ROMEO & JULIET
Ballet in three acts, thirteen scenes
Music -Sergei Prokofiev
Libretto - Leonid Lavrovsky, Sergei Prokofiev, Sergei Radlov,
Adrian Piotrovsky, based on the tragedy by William Shakespeare
Choreography - Leonid Lavrovsky (1940)
Set and Costume Designer - Pyotr Williams
Conductor – Pavel Bubelnikov
Premiere: January 11, 1940, Kirov Theatre, Leningrad
Running time: 3 hours 30 minutes with two intermissions
Cast:
The Duke of Verona: Sergei Kononenko
Capulet: Vladimir Ponomarev
Juliet: Diana Vishneva
Irina Golub
Yevgenia Obraztsova
Juliet's Mother: Elena Bazhenova
Juliet's Nurse: Natalia Sveshnikova
Tybalt: Ilya Kuznetsov
Dmitry Pykhachev
Paris: Sergei Popov
Romeo: Andrian Fadeev
Igor Kolb
Mercutio: Leonid Sarafanov
Friar Lawrence
Montague: Pyotr Stasyunas
Benvolio: Islom Baymuradov
Joker: Andrei Ivanov
Servants to Capulet: Igor Petrov, Andrei Yakovlev, Dmitry Sharapov
Pari's Page: Svetlana Ivanova
Tavern's Servants: Polina Rassadina, Galina Rakhmanova, Ryu Je Yeon
Juliet's companion: Ekaterina Osmolkina, Nadezhda Gonchar
Troubadour: Vasily Shcherbakov
Tybalt's Friends: Igor Nikitin, Soslan Kulayev
Courtesans: Victoria Kutepova, Irina Prokofieva, Yulia Bolshakova
Beggars: Marianna Pavlova, Elena Chmil
Folk dance: Alisa Sokolova, Yana Serebriakova, Andrei Yakovlev,
Dmitry Sharapov
Solo in the orchestra:
Yuri Zagorodniuk (violin); Mikhail Slavin (cello); Victor Khussu (oboe);
Vyacheslav
Panasyuk (cornet-a-piston); Valeria Rumiantseva (organ);
Olga Bystrova-Okhromenko
(piano and celesta).
SYNOPSIS
Act I
Scene 1
It is early one morning. Romeo, dreaming of love, wanders through the
deserted streets of Verona. Little by little, all sorts of people fill
the square and the first customers arrive at the inn.
Tybalt, noticeably drunk, is on his way home. He sees Benvolio and,
drawing his sword, attacks him immediately. The peaceful square turns into
a scene of fierce fighting between the supporters of the Montague and Capulet
households. Swords cross, people are killed and the alarm is sounded.
Paris, a young nobleman, appears. He has come to ask for the hand of
Juliet, the beautiful daughter of Old Capulet. Nobody heeds him. Old Capulet
himself is seen running out of his house, eager to play a part in the encounter
with the Montagues.
The Duke of Verona and his guards appear in the square. The people implore
him to put a stop to the bloodshed. The Duke commands them to drop their
weapons, and issues a decree stating that anyone who bares arms in the
streets of Verona will be sentenced to death.
Scene 2
Juliet playfully teases her old nurse, who is helping her dress for
the imminent ball. Juliet´s mother enters and scolds her daughter
for her childishness.
Scene 3
Guests pass in a ceremonious parade to the ball at the Capulets´ house.
Paris is amongst them, accompanied by his page.
Romeo´s friends, the witty Mercutio and the loyal Benvolio, persuade
him to go to the ball with them. The young men put on masks; without them
they cannot go to the feast because of the feud between the two families.
Scene 4
Romeo and his friends enter the Capulets´ palace. Romeo is captivated
by Juliet´s beauty and cannot conceal his emotions. By accident,
his mask slips, revealing his face to Juliet. She falls in love with the
youth.
Tybalt recognises Romeo as an enemy of the Capulets and hurries off
to tell Old Capulet that Romeo has dared to come to the ball. Romeo and
his friends leave the house to avoid trouble.
Scene 5
On a moonlit balcony of the Capulets´ house, Juliet dreams of seeing
Romeo again. Her dream comes true as Romeo appears in the garden below.
He stretches out his arms to her in an expression of love. A moment later,
they are together. They tenderly declare their love for one another and
vow eternal fidelity to each other.
Act II
Scene 6
In the noisy gaiety of the square in Verona, Juliet´s nurse hands
Romeo a letter from her young mistress. Romeo reads it with delight, for
Juliet has agreed to be his wife.
Scene 7
Friar Lawrence is happily passing the day in his quiet cell. Romeo enters
and begs the monk to wed him to Juliet in secret. The friar promises to
help, hoping that the marriage will reconcile the Montagues and the Capulets
and thus end the feud. Juliet enters and Friar Lawrence performs the wedding
rites.
Scene 8
Mercutio, Benvolio and their friends have come to the inn. Tybalt enters
and, upon seeing his enemies, he draws his sword and rushes at Mercutio.
Romeo tries to make peace between them. Tybalt pushes him away. Tybalt
and Mercutio cross swords. Romeo again attempts to separate them, but Tybalt,
seizing a favourable moment, deals Mercutio a treacherous blow and kills
him.
Romeo is wild with fury at the death of his friend. He draws his sword
and challenges Tybalt to a duel. Tybalt is killed. Benvolio, frightened,
points to the decree posted by the Duke of Verona and leads his friend
away.
Tybalt´s kinsmen gather round his dead body and swear vengeance on
the House of Montague.
Act III
Scene 9
Romeo has come to bid farewell to Juliet. He is ready to flee Verona,
having violated the Duke´s decree.
As the rays of the morning sun stream into the room, Romeo takes leave
of his beloved. The nurse comforts Juliet, who is heart-broken at her separation
from Romeo.
Juliet´s parents enter the room, and her mother tells her that her
marriage to Paris has been arranged. Paris, who has also come in, declares
his love for Juliet; she listens to his passionate avowals, but refuses
to comply with her parents´ wish. When Paris has left the room, they
shower her with reproaches. Her father says firmly that he is determined
to have his way.
Juliet is in despair. She makes up her mind to go to Friar Lawrence
for advice.
Scene 10
Juliet comes to Friar Lawrence´s cell. The monk is touched by the
tale of her boundless love for Romeo and gives her a potion. His plan is
that she will drink the potion and fall into a deep sleep. She will be
thought dead, and her body will be taken to the family vault - in an open
coffin according to the ancient custom of the country. Meanwhile, Friar
Lawrence will write to Romeo who is hiding in Mantua and summon him back
to Verona. The young man will return at once. Juliet will have awoken by
that time and Romeo will take her away with him back to Mantua.
Scene 11
When Juliet returns home, she pretends to have submitted to her parents´ will.
She takes the potion and falls into a deep sleep. Juliet´s friends
come in with bunches of flowers and, unable to find her, believe her to
be still asleep. Her parents enter, accompanied by Paris. The nurse draws
the curtains of Juliet´s bed aside. All are paralysed with horror
- Juliet lies dead on her couch.
Scene 12
Mantua. It is night. Romeo is alone, lost in gloomy thoughts. He has
had no news from Juliet. Friar Lawrence´s messenger has not arrived.
Benvolio, who has just come from Verona, rushes to Romeo and tells him
of Juliet´s death. Romeo hurries back to Verona.
Scene 13
At the cemetery in Verona, the mourners, sad and silent, take their
last farewell of Juliet and depart.
Romeo enters the vault. He cannot take his eyes off his beloved; she
is dead, and life no longer has any meaning for him. Romeo swallows some
poison and falls dead at her feet. Juliet wakes up to see Romeo dead. Snatching
his dagger, she stabs herself.
The people assembled at the cemetery watch as Old Montague and Old Capulet
gaze sorrowfully at the bodies of their dead children. In silence, they
stretch out their hands to each other.
The tragic death of the two lovers was the price to pay to end their
long and bloody feud.
SWAN LAKE
Ballet in Four Acts
Music Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Libretto Vladimir Begichev and Vasili Geltzer
Choreography Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov
Revised Choreography and Stage Direction Konstantin Sergeyev
Set Designer Igor Ivanov
Costume Designer Galina Solovieva
World premiere performance, January 15, 1895, Mariinsky
Theatre, St. Petersburg, Russia;
Premiere of Konstantin Sergeyev’s version, March 8, 1950, Mariinsky
Theatre, St. Petersburg
Cast:
(Subject to change)
Odette, Queen of the Swans / Odile, Odette’s Double
Uliana
Lopatkina
Diana
Vishneva
Victoria
Tereshkina;
Alina
Somova
Prince Siegfried
Igor
Zelensky;
Danila
Korsuntsev;
Igor
Kolb;
Andrian
Fadeev
The Princess Regent, Siegfried’s Mother
Elena Bazhenova
The Prince’s Tutor
Petr Stasyunas
Friends of the Prince
Irina
Golub, Ekaterina Osmolkina, Anton Korsakov, Daria
Sukhorukova, Tatiana Tkachenko, Vasily Scherbakov, Nadezhda
Gonchar, Tatiana Tkachenko, Vasily Scherbakov
A Jester
Andrei
Ivanov
Grigory
Popov
Rothbart, an Evil Sorcerer
Ilya
Kuznetsov
Maxim
Chashchegorov
Cygnets
Svetlana
Ivanova, Elena Chmil, Irina Golub, Elena Yushkovskaya
Swans
Ekaterina Kondaurova, Yulia Bolshakova, Ksenia Ostreykovskaya,
Tatiana Tkachenko
Two Swans
Nadezhda Gonchar, Xenia Ostreikovskaya
Prince’s Brides
Ekaterina Kondaurova, Yulia Bolshakova, Tatiana
Tkachenko, Ksenia Ostreykovskaya, Daria Sukhorukova, Yana Serebriakova
Spanish Dance
Polina Rassadina, Ryu Ji Yeon, Islom Baimuradov,
Vasily Shcherbakov
Neapolitan Dance
Yana Selina, Maxim Khrebtov
Hungarian Dance
Ksenia Dubrovina, Andrey Yakovlev
Mazurka
Galina Rakhmanova, Marianna Pavlova, Irina Prokofieva,
Victoria Kutepova, Soslan Kulaev, Alexander Klimov, Dmitry Sharapov,
Igor Nikitin
Conductor
Pavel Bubelnikov
SYNOPSIS
Act I
It is Prince Siegfried’s birthday, and in the park in front of the
castle the young prince celebrates his coming-of-age with courtiers, friends,
and villagers. The guests drink to his health and a jester entertains them
with his antics. When Siegfried’s mother arrives she expresses displeasure
with her son’s behavior and he presents her with a bouquet of roses
to mollify her. However, once his mother departs, the revelry resumes.
As twilight falls the guests depart and the Prince is left alone in the
park. High above, a flock of white swans fly across the darkening sky.
Seizing his bow, Siegfried rushes off into the forest to hunt for the swans.
Act II
In the growing darkness the swans have gathered near the shore of a
lake deep in the forest. The swans are, in fact, beautiful young maidens
who have been transformed by the evil sorcerer Rothbart. Only at night
can they assume human form and the only power on earth that can break
Rothbart’s spell is devoted love. One of the swans comes to shore
and just as Siegfried is drawing his bow to shoot the white bird it suddenly
turns into a beautiful woman-it is Odette, the Queen of the Swans. Enthralled
by her beauty, the Prince tries to capture her. But, afraid of Rothbart
and his magic, she disappears into he midst of the other swan-maidens.
Siegfried runs after her and swears his eternal love and fidelity. As
dawn breaks, Odette sadly bids farewell to her prince and joins the other
swan-maidens as they glide slowly across the lake.
INTERMISSION
Act III
Guests have gathered at the castle for a ball celebrating the birthday
of the prince. Siegfried must choose his bride from among the six princesses
who have been invited, but he remains indifferent to them all because
he has given his heart to Odette. At his mother’s insistence he
dances with each of the prospective brides. As a token, he is to give
his chosen bride a bouquet of flowers. A he faces his dilemma a flourish
of trumpets heralds the arrival of new guests: the sorcerer Rothbart
and his daughter Odile-Odette’s evil double. Seeing them and thinking
his true love has arrived, Siegfried joyously announces to his mother
that the beautiful Odile is his choice. The sorcerer is jubilant.
Suddenly, Siegfried sees a vision of the frantic swan queen, Odette, outside
the castle window and realizes that he has been deceived into breaking
his vow. In despair, Siegfried rushes to the lake in search of his beloved
Odette.
INTERMISSION
Act IV
The dejected swan-maidens have gathered at the lakeside. When Siegfried
arrives he begs Odette’s forgiveness for breaking his promise and
again professes his eternal love.
Rothbart appears, and in a rage commands that the black swans separate
the young lovers. Siegfried struggles with the sorcerer and in the encounter
breaks Rothbart’s wing. The enchanter collapses and, his power gone,
die. Love has broken the evil spell. The rising sun shines radiantly on
the Prince, Odette, and the rescued maidens.
