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The Red Poppy

The Red Poppy(Russian:Красный мак,romanized:Krasniy mak) or sometimesThe Red Flower(Russian:Красный цветок,romanized:Krasniy tsvetok) is aballetin three acts and eight tableaux with an apotheosis, with a score written byReinhold Glièreand libretto byMikhail Kurilko.This ballet was created in 1927 as the firstSovietballet with a modern revolutionary theme. Possibly the most famous dance from this ballet is the Sailors Dance, sometimes referred to as the "Russian Sailors Dance"(although it is described as" Dance of the Sailors from the Soviet Ship "in the score and libretto). It is this musical selection for which Glière is perhaps best known. There have been four main versions ofThe Red Poppy.

The Red Poppy
Scene fromThe Red Poppy,a drawing on a Sovietpostage stamp
Native titleКрасный мак
Choreographer(Acts 1 and 3):Lev Laschiline
(Act 2):Vasily Tikhomirov
MusicReinhold Glière
Premiere14 June 1927
Bolshoi Theatre,Moscow,Soviet Union
Original ballet companyBolshoi Ballet
CharactersTaï-Choa
Soviet Captain
Li-Chan-Fou
Chinese Conjurer
Harbormaster of the Port
Ma Lichen (1949 staging)
Nüwa(2010 staging)
DesignMikhail Kurilko
Setting1920s-eraRepublican China

History

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Original version (1927)

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A scene from the 1927 production ofThe Red Poppy

The original version ofThe Red PoppywaschoreographedbyLev Lashchiline(1st and 3rd Acts) andVasily Tikhomirov(2nd Act). The first performance was on 14 June 1927 in theBolshoi Theatre(which at the time under Soviet rule had been renamed "First People's State Theatre for Opera and Ballet" ). The orchestra was led byYuri Fayer.The ballet's 100th performance in Moscow occurred on 23 December 1928.

This production was staged in 1928 and 1930 inSverdlovsk,and in 1928, 1949, and 1958 inSaratov.The Leningradsky Theatre of opera and ballet staged the ballet in 1929 inLeningrad,adding several dances to the production. The original version was performed in 1941 and 1950 inGorky;in 1946 inBakuby theAzerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre;and in 1949 and 1958 by theKirov Ballet.

In 1943, theBallet Russe de Monte-Carlostaged a one-act version of the ballet in thePublic Music Hall,Cleveland,Ohio.[1]Premiering on October 9, 1943, the production was staged byIgor Schwezoff,with decor byBoris Aronson.SinceWorld War IIwas being fought at the time, with theSoviets and Americans allied,the villain Li-Chan-Fou was changed to a Japanese bar owner. The group of Soviet sailors now included British and Americans as well.[2]

Scene of foxtrot dance, scenery by M. Kurilko

The Red Flower(1957)

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In 1957,Vasily Tikhomirovand Mikhail Kurilko staged an expanded version of the ballet. RenamedThe Red Flower(to avoid the association withopium), the number of scenes ( "tableaux" ) was increased from 8 to 13. It was first performed on 24 November 1957 in the Bolshoi Theatre.

Lavrovsky version (1949)

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In 1949 a new version ofThe Red Poppywas choreographed byLeonid Lavrovsky.[3]The scenario was rewritten byAleksey Yermolayev,and the ballet was first performed on 30 December 1949 in the Bolshoi Theatre.[3]The 1949 version introduced a new character, Ma Lichen.

Androsov version (2010)

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Ballet triumph in Rome, February 12, 2010

On 12 February 2010, a new production ofThe Red Poppy,with choreography byNikolay Androsov,was performed atTeatro dell'Opera di Roma.Scenery and costumes byElena Puliti,conductorAndre Anichanov,musical cooperation fromFrancesco Sodini,and director of productionBeppe Menegatti.This version introduced a new character,Nüwa,goddess of fertility. A new production of this version is expected on June 13, 2015, at theRostov State Opera and Ballet (Musical) Theatre,inRostov-on-Don.

Vasiliev version (2010)

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Also in 2010, a new production choreographed byVladimir Vasiliev(who also did scenario editing and scenery), with costumes by Maria Vol'skaya, and music director and conducting by Anatoly Chepurnoy, was performed on 23 November at theKrasnoyarskBallet and Opera Theater.

Other performances

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Synopsis

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The ballet takes place at a seaport in 1920s-eraRepublican China.Ships carrying sailors from many lands, including the Soviet Union, are docked in a Chinese seaport. The Captain of the Soviet Ship notices a group of half-starved, overworkedcooliesbeing brutally driven to work even harder by their cruel harbormaster.

One night while dancing for the sailors aboard the ship, the beautiful Taï-Choa (Pinyin:Taohua) notices the Soviet Captain trying to rescue the poor Coolies from the Harbormaster. Impressed by the captain's act of kindness she gives him ared poppyas a symbol of her love.

When Taï-Choa's fiancé, the adventurer Li-Chan-Fou learns of this, he is jealous and orders her to kill the captain. She refuses, and is later killed when a riot breaks out on the dock — thus sacrificing her life for the captain. As she dies, she gives another red poppy flower to a young Chinese girl as a sign of love and freedom.

Structure

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Act One

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  • First Tableau
  • No. 1 Introduction
  • No. 2 Unloading the Soviet Ship (Work of the Coolies)
  • No. 3 Restaurant Scene
  • No. 4 Dance of the Malaysian Women
  • Scene and Exit of the Malaysian Women
  • No. 5 Taï-Choa's Entrance
  • No. 6 Fan Dance
  • No. 7 Scene After Fan Dance
  • No. 8 Dance in the Restaurant
  • No. 9 Entrance of the Adventurer
  • No. 10 Coolie's Work
  • No. 11 Commotion in the Crowd. Arrival of the Captain of the Soviet Ship
  • No. 12 Work of the Soviet Sailors
  • No. 13 Scene of Taï-Choa with the Captain and the Adventurer
  • No. 14 Dance of the Golden Thimbles
  • No. 15 Exit of Taï-Choa
  • No. 16 Victory Dance of the Coolies
  • No. 17 Dance of Sailors from Different Nations
  • No. 18 Dance of the Sailors from the Soviet Ship — Russian Song: Yablochko ( "Little Apple" )

Act Two

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  • Second Tableau
  • No. 19 Introduction
  • No. 20 Scene in the Opium Den
  • No. 21 Dance of the Chinese Women
  • No. 22 Exit of the Chinese Women
  • No. 23 Conspiracy Scene
  • No. 24 Taï-Choa's Anguish
  • No. 25 Taï-Choa Smokes Opium
  • Third Tableau
  • No. 26 Taï-Choa's Dream and Visions
  • No. 27 Adagio (Four Goddesses)
  • No. 28 a) Cortege b) Sword Dance
  • Fourth Tableau
  • No. 29 Phoenix
  • No. 30 Adagio of the Phoenix
  • Fifth Tableau
  • No. 31 Butterfly and Lotus Dance
  • No. 32 Grand Adagio in E Major
  • No. 33 Poppy Dance
  • No. 34 Phoenix Variation
  • No. 35 Taï-Choa's Variation (Xylophone Solo)
  • No. 36 Dance of the Chinese Saltimbanque
  • No. 37 Coda
  • No. 38 The Red Barque

Act Three

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  • Sixth Tableau
  • No. 39 Introduction
  • No. 40 Charleston
  • No. 41 Scene Before the Dance on the Dish
  • No. 42 Dance on the Dish
  • No. 43 Scene After the Dance on the Dish
  • No. 44 Entrance of the Herald and the Saltimbanque. Mounting of the Chinese Theater.
  • No. 45 Herald's Announcement
  • No. 46 Demon's Dance
  • No. 47 Herald's Announcement
  • No. 48 Dance with Scarves
  • No. 49 Herald's Announcement
  • No. 50 Umbrella Dance
  • No. 51 Herald's Announcement
  • No. 52 Ribbon Dance
  • No. 53 Dismounting of the Chinese Theater
  • No. 54 Boston Waltz
  • Seventh Tableau
  • No. 55 Conspiracy Scene
  • No. 56 Taï-Choa's Scene with the Captain
  • Eighth Tableau
  • No. 57 Boston Waltz (Reprise)
  • No. 58 Chinese Tea
  • No. 59 Chinese Dance with the Cups
  • No. 60 Dance with the Goblet
  • No. 61 Scene of Alarm
  • No. 62 Ship's Departure
  • No. 63 Passing of the Armed Coolies
  • No. 64 Riot Scene
  • No. 65 Taï-Choa's Death

Apotheosis

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  • No. 66 - Apotheosis

Dances Added for the 1929 Leningrad Production

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  • Variation in A Major
  • Variation in B Major
  • Variation of the Four Soloists
  • Variation in G Major
  • Eccentric Dance
  • Chinese Generals (Children's Dance)
  • Dance of the Little Drum
  • Girls — American Dance
  • Boston Waltz (Revised)

Characters

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References

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  1. ^"The Red Poppy: The Ballet Russe Collection,"Archived2015-03-03 at theWayback MachineButler University Department of Dance. Accessed Feb. 14. 2015.
  2. ^Anderson, Jack.The One and Only: The Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo,Dance Books Ltd (2010).
  3. ^abKoegler, Horst.The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Ballet,2nd edition. Oxford University Press (1982).
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