Le Diable amoureux (ballet)
Encyclopedia
Le Diable Amoureux is a Pantomime ballet in 3 acts, 7 scenes. Originally staged by Joseph Mazilier
to the music of Napoléon Henri Reber
and François Benoist
. Libretto by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges, based on the 1772 occult romance by Jacques Cazotte
.
First presented by the Ballet du Théâtre de l'Académie Royale de Musique in Paris
, France
on September 21, 1840. Pauline Leroux (as Uriel), Mazilier (as Alvaro).
for the benefit performance of the Italian ballerina Amalia Ferraris. Petipa choreographed the pas de deux to new music which the composer Cesare Pugni based on the ancient air Il Carnevale di Venezia (also used by Nicolò Paganini for his famous repertory piece Carnevale di Venezia (Op.10)). The pas de deux was titled as Le Carnaval de Venise.
When Petipa revived the full-length ballet Satanella for the ballerina Alexandra Vergina in 1868, Le Carnaval de Venise was introduced into the third act of the ballet, where it was retained for many years.
Le Carnaval de Venise lived on long after the full-length Satanella left the Imperial Ballet's repertory. Today the pas de deux is a staple of the classical ballet repertory and the ballet competition circuit. The celebrated documentary hosted by Princess Grace of Monaco The Children of Theatre Street (which profiled students attending the Vaganova Choreographic Institute
) featured the pas de deux prominently.
Joseph Mazilier
Joseph Mazilier was a 19th-century French dancer, balletmaster and choreographer. He was most noted for his ballets Paquita and Le Corsaire...
to the music of Napoléon Henri Reber
Napoléon Henri Reber
Napoléon Henri Reber was a French composer.He studied with Anton Reicha and Jean François Lesueur, wrote chamber music, and set to music the new poems of the best French poets...
and François Benoist
François Benoist
François Benoist was a French organist, composer, and pedagogue.Benoist was born in Nantes. He studied music at the Conservatoire de Paris and won the Prix de Rome in 1815 for his cantata Œnone. In 1819, he became organist and professor of organ at the Conservatoire; he held the latter post for...
. Libretto by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges, based on the 1772 occult romance by Jacques Cazotte
Jacques Cazotte
Jacques Cazotte was a French author.Born at Dijon, he was educated by the Jesuits. Cazotte then worked for the French Ministry ofthe Marine and at the age of 27 he obtained a public office at Martinique....
.
First presented by the Ballet du Théâtre de l'Académie Royale de Musique in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
on September 21, 1840. Pauline Leroux (as Uriel), Mazilier (as Alvaro).
Revivals/Restagings
- Revival by Marius PetipaMarius PetipaVictor Marius Alphonse Petipa was a French ballet dancer, teacher and choreographer. Petipa is considered to be the most influential ballet master and choreographer of ballet that has ever lived....
and Jean Petipa for the Imperial BalletMariinsky BalletThe Mariinsky Ballet is a classical ballet company based at the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Founded in the 18th century and originally known as the Imperial Russian Ballet, the Mariinsky Ballet is one of the world's leading ballet companies...
under the title Satanella, with music orchestrated and revised by Konstantin Liadov. First presented on at the Imperial Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre, St. Petersburg, Russian EmpireRussian EmpireThe Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
. Principal Dancers - Mariia Surovshchikova-PetipaMariia Surovshchikova-PetipaMariia Sergeyevna Surovshchikova-Petipa , was prima ballerina to the St. Petersburg Imperial Theatres and wife of the noted choreographer Marius Petipa.- Life :...
as Satanella, and Marius Petipa as Count Fabio.
- Revival by Marius Petipa for the Imperial Ballet with additional music by Cesare Pugni. First presented on at the Imperial Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre, St. Petersburg, Russian Empire. Principal Dancers - Praskovia Lebedeva as Satanella, and Lev IvanovLev IvanovLev Ivanovich Ivanov was a Russian ballet dancer and choreographer and later, Second Balletmaster of the Imperial Ballet....
.
- Revival by Marius Petipa for the Imperial Ballet with additional music by Cesare Pugni. First presented on at the Imperial Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre, St. Petersburg, Russian Empire. Principal Dancers - Alexandra Vergina as Satanella, and Lev IvanovLev IvanovLev Ivanovich Ivanov was a Russian ballet dancer and choreographer and later, Second Balletmaster of the Imperial Ballet....
as Count Fabio.
- Revival by Marius Petipa for the Imperial Ballet. First presented on at the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg, Russian Empire. Principal Dancers - Lyubov Roslavleva.
Le Carnaval de Venise: The Satanella pas de deux
In 1859, Marius Petipa created a new concert pas de deuxPas de deux
In ballet, a pas de deux is a duet in which ballet dancers perform the dance together. It usually consists of an entrée, adagio, two variations , and a coda.-Notable Pas de deux:...
for the benefit performance of the Italian ballerina Amalia Ferraris. Petipa choreographed the pas de deux to new music which the composer Cesare Pugni based on the ancient air Il Carnevale di Venezia (also used by Nicolò Paganini for his famous repertory piece Carnevale di Venezia (Op.10)). The pas de deux was titled as Le Carnaval de Venise.
When Petipa revived the full-length ballet Satanella for the ballerina Alexandra Vergina in 1868, Le Carnaval de Venise was introduced into the third act of the ballet, where it was retained for many years.
Le Carnaval de Venise lived on long after the full-length Satanella left the Imperial Ballet's repertory. Today the pas de deux is a staple of the classical ballet repertory and the ballet competition circuit. The celebrated documentary hosted by Princess Grace of Monaco The Children of Theatre Street (which profiled students attending the Vaganova Choreographic Institute
Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet
The Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet is a school of classical ballet in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The school was previously known as the Imperial Ballet School, becoming the Leningrad State Choreographic Institute during the Soviet era...
) featured the pas de deux prominently.
Video
- Le Carnaval de Venise performed by Eugenia Obraztsova and Vladimir Shklyarov of the Kirov/Mariinsky Ballet, pt. 1
- Le Carnaval de Venise performed by Eugenia Obraztsova and Vladimir Shklyarov of the Kirov/Mariinsky Ballet, pt. 2
Sources
- Cohen, Selma Jeanne. In Search of Satanella: An Adventure Prompted by "The Children of Theatre Street". Published in Dance Research Journal, Vol. 11, No. 1/2 (1978–1979), pp. 25–30.
- Garafola, Lynn / Petipa, Marius. The Diaries of Marius Petipa. Trans, Ed., and introduction by Lynn Garafola. Published in Studies in Dance History. 3.1 (Spring 1992).