Beauty Sleeping

The History Of The Sleeping Beauty Ballet

The Sleeping Beauty is perhaps the most important of all classical ballets, famed for its glorious score by the Russian composer Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky and its inimitable choreography by the the French master Marius Petipa. The ballet was first performed in 1890 at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg before an audience of Russian aristocrats from the imperial court. Its glorious fairytale world reflected back the splendours and nobility of the invited audience.

Tchaikovsky and Petipa also worked on two other iconic ballets: Swan Lake (1876) and The Nutcracker (1892). The Nutcracker, first performed in 1892, was choreographed by Petipa’s assistant Lev Ivanov to a libretto penned by Petipa himself which closely set out exactly how the action should unfold. Swan Lake was choreographed by Petipa and Ivanov after Tchaikovsky’s death. Alas, Tchaikovsky never lived to see its great success.

It was under Petipa’s direction of the Imperial Ballet that a flurry of Italian stars arrived in Russia to dazzle audiences with their technical brio and astonishing virtuosity. Such Italian stars included (Enrico Cecchetti (1850-1928) and Carlotta Brianza (1867-1930)) who appeared in The Sleeping Beauty.

The Sleeping Beauty made its debut outside of Russia in 1896 at the La Scala, Milan. Its UK debut was not until 1921, at the Alhambra Theatre in London. In 1946 it came back to London at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Staged by Dame Ninette de Valois, this production marked The Royal Ballet’s debut at the Royal Opera House, where it has remained as the resident ballet company.

Tchaikovsky is now perhaps most known for his ballet scores but he was a very versatile composer. He also wrote symphonies, operas, ballets, instrumental pieces, chamber music and songs. He was born into a middle-class family and was educated for a career as a civil servant despite his musical talents. Against the blessing of his family, he pursued a musical career, graduating from the Saint Petersburg Conservatory in 1865. He was reputed to be a nervous and conflicted personality who suffered severe periods of depression. Contributory factors are believed to be his suppressed homosexuality, fear of exposure, a disjointed marriage and the sudden death of a personal friend (Nadezhda Filaretovna von Meck).

Here is the story: It consists of three acts: The Spell, The Vision and The Wedding.

King Florestan and his Queen have invited all the fairies in the kingdom to be godmothers at the christening of their baby, Princess Aurora. As the Fairies are giving their presents the wicked fairy Carabosse arrives, angry that she has not been invited. As her christening present she vows that one day Princess Aurora shall prick her finger and die. Luckily the Lilac Fairy still has her own present to give. She promises that Aurora shall not die, but instead fall into a deep sleep. The Princess will only be woken after a hundred years by the kiss of a prince.

Years later, at Aurora’s 16th birthday party, she pricks her finger and falls asleep. Prince Florimund then sees a vision of the Sleeping Beauty and sets out to rescue her. He fights through thorns to her castle and finds her, motionless on a bed. With a kiss he revitalises her and the whole kingdom is restored to order. In the final act, fairytale characters come alive in a wonderful grand ensemble.

An interesting fact: The Sleeping Beauty is Tchaikovsky’s longest ballet, lasting nearly four hours in full length and is nearly always cut end edited!

The author works with a top London opera theatre venue whose list of performances include
Hansel and Gretel
and
The Sleeping Beauty
, including the composer
Mozart

Sleeping Beauty Full Movie [ Part 1 ] [Sleeping Beauty Part 1 Full Movie]

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