APPROXIMATE SONATA | BALLET IMPERIAL | LA BAYADERE | CHOPINIANA | DIANA AND ACTEON | DON QUIXOTE | ETUDES | JEWELS | IN THE MIDDLE, SOMEWHAT ELEVATED | LE SPECTRE DE LA ROSE | PAQUITA | PIANO CONCERTO NO. 2 | RAYMONDA | SCHEHEREZADE | SERENADE | STEPTEXT | LE CORSAIRE-LE JARDIN ANIMEE
THE DYING SWAN | THE VERTIGINOUS THRILL OF EXACTITUDE

RAYMONDA

Ballet in three acts (six scenes)
Music by ALEXANDER GLAZUNOV
Libretto by LIDIA PASHKOVA and MARIUS PETIPA
Based on a medieval legend
Choreography by MARIUS PETIPA

Revised version by KONSTANTIN SERGEEV
With choreographic fragments by FYODOR LOPUKHOV
PYOTR GUSEV, LIDIA TIUNTINA, GEORGY KONISHCHEV
Set and costume design by SIMON VIRSALADZE
World premiere: 7 January 1898, Mariinsky Theatre
Premiere of Konstantin Sergeyev’s version: 30 April 1948, Kirov Theatre, Leningrad
Raymonda is the jewel in the crown of Petipa’s long creative career. It is also this classical choreographer’s most modernistic work. The subject is mentioned en passant, giving way to pure dance ensembles, foretelling the triumph of the plot-less ballets of the 20th century. Pure classical dancing is bravely mixed with Hungarian folk dancing: in the final Grand pas, the ballerina dances en pointe, but her arms are flung wide open in the Hungarian style, now flying up behind her head, now resting by her sides. Even the series of purely classical point work, now on this leg, now on that, is reminiscent of elements from boisterous Magyar folk dance. Here we see not Countess Raymonda disdainfully rejecting the ardent Saracen, staying true to her betrothed knight who has gone off on a crusade, before ultimately celebrating her wedding. Here we see prima ballerina observing the rules of classical dance amidst the energy of eastern dances so she can then demonstrate her bravado nature through pseudo- Hungarian movements.
Everything that fascinates in Konstantin Sergeyev’s version of   Raymonda was created not by Sergeyev, byt by Petipa. Sergeyev did not improve the ballet by reworking it, though he did answer the mood of the age. According to critics of the time, the return of the pompous Raymonda after the meant as much for Leningrad residents as the famous statue of Samson from the Great Cascade at Petergoff being carried along Nevsky Prospect- it meant that peace had returned.

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