stage
Artists
Credits
Contains musical patterns by Cesare Pugni, Léo Delibes, Riccardo Eugenio Drigo, Peter of Oldenburg
Choreography by Marius Petipa, revised by Petr Gusev, Igor Zelensky, Viacheslav Khomiakov
Choreography revived by: Denis Matvienko
Stage designer: David Monavardisashvili
Assistant Stage designer: Vladimir Rumianov
Costume designer: Tatiana Noginova
Lighting designer: Amiran Ananiashvili
Lighting score revived by: Igor Yakushev
Musical director and Conductor – Karen Durgaryan
2 hours 20 minutes
two interval
Production of 2012 is back on NOVAT stage
Theatres of the world are always attracted to romantic ballet with its captivating plots, picturesque scenery and variety of dance vocabulary. The 2012 version of this production, staged in Novosibirsk represents an ironic attitude of a contemporary man to exaggerated feelings of the characters. At the same time, this is a type of ballet production, where the lyrical-adventurous narrative keeps the audience up throughout the performance, while classical and character dances delight the sophisticated eyes of ballet admirers.
“Le Corsaire” premiered on January 23rd 1856 at the Academy of Music and Dance, Paris. “Le Corsaire” became the first ballet production on the stage of the Novosibirsk opera and ballet theatre (premiered on July 26th 1946).
Prologue
First scene
The Shipwreck
Three sailors are struggling to save their boat during a storm.
The boat sinks.
Act I
Scene 2
The Sea Shore
The sea casts three young men onto a beach. Young Greek women come to their aid. Medora particularly likes one of them - Conrad. He tells her about himself and his friends Ali and Birbanto. He also confesses they are pirates, corsairs. The girls warn them about the Turkish soldiers. Medora and her friend Gulnara hide the corsairs, but the Turks take the girls prisoner. Isaak Lankedem, a slave-trader, who led the detachment and captured the girls, is now delighted. He pays the officers a small fortune. The corsairs are unable to help the girls but they swear to save them.
Scene 3
The Slave Market
Lankedem is presenting his slaves to the merchants. Seid Pasha is seated in the place of honour, looking for fresh beauties for his harem. He is attracted by Gulnara, and buys her. The slave-trader presents Medora. She is so beautiful Seid Pasha is willing to pay any price for her. At this moment an honourable trader gets off the ship. Medora recognizes Conrad. The “trader” gives her a sign not to expose him as he bids an unspeakable price. Seid Pasha is astonished, and asks the new bidder to name himself. At once, Conrad and his followers throw off their cloaks and are revealed as armed corsairs. They carry Medora away, seize Lankedem, and make off to sea. The Turkish guard has proved useless, and Seid Pasha is furious
Act II
Scene 4
The Corsairs´ Cave
The corsairs rejoice at having seized such a rich booty from the traders. They put up a feast to celebrate the successful rescue of the girls. The girls enjoy the corsairs dancing. Medora agrees to dance with Conrad and Ali in response to their request. Corsairs are mesmerized by the beauty of their leader’s choice. The girls ask Medora to persuade Conrad to let them go back home. Conrad agrees, but Birbanto and the rest of corsairs object. They insist that the girls stay on the island. The quarrel begins. Conrad holds his ground. Together with Medora they accompany the girls to the shore. Lankedem sneak up on the corsairs. He offers his help to revenge Conrad in exchange for his freedom. Corsairs agree and he hands them the sleeping potion. Birbanto is delighted; he overstrews the flowers with the potion and tells Lankedem to pass the flowers to Conrad. Cunning Lankedem gives the flowers to Medora, but she passes them to Conrad in consideration of her friends’ rescue. Conrad falls asleep, corsairs abduct Medora. Conrad wakes up to find his love absent, he swears to find and save her.
Act III
Scene 5
Seid Pasha´s Harem
Gulnara is the jewel of the harem, and none of the other slaves brought by Lankedem pleases the Pasha. Lankedem then introduces Medora into the “enlivened garden” formed by the girls. Pasha is delighted. He buys her. Corsairs appear to the palace disguised as pilgrims. Pasha invites the “pilgrims” to join the evening prayer, Medora recognizes Conrad in one of them. At the most seasonable time the corsairs save the girls.
Epilogue
Scene 6
The sea
The free ship is slicing the tides into the open sea carrying Conrad, Medora and their friends…