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 La SylphideFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the Taglioni and Bournonville ballets. For Mikhail Fokine's ballet, see LesSylphides.

La Sylphide (English: The Sylph; Danish: Sylfiden) is a romantic ballet in two acts. here weretwo !ersions of the ballet; the original one choreographed by Filippo aglioni in "#$%, and a!ersion choreographed by  &'g'st o'rnon!ille in "#$. o'rnon!ille*s is the only !ersionknown to ha!e s'r!i!ed and th's is one

Taglioni version+edit

 La Sylphide

Marie Taglioni in La Sylphide

Choreographer Filippo Taglioni

Music Jean-Madeleine Schneitzhoeffer 

Libretto Adolphe Nourrit

Based on Charles Nodier 's "Trilby ou !e lutin d'Argail"

Premiere March # $%#

Salle !e &eletier  &aris pera &aris France

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Original ballet

company

&aris pera (allet

Characters Ja)es *uben

The Sylph

+urn

,ffie

ld Madge

,ffie's )other 

Setting Scotland

Created for Marie Taglioni and Joseph Mazilier 

Genre *o)antic ballet

-n arch "%, "#$%, the first !ersion of La Sylphide premiered at the /alle 0e 1eletier  ofthe 1aris -p2ra with choreography by the gro'ndbreaking 3talian choreographer Filippoaglioni and m'sic by 4ean5adeleine /chneit6hoeffer .+"

aglioni designed the work as a showcase for his da'ghter arie. La Sylphide was the firstballet where dancing en pointe had an aesthetic rationale and was not merely an acrobaticst'nt, often in!ol!ing 'ngracef'l arm mo!ements and e7ertions, as had been the approach ofdancers in the late "#%8s. arie was known for shortening her skirts in the performance of La

Sylphide (to show off her e7cellent pointe work), which was considered highly scandalo's atthe time.+citation needed 

he ballet*s libretto was written by tenor &dolphe 9o'rrit, the first obertin eyerbeer *s Robert Le iable, an opera which feat'red arie aglioni in its dances section,he allet of 9'ns. 9o'rrit*s scenario was loosely based on a story by <harles 9odier ,rilby, o' 0e l'tin d*&rgail, b't swapped the genders of the protagonists = a goblin anda fisherman*s wife in 9odier; a sylph and a farmer in the ballet.

he scene of the -ld adge*s witchcraft which opens &ct 33 of the ballet was inspiredby 9iccol> 1aganini*s Le Streghe, which in its t'rn was inspired by a scene of witchesfrom !"#$ %#&##&(), an "#"% ballet by choreographer /al!atore ?igan> andcomposer Fran6 @a!er /Assmayr .+%

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Emma 0i!ry in the title role of the aglioniB/chneit6hoeffer La Sylphide. 1aris, "#%

Revivals+edit

Emma 0i!ry, one of the last ballerinas of the omantic ballet era, made her deb't withthe 1aris -pera allet as the sylph in an "#C# prod'ction of La Sylphide. When arieaglioni (who had retired in "#) saw 0i!ry in the role, she stayed on in 1aris to teach the girl,who reminded her of herself as a yo'ng woman.

3n "#%, ari's 1etipa mo'nted a re!i!al of aglioni*s original La Sylphide for the 3mperialallet, with additional m'sic by iccardo Drigo. & !ariation Drigo composed for theballerina ?ar!ara 9ikitina in 1etipa*s !ersion is today the traditional solo danced by the leadballerina of the famo's *a+uita Grand 1as <lassiH'e, interpolated by  &nna 1a!lo!a in "8.

3n "%, a re!i!al of the aglioni !ersion was staged by 1ierre 0acotte for the 1aris -peraallet. /ince aglioni*s choreography has been irretrie!ably lost, 0acotte*s choreography isbased on prints, notes, drawings, and archi!al materials from the era of the ballet*s premiere.0acotte*s choreography is in the style of the period b't entirely new and has been criticised bysome+ho-as ina'thentic. 3nterpreters of the role of 0acotte*s !ersion at the -pera 9ational de1aris incl'deGhislaine hesmar  (0acotte*s wife) and &'relie D'pont. oth artists ha!erecorded their work on D?D and !ideo.

Bournonville version+edit

 La Sylphide

Choreographer August (ournonille

Music .er)an Seerin !/ens0iold

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Libretto Adolphe Nourrit

Based on Charles Nodier 's "Trilby ou !e lutin d'Argail"

Premiere  Noe)ber #$ $%1

*oyal 2anish TheatreCopenhagen 2en)ar0 

Original ballet company *oyal 2anish (allet

Characters Ja)es *uben

The Sylph

+urn

,ffie

ld Madge

,ffie's )other 

Setting Scotland

Created for !ucile +rahn and August (ournonille

Genre *o)antic ballet

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 &'g'st o'rnon!ille in "#".+$

he Danish ballet master   &'g'st o'rnon!ille had intended to present a re!i!al of aglioni*soriginal !ersion in <openhagen with the oyal Danish allet, b't the 1aris -pera demandedtoo high a price for /chneit6hoeffer*s score. 3n the end, o'rnon!ille mo'nted his ownprod'ction of La Sylphide based on the original libretto, with m'sic by Ierman /e!erin

0J!enskiold. he premiere took place on 9o!ember %#, "#$,+ with the prodigy 0'cileGrahn and o'rnon!ille in the principal roles.

he o'rnon!ille !ersion has been danced in its original form by the oyal Danish allet e!ersince its creation and remains one of o'rnon!ille*s most celebrated works. oderninterpreters of o'rnon!ille*s !ersion incl'de E!a E!dokimo!a and 0is 4eppesen, whoseperformance is recorded on D?D.

Scenario+edit

Act 1+edit

3n the hall of a /cottish farmho'se, 4ames 'ben, a yo'ng /cotsman, sleeps in a chair by thefireside. & sylph ga6es lo!ingly 'pon him and dances abo't his chair. /he kisses him and then!anishes when he s'ddenly wakes. 4ames ro'ses his friend G'rn from sleep, and H'estionshim abo't the sylph. G'rn denies ha!ing seen s'ch a creat're and reminds 4ames that he isshortly to be married. 4ames dismisses the incident and promises to forget it.

4ames* bride5to5be, Effie, arri!es with her mother and bridesmaids. 4ames d'tif'lly kisses her,b't is startled by a shadow in the corner. hinking his sylph has ret'rned, he r'shes o!er, onlyto find the witch, -ld adge, kneeling at the hearth to warm herself. 4ames is f'rio's with thedisappointment.

Effie and her friends beg -ld adge to tell their fort'nes, and the witch complies. /he gleef'llyinforms Effie that 4ames lo!es someone else and she will be 'nited with G'rn. 4ames isf'rio's. Ie forces adge from the hearth and throws her o't of the ho'se. Effie is delightedthat 4ames wo'ld tangle with a witch for her sake.

Effie and her bridesmaids h'rry 'pstairs to prepare for the wedding, and 4ames is left alone inthe room. &s he stares o't the window, the sylph materiali6es before him and confesses herlo!e. /he weeps at his apparent indifference. 4ames resists at first, b't, capti!ated by herethereal bea'ty, capit'lates and kisses her tenderly. G'rn, who spies the moment from theshadows, scampers off to tell Effie what has happened.

When the distressed Effie and her friends enter after hearing G'rn*s report, the sylphdisappears. he g'ests ass'me G'rn is simply Kealo's and la'gh at him. E!eryone dances.he sylph enters d'ring the midst of the re!elry and attempts to distract 4ames.

 &s the bridal procession forms, 4ames stands apart and ga6es 'pon the ring he is to place onEffie*s finger. he /ylph snatches the ring, places it on her own finger, and, smiling enticingly,r'shes into the forest. 4ames h'rries after her in ardent p'rs'it. he g'ests are bewildered with

4ames* s'dden depart're. Effie is heartbroken. /he falls into her mother*s arms sobbinginconsolably.

Act 2+edit

3n a fog5shro'ded part of the forest, adge and her companion witches dance grotesH'elyabo't a ca'ldron. he re!ellers add all sorts of filthy ingredients to the brew. When thecontents glow, adge reaches into the ca'ldron and p'lls a diaphano's, magic scarf from itsdepths. he ca'ldron then sinks, the witches scatter, the fog lifts, and a lo!ely glade isre!ealed.

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4ames enters with the sylph who shows him her charming, woodland realm. /he brings himberries and water for refreshment b't a!oids his embrace. o cheer him, she s'mmons herethereal sisters who shyly enter and perform their airy dances. he yo'ng /cotsman isdelighted and Koins the di!ertissement before all flee for another part of the forest.

eanwhile, the wedding g'ests ha!e been searching the woodland for 4ames. hey enter theglade. G'rn finds his hat, b't adge con!inces him to say nothing. Effie enters, weary with

wandering abo't the forest. adge 'rges G'rn to propose. Ie does and Effie accepts hisproposal.

When they all ha!e left, 4ames enters the glade. adge meets him, and tosses him the magicscarf. /he tells the yo'ng farmer the scarf will bind the sylph to him so she cannot fly away./he instr'cts him to wind the scarf abo't the sylph*s sho'lders and arms for f'll effect. 4amesis ecstatic. When the sylph ret'rns and sees the scarf, she allows 4ames to place it aro'nd hertrembling form.

 &s 4ames embraces the sylph passionately, her wings fall off, she sh'dders, and dies in4ames* arms. /orrowf'lly, her sisters enter and lift her lifeless form. /'ddenly, a Koyf'l weddingprocession led by Effie and G'rn crosses the glade. 4ames is st'nned. adge directs his ga6ehea!enward; he sees the sylph borne aloft by her sisters. 4ames collapses. adge e7'lts o!er

his lifeless body. 4'stice has tri'mphed.

Characters+edit

• 4ames 'ben, a /cottish farmer 

• he /ylph, a forest spirit

• G'rn, 4ames* friend

• Effie, 4ames* fiancee

• -ld adge, a !illage sorceress

• Effie*s mother, an elderly woman

• ridesmaids, wedding g'ests, witches

Other versions+edit

4ohn arnett*s "#$ opera The Mountain Sylph is based on the storyline of La Sylphide; thisopera*s plot was in t'rn satiri6ed by W. /. Gilbert in the "##% /a!oy opera,olanthe.+C

La Sylphide is often conf'sed with the "8 ballet Les Sylphides, another ballet in!ol!ing themythical sylph. he latter was choreographed by ichel Fokine for the allets 'sses as ashort performance. ho'gh inspired by La Sylphide, it was meant to be performed as anindependent ballet with its own merits.