performance ca. 1900. In this film, Alexandrova takes a monstrously slow tempo that is dreadful to say the least.

--ENJOY!!

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Coppelia
• Maria
• Alexandrova
• Ruslan
• Skvortsov
• Bolshoi
• Ballet
• Delibes
• Petipa
• Cecchetti
• Sergei
• Vikharev
• Arthur
• Saint-Léon

[anamariamacedo]

what variations is the girl dancing after the wedding? isn't swanilda

[mrlopez2681]

@anamariamacedo - I explain in the description

[dancingismypassion08]

<3

[jengirl2]

thank you so much. i had seem this advertised in Pointe magazine. they were showing it in various cities at movie theatres. unfortunately not in san diego but thanks to you, i got to watch! beautifully done and danced. i am so greatful anytime i get to see the Bolshoi!