Ballet, 3 acts with prologue(the performance is played with one intermission)
P.Chaikovsky
Libretto by I.Vsevolzhsky and M.Petipa based on fairy tales by C.Perrault
Choreography by M.Petipa
Choreographic adaption, direction and new choreography by Andrei Petrov, People’s Artist of the Russian Federation
Scene designer is Stanislav Benediktov, People’s Artist of the Russian Federation, the winner of the State Award of the Russian Federation
Costume designer is Olga Polyanskaya
Assistant to ballet master is Valery Ryzhov
It is a pearl of classic repertory born on the stage of the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg in 1890. And a tribute to Russian ballet tradition, a masterpiece which second century running impresses the audience throughout the world being a decoration for the repertory of the best ballet companies.
Carefree princesses and their gallant manful cavaliers, magic fairies: Falling Breadcrumbs, Candor, Force, Silver, Gold and Sapphire… wickedness of the witch Carabosse and all-conquering kindness of The Lilac Fairy… Charles Perrault’s fairy tales – the French charm of flowering spring and powdered wigs.
The performance is accompanied by the Symphony Orchestra Radio Orpheus (Artistic managing director and Principal conductor - Sergey Kondrashov).
Prologue
In a palace of king Florestan the christening of Princess Aurora is celebrat¬ed. Master of the Ceremonies Catalabute checks the list of the invitations sent to magic fairies and visitors.
Everything is ready for starting the ceremony.
They hear the sounds of pipes. King and Queen welcome the guests. Wet-nurses bring a cradle with newborn princess Aurora. Catalabute declares arriv¬al of kind fairies.
There is a fairy of the Lilac, main Godmother of Princess Aurora. She is surrounded by fairies and pages. Fairies present the newborn their gifts which are to make the princess beautiful and gentle, quick and carefree, generous and coura¬geous. The fairy of the Lilac approaches to a cradle to bring and her gift.
Strange noise is heard. Powerful and malicious fairy Karabos arrives. Catalabute is in despair as he could make such awful miss forgetting to send the invitation to her. King and Queen are excited: the mistake can cause many misfortunes in destiny of their child.
Karabos appears accompanied by ugly retinue. Vainly King and Queen are sorry about the terrible old woman. It has decided to revenge. Karabos pulls out some hair from Catalabute’s head and bears her verdict to Aurora: Yes, she will be the most beautiful, the most seductive and womanly, cleverest of all the princess¬es in the world. But, having pricked a spindle, she will fall asleep, and her dream will be eternal. King, Queen and all court are shaken.
The fairy of the Lilac calms everyone, in fact she had no time to bring her gift yet and her word is the last: Aurora will fall asleep, as that was wished by fairy Karabos, but not for ever. Some day the young prince fascinated by her beau¬ty, will awaken her from a long dream with a kiss and Aurora will become his wife. Enraged Karabos leaves in her chariot, and kind magicians surround a cradle.
1 act
There is celebration in the park of the palace of king Florestan. Princess Aurora attained her majority. During the preparations Catalabute notices peas¬ant girls, amusing themselves by knitting on spokes. He orders the guard to ar¬rest them. In fact spindles, needles and knitting spokes are the subjects forbid¬den by the decree of King.
In the park there are King and Queen accompanied by court and four princ¬es, applicants for a hand of princess Aurora. Frightened peasant girls beg for mercy. Catalabute declares the reason of arrest and shows material evidences. King Florestan in anger, he orders to execute the peasant girls and Catalabute with them for infringement of his decree. Court and princes ask to spare the guilty in case of the holiday. King is unshakable. And only entreaty of Queen touches his heart. The girls are pardoned and released from custody.
Princess Aurora appears. Four princes are amazed by her beauty. King and Queen persuade the daughter to choose the groom. Aurora cheerfully dances with young men, but does not choose anybody – she is still so young.
Suddenly in a crowd Aurora notices the old woman who beats the rhythm with a spindle. The old woman gives her the spindle and Aurora starts to dance with it. Unexpectedly dance interrupts, princess in horror looks at her hand pricked with a spindle and faints.
The old woman dumps the raincoat and everyone see fairy Karabos. With devil laughter she disappears.
There comes fairy of the Lilac, she consoles the parents; their daughter will sleep for hundred years but nothing will be changed for her happiness. Everyone will fall asleep together with her. The sleeping princess is carried to the palace, and everyone fall asleep.
2 act
Prince Desire is hunting in a wood. On a lawn the retinue entertains him dancing. Desire has a presentiment about the important events in his life. On the river floats nacreous boat.
The fairy of the Lilac descends from it. On a wave of a magic wand of the Fairy there appears a vision of sleeping Aurora. Beams of sunset lighten her with pink light. Prince Desire falls in love with a vision of young Aurora and is ready to follow the Fairy of the Lilac. The vision disappears, but in a sole of Prince reins the image of young beauty.
Prince kneels before the Fairy and begs her to show the way to Aurora. The magician conducts him to the boat which immediately starts.
At night the moon decorates with silvery light the boat, the Fairy of the Lilac and Prince who aspires to Aurora.
We see the castle of the Sleeping beauty. On a bed under the canopy prin¬cess Aurora sleeps. She dreams about fine Prince coming to wake her, and she falls in love with him.
The fairy of the Lilac and Prince Desire come nearer to the lock. Karabos and her retinue guard a dream of Princess Aurora, but nothing can stop Prince in his quest for his beloved. Prince Desire runs up to a sleeping Aurora and kisses her. Sorcery of malicious Karabos disappears: princess Aurora wakes up, and all court with her. The dust and a web dissipate, candles illuminate the room. Prince proposes to Aurora. King connects the hands of Desire and his daughter.
3 act
Wedding of Aurora and Desire. In the palace everything is ready for ball.
The heroes of fairy tales are invited: the Cat in Boots and the White Kitty, the Blue Bird and Princess of Florin, Red Hat and the Grey Wolf, the Cinderella and Prince Fortune. Everyone dance and have fun. It is the celebration of the victory of Good over the Harm.
