1.
Eastern Slavic naming customs
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They are also featured in the non-Slavic Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan as a result of the expansion of Russia and the result of Russification. As with most cultures, a person has a name chosen by the parents. First names in East Slavic languages mostly originate from two sources, Orthodox church tradition and native pre-Christian Slavic lexicons, all first names are single, non-doubled. Doubled first names are a very rare foreign-influenced instance, most doubled first names are spelled with the dash. Being highly synthetic, Eastern Slavic languages treat personal names as grammatical nouns and this auxiliary stem may be identical to the word stem of the full name while most names have it derived unproductively. Most commonly, Russian philologists distinguish the forms of given names, The short name, historically also half-name, is the most simple. Some names, such as Zhanna, Mark, etc. do not possess short forms, in the latter case, one form is usually more informal than the other. Diminutive forms are produced from the name by means of various suffixes. Unlike the full name, a diminutive name carries a particular emotional attitude, depending on the nature of this attitude, nameforms can be subdivided in three broad groups, affectionate, familiar and slang. Typically formed by suffixes -еньк-, -оньк-, -ечк-, -ушк and it is often used to address children or intimate friends. Within a more official context, this form may be combined with honorific plural to address a female colleague. Colloquial diminutives are derived from short names by means of -к- suffix, expressing a highly familiar attitude, it may be considered rude or even pejorative outside of friendly context. Slang forms mostly exist for male names, being produced though suffixes -ян, -он and these suffixes give off the sense of male brotherhood once expressed by patronymic-only form of address in Soviet Union. Originating in criminal communities, these came into wide usage in Russia in the 1990s. During the days of revolutionary enthusiasm, as part of the campaign to rid Russia of bourgeois culture, there was a drive to invent new, as a result, a large number of Soviet children were given unusual or atypical names. The patronymic name is based on the first name of the father and is written in all legal, if used with the first name, the patronymic always follows it. The patronymic is formed by a combination of the fathers name, the suffix -ович is used for son, suffix -овна - for daughter. For example, if the name was Иван, then the patronymic will be Иванович for a son
2.
Ligovo
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Ligovo is a historical area of the federal city of Saint Petersburg. It is located in the part of the city on the road leading to Petergof. A settlement of east Slavs existed on the site of modern Ligovo from the 8th-9th centuries CE, since then, Ligovo has been a court manor, an exemplary farm, a town, and a battleground during World War II. Currently, it is a suburb of Saint Petersburg, mostly composed of 1960s buildings and it is part of Uritsk Municipal Okrug, Krasnoselsky District. Liiha is the name of the Izhorian village which is mentioned for the first time in annals named Vodskaya pyatina in 1500, the name is derived from a small river previously called Liiha. Nowadays this is called the Dudergofka river, the settlement is shown on Swedish maps of 15th century as Liihala or Liihankulla. For over 1,000 years the East Slavs have lived peacefully along the Neva River, from the 12th century these territories were part of the large feudal state of the Northwest of Russia — Lord of Great Novgorod. By the 15th century, Novgorod territory became part of Russian centralised state, at the beginning of a 17th-century, the expanding Swedish Empire spread to the southern coast of gulf of Finland. However following the Great Northern War, Russian victory in 1721, in 1703 Peter I made Saint Petersburg his capital and Ligovo became a suburb. Then in 1715 he dammed the river, creating a pond, simultaneously the Ligovsky channel was dug which drained of water from the Dudergofka and the artificial lake, and so providing water for Ligovo. Many prominent people visited Logovo during this period, Anna Ivanovna on January, elizabeth Petrovna who wanted «to have dinner in tents». By the middle of 18th century the farm was extended to include an orchard, the mill dam was near to the Peterhofskoye shosse and the small river has spread, having formed a pond stretched to a modern line of the railway. In 1765, Russian empress Catherine II also built Gatchina Grange and House Kurakinikh, after Grigory Orlovs death in 1783, Ligovo was inherited by its pupil Natalya Alexeyeva. She was the wife of Friedrich Wilhelm von Buxhoeveden, Orlovs aide-de-camp, the manor was called Buxhoeveden during this period. In the 1840s, the manor of Buxhoeveden has passed to count G. G. Kushelev, it has continued useful agricultural activity of count Orlov, after Kushelevs death the manor gradually falls into decay. Has strengthened this process of dissociation the country earths as a result of the reforms of 1861, in 1877 in buildings near a mill there was an attempt to arrange sanatorium. In 1879 the most part of a manor has passed to Kurikovs merchant, the country-industrial stage of history of settlement has begun, and soon to Ligovo the Baltic railway has been spent. The settlement became one of known country suburbs of capital, local residents sold to summer residents dairy products, berries, fruit, greens
3.
Saint Petersburg
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Saint Petersburg is Russias second-largest city after Moscow, with five million inhabitants in 2012, and an important Russian port on the Baltic Sea. It is politically incorporated as a federal subject, situated on the Neva River, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea, it was founded by Tsar Peter the Great on May 271703. In 1914, the name was changed from Saint Petersburg to Petrograd, in 1924 to Leningrad, between 1713 and 1728 and 1732–1918, Saint Petersburg was the capital of imperial Russia. In 1918, the government bodies moved to Moscow. Saint Petersburg is one of the cities of Russia, as well as its cultural capital. The Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments constitute a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Saint Petersburg is home to The Hermitage, one of the largest art museums in the world. A large number of consulates, international corporations, banks. Swedish colonists built Nyenskans, a fortress, at the mouth of the Neva River in 1611, in a then called Ingermanland. A small town called Nyen grew up around it, Peter the Great was interested in seafaring and maritime affairs, and he intended to have Russia gain a seaport in order to be able to trade with other maritime nations. He needed a better seaport than Arkhangelsk, which was on the White Sea to the north, on May 1703121703, during the Great Northern War, Peter the Great captured Nyenskans, and soon replaced the fortress. On May 271703, closer to the estuary 5 km inland from the gulf), on Zayachy Island, he laid down the Peter and Paul Fortress, which became the first brick and stone building of the new city. The city was built by conscripted peasants from all over Russia, tens of thousands of serfs died building the city. Later, the city became the centre of the Saint Petersburg Governorate, Peter moved the capital from Moscow to Saint Petersburg in 1712,9 years before the Treaty of Nystad of 1721 ended the war, he referred to Saint Petersburg as the capital as early as 1704. During its first few years, the city developed around Trinity Square on the bank of the Neva, near the Peter. However, Saint Petersburg soon started to be built out according to a plan, by 1716 the Swiss Italian Domenico Trezzini had elaborated a project whereby the city centre would be located on Vasilyevsky Island and shaped by a rectangular grid of canals. The project was not completed, but is evident in the layout of the streets, in 1716, Peter the Great appointed French Jean-Baptiste Alexandre Le Blond as the chief architect of Saint Petersburg. In 1724 the Academy of Sciences, University and Academic Gymnasium were established in Saint Petersburg by Peter the Great, in 1725, Peter died at the age of fifty-two. His endeavours to modernize Russia had met opposition from the Russian nobility—resulting in several attempts on his life
4.
Russian Empire
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The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until it was overthrown by the short-lived February Revolution in 1917. One of the largest empires in history, stretching over three continents, the Russian Empire was surpassed in landmass only by the British and Mongol empires. The rise of the Russian Empire happened in association with the decline of neighboring powers, the Swedish Empire, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, Persia. It played a role in 1812–14 in defeating Napoleons ambitions to control Europe. The House of Romanov ruled the Russian Empire from 1721 until 1762, and its German-descended cadet branch, with 125.6 million subjects registered by the 1897 census, it had the third-largest population in the world at the time, after Qing China and India. Like all empires, it included a large disparity in terms of economics, ethnicity, there were numerous dissident elements, who launched numerous rebellions and assassination attempts, they were closely watched by the secret police, with thousands exiled to Siberia. Economically, the empire had an agricultural base, with low productivity on large estates worked by serfs. The economy slowly industrialized with the help of foreign investments in railways, the land was ruled by a nobility from the 10th through the 17th centuries, and subsequently by an emperor. Tsar Ivan III laid the groundwork for the empire that later emerged and he tripled the territory of his state, ended the dominance of the Golden Horde, renovated the Moscow Kremlin, and laid the foundations of the Russian state. Tsar Peter the Great fought numerous wars and expanded an already huge empire into a major European power, Catherine the Great presided over a golden age. She expanded the state by conquest, colonization and diplomacy, continuing Peter the Greats policy of modernisation along West European lines, Tsar Alexander II promoted numerous reforms, most dramatically the emancipation of all 23 million serfs in 1861. His policy in Eastern Europe involved protecting the Orthodox Christians under the rule of the Ottoman Empire and that connection by 1914 led to Russias entry into the First World War on the side of France, Britain, and Serbia, against the German, Austrian and Ottoman empires. The Russian Empire functioned as a monarchy until the Revolution of 1905. The empire collapsed during the February Revolution of 1917, largely as a result of failures in its participation in the First World War. Perhaps the latter was done to make Europe recognize Russia as more of a European country, Poland was divided in the 1790-1815 era, with much of the land and population going to Russia. Most of the 19th century growth came from adding territory in Asia, Peter I the Great introduced autocracy in Russia and played a major role in introducing his country to the European state system. However, this vast land had a population of 14 million, grain yields trailed behind those of agriculture in the West, compelling nearly the entire population to farm. Only a small percentage lived in towns, the class of kholops, close to the one of slavery, remained a major institution in Russia until 1723, when Peter I converted household kholops into house serfs, thus including them in poll taxation
5.
The Hague
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The Hague is a city on the western coast of the Netherlands, and the capital city of the province of South Holland. With a population of 520,704 inhabitants and more than one million including the suburbs, it is the third-largest city of the Netherlands. The Rotterdam The Hague Metropolitan Area, with a population of approximately 2.7 million, is the 12th-largest in the European Union and the most populous in the country. Located in the west of the Netherlands, The Hague is in the centre of the Haaglanden conurbation and lies at the southwest corner of the larger Randstad conurbation. The Hague is the seat of the Dutch government, parliament, the Supreme Court, and the Council of State, but the city is not the capital of the Netherlands, which constitutionally is Amsterdam. King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands plans to live at Huis ten Bosch and works at Noordeinde Palace in The Hague, the Hague is also home to the world headquarters of Royal Dutch Shell and numerous other major Dutch companies. The Hague originated around 1230, when Count Floris IV of Holland purchased land alongside a pond, in 1248, his son and successor William II, King of the Romans, decided to extend the residence to a palace, which would later be called the Binnenhof. He died in 1256 before this palace was completed but parts of it were finished by his son Floris V, of which the Ridderzaal and it is still used for political events, such as the annual speech from the throne by the Dutch monarch. From the 13th century onwards, the counts of Holland used The Hague as their administrative centre, the village that originated around the Binnenhof was first mentioned as Haga in a charter dating from 1242. In the 15th century, the smarter des Graven hage came into use, literally The Counts Wood, with connotations like The Counts Hedge, s-Gravenhage was officially used for the city from the 17th century onwards. Today, this name is used in some official documents like birth. The city itself uses Den Haag in all its communication and their seat was located in The Hague. At the beginning of the Eighty Years War, the absence of city walls proved disastrous, in 1575, the States of Holland even considered demolishing the city but this proposal was abandoned, after mediation by William of Orange. From 1588, The Hague also became the seat of the government of the Dutch Republic, in order for the administration to maintain control over city matters, The Hague never received official city status, although it did have many of the privileges normally granted only to cities. In modern administrative law, city rights have no place anymore, only in 1806, when the Kingdom of Holland was a puppet state of the First French Empire, was the settlement granted city rights by Louis Bonaparte. After the Napoleonic Wars, modern-day Belgium and the Netherlands were combined in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands to form a buffer against France, as a compromise, Brussels and Amsterdam alternated as capital every two years, with the government remaining in The Hague. After the separation of Belgium in 1830, Amsterdam remained the capital of the Netherlands, when the government started to play a more prominent role in Dutch society after 1850, The Hague quickly expanded. The growing city annexed the rural municipality of Loosduinen partly in 1903, the city sustained heavy damage during World War II
6.
Netherlands
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The Netherlands, also informally known as Holland is the main constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a densely populated country located in Western Europe with three territories in the Caribbean. The European part of the Netherlands borders Germany to the east, Belgium to the south, and the North Sea to the northwest, sharing borders with Belgium, the United Kingdom. The three largest cities in the Netherlands are Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague, Amsterdam is the countrys capital, while The Hague holds the Dutch seat of parliament and government. The port of Rotterdam is the worlds largest port outside East-Asia, the name Holland is used informally to refer to the whole of the country of the Netherlands. Netherlands literally means lower countries, influenced by its low land and flat geography, most of the areas below sea level are artificial. Since the late 16th century, large areas have been reclaimed from the sea and lakes, with a population density of 412 people per km2 –507 if water is excluded – the Netherlands is classified as a very densely populated country. Only Bangladesh, South Korea, and Taiwan have both a population and higher population density. Nevertheless, the Netherlands is the worlds second-largest exporter of food and agricultural products and this is partly due to the fertility of the soil and the mild climate. In 2001, it became the worlds first country to legalise same-sex marriage, the Netherlands is a founding member of the EU, Eurozone, G-10, NATO, OECD and WTO, as well as being a part of the Schengen Area and the trilateral Benelux Union. The first four are situated in The Hague, as is the EUs criminal intelligence agency Europol and this has led to the city being dubbed the worlds legal capital. The country also ranks second highest in the worlds 2016 Press Freedom Index, the Netherlands has a market-based mixed economy, ranking 17th of 177 countries according to the Index of Economic Freedom. It had the thirteenth-highest per capita income in the world in 2013 according to the International Monetary Fund, in 2013, the United Nations World Happiness Report ranked the Netherlands as the seventh-happiest country in the world, reflecting its high quality of life. The Netherlands also ranks joint second highest in the Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index, the region called Low Countries and the country of the Netherlands have the same toponymy. Place names with Neder, Nieder, Nether and Nedre and Bas or Inferior are in use in all over Europe. They are sometimes used in a relation to a higher ground that consecutively is indicated as Upper, Boven, Oben. In the case of the Low Countries / the Netherlands the geographical location of the region has been more or less downstream. The geographical location of the region, however, changed over time tremendously
7.
Russia
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Russia, also officially the Russian Federation, is a country in Eurasia. The European western part of the country is more populated and urbanised than the eastern. Russias capital Moscow is one of the largest cities in the world, other urban centers include Saint Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, Nizhny Novgorod. Extending across the entirety of Northern Asia and much of Eastern Europe, Russia spans eleven time zones and incorporates a range of environments. It shares maritime borders with Japan by the Sea of Okhotsk, the East Slavs emerged as a recognizable group in Europe between the 3rd and 8th centuries AD. Founded and ruled by a Varangian warrior elite and their descendants, in 988 it adopted Orthodox Christianity from the Byzantine Empire, beginning the synthesis of Byzantine and Slavic cultures that defined Russian culture for the next millennium. Rus ultimately disintegrated into a number of states, most of the Rus lands were overrun by the Mongol invasion. The Soviet Union played a role in the Allied victory in World War II. The Soviet era saw some of the most significant technological achievements of the 20th century, including the worlds first human-made satellite and the launching of the first humans in space. By the end of 1990, the Soviet Union had the second largest economy, largest standing military in the world. It is governed as a federal semi-presidential republic, the Russian economy ranks as the twelfth largest by nominal GDP and sixth largest by purchasing power parity in 2015. Russias extensive mineral and energy resources are the largest such reserves in the world, making it one of the producers of oil. The country is one of the five recognized nuclear weapons states and possesses the largest stockpile of weapons of mass destruction, Russia is a great power as well as a regional power and has been characterised as a potential superpower. The name Russia is derived from Rus, a state populated mostly by the East Slavs. However, this name became more prominent in the later history, and the country typically was called by its inhabitants Русская Земля. In order to distinguish this state from other states derived from it, it is denoted as Kievan Rus by modern historiography, an old Latin version of the name Rus was Ruthenia, mostly applied to the western and southern regions of Rus that were adjacent to Catholic Europe. The current name of the country, Россия, comes from the Byzantine Greek designation of the Kievan Rus, the standard way to refer to citizens of Russia is Russians in English and rossiyane in Russian. There are two Russian words which are translated into English as Russians
8.
Ballet dancer
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A ballet dancer is a person who practices the art of classical ballet. Both females and males can practice ballet, however, dancers have hierarchy and they rely on years of extensive training and proper technique to become a part of professional companies. Ballet dancers are at a risk of injury due to the demanding technique of ballet. Ballet dancers typically begin training between the ages of 2-4 or 5-7 if they desire to perform professionally, training does not end when ballet dancers are hired by a professional company. They must attend ballet class six days a week to keep themselves fit, Ballet is a strict form of art, and the dancer must be very athletic and flexible. Ballet dancers begin their classes at the barre, a beam that runs along the walls of the ballet studio. Dancers use the barre to support themselves during exercises, barre work is designed to warm up the body and stretch muscles to prepare for center work, where they execute exercises without the barre. Center work in the middle of the room starts out with exercises, gradually leading up to faster exercises. Ballet dancers finish center work practicing big leaps across the floor which is called grande allegro, after center work, females present exercises on pointe, or on their toes, supported by special pointe shoes. They may practice partner work together, Ballet dancers are susceptible to injury because they are constantly putting strain and stress on their bodies. A ballet dancers goal is to make physically demanding choreography appear effortless, Ballet dancers increase their risk of injury if they start training earlier than the age of ten. However, many dancers do start on the average age of 6 to 8 years old. The upper body of a dancer is prone to injury because choreography and class exercises requires them to exert energy into contorting their backs. Back bends cause the back to pinch, making the spine vulnerable to such as spasms. Extending the legs and holding them in the air while turned out causes damage to the hips, such damage includes strains, fatigue fractures, and bone density loss. Injuries are common in ballet dancers because ballet consists of putting the body in unnatural positions, one such position is first position, in which the heels are placed together as the toes point outward, rotating, or turning out the legs. First position puts a risk for injury at the knees, meniscal tears and dislocations are common at the knees because it is easy to let the knees slide forward while turned out in first position. Ballet dancers feet are prone to fractures and other damage, landing from jumps and working in pointe shoes cause bones to break and ankles to weaken
9.
Lazar Polyakov
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Lazar Solomonovich Polyakov was a Russian-Jewish entrepreneur. Polyakov founded his first bank in 1872 and by the 1890s owned a financial group. His business collapsed in the early 1900s and was disbanded by 1909. Lazar and his brothers, future railroad magnate Samuel Polyakov and banker Yakov Polyakov, were born into the family of a trader in Dubroŭna. Lazar remained in the shadow of his brother and employer Samuel until 1872. In the 1870s and 1880s Polyakov founded five more commercial banks and he remained the principal shareholder and manager of these banks until their collapse in the 1900s. The group also included insurance and trading companies, the assets of his top level holding companies were valued at 40 million roubles, mostly in the stock of his own enterprises. Polyakov created wealth through stock exchange deals and trading in Ukrainian and his business rarely ventured into the textiles, metalworking and real estate that were the fields of traditional Moscow bankers. However, the Jewish sources point at the rivalry between Polyakov and ethnic Russian bankers represented by the mayor of Moscow Nikolay Alekseyev and this competition allegedly influenced the deportation of Jews of 1891–1892. Polyakovs continuing practice of relying on the value of his own stock used as collateral contributed to his own demise. It started with Yakov Polyakovs bank problems in 1898, then in 1901 Yakovs Peterburg-Azov Bank collapsed beyond recovery. Recession of the 1900s brought the prices down. Polyakov defaulted on his loans and his banks folded one by one, the Ministry of Finance, fearing a domino effect bank run, initially supported Polyakovs banks. However, as the developed the banker himself became an obstacle to restructuring. In 1909 the Ministry of Finance took over the last three surviving banks and consolidated them into a new United Bank, the three banks declared 25 million roubles in assets of which 17.5 million were written off as bad debt. United Bank was chaired by an ethnic Russian appointed by the government, in the end, Lazars own finances were ruined to the extent that his own sons refused to take up his debt-ridden estate upon his death. Lazar Polyakov remained the leader of Moscow Jewish community for 35 years, prior to its completion in 1906, Polyakov allowed the congregation to pray in his own house. Rebbe Mase said in the eulogy, that his name is retold in fairytales across the pale of settlement
10.
Russian language
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Russian is an East Slavic language and an official language in Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and many minor or unrecognised territories. Russian belongs to the family of Indo-European languages and is one of the four living members of the East Slavic languages, written examples of Old East Slavonic are attested from the 10th century and beyond. It is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia and the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages and it is also the largest native language in Europe, with 144 million native speakers in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. Russian is the eighth most spoken language in the world by number of native speakers, the language is one of the six official languages of the United Nations. Russian is also the second most widespread language on the Internet after English, Russian distinguishes between consonant phonemes with palatal secondary articulation and those without, the so-called soft and hard sounds. This distinction is found between pairs of almost all consonants and is one of the most distinguishing features of the language, another important aspect is the reduction of unstressed vowels. Russian is a Slavic language of the Indo-European family and it is a lineal descendant of the language used in Kievan Rus. From the point of view of the language, its closest relatives are Ukrainian, Belarusian, and Rusyn. An East Slavic Old Novgorod dialect, although vanished during the 15th or 16th century, is considered to have played a significant role in the formation of modern Russian. In the 19th century, the language was often called Great Russian to distinguish it from Belarusian, then called White Russian and Ukrainian, however, the East Slavic forms have tended to be used exclusively in the various dialects that are experiencing a rapid decline. In some cases, both the East Slavic and the Church Slavonic forms are in use, with different meanings. For details, see Russian phonology and History of the Russian language and it is also regarded by the United States Intelligence Community as a hard target language, due to both its difficulty to master for English speakers and its critical role in American world policy. The standard form of Russian is generally regarded as the modern Russian literary language, mikhail Lomonosov first compiled a normalizing grammar book in 1755, in 1783 the Russian Academys first explanatory Russian dictionary appeared. By the mid-20th century, such dialects were forced out with the introduction of the education system that was established by the Soviet government. Despite the formalization of Standard Russian, some nonstandard dialectal features are observed in colloquial speech. Thus, the Russian language is the 6th largest in the world by number of speakers, after English, Mandarin, Hindi/Urdu, Spanish, Russian is one of the six official languages of the United Nations. Education in Russian is still a choice for both Russian as a second language and native speakers in Russia as well as many of the former Soviet republics. Russian is still seen as an important language for children to learn in most of the former Soviet republics, samuel P. Huntington wrote in the Clash of Civilizations, During the heyday of the Soviet Union, Russian was the lingua franca from Prague to Hanoi
11.
Mariinsky Ballet
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The Mariinsky Ballet is the resident classical ballet company of the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Founded in the 18th century and originally known as the Imperial Russian Ballet, internationally, the Mariinsky Ballet continues to be known by its former Soviet name the Kirov Ballet. The Mariinsky Ballet is the parent company of the Vaganova Ballet Academy, the Mariinsky Ballet was founded in the 1740s, following the formation of the first Russian dance school in 1738. The Imperial Theatre School as it was known, was established on 4 May 1738. It would become the predecessor of todays Vaganova Ballet Academy, the schools founder director was the French ballet master and teacher Jean-Baptiste Landé and the purpose of creating the school was to train young dancers to form the first Russian ballet company. The first group of students included twelve boys and twelve girls, following the Russian Revolution, the Soviet government decided that the ballet school and company were unwanted symbols of the tsarist regime and went on to close them both. Following the assassination of the Bolshevik revolutionary Sergey Kirov in 1934, the then Soviet Ballet was renamed the Kirov Ballet, a name which is still sometimes incorrectly used. Despite later name changes and pressures of the Russian revolution, the present day Mariinsky Ballet is still linked to the school, the Mariinsky Ballet is today recognised as one of the worlds greatest ballet companies, employing over 200 dancers, including a reserve troupe and character artists. The Director of the Mariinsky Ballet is Yuri Fateyev, gergiev also serves as Director of the opera company. The two companies operate as separate units, the basis of the Mariinsky Ballet consists of the following artists, For a number of years, Marius Petipa was the ballet master of the Imperial Russian Ballet. NY Times article by Lawrence van Gelder, March 25,2008 Kennedy Center, Information about Mariinsky Ballet accessed 4 October 2008
12.
Ballets Russes
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The Ballets Russes was an itinerant ballet company based in Paris that performed between 1909 and 1929 throughout Europe and on tours to North and South America. The company never performed in Russia, where the Revolution disrupted society, after its initial Paris season, the company had no formal ties there. It also introduced European and American audiences to tales, music, the influence of the Ballets Russes lasts to the present day. The French plural form of the name, “Ballets Russes, ” specifically refers to the company founded by Sergei Diaghilev and active during his lifetime. ”To add to the confusion, some publicity material spelt the name in the singular. The names “Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo” and “The Original Ballet Russe” refer to companies that formed after Diaghilevs death in 1929, Sergei Diaghilev, the companys impresario, was chiefly responsible for its success. He was uniquely prepared for the role, born into a wealthy Russian family of vodka distillers, he was accustomed to moving in the upper-class circles that provided the companys patrons and benefactors. In 1890 he enrolled at the Faculty of Law, St. Petersburg, from childhood, Diaghilev had been passionately interested in music. His ambition to become a composer was dashed when Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov told him he had no talent, in 1898, several members of The Pickwickians founded the journal Mir iskusstva under the editorship of Diaghilev. As early as 1902, Mir iskusstva included reviews of concerts, operas, the latter were chiefly written by Alexandre Benois, who exerted considerable influence on Diaghilevs thinking. Mir iskusstva also sponsored exhibitions of Russian art in St. Petersburg and its enormous success created a Parisian fascination with all things Russian. Diaghilev organized a 1907 season of Russian music at the Paris Opéra, in 1908, Diaghilev returned to the Paris Opéra with six performances of Mussorgskys opera Boris Godunov, starring basso Fyodor Chaliapin. The performances were a sensation, though the costs of producing grand opera were crippling, in 1909, Diaghilev presented his first Paris Saison Russe devoted exclusively to ballet. Most of this company were resident performers at the Imperial Ballet of Saint Petersburg. The first seasons featured a variety of works chiefly choreographed by Michel Fokine, including Le Pavillon dArmide, the Polovtsian Dances from Prince Igor, Les Sylphides. The season also included Le Festin, a set by several choreographers to music by several Russian composers. The Ballets Russes was noted for the standard of its dancers, most of whom had been classically trained at the great Imperial schools in Moscow. Their high technical standards contributed a great deal to the success in Paris. The Ballets Russes was even more remarkable for raising the status of the dancer, largely ignored by choreographers
13.
Sergei Diaghilev
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Sergei Diaghilev was born to a wealthy and cultured family in Selishchi, Russia, his father, Pavel Pavlovich, was a cavalry colonel, but the familys money came mainly from vodka distilleries. After the death of Sergeis mother, his father married Elena Valerianovna Panaeva, the family lived in Perm but had an apartment in Saint Petersburg and a country estate in Bikbarda. In 1890, Sergeis parents went bankrupt, having for a time lived beyond their means. After graduating in 1892 he abandoned his dreams of composition, during his years at University, Diaghilevs cousin Dmitry Filosofov introduced him to a circle of art-loving friends who called themselves The Nevsky Pickwickians. They included Alexandre Benois, Walter Nouvel, Konstantin Somov, although not instantly received into the group, Diaghilev was aided by Benois in developing his knowledge of Russian and Western art. In two years, he had voraciously absorbed this new obsession and came to be respected as one of the most learned of the group, with financial backing from Savva Mamontov and Princess Maria Tenisheva, the group founded the journal Mir iskusstva. In 1899, Diaghilev became special assistant to Prince Sergei Mikhaylovich Volkonsky, in 1900–1901 Volkonsky entrusted Diaghilev with the staging of Léo Delibes ballet Sylvia, a favorite of Benois. The two collaborators concocted an elaborate plan that startled the established personnel of the Imperial Theatres. At the same time, some of Diaghilevs researchers hinted at his homosexuality as the cause for this conflict. However, his homosexuality had been known long before he was invited into the Imperial Theatres. In the following year he took a major exhibition of Russian art to the Petit Palais in Paris and it was the beginning of a long involvement with France. In 1907 he presented five concerts of Russian music in Paris and this led to an invitation to return the following year with ballet as well as opera, and thus to the launching of his famous Ballets Russes. The company included the best young Russian dancers, among them Anna Pavlova, Adolph Bolm, Vaslav Nijinsky, Tamara Karsavina and Vera Karalli, and their first night on 19 May 1909 was a sensation. During these years Diaghilevs stagings included several compositions by the late Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, such as the operas The Maid of Pskov, May Night and his choreographer Michel Fokine often adapted the music for ballet. Diaghilev also worked with dancer and ballet master Léonide Massine, the artistic director for the Ballets Russes was Léon Bakst. Together they developed a complicated form of ballet with show-elements intended to appeal to the general public. The exotic appeal of the Ballets Russes had an effect on Fauvist painters, coco Chanel is said to have stated that Diaghilev invented Russia for foreigners. Perhaps Diaghilevs most notable composer-collaborator, however, was Igor Stravinsky, Diaghilev heard Stravinskys early orchestral works Fireworks and Scherzo fantastique, and was impressed enough to ask Stravinsky to arrange some pieces by Chopin for the Ballets Russes
14.
The Dying Swan
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The short ballet follows the last moments in the life of a swan, and was first presented in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1905. The ballet has influenced modern interpretations of Odette in Tchaikovskys Swan Lake and has inspired non-traditional interpretations. Fokine suggested Saint-Saënss cello solo, Le Cygne and Pavlova agreed, a rehearsal was arranged and the short dance completed very quickly. Fokine remarked in Dance Magazine, It was almost an improvisation, I danced in front of her, she directly behind me. Then she danced and I walked alongside her, curving her arms, prior to this composition, I was accused of barefooted tendencies and of rejecting toe dancing in general. The Dying Swan was my answer to such criticism and this dance became the symbol of the New Russian Ballet. It was a combination of masterful technique with expressiveness and it was like a proof that the dance could and should satisfy not only the eye, but through the medium of the eye should penetrate the soul. It is a dance of the body and not of the limbs only, it appeals not merely to the eye but to the emotions. The ballet was originally entitled The Swan but acquired its now familiar title following Pavlovas tremulous interpretation of the dramatic arc as the expiration of life. The dance is composed principally of supple upper body and arm movements and tiny, the French critic André Levinson wrote, Arms folded, on tiptoe, she dreamily and slowly circles the stage. The tension gradually relaxes and she sinks to earth, arms waving faintly as in pain, american dance critic and photographer Carl Van Vechten noted that the ballet was the most exquisite specimen of art which she has yet given to the public. Pavlova performed the role some 4,000 times and, on her deathbed in The Hague, reportedly cried, Prepare my swan costume. The ballet is not about a ballerina being able to transform herself into a swan, she states, Pavlova was recorded dancing The Dying Swan in a 1925 silent, nearly complete film, to which sound is often post-applied. The short ballet has influenced interpretations of Odette in Tchaikovskys Swan Lake, the dance was almost immediately adapted following its premiere by various ballerinas across the globe to suit their techniques and temperaments. As a result, Fokine published a version of the choreography in 1925. At a later date, Kirov-trained Natalia Makarova commented, Of Fokines original choreography only scattered fragments remain he created only the bourrées for Pavlova, even today, her Swan is striking—the flawless feeling for style, the animated face—although certain melodramatic details seem superfluous. The ballet has been interpreted and adapted. The 1917 Russian film The Dying Swan by director Yevgeni Bauer, for example, maya Plisetskaya re-interpreted the swan simply as elderly and stubbornly resisting the effects of aging, much like herself
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Ballet
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Ballet /ˈbæleɪ/ is a type of performance dance that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread, highly technical form of dance with its own based on French terminology. It has been influential and has defined the foundational techniques used in many other dance genres. Becoming a ballet dancer requires years of training, Ballet has been taught in various schools around the world, which have historically incorporated their own cultures to evolve the art. Ballet may also refer to a dance work, which consists of the choreography. A well-known example of this is The Nutcracker, a ballet that was originally choreographed by Marius Petipa. Ballets are choreographed and performed by trained artists, the word came into English usage from the French around 1630. Ballet originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th and 16th centuries before being spread from Italy to France by an Italian aristocrat, Catherine de Medici, in France, ballet developed even further under her aristocratic influence. The dancers in these early court ballets were mostly noble amateurs, Ballets in this period were lengthy and elaborate and often served a political purpose. Ornamented costumes were meant to impress viewers and restricted freedom of movement. The ballets were performed in large chambers with viewers on three sides, French court ballet reached its height under the reign of King Louis XIV. Known as the Sun King, Louis symbolized the brilliance of France, in 1661 Louis founded the Académie Royale de Danse to establish standards and certify dance instructors. In 1672, Louis XIV made Jean-Baptiste Lully the director of the Académie Royale de Musique from which the first professional ballet company, Lully is considered the most important composer of music for ballets de cour and instrumental to the development of the form. Ballet went into decline in France after 1830, though it continued to develop in Denmark, Italy, the arrival in Europe on the eve of First World War of the Ballets Russes of Sergei Diaghilev, revived interest in the ballet and started the modern era. The Russian choreographer Michel Fokine challenged tradition and called for reforms that reinvigorated ballet as an art form, in the 20th century, ballet had a wide influence on other dance genres, and subgenres of ballet have also evolved. In the United States, choreographer George Balanchine developed what is now known as neoclassical ballet, other developments include contemporary ballet and post-structural ballet. Also in the century, ballet took a turn dividing it from classical ballet to the introduction of modern dance. Stylistic variations have emerged and evolved since the Italian Renaissance, early, classical variations are primarily associated with geographic origin
16.
Marius Petipa
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Marius Ivanovich Petipa, born Victor Marius Alphonse Petipa was a French and Russian ballet dancer, pedagogue and choreographer. Petipa is considered to be the most influential ballet master and choreographer in ballet history, Petipa created over fifty ballets, some of which have survived in versions either faithful to, inspired by, or reconstructed from the original. Petipa revived a number of works created by other choreographers. Many of these revivals would go on to become the definitive editions on which all subsequent productions would be based, the most famous of these revivals were Le Corsaire, Giselle, La Esmeralda, Coppélia, La Fille Mal Gardée, The Little Humpbacked Horse and Swan Lake. All of the works and individual pieces which have survived in active performance are considered to be cornerstones of the ballet repertory. Marius Petipa was born Victor Marius Alphonse Petipa in Marseilles, France on 11 March 1818 and his mother, Victorine Grasseau, was a tragic actress and teacher of drama, while his father, Jean Antoine Petipa, was among the most renowned Ballet Masters and pedagogues in Europe. At the time of Mariuss birth, Jean Petipa was engaged as Premier danseur to the Salle Bauveau, Marius Petipa spent his early childhood traveling throughout Europe with his family, as his parents professional engagements took them from city to city. The young Marius received his education at the Grand College in Brussels, while also attending the Brussels Conservatory where he studied music. Just as he had done with his children, Jean Petipa began giving the young Marius lessons in ballet at the age of seven. At first the young boy resisted, caring little for dance. Nevertheless, he came to love this art form that was so much the life and identity of his family. At the age of nine Marius performed for the first time in a production as a Savoyard in his fathers staging of Pierre Gardels 1800 ballet La Dansomani in 1827. The violent street fighting that followed caused all theatres to be shut down for a time, the Petipa family was left in dire straits for some years. The Petipa family relocated to Bordeaux, France, in 1834 where Marius father had secured the position of Premier maître de ballet to the Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux, while in Bordeaux, Marius completed his ballet training under the great Auguste Vestris. By 1838 he was appointed Premier danseur to the Ballet de Nantes in Nantes, during his time in Nantes the young Petipa began to try his hand at choreography by creating a number of one-act ballets and divertissements. The 21-year-old Marius Petipa accompanied his father on a tour of the United States with a group of French dancers in July of 1839. Among the many engagements was a performance of Jean Corallis La tarentule at the National Theatre on Broadway, the tour proved to be a disaster, as many in the uncultured American audiences of that time had never before seen ballet. To add to the fiasco, the American impresario who arranged the engagements stole a portion of the troupes receipts
17.
The Sleeping Beauty (ballet)
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The Sleeping Beauty is a ballet in a prologue and three acts, first performed in 1890. The music was composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, the score was completed in 1889, and is the second of his three ballets. The original scenario was conceived by Ivan Vsevolozhsky, and is based on Charles Perraults La Belle au bois dormant, the choreographer of the original production was Marius Petipa. The premiere performance took place at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg on January 15,1890, the work has become one of the classical repertoires most famous ballets. Tchaikovsky was approached by the Director of the Imperial Theatres in St. Petersburg and it was later decided that Charles Perraults La Belle au bois dormant would be the story for which Tchaikovsky would compose the music for the ballet. Tchaikovsky did not hesitate to accept the commission, although he was aware that his only previous ballet, Swan Lake, the ballet scenario that Tchaikovsky worked on was based on the Brothers Grimms version of Perraults work entitled Dornröschen. In that version, the Princesss parents survived the 100-year sleep to celebrate the Princesss wedding to the Prince, other French fairy tale characters to be featured are Beauty and the Beast, Pretty Goldilocks and The White Cat. Regardless, Tchaikovsky was happy to inform the Director of the Imperial Theatre that he had great pleasure studying the work and had come away with adequate inspiration to do it justice. The choreographer was Marius Petipa, ballet master of the Imperial Ballet, Tchaikovsky worked quickly on the new work at Frolovskoye, he began initial sketches in the winter of 1888 and began orchestration on the work on 30 May 1889. Act III of the work, however, takes a break from the two motifs and instead places focus on the individual characters of the various court dances. St. Petersburg premiere Date,15 January 1890 Place, Imperial Mariinsky Theatre and this version has been performed by a number of central European ballet companies over the past two decades. By 1903, The Sleeping Beauty was the second most popular ballet in the repertory of the Imperial Ballet, in 1999, the Mariinsky Ballet reconstructed the original 1899 production, including reproductions of the original sets and costumes. Although the 1951 Kirov production by Konstantin Sergeyev is available on DVD/Video, the Sleeping Beauty is Tchaikovskys longest ballet, lasting nearly four hours at full length - counting the intermissions. Without intermissions, it lasts three hours. At the premiere Tsar Alexander III summoned Tchaikovsky to the imperial box, the Tsar made the simple remark Very nice, which seemed to have irritated Tchaikovsky, who had likely expected a more favorable response. Six fairies are invited to the ceremony to bestow gifts on the child, each fairy represents a virtue or positive trait, such as beauty, courage, sweetness, musical talent, and mischief. The most powerful fairy, the Lilac Fairy, arrives with her entourage, but before she can bestow her gift, with a clap of thunder, the evil fairy Carabosse arrives with her minions. Carabosse furiously asks the King and Queen why she had not received an invitation to the christening, the blame falls to Catallabutte, the Master of Ceremonies who was in charge of the guest list
18.
Mariinsky Theatre
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The Mariinsky Theatre is a historic theatre of opera and ballet in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Opened in 1860, it became the preeminent music theatre of late 19th century Russia, where many of the masterpieces of Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky. Through most of the Soviet era, it was known as the Kirov Theatre, today, the Mariinsky Theatre is home to the Mariinsky Ballet, Mariinsky Opera and Mariinsky Orchestra. Since Yuri Temirkanovs retirement in 1988, the conductor Valery Gergiev has served as the general director. The theatre is named after Empress Maria Alexandrovna, wife of Tsar Alexander II, there is a bust of the Empress in the main entrance foyer. The theatres name has changed throughout its history, reflecting the climate of the time, Note. The theatre building is called the Mariinsky Theatre. Originally, the ballet and opera performances were given in the wooden Karl Knipper Theatre on Tsaritsa Meadow, the Hermitage Theatre, next door to the Winter Palace, was used to host performances for an elite audience of aristocratic guests invited by the Empress. A permanent theatre building for the new company of opera and ballet artists was designed by Antonio Rinaldi, known as the Imperial Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre the structure was situated on Carousel Square, which was renamed Theatre Square in honour of the building. Both names – Kamenny and Bolshoi – were coined to distinguish it from the wooden Little Theatre, in 1836, the Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre was renovated to a design by Albert Cavos, and served as the principal theatre of the Imperial Ballet and opera. On 29 January 1849, the Equestrian circus opened on Theatre Square and this was also the work of the architect Cavos. The building was designed to double as a theatre and it was a wooden structure in the then-fashionable neo-Byzantine style. Ten years later, when this circus burnt down, Albert Cavos rebuilt it as an opera, with a seating capacity of 1,625 and a U-shaped Italian-style auditorium, the theatre opened on 2 October 1860, with a performance of A Life for the Tsar. The new theatre was named Mariinsky after its patroness, Empress Maria Alexandrovna. The Imperial Mariinsky Theatre and its predecessor, the Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre, hosted the premieres of many of the operas of Mikhail Glinka, Modest Mussorgsky, when the theatre was designated as principal venue of the Imperial Ballet and Opera in 1886, the theatre was extensively renovated. Other notable productions included Rimsky-Korsakovs opera The Golden Cockerel in 1909, the imperial and Soviet theater was the home of numerous great impresarios, conductors, and musicians. Conductors, Mikhail Zhukov, Israel Chudnovsky and others, under Yuri Temirkanov, Principal Conductor from 1976 to 1988, the Opera Company continued to stage innovative productions of both modern and classic Russian operas. Although functioning separately from the Theatre’s Ballet Company, since 1988 both companies have been under the leadership of Valery Gergiev as Artistic Director of the entire Theatre
19.
Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet
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The Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet is a school of classical ballet in Saint Petersburg, Russia. In 1957, the school was renamed in honor of the renowned pedagogue Agrippina Vaganova, the Vaganova Academy is the associate school of the Mariinsky Ballet, one of the worlds leading ballet companies. Students of the school have found employment with ballet and contemporary companies worldwide, such as the Bolshoi Ballet, The Royal Ballet, American Ballet Theatre and the Mikhailovsky Ballet. The school was established as the Imperial Theatrical School by decree of the Empress Anna on 4 May 1738 with the French Ballet Master Jean-Baptiste Lande as its director. The first classes occupied empty rooms in the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, the purpose of the school was to form Russias first professional dance company, which led to the formation of the Imperial Russian Ballet, the school becoming known as the Imperial Ballet School. The Imperial Russian Ballet is the predecessor of todays Mariinsky Ballet. Nearly all the teachers at the school were from Western Europe, including Franz Hilferding. The first Russian teacher to join the school was Ivan Valberg, since 1836, the school has been situated at 2 Rossi Street in St. Petersburg, which was renamed Leningrad after Vladimir Lenins death in 1924. The Imperial Ballet School was dissolved by the new Soviet government, the Imperial Russian Ballet was also dissolved and re-established as the Soviet Ballet. The company was renamed the Kirov Ballet following the assassination of Sergey Kirov in 1938. Agrippina Vaganova brought perhaps the most important developments in modern Russian Ballet and she graduated from the Imperial Ballet School in 1897 and danced with the Imperial Ballet, retiring from the stage early to pursue her teaching career following the Revolution. Vaganovas students would become some of the most famous dancers of all time, and in recognition of her achievements. There are a number of variations in the name of the school, the Vaganova academy which some consider the source of modern ballet is now over 275 years old. The Academy has over 300 students, as in other similar institutions, competition for a place at the school is very fierce, with over 3,000 children auditioning each year,300 of these being from St. Petersburg. Approximately 60 students are selected annually, with some 25 eventually graduating from the school having completed the course of training. The school employs approximately 75 dance teachers,30 piano teachers,40 academic teachers and 40 accompanists, the Rector of the academy is Nikolay Tsiskaridze and the Artistic Director is Zhanna Ayupova. Auditions for the school begin in June, and children must be at least 10 years old to apply, the audition process is divided into three sections. Aptitude, to assess the candidates proportions, height of jump, degree of turnout, as they progress through the school, the programme becomes more intensive, with new subjects being added to the curriculum as the students become more advanced
20.
Classical ballet
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Classical ballet is any of the traditional, formal styles of ballet that exclusively employ classical ballet technique. It is known for its aesthetics and rigorous technique, its flowing, precise movements, there are stylistic variations related to an area or origin, which are denoted by classifications such as Russian ballet, French ballet, British ballet and Italian ballet. For example, Russian ballet features high extensions and dynamic turns, whereas Italian ballet tends to be grounded, with a focus on fast. Many of the variations are associated with specific training methods that have been named after their originators. Despite these variations, the performance and vocabulary of classical ballet are largely consistent throughout the world, Ballet originated in the Italian Renaissance courts and was brought to France by Catherine de Medici in the 16th Century. During ballets infancy, court ballets were performed by amateurs rather than professional dancers. Most of ballets early movements evolved from social dances and prominently featured stage patterns rather than formal ballet technique. In the 17th century, as ballets popularity in France increased, no longer performed by amateurs, ballet performances started to incorporate challenging acrobatic movements that could only be performed by highly skilled street entertainers. In response, the worlds first ballet school, the Académie Royale de Danse, was established by King Louis XIV in 1661. The Academies purpose was to improve the quality of training in France. Shortly after the Academie was formed, in 1672, King Louis XIV established a company called the Academie Royal de Musique de Dance. While at the Academie Royal, Beauchamp revolutionized ballet technique by inventing the five positions of ballet, Ballet technique is the foundational principles of body movement and form used in ballet. A distinctive feature of ballet technique is turnout, which is the rotation of the legs emanating from the hip. There are five positions of the feet in ballet, all performed with turnout. When performing jumps and leaps, classical ballet dancers strive to exhibit ballon, pointe technique is the part of ballet technique that concerns pointe work, in which a ballet dancer supports all body weight on the tips of fully extended feet. Students typically learn ballet terminology and the pronunciation, meaning, and precise body form, emphasis is placed on developing flexibility and strengthening the legs, feet, and body core as a strong core is essential for turns and many other ballet movements. Depending on the teacher and training system, students may progress through various stages or levels of training as their skills advance, female attire typically includes pink or flesh colored tights, a leotard, and sometimes a short wrap-skirt, or a skirted leotard. Males typically wear black or dark tights, a white, or black, shirt or leotard worn under the tights
21.
Enrico Cecchetti
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Enrico Cecchetti was an Italian ballet dancer, mime, and founder of the Cecchetti method. The son of two dancers from Civitanova Marche, he was born in the room of the Teatro Tordinona in Rome. After an illustrious career as a dancer in Europe, he went to dance for the Imperial Ballet in St. Petersburg, Russia, Cecchetti was praised for his agility and strength in his performances, as well as his technical abilities in dance. By 1888, he was accepted as the greatest ballet virtuoso in the world. After an esteemed career in Russia, originating such roles as both the Bluebird and Carabosse in Petipas masterpiece, The Sleeping Beauty, he turned to teaching. Some of his students included notable dancers of the Imperial Ballet, such as, Anna Pavlova, Léonide Massine. He also restaged many ballets, including Petipas definitive version of Coppélia in 1894, while teaching a class, Cecchetti collapsed and he died the following day,13 November 1928. Changes to the choreography of the male variations featured in the works of the Imperial Ballets repertory, in 1890, Cecchetti performed in the ground-breaking production of The Sleeping Beauty, where his performance as the Bluebird caused a sensation in the audience at the Mariinsky Theatre. The choreography of the Bluebird has challenged male dancers even to the present day, Cecchetti left the Imperial ballet in 1902 to accept the directorship of the Imperial Ballet School in Warsaw, Poland, then part of the Russian Empire. His farewell gala at the Mariinsky Theatre featured all of the ballerinas of the day. In order to have everyone pay him homage, the Paquita Grand pas classique was performed and this led to the tradition of including a long suite of variations for several ballerinas. In 1919 Cecchetti performed at the performance of the ballet, La Boutique fantasque, in London. In 1887 Cecchetti performed in St. Petersburg where Ivan Vsevolozhsky and he was so impressed with Cecchetti that he immediately hired Cecchetti as a principal dancer for the theatre. This was extremely rare at the time because normally dancers would be asked to join a company on a lower level, with the introduction of the pointe shoe in the early 19th century, ballet was dominated by female performers using pointe technique. In many ways male technique had been reduced to the role of an actor whose responsibilities as a dancer were relegated to a servant who partnered the ballerina. In 1890, Cecchetti performed in the production of The Sleeping Beauty. The choreography of the Bluebird has challenged male dancers even to the present day, Cecchetti left the Imperial ballet in 1902 to accept the directorship of the Imperial Ballet School in Warsaw, Poland. His farewell gala at the Mariinsky Theatre featured all of the ballerinas of the day
22.
Yekaterina Vazem
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Yekaterina Ottovna Vazem (Russian, Екатери́на Отто́вна Ва́зем, was a Russian prima ballerina and instructor, whose most noted pupil was the legendary Anna Pavlova. She was born Matilda Vazem in 1848 in Moscow, Russian Empire and she moved to Saint Petersburg, where In 1866, she was named the best student of the Imperial Theatre School. She became famous for first dancing the role of Nikiya in 1877 Marius Petipas ballet and she went on to become the teacher of legendary prima ballerina Anna Pavlova. Vazem – a terre-à-terre virtuosa – climbed the ranks of the Imperial Ballet to become one of the companys most celebrated dancers. Despite being a performance for Vazem, with tickets being more expensive than for the opera. At the end of the performance the audience applauded for more than half an hour, reviews were uniformly complimentary although they did register complaints of Petipas license in dealing with historical facts. They also dwelt on the mishaps that befall most first performances. For example, in the Kingdom of the Shades scene, the appearance of a palace was mistimed and delayed until after Nikiya had turned to face it. Among the students, Anna Pavlova, Olga Preobrajenska, Agrippina Vaganova, Mathilde Kschessinska, Vera Trefilova, Olga Spessivtseva, Elizaveta Gerdt, Elza Vill, Boris Shavrov, Konstantin Sergeyev etc
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Romantic ballet
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The Romantic ballet is defined primarily by an era in ballet in which the ideas of Romanticism in art and literature influenced the creation of ballets. The era occurred during the early to mid 19th century primarily at the Théâtre de lAcadémie Royale de Musique of the Paris Opera Ballet, the Romantic ballet had no immediate end, but rather a slow decline. Arthur Saint-Léons 1870 ballet Coppélia is considered to be the last work of the Romantic Ballet, during this era, the development of pointework, although still at a fairly basic stage, profoundly affected peoples perception of the ballerina. Many lithographs of the show her virtually floating, poised only on the tip of a toe. This idea of weightlessness was capitalised on in such as La Sylphide and Giselle. The invention of gas lighting enabled gradual changes and enhanced the mysteriousness of many ballets with its softer gleam, illusion became more diverse with wires and trap doors being widely used. The Romantic era marked the rise of the ballerina as a part of ballet. Marie Taglioni became the prototypical Romantic ballerina, praised highly for her lyricism, the movement style for Romantic ballerinas was characterized by soft, rounded arms and a forward tilt in the upper body. This gave the woman a flowery, willowy look, leg movements became more elaborate due to the new tutu length and rising standards of technical proficiency. Important Romantic ballerinas included Marie Taglioni, Carlotta Grisi, Lucille Grahn, Fanny Cerrito, and Fanny Elssler. The plots of many ballets were dominated by spirit women—sylphs, wilis, and ghosts, the costume for the Romantic ballerina was the romantic tutu. This was a full, white, multi-layered skirt made of tulle, the ballerina wore a white bodice with the tutu. In the second acts of Romantic ballets, representing the spiritual realm, the dancers wore pointe shoes to give the effect of floating. However, sometimes they decided to throw in extra sharp, sassy movements to portray the concept or intent, often using high kicks. Romantic ballet owed much to the new developments in theatre effects, candles had been previously used to light theatres, but gas lighting allowed for dimming effects and other subtleties. Combined with the effects of the Romantic tutu, ballerinas posing en pointe, and the use of wires to make dancers fly, directors used gas lighting to create supernatural spectacles on stage
24.
Pas de deux
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In ballet, a pas de deux is a dance duet in which two dancers, typically a male and a female, perform ballet steps together. The pas de deux is characteristic of classical ballet and can be found in many ballets, including Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake. It is most often performed by a male and a female though there are exceptions, such as in the film White Nights, in which a pas de deux is performed by Mikhail Baryshnikov and Gregory Hines. A grand pas de deux is a pas de deux that typically has five parts, consisting of an entrée. It is often considered to be the pièce de résistance and bravura highlight of a ballet and is performed by a leading pair of principal dancers. A grand pas de deux usually begins with an entrée, which serves as a prelude to. During the entrée, the dancers first appear on the stage and, typically with great pageantry, acknowledge each other, depending on the choreography, the ballerina and danseur may enter the stage simultaneously or at different times. The adagio or adage part of a pas de deux features graceful. In the adagio, the ballerina performs elegant, often slow, the danseur, in turn, strives to maintain a display of poise and seemingly effortless strength while providing support for the ballerina. Because of this support the adagio is sometimes called supported adagio, examples Upon completion of the adagio, the dancers separate and each dancer, in turn, takes center stage and performs a variation. In general, the variations are intended to showcase spectacular, acrobatic leaps and turns, as well as the skills, the danseurs variation is usually performed first, followed by the ballerinas variation. Examples The coda is the segment of a grand pas de deux. Elements of the pas de deux first appeared in the early 18th century as opening acts of operas and ballets in which a couple would perform identical dance steps. At that time and throughout the Baroque period, ballet dancing was evolving to show more dramatic content. For example, in The Loves of Mars and Venus ballet of 1717, Mars strove to portray gallantry, respect, ardent love and adoration, while Venus showed bashfulness, reciprocal love, and wishful looks. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries a romantic pas de deux emerged that involved physical contact. As the 19th century progressed, the became a showcase for the skills of the increasingly sophisticated ballerina. The ballets of the late 19th Century—particularly of those of Marius Petipa—introduced the concept of the pas de deux
25.
Tsar Kandavl or Le Roi Candaule
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Le Roi Candaule is a Grand ballet in four acts and six scenes, with choreography by Marius Petipa, and music by Cesare Pugni. The libretto is by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and is based on the history of King Candaules the Ruler of Lydia, le Roi Candaule was first presented by the Imperial Ballet on 29 October 1868 at the Imperial Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre, St. Petersburg, Russia. The ballet was a success, with Mlle. DOr amazing the audience in her performance as Queen Nisia, Petipa first revived the ballet in 1891 with additional music by Riccardo Drigo. This revival was first presented on 6 December 1891 at the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg and his final revival was premiered at the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre on 21 April 1903. Le Roi Candaule was notated in the Stepanov notation method and is part of the Sergeyev Collection, ACT1 Scene 1 - A forest glade. In the background is the cave of Pythia of Sardis The kings, at the rise of the curtain, peasants, shepherds and shepherdesses come to rest on the grass after their toil. Among them is a shepherd called Gyges, who plays on his pipe, near him is his betrothed, Clytia, who looks at him tenderly. The peasants look fearfully at the cave and take their departure, follows the hooting of owls and the whistling of bats. Pythia emerges from the cave amid clouds of smoke and, knowing that King Candaules is about to consult her, King Candaules enters, escorted by his followers. Gyges, whom the king encountered in the forest, acts as his guide and he informs the King that if he wishes to consult the oracle, he must strike the shield that hangs beside Pythias cave. Gyges and the Kings attendants retire, Candaules strikes the shield and Pythia appears. He entreats her to cast his future and she tells him that he kidnapped the true king in his infancy, placed him in the forest at the mercy of wild beasts and seized the crown himself. Candaules, alarmed, protests that she is mistaken, Pythia offers to retract her words if he will submit to the judgement of Heaven. She raises her arms in readiness, but Candaules, afraid, then Pythia informs him that the true king lives and will seize his throne and power. Candaules swears to kill the king if he be alive, Pythia bids Candaules walk in fear of the gods. Owls appear carrying in their claws a roll of papyrus, which predicts that Candaules will die an unnatural death, terrified, he flees into the forest. Gyges returns and is surprised no to find the King, but Pythia takes him by the hand, bids him put on the left by Candaules
26.
The Pharaoh's Daughter
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The Pharaohs Daughter, is a ballet choreographed by Marius Petipa, to the music of Cesare Pugni, with libretto by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges from Théophile Gautiers Le Roman de la Momie. First presented by the Imperial Ballet at the Imperial Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre, in St. Petersburg, Russia, for Petipa it was the last role, he has finished his career as a dancer, he became ballet master. The libretto was a collaboration between Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Petipa, partly after Théophile Gautiers Le Roman de la Momie, the music was composed by Cesare Pugni, while the design was by A. Roller, G. Wagner, Kelwer and Stolyakov. The Sergeyev Collection, housed in the Harvard University Theatre Collection, the notations document Petipas choreography for the dances of the principal roles, while the rest of the choreography is only vaguely documented. It was this documentation that helped Pierre Lacotte revive the production in the year 2000, so, to pass the time, the guide gives out opium. As soon as the nobleman puffs the opium, weird things start to happen, the many other mummies in the pyramid start to come alive. Suddenly the Pharaohs daughter, Aspicia, comes alive and lays her hand over the heart. He becomes Ta-Hor, an ancient Egyptian man who saves Aspicia from a lion, Ta-Hor and Aspicia fall in love, but she is betrothed to the Nubian king. They run away together and the king chases them, Ta-Hor and Aspicia stop in a fishermens inn to hide out, and the local fishermen ask them if they want to come on a fishing trip. Then the Nubian king stops at the inn to rest and finds Aspicia who jumps into the Nile River to escape his guards. At the bottom of the river, the Spirit of the Nile summons the great rivers of the world to dance for Aspicia, when she hears this, she asks for one wish, to bring her back to land. When the fishermen and Ta-Hor arrive back on land, the Nubian king detains Ta-Hor, when Aspicia comes back to land, the fishermen bring her back to the palace. She gets there in time to see Ta-Hor sentenced to death by a cobra bite and she explains that if he dies, she dies, and reaches out for the snake to bite her. The Pharaoh pulls her back and grants her permission to marry Ta-Hor, everyone starts to celebrate, but as the party reaches its peak, the opium dream ends and Ta-Hor is transformed back into the English lord. As they leave the pyramid, the nobleman looks back at Aspicias coffin and remembers the love that they shared and he created it while under the tutelage of Arthur Saint-Leon, the Balletmaster for the Imperial Theaters at that time in 1862. Carolina Rosati danced the lead of Aspicia, a leading ballerina for the Imperial Theater, she was close to retirement at the time of the performance. She danced opposite Marius Petipa, himself, who portrayed Aspicias hero and lover, Marius Petipa was to be appointed second balletmaster to Saint-Leon after this production. The Pharaohs Daughter had been unseen since its premier until Pierre Lacottes restaging for the Bolshoi Ballet in 2000
27.
Prompt corner
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It is traditionally located at stage left. Historically, the corner was situated at stage left. Prompt side and opposite prompt are widely used terms for stage left, however some theatres choose to install prompt corner in a discrete area of the auditorium. The prompt corner is usually equipped with a desk to facilitate the coordination of a performance. This can vary from a table in the wings to an elaborate installation in a dedicated booth, being equipped with all the necessary aids for the specific production
28.
Pierina Legnani
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Pierina Legnani was an Italian ballerina considered one of the greatest ballerinas of all time. Legnani was born on September 30,1863, in Milan and originally studied with famous ballet dancer, Caterina Beretta and her professional career took off when she appeared as prima ballerina in the Casati ballet, Salandra, at Alhambra Theatre in London. She was titled prima ballerina for La Scala in 1892, before moving to St Petersburg in 1892, where she reached fame dancing with the Tsars Imperial Ballet at the Maryinsky Theatre until 1901. Under the direction of famous ballet choreographer, Marious Petipa, Legnani originated numerous roles including, Cinderella in 1893, Swan Lake in 1895, Raymonda in 1898, and Carmargo in 1901. She was the first ballerina to perform 32 fouettés en tournant in the coda of the Grand Pas daction of the ballet Cinderella, the execution of 32 turns on pointe is a bravura achievement emphasizing the dancers strength and technique. A sequence of 32 fouetté turns was later choreographed into the Black Swan solo in act 3 of Swan Lake and is used to this day. Legnani was one of only two ballet dancers appointed prima ballerina assoluta at the Mariinsky Theatre and her last performance was in the Minkus/Petipa ballet La Camargo on January 28,1901, after which she retired to live in her villa at Lake Como. After retiring from the stage she lived in Italy and served on the board of La Scala Ballet School until 4 months before her death. She died on November 15,1930, ballets of Marius Petipa featuring Pierina Legnani, Cinderella from Petipa/Ivanov/Cecchetti, Legnani was the first to establish 32 fouettés en tournant
29.
Turn (dance and gymnastics)
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In dance and gymnastics, a turn is a rotation of the body about the vertical axis. It is usually a complete rotation of the body, although quarter, multiple, consecutive turns are typically named according to the number of 360° rotations. There are many types of turns, which are differentiated by a number of factors, the performer may be supported by one or both legs or be airborne during a turn. When supported by one leg, that leg is known as the supporting leg, during airborne turns, the first leg too leave the floor is the leading leg. Some turns can be executed in either of two directions, in ballet, a turn in the direction of the raised leg is said to be en dehors whereas a turn in the opposite direction is en dedans. Trunk, arm and head positions can vary, and in turns with one supporting leg, turns can begin in various ways as well. For example, ballet turns may begin by rising to relevé or by stepping directly onto relevé, in some dance genres and in Labanotation, a turn in which the performer rotates on a pivot point without traveling is known as a pivot. Pivots may be performed on one or on both feet, the latter is called a twist turn. Spotting prevents dizziness by allowing the head to remain stable during most of the turn and this helps the performer maintain balance and, when executing traveling turns such as tours chaînés and piques, it helps the performer control the direction of travel. An attitude turn is performed with the leg held in attitude position. In ballet, the performer may be assisted by a partner so that the turn can be performed slowly, an axel is a turn in which the performer leaps into the air and, while airborne, tucks both legs underneath and rotates. It is usually executed while traveling across the floor and it is commonly performed in jazz dance and is often immediately preceded by a chaînés in a deep plie. A barrel roll turn, or simply barrel roll, is a turn that involves casting the arms up and leaping into the air, while airborne, the performers back may be arched and the head may be cast back. It starts and ends with the performer facing forward, barrel roll turns are commonly used in tap and jazz dancing. Chaînés is a type of turn that is executed repeatedly while the performer travels along a line or curved path. It is performed quickly on alternating feet and results in a rotation for every two steps taken. It is commonly used in ballet, modern, and ballroom dancing, as this happens, the arms are brought together away from the chest and spotting technique is employed so that the dancers head faces the direction of travel as much as possible. The second half-turn is executed with the feet together, upon completion of the second half-turn, the first foot is stepped out again to begin another turn
30.
Paquita
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Paquita is a ballet in two acts and three scenes with music by Édouard Deldevez and Ludwig Minkus, originally choreographed by Joseph Mazilier. Paquita is the creation of French composer, Édouard Deldevez and Paris Opéra Ballet Master and it was first presented at the Salle Le Peletier by the Paris Opera Ballet on 1 April 1846 and was retained in the repertory of the Opéra until 1851. In 1881, Petipa produced a revival of the ballet for which he added new pieces composed by Ludwig Minkus. This included the Paquita Pas de trois for the first act and the Paquita Grand pas classique, Petipas version of Paquita was retained in the repertory of the Mariinsky Theatre until 1926. Petipas 1881 additions for Paquita survived long after the full-length ballet left the stage, today these pieces, particularly the Grand pas classique, are major cornerstones of the traditional classical ballet repertory and have been staged by ballet companies throughout the world. Petipas choreography for the Imperial Ballets production of Paquita was notated in the Stepanov method of choreographic notation around 1902, the notations were made while Petipa himself taught and rehearsed the great Anna Pavlova for her début in the title rôle. In 2001, director Brigitte Lefèvre asked French choreographer Pierre Lacotte to produce a revival of the two act Paquita for the Paris Opera Ballet. Although Lacotte re-choreographed all of the ballet himself, he restored Joseph Maziliers original mime sequences and mise-en-scène, in 2014, the Stepanov notation expert Doug Fullington and Russian choreographer, Alexei Ratmansky mounted a reconstruction of Petipas final revival of Paquita for the Bayerisches Staatsballett. The story takes place in Spain during the occupation of Napoleons army, the heroine is the young Gypsy girl, Paquita. Unbeknownst to Paquita, she is really of noble birth, having been abducted by Gypsies when she was an infant. She saves the life of a young French officer, Lucien dHervilly, who is the target of a Spanish governor who desires to have him killed by Iñigo, by way of a medallion she discovers that she is of noble birth, being in fact the cousin of Lucien. As such, she and the Officer are able to wed, by the end of the 19th century it was customary for five variations to be included when the Grand pas classique was performed in the context of the full-length ballet. The tradition of including a series of multiple variations began in 1897 at a gala at Peterhof in honor of Empress Catherine II, the ballerina Mathilde Kschessinskaya danced the role for the ballerina in this performance and invited several soloists to feature in their favorite variations extracted from various ballets. On the evening of this gala, some twenty-one variations were performed, Anna Pavlova included the Grand Pas classique in her companys repertory. Rudolf Nureyev staged the piece in 1964 for the Royal Academy of Dancing, Nureyev also staged it for the Vienna State Opera Ballet and American Ballet Theatre in 1971. For all of his productions of the work Nureyev used John Lanchberys adaptation of the music, in 1984 Natalia Makarova staged a new version of the Paquita grand pas classique for American Ballet Theatre with music again arranged by Lanchbery. To date the company still retains Makarovas staging in their repertory, in 1974 the Ballet Master Nikita Dolgushin produced a staging of the Paquita grand pas classique for the Maly Theatre Ballet of St. Petersburg. The Kirov/Mariinsky Ballet still retain Vinogradovs version in their repertory, and many companies throughout the world include his version of the piece in their repertories
31.
Giselle
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Giselle is a romantic ballet in two acts. It was first performed by the Ballet du Théâtre de lAcadémie Royale de Musique at the Salle Le Peletier in Paris, France on Monday,28 June 1841, the ballet was an unqualified triumph. Giselle became hugely popular and was staged at once across Europe, Russia, the prolific opera and ballet composer Adolphe Adam composed the music. Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot created the choreography, the role of Giselle was intended for Carlotta Grisi as her debut piece for the Paris public. She became the first to dance the role and was the ballerina to dance it at the Opéra for many years. The ballet is about a peasant girl named Giselle, who dies of a heart after discovering her lover is betrothed to another. The Wilis, a group of women who dance men to death. They target her lover for death, but Giselles great love frees him from their grasp, the Wilis are particularly haunting characters. They are the spirits of virgin girls that died before they married and these creatures were very popular in Romantic era ballets. Although still appearing ethereal, watching the Wilis sweep the stage creates a mood that builds as the ballet continues. They are ruthless and hateful of men because they have all died of a broken heart, Giselle finds forgiveness in her heart for Albrecht, but she knows the Wilis will not do the same. Their goal is clear and they are relentless on their quest, the Wilis are one of the most iconic characters in Giselle. They leave an imprint in the mind as they dominate the second act. The following plot summary is that of the first performances in Paris with Grisi in the title role, the plot changed slightly in details as the years passed. The ballet opens on a sunny morning in the Rhineland during the Middle Ages. The grape harvest is in progress, Duke Albrecht of Silesia, a young nobleman, has fallen in love with a shy and beautiful peasant girl, Giselle, despite being betrothed to Bathilde, the daughter of the Duke of Courtland. Albrecht disguises himself as a humble villager called Loys in order to woo the innocent Giselle, with the help of his squire, Albrecht hides his fine attire and sword before coaxing Giselle out of her house to romance her as the harvest festivities begin. Hilarion, a gamekeeper, is also in love with Giselle and is highly suspicious of the newcomer Loys who has won Giselles affections
32.
Mathilde Kschessinska
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Mathilda-Marie Feliksovna Kschessinskaya was a Russian ballerina from a family of Polish origin. Her father Feliks Krzesiński and her brother both danced in St. Petersburg and she was a mistress of the future Tsar Nicholas II of Russia prior to his marriage, and later the wife of his cousin Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich of Russia. She was known in the West as Mathilde Kschessinska or Matilda Kshesinskaya, Kschessinska was born at Ligovo, near Peterhof. Like all her Polish family, to whom she was known as Matylda Krzesińska, at the post-performance supper, the emperor sought out the young Kschessinskaya and told her to. be the glory and adornment of our ballet. In 1896, she obtained the rank of Prima ballerina of the Saint Petersburg Imperial Theatres, Petipa allowed Kschessinskaya to create only a small number of new roles, as he considered the Italian Pierina Legnani to be the superior ballerina. Among the few roles Kschessinskaya created were Flora in Le Réveil de Flore and she also became the first Russian danseuse to master the 32 fouettés en tournant of Legnani. Although Petipa had a respect for Kschessinskaya as a dancer, he thoroughly despised her as a person. Such roles became notoriously difficult once Petipa revised them for Kschessinskaya, in 1899, Prince Serge Wolkonsky became Director of the Imperial Theaters. Although he held the only until 1902, he achieved a great deal. Sergei Diaghilev was his assistant, and Wolkonsky entrusted him with the publication of the Annual of the Imperial Theaters in 1900. During this period, new names appeared in the theaters, such as painters Alexandre Benois, Konstantin Somov, however, Wolkonsky was forced to send in his resignation after clashing with Kschessinskaya when she refused to wear the panniers of an 18th-century costume in the ballet La Camargo. In 1902, she gave birth to a son, Vladimir, Prince Romanovsky-Krasinsky, but said that he never knew for sure who his father was. She was known to sew valuable jewels into her costumes and came on stage as the Princess Aspicia in The Pharaohs Daughter wearing her diamond encrusted tiaras and she could also be ruthless with rivals. One of her most famous miscalculations occurred when, while pregnant in 1902 and she considered Pavlova to be technically weak and believed that the other ballerina could not upstage her. Instead, audiences became enthralled with the frail, long-limbed, ethereal-looking Pavlova, another notorious incident occurred in 1906 when Kschessinskayas coveted role of Lise in the Petipa/Ivanov production of La Fille Mal Gardée was given to Olga Preobrajenska. One feature of this production was the use of chickens on stage. Nevertheless, Preobrajenska continued her variation to the end and received a storm of applause, through her aristocratic connections, she managed to amass much valuable property in the Russian capital. It was from the balcony of her elegant house that Vladimir Lenin addressed the crowd when he returned from Switzerland in 1917
33.
Michel Fokine
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Michael Fokine was a groundbreaking Russian choreographer and dancer. Fokine was born in Saint Petersburg, as son of a prosperous, middle-class merchant and at the age of 9, in that same year, he also made his performing debut in the ballet The Talisman under the direction of Marius Petipa. In 1898, on his 18th birthday, he debuted on the stage of the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre in Paquita, along with being a talented dancer, Fokine also had a passion for painting and displayed great talent in this area as well. He also played instruments, mandolin, domra and balalaika Becoming frustrated with the life of a dancer. In 1902 however, he was offered a position at The Imperial Ballet School. It was here that he was able to explore the possibilities of choreography. Among his students were Desha Delteil and Bronislava Nijinska, in 1905 he created his first full-length ballet, Acis et Galatée, which was performed by his students and based on an ancient Sicilian legend. Fokine aspired to move beyond stereotypical ballet traditions, virtuoso ballet techniques to him were not an end in themselves, but a means of expression. He also believed many of the ballets of his time used costuming. Therefore, Fokine sought to strip ballets of their artificial miming, Fokine studied Greek and Egyptian art, including vase-painting and sculpture, which aided the development of his themes. In addition, as a choreographer, he initiated a reform that took out of their pointe shoes and also experimented with a freer use of the arms. He presented his reformist ideas to the management of the Imperial theatre, one such request was to have his dancers perform barefoot in his 1907 ballet Eunice. Since his request was denied, Fokine had toes painted on the dancers tights so they would appear to be barefoot. Some of his works include the ballet Acis and Galatea and The Dying Swan. Acis and Galetea included a dance with young boys playing fauns. Fokine later featured Nijinsky in a number of ballets, including Chopiniana, in 1909, Sergei Diaghilev invited Fokine to become the resident choreographer of the first season of the Ballets Russes in Paris. Fokines years with Ballets Russes were successful, collaborating with artists to create a ballet of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakovs Scheherazade which premiered in 1910. This ballet was inspired by symphonic poems composed by Rimsky-Korsakov and ancient tales of 1001 nights also known as the Arabian nights, the spectacular sets designed by Léon Bakst matched the sexually charged choreography
34.
Le cygne
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Le cygne, pronounced, or The Swan, is the 13th and penultimate movement of The Carnival of the Animals by Camille Saint-Saëns. Originally scored for solo cello accompanied by two pianos, it has been arranged and transcribed for many instruments but remains best known as a cello solo, the piece is in 6/4 time, with a key signature of G major and a tempo marking andantino grazioso. The slow cello melody is accompanied by almost constant broken chord figurations on the pianos, when performed as a separate movement, not in the context of The Carnival, The Swan is frequently played with accompaniment on only one piano. This is the movement from The Carnival of the Animals that the composer allowed to be played in public during his lifetime. He thought the remaining movements were too frivolous and would damage his reputation as a serious composer, Le cygne is often known as The Dying Swan, after a poem by Tennyson. According to tradition, the swan in Pavlovas dance is badly injured, however, Maya Plisetskaya re-interpreted the swan simply as elderly and stubbornly resisting the effects of aging, much like herself. Eventually the piece came to be considered one of Pavlovas trademarks, in 1949 the American synchronized swimmer Beulah Gundling created a routine inspired by Fokines choreography and entitled The swan to Le cygne by Saint-Saëns. In the 1890s, Louis van Waefelghem adapted Le cygne for viola or viola damore, the edition was published by Durand in 1895. In Leonard Bernsteins famous recording of the piece with the New York Philharmonic the melody is performed on bass by a 20-year-old Gary Karr. Montserrat Caballé recorded a version in which she vocalizes sections of the melody accompanied by a piano, in the early 20th century, Clara Rockmore, the renowned thereminist, performed it on theremin with her sister Nadia Reisenberg accompanying her on the piano. Steven Mead arranged the piece for Euphonium and Piano in 1995, public-domain scores and recordings in the Petrucci Music Library Performance of Godowskys transcription of The Swan for solo piano by Jiyang Chen MP3 file of Le cygne Performance of Le cygne
35.
The Carnival of the Animals
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The Carnival of the Animals is a humorous musical suite of fourteen movements by the French Romantic composer Camille Saint-Saëns. The work was written for performance by an ad hoc ensemble of two pianos and other instruments, and lasts around 25 minutes. Following a disastrous tour of Germany in 1885–86, Saint-Saëns withdrew to a small Austrian village. It is scored for two pianos, two violins, viola, cello, double bass, flute, clarinet, glass harmonica, from the beginning, Saint-Saëns regarded the work as a piece of fun. A second performance was given on 2 April at the home of Pauline Viardot with an audience including Franz Liszt, a friend of the composer, who had expressed a wish to hear the work. He relented only for the cello solo The Swan, which forms the penultimate movement of the work. Saint-Saëns did specify in his will that the work should be published posthumously, following his death in December 1921, the work was published by Durand in Paris in April 1922 and the first public performance was given on 25 February 1922 by Concerts Colonne. Carnival has since become one of Saint-Saënss best-known works, played by the original eleven instrumentalists, normally a glockenspiel substitutes for the rare glass harmonica. Ever popular with music teachers and young children, it is recorded in combination with Prokofievs Peter. The pianos play a pair of scales going in opposite directions to conclude the first part of the movement, the pianos then introduce a march theme that they carry through most of the rest of the introduction. The strings provide the melody, with the pianos occasionally taking low runs of octaves which suggest the roar of a lion, the two groups of instruments switch places, with the pianos playing a higher, softer version of the melody. The movement ends with a note from all the instruments used in this movement. The clarinet plays small solos above the rest of the players at intervals, the piano plays a very fast theme based on the crowing of a roosters Cock a Doodle Doo. Two pianos, the animals depicted here are quite obviously running and these are dziggetai, asses that come from Tibet and are known for their great speed. Strings and piano, a movement which opens with a piano playing a pulsing triplet figure in the higher register. The strings play a rendition of the famous Galop infernal from Offenbachs operetta Orpheus in the Underworld. Double bass and piano, this section is marked Allegro pomposo, the piano plays a waltz-like triplet figure while the bass hums the melody beneath it. Two pianos, the figure here is a pattern of hopping fifths preceded by grace notes
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This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the 
