Unfortunately Mme Holmes' Q&A on Le Corsaire does not give any info to the many revivals of the ballet that took place prior to her staging for the Boston ballet. I am working really hard an article for encyclopedia.com on Le Corsaire, and I would like to list every russian production along with the dates and who was in charge, as well, if possible, the ballerinas who danced Medora (or any casting if possible) as well as major changes. I know that Vaganova mounted the first post-revolution proiduction at the Mariinsky, while Gorsky's was in Jan. of 1912. Vladimir Bourmiester as well? I would also like to know the history of Corsaire at the Bolshoi of Moscow, as I know of only the post 1900 productions.....was there not production during the 19th century?

I have been unable to locate anything useful on the interent, or even on ballettalk, for a list of all of the productions. I begg any of my history savvy ballettalkers to help me, as I cant find anything on this topic, even in my galaxy of ballet books, etc.

Likewise where does the 'medora trumpet' variation come from, and who did the music? I was also curious about the 'beach' scene at the beginning of Gusev's production still danced at the Mariisnky, and the lietmotive for Medora that is only played in this version.

Thanks alot you guys!!!!

I am not the most history savvy of Ballettalkers however I do know the Gusev production currently performed by the Mariinsky. My teacher, the wife of Gusev, helped to restage it at the Mariinsky for O. Vinogradov. What questions do you have about the beach scene?

one place to start w/ the facts'n'figures for LE CORSAIRE is in articles by david vaughan, who has written to some extent on various versions of the ballet, notably in THE DANCING TIMES and maybe BALLET REVIEW. also the ENCYCLOPEDIA OF DANCE AND BALLET, edited by vaughan and mary clarke, has some reliable entries on such things. moscow's natalia roslavleva contributed a good many of the volume's russian ballet articles, which tend to offer more information than other, once-over dictionaries.
there is no burmeister CORSAIRE that i'm aware of. gusev, yes.

Thanks vrs........

I was wondering the origin of not only this scene but its music, as Sergeyev's version doesnt even have this scene, and not even the music, anywhere in his production. The music sound to me to be Cesare Pugni, but then I dunno.......

The overture used in the Gusev production, which is found nowhere in my Bonynge recording of Adam's score, is not in the Sergeyev version either. during the overture there is the scene of Conrad's ship which is caught in a storm. After that scene, there are some very beautiful "imperial ballet" harp arpeggios followed by music which is by Adam (it's on the Bonynge recording) which opens the next scene where we find Conrad, Birbanto, and Ali lying down on a beach with thier wrecked ship in the background. Soon they go hide opstage right behind some barrels, and then new music begins which not by Adam, first we see Lankendem sleazing around for a moment, but once he leaves the stage - Gulnare makes her entrance with 10 (i think) other girls. They come on the stage doing grand jetes in a beautiful little ''Pas de something'' in which they hold hands, etc. in a circle and dance, while Gulnare performs some nice terre a terre combinations sur le pointe, and after a minute or so, Medora makes her entrance. Medora makes her entrance to a theme that reaccures in various guises throughout Gusev's staging, but shows up nowhere in Sergeyev's. This whole pas in which both Medora and Gulnare make thier entrance seems very 'Imperial Ballet' to me, and looks as though it comes from Petipa's time, or maybe a little after. After the dances continue, with grand jete in cirlces, etc. (very beautiful!), the music gets more serious, and then Medora discovers our heroes (and soon to be villian) lying behind the barrels. That "Medora theme" reaccures, this time played by a flute, and the girls help them up. Then the 'other' lietmotive that turns up throughout the ballet begins, in which Conrad gives "sort of" an account of the demise of his ship (which by the way doesnt have that ridiculous 'cross bones and skull' flag that turns up in ABT's staging), but through dance (it seems to me that once upon a time this little number of Conrad's contained pantomime, which is now replaced by dancing), Conrad also does a little combination at the start of this number that he performs a few more times throughout the ballet, sometimes with all of his cohorts joining in. Anyway, the 3 men go off somewhere, just in time for Lankendem and his men to snatch up our dear heroines and thier freinds (I always found it funny that they dont struggle at all). After they all depart from the stage, the 3 men return, and the 3rd theme that reaccures thorughout the ballet is played, ending the scene as the heroes (and soon to be villian) run off in pursuit. None of these 3 themes that show up in the ballet ever turn up in Sergeyev's staging.

I find it very interesting that the music of Sergeyev's production (ABT, Boston, etc) is pretty much based on Adam's score, at least regarding all of the incidental/scene/action music, along with all of the usual interpolations (by interpolations I mean Delibes 'Jardin Anime', Prince Peter Von Oldenbourg's 'Pas d'Esclave', Pugni and Adam's 'Pas de Trois des Odalisques', and Drigo's 'Pas de Deux/a Trois') while Gusev's, which contains these same interpolations, only has about 3 or 4 short numbers which are from Adam's score, while the actual 'foundation' of he score (action music), if you will, sure aint by Adam. Gusev's 'incidental music' sounds to me to be by Cesare Pugni, and I was wondering wether all of this music made it's way into Le Corsaire via Petipa's early revivals for his wife (1863) and/or Grantzow (1868), for which Pugni wrote new tunes (he died in Jan. 1870).

Having only seen the AM Holmes production of Le Corsaire on video, I am not really able to comment one way or another upon the origins of music or choreography. As for the Gusev production, your description of the beach scene is so clear and well done! Wow! We just restaged this scene a few years ago at school (minus the fabulous scenery, lighting and costumes, however the dancing was well accomplished). I will go over the score with our music director to search for some of your answers. Perhaps another member of BT will have your answers sooner. When I say I know a production, I am speaking mainly from a choreographic perspective as someone who is able to restage a work. As for the historic background of a piece, definitely not my area, although I do have interest to know. My collegue does know both productions, having performed the Sergeyev and observed the Gusev many times while in the teacher's course in Vaganova Academy. She is not computer literate however so any contributions she is able to make to your questions would have to be second hand through me. Unfortunately V. V. Rumyanseva, my teacher passed away 2 years ago so I am unable to ask her.

As far as I know, the Gusev version does take much from the Petipa restaging of the works of Mazilier and Perrot. Petipa used additional music by Pugni and Delibes. The information I have is from The Simon & Schuster Book of the Ballet 1979.

Thank you very much VRS, much appreciated! Im also curious about that mazurka in the "grotto" scene that starts of w Birbanto shooting off 2 pistols. This number sounds more Minkus-oid that Pugni-ish, but maybe it was added in by Maestro Drigo?

From the Ballet Encyclopedia ed. Y. N. Grigorovitch (Moscow 1981), p. 270.
Details regarding productions in St Petersburg and Moscow are given for the following dates:

12 I 1858, 3 XI 1858, 24 I 1863, 20 IX 1865, 30 XI 1880, 3 III 1888, 13 I 1899,
15 V 1931, 31 V 1955, 6 X 1958, 11 IV 1968, 5 VII 1973.

PHENBY

What do those numbers and Roman numerals mean?

i suspect phenby will reply as well, but for now i suspect these are dates given european style: day month year, thus the roman numerals are the nos. of the mos., thus noting the first production in this series given here as jan. 12, 1858, and so on...

I was translating from the Russian. rg is correct. In many Euorpean languages dates are notated by day-month (in Roman numerals)-year. Sorry for the confusion.

Phenby

Having searched for a score to no avail I was reminded by our music director that we produced Le Corsaire without the use of piano in rehearsal (very unusual for us) due to the fact that we do not own a score. I am sorry that I am not able to help with your questions Solor. I have now requested that we purchase a score. If this happens I will get back to you Solor.

Sorry no reply vrs, I havnt checked this topic in a while. Thanks for the reply....I was wondering, how could one go about attaining a score for "Le Corsaire", or any of the more rare ballets for that matter, such as "Humpbacked Horse" or "Bayadere" for example?

Bourmeister did assist on the production of 'Corsair' at the Stanislavsky along with Alexei Vissarionovich Chichinadze. The production was largely credited to Nina Georgievna Grishschina and was premiered on 6th October 1958 with Violetta Bovt as Medora and Maris Liepa as Conrad. I believe I have seen photographs of
the main protagonist in their respective roles and I have (unfiled somewhere) a programmeof a later performance.
.