The content of the ballet "Raymonda": the creators, the content of each act

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

At the end of the 19th century, the composer A. Glazunov wrote "Raymonda" (ballet). The content is borrowed from the knight's legend. It was first staged at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg.

History of Creation

"Raymonda" is a spectacular performance with a romantic plot, beautiful music and bright choreography. It is one of the most famous and beloved Russian ballets. Music by Alexander Glazunov. He wrote it by order of I. Vsevolzhsky, who at that time was the director of the Imperial Theaters. The composer was given very little time to write music for this ballet. "Raymonda" was the first ballet written by A. Glazunov. The composer worked enthusiastically and with pleasure, he liked the plot, the theme of the Middle Ages and chivalry was of keen interest to him from childhood.

As mentioned above, the libretto of the ballet "Raymonda" was based on the knight's legend. A summary of it will be presented in this article. The authors of the libretto were I. Vsevolzhsky and M. Petipa. The script was written by L. Pashkova. The choreography of the performance was created by the brilliant M. Petipa. This was his last majorstaging. The part of the main character is one of the most difficult to perform. Raymond was danced by such great ballerinas as M. Plisetskaya, G. Ulanova, N. Dudinskaya, N. Bessmertnova, L. Semenyaka and others.

Plot and characters

Ballet Characters:

• Raymonda.
• White lady.
• Countess Sibylla.
• Knight Jean de Brienne.
• Abderakhman.

And also the manager of the castle, Raymonda's friends, pages, troubadours, retinue, knights, vassals, ladies, servants, soldiers, Moors, heralds.

Summary of the ballet "Raymonda". The main character is a young beautiful girl. She has a fiance - the crusader Jean, whom she is waiting for from the campaign. Abderakhman arrives at the celebration on the occasion of Raymonda's name day and asks for the girl's hand in marriage. But she refuses the Saracen. Then he tries to kidnap her. But the groom, who returned in time, saves the girl and kills Abderakhman in a duel. The action ends with a wedding feast.

First act

We begin to describe the content of the ballet "Raymonda": I act. The scene is a medieval castle. His mistress is the Countess de Doris. Her niece Raymonda has a name day, and on this occasion there are celebrations in the castle. The youth dance and have fun. The Countess is dissatisfied with the general idleness. She scares the youth with the White Lady. Girls only laugh at the fact that the Countess is so superstitious. The White Lady is the patroness of the de Doris house, and she appears when one of the family members is in danger. A messenger arrives at the castle with the news that the groomRaymond will arrive tomorrow. Soon a Saracen appears, who has heard a lot about the beauty of the girl and decided to pay her a visit. Abderakhman admires Raymonda.

After the holiday, the guests leave, only close friends of Raymonda remain in the castle. At night, the White Lady comes to her. She calls Raymond to the garden. There the White Lady first shows her her fiancé. Raymonda throws herself into his arms, but at that moment the vision disappears and Abderakhman appears instead. The girl falls unconscious.

Second act

Contents of the ballet "Raymonda" (II act). Once again the scene is the Countess's castle. Knights, vassals, neighbors, troubadours come to the holiday. Raymond is waiting for her fiancé to return. Soon a Saracen appears. The girl does not want to accept him, but her aunt persuades her to be hospitable. Abderakhman offers Raymonda to become his wife, but is refused. Then the Saracen tries to kidnap the beauty. At this moment, Jean, Raymonda's fiancé, appears in the castle. He saves his beloved and challenges the Saracen to a duel. During the fight, the White Lady appears and blinds Abderakhman with light. Jean kills a Saracen.

Third act

The content of the ballet "Raymonda" (III act): after the successful outcome of the duel, the king blesses his faithful knight and Raymonda. The ballet ends with a wedding feast.

Stagings in different theaters

The audience of the Mariinsky Theater was the first to discover the contents of the ballet Raymonda in 1898. In the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, the performance was first shown in 1900year. In 1973 the ballet was filmed. In 2003 choreographer Y. Grigorovich created his own choreography and his own libretto for the play. Thanks to J. Balanchine and R. Nuriyev, the ballet became famous abroad. Now "Raymonda" is known and loved all over the world.