Cinderella (Prokofiev)
Cinderella (Russian: Золушка, Zolushka) is a ballet, Op. 87, composed by Sergei Prokofiev to a scenario by Nikolai Volkov. It is one of his most popular and melodious compositions, and has inspired a great many choreographers since its inception. The piece was composed between 1940 and 1944. Part way through writing it he broke off to write his opera War and Peace. The premiere of Cinderella was conducted by Yuri Fayer on Wednesday, November 21st, 1945, at the Bolshoi Theatre with choreography by Rostislav Zakharov.[1] Galina Ulanova danced the title role. Cinderella (or Cendrillon) is notable for its jubilant music, lush scenery, and for the hilarious double-roles of the stepsisters, more mad than bad in this treatment.
Contents |
[edit] Cinderella (ballet)
- Act I
- No 1 Introduction
- No 2 Shawl Dance
- No 3 Cinderella
- No 4 The Father
- No 5 The Fairy Godmother
- No 6 The Sisters' New Clothes
- No 7 The Dancing Lesson
- No 8 Departure of the Stepmother and the Sisters for the Ball
- No 9 Cinderella Dreams of the Ball
- No 10 Gavotte
- No 11 Second Appearance of the Fairy Godmother
- No 12 Spring Fairy
- No 13 Summer Fairy
- No 14 Grasshoppers and Dragonflies
- No 15 Autumn Fairy
- No 16 Winter Fairy
- No 17 The Interrupted Departure
- No 18 The Clock
- No 19 Cinderella's Departure for the Ball
- Act II
- No 20 Dance of the Courtiers
- No 21 Passepied
- No 22 Bourrée
- No 23 Skinny's Variation
- No 24 Dumpy's Variation
- No 25 Dance of the Courtiers (Reprise)
- No 26 Mazurka and Entrance of the Prince
- No 27 Dance of the Prince's Four Companions
- No 28 Mazurka
- No 29 Cinderella's Arrival at the Ball
- No 30 Grand Waltz
- No 31 Promenade
- No 32 Cinderella's Dance
- No 33 Dance of the Prince
- No 34 Refreshments for the Guests
- No 35 Duet of the Sisters with the Oranges
- No 36 Duet of the Prince and Cinderella
- No 37 Waltz-Coda
- No 38 Midnight
- Act III
- No 39 The Prince and the Cobblers
- No 40 First Galop of the Prince
- No 41 Temptation
- No 42 Second Galop of the Prince
- No 43 Orientalia
- No 44 Third Galop of the Prince
- No 45 Cinderella's Awakening
- No 46 The Morning After the Ball
- No 47 The Prince's Visit
- No 48 The Prince Recognizes Cinderella
- No 49 Slow Waltz
- No 50 Amoroso
Plot
Cinderella lives with her wicked stepsisters, until a beggar (who reveals herself to be a fairy) comes, and rewards Cinderella by giving her a coach and a new look. At the ball, Cinderella falls in love with the prince. She stays only until midnight, when the spell wears off. But, she leaves her slipper behind, which the prince uses to find her again. The ballet is based on Charles Perrault's Cendrillon.
Ballet Trivia
- Cinderella's stepsisters are sometimes played by men
- In the story Cinderella there is no beggar, or seasonal fairies
- The glass slipper is played by a regular ballet slipper
[edit] Orchestral suites extracted from Cinderella
- Suite No. 1 from Cinderella, Op. 107
- Suite No. 2 from Cinderella, Op. 108
- Suite No. 3 from Cinderella, Op. 109
[edit] Pieces from Cinderella arranged for piano
- Three Pieces from Cinderella, Op. 95
- Ten Pieces from Cinderella, Op. 97
- Six Pieces from Cinderella, Op. 102
[edit] See also
- Cinderella, Frederick Ashton's version of the Prokofiev ballet
- Rudolf Nureyev's version of Cinderella
[edit] Footnotes
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