Sleeping Beauty

Prague National Theatre, The State Opera, Prague, Czech Republic

Scene 1 from the ballet "The Sleeping Beauty", photo 2

Scene 2 from the ballet "The Sleeping Beauty", photo 3

Scene 3 from the ballet "The Sleeping Beauty", photo 4

Scene 4 from the ballet "The Sleeping Beauty", photo 5

Scene 6 from the ballet "The Sleeping Beauty", photo 6

Scene 7 from the ballet "The Sleeping Beauty", photo 7

Scene 8 from the ballet "The Sleeping Beauty", photo 8

Scene 5 from the ballet "The Sleeping Beauty", photo 9

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Thursday 25 February 2021

7 PM

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Important Info

Type: Ballet

City: Prague, Czech Republic

Starts at: 19:00

Acts: 2

Intervals: 1

Duration:

Ticket delivery: E-Tickets

E-tickets: Print at home or at the box office of the event if so specified. You will find more information in your booking confirmation email.

Can I choose my seats?

You can only select the category, and not the exact seats.
If you order 2 or 3 tickets: your seats will be next to each other.
If you order 4 or more tickets: your seats will be next to each other, or, if this is not possible, we will provide a combination of groups of seats (at least in pairs, for example 2+2 or 2+3).

Overview

Czech premiere

A ballet by Márcia Haydée, based on Charles Perrault’s fairy tale. The world-famous production encompasses everything lovers of grand classical titles may expect: a dramatic story, Marius Petipa’s magnificent dance sections and virtuoso solo parts, as well as exquisite sets and costumes.

The Sleeping Beauty, based on Charles Perrault’s popular tale La Belle au bois dormant, is one of the cornerstones of the global ballet repertoire, and musicians consider it to be the very finest of P. I. Tchaikovsky’s ballet scores

The narrative ballet The Sleeping Beauty, choreographed by Marius Petipa, based on Charles Perrault’s fairy tale, was first performed in 1890 in St Petersburg. The music was composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Now its adaptation as crafted by the legendary prima ballerina Márcia Haydée is set to become part of the Czech National Ballet’s repertoire, as a remarkable artifact of the classical ballet spiritual legacy.

Since its premiere in 1987 designed by world-famous Jürgen Rose, Márcia Haydée’s The Sleeping Beauty has been performed with different stage designs to great acclaim in Australia, Belgium, Chile, Germany, South Korea, and Sweden. This original version of the sets and costumes for The Czech National Ballet was designed by Prague-born Pablo Núñez. The recently refurbished State Opera in Prague will host the balletic parable of bringing beauty back to life, and the eternal struggle between Good and Evil.

The universal struggle between Good and Evil
Before creating her own version of The Sleeping Beauty, Márcia Haydée had encountered Marius Petipa’s classical choreography on numerous occasions: it was the very first ballet she, as a little girl, saw, and, later on, as a dancer, she would appear in a number of its versions. When, in 1961, Marcia auditioned for John Cranko, she danced variations from The Sleeping Beauty, and she made her debut with the company performing Princess Florine Florine (a Bluebird pas de deux). Her profound knowledge of the work thus afforded Marcia a solid foundation on which she would, later on, build her own interpretation of The Sleeping Beauty, the very first ballet she choreographed.
Besides Princess Aurora and Prince Désiré, she primarily foregrounds the character of Carabosse, who is constantly present throughout the ballet. Haydée continues to focus on the wicked fairy until the very end when Carabosse appears at the wedding feast so as to remind us that Evil is a constant part of the world and will not go away. Marcia Haydée described her vision as follows: “For me, The Sleeping Beauty is the story of Carabosse. … I think we all carry within aspects of both positive and negative energy. Their struggle is universal, one we can all relate to.”

Long before Angelina Jolie appeared as Malificent on the silver screen, Marcia Haydée re-interpreted the role of the “evil” fairy Carabosse in her groundbreaking 1987 production of The Sleeping Beauty. With gender-bending choreography and spectacular – and equally ambiguous – costuming by designer Jürgen Rose, Haydée created a tour de force role for dance legend Richard Cragun, a role which to this day fascinates audiences and inevitably steals the show.

Haydée had had many encounters with the Petipa classic long before she created her own production: it was the first ballet she ever saw as a child and she danced in various versions including in Bronislava Nijinska’s for the Marquis de Cuevas Ballet, as well as Nicolas Beriozoff’s and Rosella Hightower’s for the Stuttgart Ballet. When she auditioned for John Cranko in 1961, she danced variations from The Sleeping Beauty for him and gave her debut in Stuttgart in the Bluebird pas de deux. Her extensive knowledge of the work was therefore the solid foundation on which she built her interpretation when she created her own version in 1987 – the very first ballet she ever choreographed. “The Sleeping Beauty for me is the story of Carabosse – whose feelings and pride have been hurt, and who consequently does something malicious – and the Lilac Fairy, who counters this rage and negative energy with positive energy. And I think we all carry aspects of both of them within us. Their struggle is a universal one, one we can all relate to.”

Haydée’s focus on Carabosse, who is constantly present throughout the ballet, continues until the very end when, just as the wedding of Princess Aurora and Prince Desirée has been celebrated, she re-appears, striding slowly along in front of the panorama of fairy-take characters, a menacing reminder that she has not been banished and will, in time, return.

History

Premiere of this production: 03 January 1890, Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg

The Sleeping Beauty is a ballet in a prologue and three acts, first performed in 1890. The music was composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (his opus 66). The score was completed in 1889, and is the second of his three ballets. The original scenario was conceived by Ivan Vsevolozhsky, and is based on Charles Perrault's La Belle au bois dormant. The choreographer of the original production was Marius Petipa.

Synopsis

After many years of childlessness, a daughter is born to the King and the Queen. The baptism celebrations are attended by six fairies, bringing good wishes. The master of ceremonies, Catalabutte, has forgotten to invite the fairy Carabosse. She appears and, offended and angry, curses the baby, predicting that on her sixteenth birthday Princess Aurora will prick her finger on a spindle and die. The consternation of all those present is ameliorated by the Lilac Fairy, who counters Carabosse’s malediction: after pricking her finger, Aurora will not die but fall into a hundred-year sleep, from which she will be awakened by a kiss of true love.
The curse comes true. Nevertheless, a century later, Prince Desiré has a vision. In a dream, the Lilac Fairy shows him Aurora and leads the young man to the sleeping Princess. Enchanted by her charm, Desiré awakens Aurora with a kiss. Love is the most powerful force against Carabosse’s malevolence.
The wedding of Aurora and Desiré is celebrated as a lavish masked party, with every member of the court disguised as a fairy-tale character. The Lilac Fairy blesses the union of the two young lovers. Yet Carabosse watches them from a distance … Good and Evil continue to be a part of life.

Time: Baroque
Place: Europe

Prologue (The Christening)

King Florestan XXIV and his Queen have welcomed their first child, Princess Aurora, and declare a grand christening ceremony to honor her. Six fairies are invited to the ceremony to bestow gifts on the child. Each fairy brings a gift of a virtue or positive trait, such as beauty, courage, sweetness, musical talent, and mischief. The most powerful fairy, the Lilac Fairy, arrives with her entourage, but before she can bestow her gift, the evil fairy Carabosse arrives with her minions. Carabosse furiously asks the King and Queen why she had not received an invitation to the christening. The blame falls on Catalabutte, the Master of Ceremonies who was in charge of the guest list. Carabosse gleefully tears his wig off and beats him with her staff, before placing a curse upon the baby princess as revenge: Aurora will indeed grow up to be a beautiful, healthy, delightful young lady, but on her sixteenth birthday she will prick her finger on a Spindle and die. The King and Queen are horrified and beg Carabosse for mercy, but she shows none. However, the Lilac Fairy intervenes. Though she does not have enough power to completely undo the curse, she alters it, allowing the spindle to cause a peaceful 100-year sleep for the princess, rather than death. At the end of those 100 years, she will be woken by the kiss of a handsome prince. Relieved that Aurora's life will ultimately be spared, the court is set at ease.

Act I (The Spell)

It is the day of Princess Aurora's sixteenth birthday. Celebrations are underway, though the King is still unsettled by Carabosse's omen. The master of ceremonies discovers several peasant ladies frolicking about with knitting needles and alerts the King, who initially sentences the women to a harsh punishment. The Queen gently persuades him to spare the innocent citizens, and he agrees. An elaborate waltz is performed and Princess Aurora arrives. She is introduced to four suitors by her doting parents. Aurora and the suitors perform the famous Rose Adagio. Presently, a cloaked stranger appears and offers a gift to the princess: a spindle. Having never seen one before, Aurora curiously examines the strange object as her parents desperately try to intervene. As predicted, she pricks her finger. While initially appearing to recover quickly, she falls into a swoon and collapses. The cloaked stranger reveals herself to be Carabosse, who believes that her curse still stands and that the princess is dead. Once again, the Lilac Fairy quells the hubbub and reminds the King and Queen that Aurora is merely asleep. The princess is carried off to bed, and the Lilac Fairy casts a spell of slumber over the entire kingdom, which will only be broken when Aurora awakens. A thick layer of thorny plants grows over the palace, hiding it from view.

Act II (The Vision)

One hundred years later, Prince Désiré is attending a hunting party. Though his companions are lighthearted, the prince is unhappy and eventually asks to be left alone. On his own in the forest, he is met by the Lilac Fairy, who has chosen him to awaken Aurora. She shows him a vision of the beautiful princess, and the prince is immediately smitten. The Lilac Fairy explains the situation, and Désiré begs to be taken to the princess. The Lilac Fairy takes him to the hidden castle. Carabosse makes one last attempt to cement her vengeful curse, but the Lilac Fairy and the prince manage to defeat her together at last. Once inside the castle, Désiré awakens Aurora with a kiss. The rest of the court wakes as well, and the King and Queen heartily approve when the prince proposes marriage and the princess accepts.

Act III (The Wedding)

The royal wedding is underway. Guests include the Jewel Fairies: Diamond, Gold, Silver and Sapphire, and of course the Lilac Fairy. Fairytale characters are in attendance, including Puss in Boots and The White Cat, Princess Florine and the Bluebird, and others. Aurora and Désiré perform a grand Pas de Deux, and the entire ensemble dances. The prince and princess are married, with the Lilac Fairy blessing the union.

Structure

Titles of all of the numbers listed here come from Marius Petipa's original scenario, as well as the original libretto and programs of the first production of 1890. Major changes which were made to the score for Petipa's original production are mentioned, and help explain why the score is often heard in different versions in theatres today.

All libretti and programs of works performed on the stages of the Imperial Theatres were titled in French, which was the official language of the Emperor's Court, as well as the language in which balletic terminology is derived.

Prologue — Le baptême de la Princesse Aurore

Venue Info

Prague National Theatre - Prague
Národní 2

The National Theatre is the prime stage of the Czech Republic. It is also one of the symbols of national identity and a part of the European cultural space, with a tradition spanning more than 130 years. It is the bearer of the national cultural heritage, as well as a space for free artistic creation.

The National Theatre (Czech: Národní divadlo) in Prague is known as the alma mater of Czech opera, and as the national monument of Czech history and art.

The National Theatre belongs to the most important Czech cultural institutions, with a rich artistic tradition, which helped to preserve and develop the most important features of the nation–the Czech language and a sense for a Czech musical and dramatic way of thinking.

Today, the National Theatre is made up of four artistic companies – the Opera, Drama, Ballet and Laterna magika. It artistically manages four stages – the three historical buildings: the National Theatre (1883), the State Opera (1888), and the Estates Theatre (1783), and the more recently opened New Stage (1983). The Opera, Drama and Ballet companies perform not only titles from the ample classical legacy, in addition to Czech works, they also focus on contemporary international creation.

Grand opening

The National Theatre was opened for the first time on 11 June 1881, to honour the visit of Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria. Bedřich Smetana's opera Libuše was given its world premiere, conducted by Adolf Čech. Another 11 performances were presented after that. Then the theatre was closed down to enable the completion of the finishing touches. While this work was under way a fire broke out on 12 August 1881, which destroyed the copper dome, the auditorium, and the stage of the theatre.

The fire was seen as a national catastrophe and was met with a mighty wave of determination to take up a new collection: Within 47 days a million guldens were collected. This national enthusiasm, however, did not correspond to the behind-the-scenes battles that flared up following the catastrophe. Architect Josef Zítek was no longer in the running, and his pupil architect Josef Schulz was summoned to work on the reconstruction. He was the one to assert the expansion of the edifice to include the block of flats belonging to Dr. Polák that was situated behind the building of the Provisional Theatre. He made this building a part of the National Theatre and simultaneously changed somewhat the area of the auditorium to improve visibility. He did, however, take into account with utmost sensitivity the style of Zítek's design, and so he managed to merge three buildings by various architects to form an absolute unity of style.

Important Info

Type: Ballet

City: Prague, Czech Republic

Starts at: 19:00

Acts: 2

Intervals: 1

Duration:

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