Classical ballet "Coppelia." Music by Leo Delibes. Coppelia Who wrote the ballet Coppelia

"Coppelia", the full name is "Coppelia, or Beauty with blue eyes» - comic ballet French composer Leo Delibes. The libretto was written based on the short story by E. Hoffmann "The Sandman" by S. Nuiter and the choreographer of the performance A. Saint-Leon. The premiere of the ballet took place at the Paris Opera ("Grand Opera") on May 25, 1870, in the presence of Napoleon III and his wife, Empress Eugenie. The ballet is very popular, it is constantly staged by many theaters around the world.

content of the ballet.
Main story line ballet gives enough scope for creating alternative scenarios, which is what most directors used. Here is brief retelling script according to the version staged by Petipa and Ceccheti and restored by Sergei Vikharev in Novosibirsk and the Bolshoi Theatre.
First act.

Action German fairy tale Hoffmann is transferred to Galicia, which allows Hungarian and Polish dances to be included in the ballet. The scene depicts the square of a small town. In the window of one of the houses belonging to Professor Coppelius, one can observe his daughter Coppélia, beautiful and mysterious already because she never goes out on the street and does not communicate with anyone in the city. Some young men in the city tried to give her signs, but she does not answer them. The main character of the ballet appears on the stage, a local girl, Swanilda, who is engaged to Franz, but suspects that her fiancé, like many young people of the town, is not indifferent to Coppelia.
After some time, Franz appears on the square, at first he goes to Swanilda's house, but then, thinking that they do not see him, he bows to Coppelia, who answers his bow. Coppelius and Swanilda are watching this from their window from their hiding place. She runs out and chases the butterfly. Franz catches a butterfly and pins it to his hat. Svanilda is outraged by his cruelty and breaks with him.
A crowd of people and the burgomaster appear on the square. He announces an upcoming feast to receive a new bell. He asks Swanilda whether to arrange a wedding with Franz at the same time. In the straw dance, she shows that she and Franz are done.
At night, the town square is empty. Coppelius leaves the house for a nearby tavern. He is surrounded by a crowd of young people, offering to join them. He breaks free and leaves, but in the process he loses the key to the house. A crowd of girls finds the key. They persuade Swanilda to enter Coppelius' house.
Franz appears, not knowing that the girls are in the house, he puts a ladder and tries to climb through the window. At this time, Coppelius returns, who sees Franz trying to get into the house.

Second act.
The action of the second act takes place in Coppelius' night workshop, full of books, tools, automatons. The girls looking around the workshop notice Coppelia and realize that it is a doll. The girls, having played out, press the springs, and the dolls begin to move. Swanilda changes into Coppelia's dress. Coppelius appears and chases the girls away. He examines the doll, which appears to be intact. At this time, Franz climbs in through the window. He heads towards Coppelia, but the old man grabs him. Franz tells him of his love for Coppelia. Then Coppelius has an idea to revive the doll. He drugs Franz with wine and sleeping pills.
With the help of magic he wants to convey vitality Franz. It seems that it succeeds - the doll gradually comes to life, dances spanish dance and live. She moves faster and faster, starts dropping her tools, wants to stab Franz with her sword. With great difficulty, Coppelius seated the doll in its place. The old man wants to rest. Franz wakes up and leaves the house with Svanilda emerging from behind the curtain. Coppelius understands that he was tricked and the role of the doll was played by Svanilda.

Third act.
City feast of the consecration of the bell. Franz and Swanilda reconciled. Coppelius appears, who demands compensation for the devastation committed in the workshop. Swanilda wanted to give him her dowry, but the burgomaster gives the money. The holiday begins with allegorical dances

Swanilda approaches the house of Coppelius and looks at the windows, behind which a girl is seen sitting motionless; she holds a book in her hand and seems to be immersed in reading. This is Coppelia, the daughter of old Coppelius. Every morning you can see her in the same place - then she disappears. She never left the mysterious dwelling. She is very beautiful, and many young people in the city spent long hours under her window, begging her for one look.

Swanilda suspects that her fiancé Franz is also partial to Coppelia's beauty. She tries to get her attention, but nothing helps: Coppelia does not take her eyes off the book, in which she does not even turn the pages.

Swanilda starts to get angry. She is about to knock on the door when Franz suddenly appears and Swanilda stays hidden to watch what happens.

Franz heads towards Swanhilda's house, but hesitates. Coppelia sits by the window. He bows to her. At that moment she turns her head, stands up and answers Franz's bow. Franz had barely had time to send a kiss to Coppelia when old Coppelius opened the window and was watching him mockingly.

Swanilda burns with anger against both Coppelius and Franz, but pretends not to notice anything. She runs after a butterfly. Franz runs with her. He catches the insect and solemnly pins it to the collar of his dress. Swanilda reproaches him: "What did that poor butterfly do to you?" From reproach to reproach, the girl expresses to him that she knows everything. He deceives her; he loves Coppelia. Franz tries in vain to justify himself.

The burgomaster announces that a big holiday is planned for tomorrow: the owner presented the city with a bell. Everyone crowds around the burgomaster. A noise is heard in the house of Coppelius. Reddish light shines through the glass. Several girls fearfully move away from this accursed house. But this is nothing: the noise comes from the blows of the hammer, the light is the reflection of the fire burning in the forge. Coppelius is an old madman who works all the time. For what? No one knows; Yes, and who cares? Let him work if he likes it!..

The burgomaster is approaching Svanilda. He tells her that tomorrow their owner should award a dowry and marry several couples. She is Franz's fiancee, doesn't she want her wedding to be tomorrow? "Oh, it's not decided yet!" - and the young girl, glancing slyly at Franz, tells the burgomaster that she will tell him a story. This is the story of the straw that reveals all secrets.

Ballad of the Ear
Swanilda takes an ear from a sheaf, puts it to her ear and pretends to listen. Then he hands it to Franz - does the spikelet tell him that he no longer loves Swanilda, but has fallen in love with another? Franz replies that he does not hear anything. Swanilda then resumes her trials with one of Franz's friends; smiling, he says that he clearly hears the words of the ear. Franz wants to object, but Swanilda, breaking the straw before his eyes, says that everything is over between them. Franz leaves in annoyance, Swanilda dances among her friends. The tables have already been prepared, and everyone is drinking to the health of the ruler and the burgomaster.

Czardas
Coppelius leaves his house and locks the door with a double turn of the key. He is surrounded by young people: some want to take him along, others make him dance. The angry old man finally breaks free from them and walks away cursing. Svanilda says goodbye to her friends; one of them notices on the ground the key that Coppelius dropped. The girls invite Svanilda to visit his mysterious house. Swanilda hesitates, but meanwhile she would like to see her rival. "Well then? Let's go in!" she says. The girls break into Coppelius' house.

Franz appears, carrying a ladder with him. Rejected by Svanilda, he wants to try his luck with Coppelia. Opportunity favors... Coppelius is far away...

But no, because at the moment when Franz leans the ladder against the balcony, Coppelius appears. He noticed the loss of the key and immediately returned to look for it. He notices Franz, who has already climbed the first steps, and he runs away.

Act II
A vast room filled with all sorts of tools. Many automata are placed on stands - an old man in a Persian costume, a negro in a threatening pose, a little Moor playing cymbals, a Chinese who holds a harp in front of him.

The girls cautiously emerge from the depths. Who are these motionless figures sitting in the shadows?.. They are examining the strange figures that frightened them so at first. Swanilda raises the curtains at the window and notices Coppelia, sitting with a book in her hands. She bows to the stranger, who remains motionless. She speaks to her - she does not answer. She takes her hand and steps back in fright. Is it a living being? She puts his hand her heart is not beating. This girl is nothing but an automaton. This is a work of Coppelius! "Ah, Franz!" Swanilda laughs, "Here is the beauty to whom he sends kisses!" She has been avenged in abundance!.. The girls are carelessly running around the workshop.

One of them, passing near the player on the harp, accidentally touches the spring - the machine plays a bizarre melody. Embarrassed at first, the girls calm down and start dancing. They look for the spring that sets the little Moor in motion; he plays the cymbals.

Suddenly, an enraged Coppelius appears. He lowers the curtains hiding Coppelia and rushes off to chase the girls. They slip between his hands and disappear down the stairs. Svanilda hid behind the curtains. That's how I got it! But no, when Coppélius lifts the curtain, he's only looking at Coppélia - that's all right. He breathes a sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, some noise is still heard ... In the window one can see a ladder attached, Franz appears on it. Coppelius does not appear to him. Franz is heading towards the place where Coppelia is sitting, when suddenly he is seized by two Strong arms. A frightened Franz apologizes to Coppelius and wants to run away, but the old man blocks his way.

"Why did you snuck into me?" - Franz admits that he is in love - "I'm not as angry as they say about me. Sit down, have a drink and talk!" Coppelius brings an old bottle and two goblets. He clinks glasses with Franz, then stealthily pours out his wine. Franz finds that the wine has a strange taste, but continues to drink, and Coppelius talks to him with feigned good nature.

Franz wants to go to the window where he saw Coppelia. But his legs give way, he falls into a chair and falls asleep.

Coppelius takes the magic book and studies spells. Then he rolls up the pedestal with Coppelia to the sleeping Franz, puts his hands to the forehead and chest of the young man and, it seems, wants to steal his soul in order to revive the girl. Coppelia rises, makes the same movements, then descends from the first step of the pedestal, then from the second. She walks, she lives!.. Coppelius went mad with happiness. His creation surpasses anything the human hand has ever created! Here she begins to dance, slowly at first, then so quickly that Coppelius can hardly follow her. She smiles at life, she blossoms...

Waltz of the automaton
She notices the goblet and raises it to her lips. Coppelius barely manages to snatch it from her hands. She notices a magical book and asks what is written in it. "It's an impenetrable secret," he replies, and slams the book shut. She looks at the machine guns. "I made them," Coppelius says. She stops in front of Franz. "And this one?" "It's also an automatic." She sees a sword and tries the point on the end of her finger, then she amuses herself by piercing the little Moor. Coppelius laughs out loud... but she approaches Franz and wants to stab him. The old man stops her. Then she turns against him and starts chasing him. Finally, he disarms her. He wants to excite her coquetry and puts on her mantilla. This seems to have awakened a whole world of new thoughts in the young girl. She is dancing a Spanish dance.

Magnola
Then she finds a Scottish scarf, grabs it and dances a jig.

jig
She jumps, runs anywhere, throws to the ground and breaks everything that comes to her hand. Definitely, she's too animated! What to do?..

Franz has woken up in the midst of all this noise and is trying to collect his thoughts. Coppelius finally grabs the girl and hides her behind the curtains. Then he goes to Franz and drives him away: "Go, go," he says to him, "You are no longer good for anything!"

Suddenly he hears a melody that usually accompanies the movement of his machine gun. He looks at Coppelia, repeating her jerky movements, while Swanilda disappears behind the curtain. It sets in motion two other automata. "How? - thinks Coppelius, - they also revived by themselves?" At the same moment, he notices Swanilda in the depths, who runs away with Franz. He realizes that he has become the victim of a joke, and falls exhausted in the midst of his automata, which continue their movements, as if to laugh at the sorrow of his master.

Act III
Meadow in front of the owner's castle. A bell is hung in the depths, a gift from the owner. An allegorical chariot stops in front of the bell, on which stands a group of people participating in the celebration.

The priests blessed the bell. The first couples to be endowed with a dowry and joined on this festive day come up to greet the owner.

Franz and Swanilda complete their reconciliation. Franz, who has come to his senses, no longer thinks about Coppelia, he knows what a deception he was a victim of. Svanilda forgives him and, giving his hand, goes with him to the owner.

There is movement in the crowd: old Coppelius has come to complain and ask for justice. They mocked him: they smashed everything in his dwelling; works of art created with such difficulty are destroyed ... Who will cover the loss? Swanilda, who has just received her dowry, voluntarily offers it to Coppelius. But the ruler stops Svanilda: let her keep her dowry. He throws a purse to Coppelius, and while he is leaving with his money, he gives a sign for the beginning of the holiday.

bell festival
The ringer is the first to leave the chariot. He calls the hours of the morning.

Waltz of the clock
The morning hours are; behind them is Aurora.

The bell rings. This is the hour of prayer. Aurora disappears, chased away by the hours of the day. These are the hours of work: spinners and reapers are taken to their work. The bell rings again. He announces the wedding.

Final divertissement

Act I
Public square in a small town on the borders of Galicia. Among the houses painted with bright colors, there is one house with bars on the windows and a tightly locked door. This is the home of Coppelius.

Swanilda approaches the house of Coppelius and looks at the windows, behind which a girl is seen sitting motionless; she holds a book in her hand and seems to be immersed in reading. This is Coppelia, the daughter of old Coppelius. Every morning you can see her in the same place - then she disappears. She never left the mysterious dwelling. She is very beautiful, and many young people in the city spent long hours under her window, begging her for one look.

Swanilda suspects that her fiancé Franz is also partial to Coppelia's beauty. She tries to get her attention, but nothing helps: Coppelia does not take her eyes off the book, in which she does not even turn the pages.

Swanilda starts to get angry. She is about to knock on the door when Franz suddenly appears and Swanilda stays hidden to watch what happens.

Franz heads towards Swanhilda's house, but hesitates. Coppelia sits by the window. He bows to her. At that moment she turns her head, stands up and answers Franz's bow. Franz had barely had time to send a kiss to Coppelia when old Coppelius opened the window and was watching him mockingly.

Swanilda burns with anger against both Coppelius and Franz, but pretends not to notice anything. She runs after a butterfly. Franz runs with her. He catches the insect and solemnly pins it to the collar of his dress. Swanilda reproaches him: "What did that poor butterfly do to you?" From reproach to reproach, the girl expresses to him that she knows everything. He deceives her; he loves Coppelia. Franz tries in vain to justify himself.

The burgomaster announces that a big holiday is planned for tomorrow: the owner presented the city with a bell. Everyone crowds around the burgomaster. A noise is heard in the house of Coppelius. Reddish light shines through the glass. Several girls fearfully move away from this accursed house. But this is nothing: the noise comes from the blows of the hammer, the light is the reflection of the fire burning in the forge. Coppelius is an old madman who works all the time. For what? No one knows; Yes, and who cares? Let him work if he likes it!..

The burgomaster is approaching Svanilda. He tells her that tomorrow their owner should award a dowry and marry several couples. She is Franz's fiancee, doesn't she want her wedding to be tomorrow? "Oh, it's not decided yet!" - and the young girl, glancing slyly at Franz, tells the burgomaster that she will tell him a story. This is the story of the straw that reveals all secrets.

Ballad of the Ear
Swanilda takes an ear from a sheaf, puts it to her ear and pretends to listen. Then he hands it to Franz - does the spikelet tell him that he no longer loves Swanilda, but has fallen in love with another? Franz replies that he does not hear anything. Swanilda then resumes her trials with one of Franz's friends; smiling, he says that he clearly hears the words of the ear. Franz wants to object, but Swanilda, breaking the straw before his eyes, says that everything is over between them. Franz leaves in annoyance, Swanilda dances among her friends. The tables have already been prepared, and everyone is drinking to the health of the ruler and the burgomaster.

Czardas
Coppelius leaves his house and locks the door with a double turn of the key. He is surrounded by young people: some want to take him along, others make him dance. The angry old man finally breaks free from them and walks away cursing. Svanilda says goodbye to her friends; one of them notices on the ground the key that Coppelius dropped. The girls invite Svanilda to visit his mysterious house. Swanilda hesitates, but meanwhile she would like to see her rival. “Well, what? Let's go in!" she says. The girls break into Coppelius' house.

Franz appears, carrying a ladder with him. Rejected by Svanilda, he wants to try his luck with Coppelia. Opportunity favors... Coppelius is far away...

But no, because at the moment when Franz leans the ladder against the balcony, Coppelius appears. He noticed the loss of the key and immediately returned to look for it. He notices Franz, who has already climbed the first steps, and he runs away.

Act II
A vast room filled with all sorts of tools. Many automata are placed on stands - an old man in a Persian costume, a negro in a threatening pose, a little Moor playing cymbals, a Chinese who holds a harp in front of him.

The girls cautiously emerge from the depths. Who are these motionless figures sitting in the shadows?.. They are examining the strange figures that frightened them so at first. Swanilda raises the curtains at the window and notices Coppelia, sitting with a book in her hands. She bows to the stranger, who remains motionless. She speaks to her - she does not answer. She takes her hand and steps back in fright. Is it a living being? She puts her hand on her heart - it doesn't beat. This girl is nothing but an automaton. This is a work of Coppelius! "Ah, Franz! - Swanilda laughs, - That's the beauty he sends kisses to! She has been avenged in abundance!.. The girls are carelessly running around the workshop.

One of them, passing near the player on the harp, accidentally touches the spring - the machine plays a bizarre melody. Embarrassed at first, the girls calm down and start dancing. They look for the spring that sets the little Moor in motion; he plays the cymbals.

Suddenly, an enraged Coppelius appears. He lowers the curtains hiding Coppelia and rushes off to chase the girls. They slip between his hands and disappear down the stairs. Svanilda hid behind the curtains. That's how I got it! But no, when Coppélius lifts the curtain, he's only looking at Coppélia - that's all right. He breathes a sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, some noise is still heard ... In the window one can see a ladder attached, Franz appears on it. Coppelius does not appear to him. Franz is heading towards the place where Coppelia is sitting, when suddenly two strong hands grab him. A frightened Franz apologizes to Coppelius and wants to run away, but the old man blocks his way.

"Why did you sneak up on me?" - Franz admits that he is in love - “I'm not as angry as they say about me. Sit down, have a drink and talk!" Coppelius brings an old bottle and two goblets. He clinks glasses with Franz, then stealthily pours out his wine. Franz finds that the wine has a strange taste, but continues to drink, and Coppelius talks to him with feigned good nature.

Franz wants to go to the window where he saw Coppelia. But his legs give way, he falls into a chair and falls asleep.

Coppelius takes the magic book and studies spells. Then he rolls up the pedestal with Coppelia to the sleeping Franz, puts his hands to the forehead and chest of the young man and, it seems, wants to steal his soul in order to revive the girl. Coppelia rises, makes the same movements, then descends from the first step of the pedestal, then from the second. She walks, she lives!.. Coppelius went mad with happiness. His creation surpasses anything the human hand has ever created! Here she begins to dance, slowly at first, then so quickly that Coppelius can hardly follow her. She smiles at life, she blossoms...

Waltz of the automaton
She notices the goblet and raises it to her lips. Coppelius barely manages to snatch it from her hands. She notices a magical book and asks what is written in it. "It's an impenetrable mystery," he replies, and slams the book shut. She looks at the machine guns. “I made them,” Coppelius says. She stops in front of Franz. "And this one?" - "This is also an automatic." She sees a sword and tries the point on the end of her finger, then she amuses herself by piercing the little Moor. Coppelius laughs out loud... but she approaches Franz and wants to stab him. The old man stops her. Then she turns against him and starts chasing him. Finally, he disarms her. He wants to excite her coquetry and puts on her mantilla. This seems to have awakened a whole world of new thoughts in the young girl. She is dancing a Spanish dance.

Magnola
Then she finds a Scottish scarf, grabs it and dances a jig.

jig
She jumps, runs anywhere, throws to the ground and breaks everything that comes to her hand. Definitely, she's too animated! What to do?..

Franz has woken up in the midst of all this noise and is trying to collect his thoughts. Coppelius finally grabs the girl and hides her behind the curtains. Then he goes to Franz and drives him away: “Go, go,” he says to him, “You are no longer good for anything!”

Suddenly he hears a melody that usually accompanies the movement of his machine gun. He looks at Coppelia, repeating her jerky movements, while Swanilda disappears behind the curtain. It sets in motion two other automata. "How? - Thinks Coppelius, - They also revived by themselves? At the same moment, he notices Swanilda in the depths, who runs away with Franz. He realizes that he has become the victim of a joke, and falls exhausted in the midst of his automata, which continue their movements, as if to laugh at the sorrow of his master.

Act III
Meadow in front of the owner's castle. A bell is hung in the depths, a gift from the owner. An allegorical chariot stops in front of the bell, on which stands a group of people participating in the celebration.

The priests blessed the bell. The first couples to be endowed with a dowry and joined on this festive day come up to greet the owner.

Franz and Swanilda complete their reconciliation. Franz, who has come to his senses, no longer thinks about Coppelia, he knows what a deception he was a victim of. Svanilda forgives him and, giving his hand, goes with him to the owner.

There is movement in the crowd: old Coppelius has come to complain and ask for justice. They mocked him: they smashed everything in his dwelling; works of art created with such difficulty are destroyed... Who will cover the loss? Swanilda, who has just received her dowry, voluntarily offers it to Coppelius. But the ruler stops Svanilda: let her keep her dowry. He throws a purse to Coppelius, and while he is leaving with his money, he gives a sign for the beginning of the holiday.

bell festival
The ringer is the first to leave the chariot. He calls the hours of the morning.

Waltz of the clock
The morning hours are; behind them is Aurora.

The bell rings. This is the hour of prayer. Aurora disappears, chased away by the hours of the day. These are the hours of work: spinners and reapers are taken to their work. The bell rings again. He announces the wedding.

Final divertissement

According to the Ballet Program of the Imperial St. Petersburg. theaters, 1894"
(From the collection of St. Petersburg. State Museum theater and music)

From the performance of the Moscow Academic Choreographic School on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater. Choreography by A. Gorsky, revival by A. Radunsky, S. Golovkin.

The action takes place in a small town in Galicia. A young girl, Swanilda, is jealous of her fiancé for a mysterious stranger who appears every morning in the window of the opposite house. She secretly enters the workshop of old Coppelius with her friends and, discovering that her rival is just a clockwork doll, dresses in her dress and exposes Franz in imaginary infidelity. The ballet ends with the reconciliation of the lovers and a general holiday.

In 1959, Bolshoi ballet dancer Sofia Golovkina left the stage and devoted herself to teaching. A year later, she headed the Moscow State Choreographic School. And in 1977, together with Mikhail Martirosyan and Alexander Radunsky, she staged the ballet Coppelia for students of the Moscow Academic Choreographic School. This production was based on the choreographic version by Alexander Gorsky, which had previously (since 1905) existed at the Bolshoi Theatre.

This is a rare video recording, in which, before the start of the ballet, there is a short interview with Sofya Golovkina, which is taken by the ballerina Natalya Kasatkina. The role of Svanilda in Coppelia was played by 21-year-old Galina Stepanenko, a student of Golovkina, who graduated from the Moscow Art School in 1984. At that time she was a soloist of the Moscow state theater Ballet of the USSR (now the Theater of Classical Ballet under the direction of N. Kasatkina and V. Vasilev), and in 1990 she was accepted into ballet troupe Bolshoi Theatre. Her partner Alexander Malykhin also graduated from MAHU and was admitted to Grand Theatre.

The history of the creation of the ballet

On the ballet "Coppelia", which became a milestone in the work of Leo Delibes, the composer began to work in 1869, after he showed his talent and ingenuity by writing music for the ballet "Le Corsaire" by Adam and creating "Sylvia", which Tchaikovsky later admired. The ballet was written to a libretto by Charles Louis Étienne Nuiter, famous French writer, librettist, archivist of the Grand Opera, author of the texts of many operas and operettas.

The initiator of the creation of the ballet, choreographer Arthur Saint-Leon, also took part in the work on the libretto of "Coppelia". A multi-talented man, he made his debut almost simultaneously as a violinist (in 1834 in Stuttgart) and as a dancer (in 1835 in Munich), and then for more than ten years he performed as a leading dancer on the stages of many European cities. In 1847, Saint-Leon began work as a choreographer at the Paris Academy of Music (later the Grand Opera), in 1848 he performed his first ballet production in Rome, and from 1849 he began working in St. Petersburg, where he staged 16 ballets in 11 years. To write music for ballets, he often attracted newcomers to this genre, in particular Ludwig Minkus and Leo Delibes. An excellent musician with an amazing memory, Saint-Leon also staged ballets to his own music (“The Devil's Violin”, “Saltarello”), in which he himself performed violin solos, alternating violin playing with dance. By the time Saint-Leon, together with Delibes and Nuiter, began to create the Coppelia, he was already a prominent maestro who enjoyed well-deserved authority.

The plot of "Coppelia" is based on the short story of the famous romantic writer and musician E. T. A. Hoffmann "The Sandman" (1817), which tells about a young man who fell in love with a mechanical doll made skilled craftsman Coppelius. Unlike Hoffmann's short story with its inherent features of mysticism, this side was practically discarded in the ballet. The librettists turned out to be an entertaining comedy based on a fleeting quarrel and reconciliation of lovers.

The historical name is "Coppelia, or the Girl with Blue Eyes". The premiere of the performance took place at the Paris Grand Opera on May 25, 1870 in the presence of Emperor Napoleon III and his wife, Empress Eugenie. The great success that befell the ballet at the premiere accompanies it to this day.

In Russia, it was first staged on January 24, 1882 at the Moscow Bolshoi Theater by Josef Hansen, who followed the choreography of Saint-Leon. On November 25, 1884, the premiere of Coppelia took place at the Moscow Mariinsky Theater in the choreography of the famous Marius Petipa. There is also a version by A. Gorsky (1871–1924), performed at the Bolshoi Theater in 1905.

In addition to excellent dances, this old ballet has two more undeniable advantages. Firstly, "Coppelia" is a comedy, and there are not so many of them among the masterpieces classical heritage. Secondly, a comedy with great music.

It is widely known how P. Tchaikovsky assessed Delibes' skill “in the field of ballet”: “The first ballet in which music is not only the main, but also the only interest. What charm, what elegance, melodic, rhythmic and harmonic richness. These words, it is true, were said about another ballet by the composer, but they can just as well be applied to Coppelia. No wonder the music from "Coppelia" is also performed on the concert stage.

The main storyline of this cheerful ballet, oddly enough, is taken from Hoffmann's completely gloomy short stories, mainly from The Sandman. Hoffmann love interest the young man ends tragically with a doll, and in the ballet - the wedding of this young man with a lively and energetic beauty (Svanilda), who managed to resist the insidious creator of the doll (Coppelia), who almost became a fatal lovebird.

"Coppelia" saw the light of the ramp in 1870 in Paris Opera(National Academy of Music and Dance). Her father-creator was Arthur Saint-Leon, who conceded to Marius Petipa the post of head of the St. Petersburg ballet, a choreographer, as well as a virtuoso dancer, an expert in dance folklore, a composer and a violinist. His substantive interest in the "dances of the peoples of the world" led to the appearance in the musical score of such a rich "set" of dance melodies based on folklore. It is believed to be one of the first ballets to feature Slavic motifs.

In the fourteen years that have passed from the moment of the Paris premiere to Petipa's own production on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater in St. Petersburg, Coppelia has appeared on the stages of Brussels, the Moscow Bolshoi Theater and London. Before late XIX century, the ballet was also staged in New York, Milan, Copenhagen, Munich and again in St. Petersburg, now on stage Mariinsky Theater. The 20th century also paid tribute to this ballet, offering, among other things, very modern readings and even at times abandoning his comedic element.

The second St. Petersburg edition of Coppelia (choreography by Marius Petipa, staged by the Italian teacher and choreographer Enrico Cecchetti, who was then serving in St. Petersburg), carried out in 1894, and revived in 2009 at the Bolshoi Ballet Researcher Pavel Gershenzon and the famous premier of the Mariinsky Theatre, choreographer-restorer Sergey Vikharev.

In 2001, their reconstructed Coppelia premiered at the Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theatre. The performance made such a strong impression on the theatrical community that next year she awarded him the National theater award"Golden Mask".

It was assumed that in the 2017/18 season Sergey Vikharev would stage an updated edition at the Bolshoi, however tragic accident, which ended the life of everyone's favorite choreographer, forced them to abandon these plans. We show the old edition, carefully and carefully restored.

FROM THE PRE-PRIME INTERVIEW (2009) BY SERGEY VIKHAREV:

In this ballet interesting classical dances. Interesting characteristic dances. And a very interesting pantomime. That is, there are all three whales on which the old classical ballet. And plus - the wonderful music of Delibes.
Saint-Leon is quite difficult to revive. For the simple reason that practically nothing of what he set has been preserved. Artfully stylizing it for him is another matter. However, we can present some crumbs of the Saint-Leon Coppélia. This is such a little black cocktail dress - examples of small and very difficult dance technique, sequins that are scattered throughout the ballet.

Another thing is Petipa. And the recipe for the "revival" of the old ballet is very simple and has long been known. You need to take the records stored in the Harvard collection, see what is there, then open the musical score and compare if everything is there for those dances that you found at Harvard, realize what the ratio of the original and the “inserted” text will be, and so in a way, in the end, to understand whether the reconstruction of this ballet is possible in principle. Then you go to theater museum, the theater library and get an idea of ​​whether the costumes and scenery can be restored, study the old program and ... And so on, and so on, and so on. All this is very troublesome, difficult, but quite possible. As for the "Coppelia" in the edition of 1894, it is very well recorded. Although, of course, there are some gaps that a person staging a performance, by virtue of his profession, should be able to fill.

There is still some difficulty associated with the name Cecchetti.
The history of the productions is as follows: first there was Petipa based on Saint-Leon, then just Petipa, and then already - Petipa, production by Cecchetti. It is almost impossible to clearly “dissolve” their authorship. This is already such a single choreographic layer. However, some critics think that he brought sophisticated ballerina technique. Italian dances main character- it's probably really from him.

I don't see anything wrong with the fact that Hoffmann's "creepy" works have turned into a very hilarious ballet comedy. So it happened - and thank God. Sometimes an attempt to return to literary source just does not lead to best results. In my opinion, in the old days, librettists chose a more correct path, adapting literary plots for ballet in a lightweight version.

What should "Coppelia" say to the viewer? Probably should have hinted that five months after the premiere, the French empire would fall apart. And it collapsed, among other things, because there was such art ... When I restored The Awakening of Flora, many said that now it became clear why the king was killed. That was the dominance of art then. Ballet and power is old story mutual reflections.

And today, classical ballet is akin to Latin, which is used only in medicine, but no one else speaks it. And no choreographer in our time would think of staging a purely classical ballet using exclusively classical vocabulary. Such ballets can only be restored and find their charm in it. There are people who are now ready to condemn the art of the era of Napoleon III or Nicholas II. But I think it's funny. It is interesting for me to study both that, and another, and the third. In the end, it expands the palette of knowledge. And all our current "Coppelias" and "Flora Awakenings" are not just a tribute to fashion, not glamor and not show business, this is actual art. Mirrors in which you can see bygone eras.

Text Natalia Shadrina

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