Classical Ballet "Napoli" (Romantic Ballet in 3 acts) Brilliant Classical Stanislavsky Ballet and Opera theatre (established 1887, founded by Stanislavsky)
Schedule for "Napoli" (Romantic Ballet in 3 acts) 2022
Choreography: August Bournonville Music Director: Felix Korobov
Orchestra: Stanislavsky theatre symphony orchestra
Classical Ballet in 2 acts
Premiere of this production: 27 March 2009
Composer N.Gade, E.Helsted , H.S.Paulli, H.Ch.Lumbye
Libretto by August Bournonville
Choreography August Bournonville, Frank Andersen
Set Design Mikael Melbye Musical Director and
Conductor Felix Korobov Costume Design Deirdre
Clancy
“Musical theater’s ballet dancers had to reveal two main
secrets of the Danish style: an intricate pantomime and dance – faceted with
diminutive pas. It appears that they were able to do both. The performance -
brilliant and bubbling with life - is captivating”. Elena Fedorenko,
"Culture"
Napoli, or The Fisherman and His Bride is a
ballet created in 1842 for Denmark's Royal Ballet by Danish choreographer and
ballet master August Bournonville. The ballet tells the story of Teresina, a
young Italian girl who falls in love with Gennaro, a fisherman. The tale
culminates in the marriage of the lovers.
Act I (The Market).
Teresina's mother Veronica, who does not want her to marry poor
Gennaro, introduces her to two other suiters. These are two older, but, rich men
named Peppo and Giacamo. Teresina, much to her mother's distress, refuses them
both and instead goes off to wait for Gennaro. When Gennaro arrives back at
port, he and Teresina go to find Veronica and try to convince her that they
should wed. Luckily for them, this task proves relatively easy once she sees how
true the young couple's love is. Full of happiness Teresina and Gennaro sail off
together.
Meanwhile a group of entertainers come and put on a
show for the townsfolk. However, a violent storm begins and the festivities come
to an abrupt end. When the storm ends, Gennaro is found, but Teresina is not.
Thinking she has drowned, Veronica openly mourns for her daughter and blames
Gennaro for her death. So stricken by this turn of events Gennaro becomes so
agitated that he almost commits suicide, but stops when he sees a statue of the
Madonna. Soon Fra Ambrosio, the local monk, appears and gives him a picture of
the Madonna telling him to go and find Teresina.
Act II (The Blue
Grotto).
Gennaro looks everywhere for Teresina and eventually
finding her in The Blue Grotto, a magical place ruled by Golfo who has turned
Teresina into a Naiad (Fairy of the Sea). Because of the Transformation,
Teresina no longer remembers Gennaro. However, through faith, Teresina is
changed back into a human and has her memory restored. Quickly, Gennaro and
Teresina leave the Grotto to return to Naples.
Act III (The Wedding).
When Teresina and Gennaro return the townsfolk are suspicious
because they had thought Teresina was dead. Peppo and Giacamo even try to
convince everyone that Gennaro is in league with the devil. This rumor is soon
disproved and the wedding celebration begins.
Music
Several composers contributed to the score: repetiteurs
Edvard Helsted and Holger Simon Paulli composed Acts I and III; Niels W. Gade
created the blue grotto atmosphere for Act II - including a popular melody of
the time, "La Melancholie", composed by the violin virtuoso Francois Henri
Prume. Bournonville asked H.C. Lumbye, later to become the famous Tivoli
composer, to provide the music for the concluding galop that follows Paulli's
tarantella.
Bournonville recounts in his memoirs how, during a monotonous
carriage journey, he spent hours humming what became the first three sections of
the tarantella in Act III. The tarantella became the inspiration for the
creation of the ballet.
In Act I, Rossini's slander aria from The Barber
of Seville is used as the basis for Peppo's slander scene; the folk tune, "Te
voglio ben assai" is used in Act I to highlight the young lovers' feelings; the
Latin hymn "O Santissima" is used in Act II to underscore the power of
Christianity over Golfo's demonry.
Provided by
Wikipedia - "Napoli"
Schedule for "Napoli" (Romantic Ballet in 3 acts) 2022
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