Five Ballets from Paris and St. Petersburg: Giselle | Paquita | Le Corsaire | La Bayadere | Raymonda

Five Ballets from Paris and St. Petersburg provides new insights into five classic story ballets, drawing on manuscripts and images to reveal steps, floor patterns, and mime conversations. It includes English translations of seven French and Russian librettos and offers a fresh portrait of a living, breathing art form with strong audience appeal.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 856 pages
Publication date: 25 December 2024
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc

Five Ballets from Paris and St. Petersburg presents a captivating exploration of five iconic story ballets: Giselle (1841), Paquita (1846), Le Corsaire (1856), La Bayadère (1877), and Raymonda (1898). Drawing on extensive manuscripts, these books provide detailed insights into the original performances of nineteenth-century ballets, revealing step-by-step choreography, floor patterns, mime conversations, and the profound impact of the music on the drama. With over 50 images and 350 musical examples, the book is generously enriched with valuable resources. It also includes English translations of seven French and Russian librettos in appendices, making it accessible to a broader audience. This comprehensive work fills significant gaps in dance history, challenging traditional narratives and offering fresh perspectives on nineteenth-century ballet, its music, characters, choreographies, depictions of Others and Elsewhere, and the careers of its major choreographers. It serves as a valuable resource for practitioners seeking to understand the success of these classic ballets and their creators.

Weight: 1560g
Dimension: 255 x 179 x 52 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780190944513