Ballets: Esmeralda

[shineon]

Could someone please give me a synopis of La Esmeralda, and some insight into the character of Esmeralda? Thanks!

[Mel Johnson]

Sure, here you go:

 

Notre-Dame de Paris

 

As to Esmeralda, this about says it all:

 

http://www.art.com/asp/sp.asp?PD=10101567&...eyword=10101567

[Bee]

Hi,

 

I was wondering if anyone could give me an answer to my question.

 

What ballet is the famous female variation with the tambourine from? I have never seen it in a full-length ballet (if I am not mistaken it is not performed in the full-length La Esmeralda? Or is it?), and in competitions it is always listed as Esmeralda Pas de Deux. I also read somewhere that the variation was taken from Romualdo Marenco's ballet “Sieba” or “La Spada di Wodan”, 1877. I'm confused!

 

How should the variation be announced in terms of its name and the name of the ballet it is from?

 

Thanks in advance!

[rg]

i'm not sure how famous this variation, if i understand your query accurately, remains nowadays - tho' i hardly ever see competitions, where i suppose it's much performed.

the Esmeralda ballerina in the Esmeralda pas de six where the title character dances partnered by the character of Gringoire and framed by 4 corps de ballet women with tambourines - which dates from petipa's 1899 prod - includes the use of a tambourine but the music is drigo's and the mood somewhat more dramatic than festive.

as you know, the original composer for LA ESMERALDA at it's 1844 premiere was Cesare Pugni.

a solo, of different mood, but also with music credited to drigo, and also said to be an interpolation of petipa's from 1899, has come to us - according to recent program credits from the paris opera as "adapted by Genia Mlikova and Nicholas Beriosoff (1954)".

perhaps this is the variation you mean, in which case here's how the paris program credited the pas de deux in 2003:

ESMERALDA

PAS DE DEUX

MUSIC: RICCARDO DRIGO

CHOREOGARPHY: AFTER PETIPA (1899) ADAPTED BY GENIA MELIKOV AND NICHOLAS BERISOFF (1954)

hope this helps.

[ballet1612]

I was wondering the same thing myself about what ballet it's from. I have a tape of Evelyn Hart and Manuel Legris performing it, but they just say it's from Esmeralda. I would love to know if there are other DVD's available. I just have the female variation and the end of the PDD.

[Meggy]

Bee - I know which variation you're speaking of. I have a friend who dances it quite often when we do demonstrations, and was kind enough to teach it to me. It is from Esmeralda -- unfortunately I don't know the accurate name for it: we've all just called it "the one that Heather does with the tambourine"... and I doubt you'll want to credit it that way!

 

Best of luck ~ Meggy

[Dreambeliever]

Does anyone know where to find Esmerelda on tape of dvd? My daughter has watched the variations on youtube but she would really like to see the variations performed in the context of the ballet.

Thank you!

[Thomasina]

Coming very late to the party, but for those interested in the Esmeralda "tambourine variation", I highly recommend reading the extensive and detailed caption from "Mr Lopez" on this YouTube clip of the complete "Esmeralda Pas de deux", from which it comes. Mr Lopez clearly doesn't think much of the variation (he considers it tacky and gimmicky) but, personal opinions aside, he provides very useful information about where this variation really comes from (short story: NOT La Esmeralda, which is why you can watch the complete ballet and not see it) and also the original source of the music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXUFZ1EvwMw