BOLSHOI - LE CORSAIRE Le Jardin animé (1/2)

The Bolshoi Ballet's spectacular 2007 revival of ''Le Corsaire'', which premiered on June 21, 2007. Production staged by Alexei Ratmansky and Yuri Burlaka.


**Cast for this clip:
-Médora - Maria Alexandrova
-Gulnara - Marianna Ryzhkina
-Coryphées - Xenia Kern, Chinara Alizade, Yulia Lunkina & Anna Tikhomirova

Dances with an *asterisk are based on Petipa's choreography. Dances without an asterisk are the choreography of Yuri Burlaka. Unless otherwise noted, all music is by Léo Delibes.

Grand pas d'ensemble—Le Jardin animé -
1. *Grande valse (music likely expanded by Cesare Pugni, 1868)
2. *Grand adage
3. *Variation de Gulnara (music by the harpist Albert Zabel. Insertion for the ballerina Eugeniia Sokolova, ca. 1885)


**History of "Le Jardin animé" -
The scene "Le Jardin animé" was originally staged as the "Pas des fleurs" by the Ballet Master Joseph Mazilier when he came out of retirement to revive "Le Corsaire" at the Paris Opéra for the ballerina Adèle Grantzow in 1867. The revival was also staged in celebration of the Exposition Universelle (World's Fair) held that year in Paris. The music was composed especially by Léo Delibes for Grantzow's performance (Delibes was the student of Adolphe Adam).

In 1868 Grantzow was invited to perform with the Imperial Ballet in St. Petersburg, & for her début Marius Petipa staged a revival of "Le Corsaire". The revival included Grantzow's "Pas des fleurs" in a new & elaborated version staged by Petipa called "Le Jardin animé", complete with with garlands & a manicured lawn à la the gardens of Versaille that serve as an obstacle course of sorts for the ballerina to weave patterns through. Delibes' music for the opening waltz was expanded for Petipa's version.

Petipa revived "Le Corsaire" for the last time in 1899 for the great Pierina Legnani, & likely put his finishing touches on "Le Jardin animé" for the occasion.

Petipa's choreography for "Le Jardin animé" was re-structured over time in Soviet Russia, & the expanded musical passages from the 19th century productions were edited out. The version performed by most companies today (notably the Kirov/Mariinsky Ballet & American Ballet Theatre) are primarily the work of Soviet era Ballet Masters such as Pyotr Gusev, a version which is itself probably derived from the early Soviet era revivals of Fyodor Lopukhov, Agrippina Vaganova, etc.

Fortunately Petipa's original choreography for "Le Jardin animé" (as well as much of the full-length "Le Corsaire" as he staged it at the end of the 19th century), was notated in the Stepanov method of choreographic notation at the turn of the 20th century.

For their 2007 revival of "Le Corsaire" the Bolshoi Ballet utilized the several historical sources, including the Sergeyev Collection at Harvard. It is important to note that the choreographic notation of the Sergeyev Collection was used to help revive this ballet, but it is not a literal "cut & paste" of the dances as they are notated. Rather, the Bolshoi has used the notation as a starting point.

Nevertheless, the scene "Le Jardin animé" is shown here in all of its Tsarist splendor, excess & opulence. It is true "ballet à grand spectacle", the original "Ballet Imperial" long before Balanchine was even born.

Looking at this masterwork of classical choreography & massed dance, it makes one wonder why anyone would want to dance any other version!

--ENJOY!!

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Bolshoi
• Ballet
• Le
• Corsaire
• Jardin
• Anime
• Maria
• Alexandrova
• Marianna
• Ryzhkina
• Marius
• Petipa
• Delibes
• anime

[genzano]

Thanks for posting and giving such a detailed analysis. this is quite a service to us ballet fans!  I prefer the music here to the Kirov version, which strikes me as more bombastic than dream-like.

[palubob]

Thank you mrlopez not only for the film but also for the fascinating and informative notes. Let's hope that Bolshoi decides someday soon to make a DVD of this ballet.

[balletpink1717]

Where was this particular performance located? I performed with the Bolshoi in Le Corsaire at the Kennedy Center in DC as a paige!! I was wondering if this was at the Kennedy Center!

[BlakesPOWERChannel]

what is the musci for the last variation called?

[dlkdomi]

petites toupies magiques!

[bayadererj]

that stage is sooooo tiny!

[abbysfrennd40]

those are MASSIVE tutus. probably the widest that i have seen.

[sidedinelson]

it´s wonderfulll version!! chiq!!!

[BernardProfitendieu]

what an elegant version!

[Americocristina]

c'est parfait <3

je tré tré adore <3

[tuliphr]

Beautiful indeed.

[marrecorique]

na fundasc études em Campina Grande Teatro municipal Le corsarie!!25/26 de nov 2008