The Seasons (, Vremena goda; also ) is an allegorical ballet in one act, four scenes, by the choreographer Marius Petipa, with music by Alexander Glazunov, his Op. 67. The work was composed in 1899, and first performed by the Imperial Ballet on 26 February [O.S. 13 February] 1900 in St. Petersburg, Russia.
History
Composition history The score for Marius Petipa's ballet Les Saisons (The Seasons) was originally intended to have been composed by the Italian composer and conductor Riccardo Drigo, who was Glazunov's colleague and close friend. As Les Saisons was being prepared for production, Petipa was also planning his two act Les Millions d’Arlequin to have a score supplied by Glazunov. Since Drigo and Glazunov had an affinity towards each other's assigned ballet, the two composers agreed that Glazunov would compose Les Saisons and that Drigo would compose Les Millions d’Arlequin. Les Saisons was presented for the first time at the Imperial Theatre of the Hermitage on with the Imperial court in attendance.
In 1907, Nikolai Legat staged a revival of Les Saisons at the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre. This production was performed on occasion by the Imperial Ballet after the Russian Revolution, being performed for the last time in 1927.
Les Saisons lived on in an abridged edition in the repertory of Anna Pavlova's touring company.
Performance history St. Petersburg premiere (World Premiere)Beaumont, Cyril W. Les Saisons. In: Complete Book of Ballets. Putnam, London, 1949, p.560-561.
Date: Place: Imperial Theatre of the Hermitage, Winter Palace, St. Petersburg Balletmaster: Marius Petipa Conductor: Riccardo Drigo Scene designer: Pyotr Lambin Costume designer: Yevgeni Ponomaryov
Other notable productions
1900, February 13, St. Petersburg, Imperial Mariinsky Theatre, same ensemble as the premiere 1907, St. Petersburg, Mariinsky Theatre, balletmaster Nikolay Legat, conducted by Drigo, décor by Lambin, costumes by Aleksandr Golovin.
Roles and original cast RoleSt. Petersburg 1900St. Petersburg 1907WinterAleksey BulgakovNikolay SolyannikovFrostAnna PavlovaAgrippina VaganovaIceYuliya SedovaE. VillHailVera TrefilovaLidiya KyakshtSnowL. PetipaY. OfitserovaZephyrNikolay LegatMikhail ObukhovRoseOlga PreobrazhenskayaVera TrefilovaSwallowVarvara RïkhlyakovaVarvara RïkhlyakovaSpirit of the CornMatilda KshesinskayaOlga PreobrazhenskayaFaunMikhail ObukhovGeorgiy KyakshtSatyrAleksandr GorskyLeonid LeontyevSatyrAleksandr ShiryayevA. MatyatinBacchusPavel GerdtSamuil AndrianovBacchanteMarie PetipaAnna Pavlova
Publication history 1901, M.P. Belyayev, Leipzig
Instrumentation Woodwinds: 1 piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes (2nd doubling english horn in F), 2 clarinets in B-flat and A, 2 bassoons
Brass: 4 french horns in F, 2 trumpets in B-flat, 3 trombones, tuba
Percussion: timpani, triangle, tambourine, military drum, cymbal, bass drum, glockenspiel
Keyboard: celesta, pianino (upright piano)
Strings: harp, 1st and 2nd violins, violas, cellos, contrabass
Synopsis
Tableau 1 — A winter landscape
Winter is surrounded by his companions: Hoar-frost, Ice, Hail and Snow, who amuse themselves with a band of snowflakes. Two gnomes enter, and soon light a fire that causes all assembled to vanish.
Tableau 2 — A landscape covered with flowers
Spring dances with Zephyr, flower fairies, and enchanted birds. Upon feeling the heat of the sun, the assembly takes flight.
Tableau 3 — A landscape of flowing fields of wheat in the breeze
Cornflowers and poppies revel in the light and warmth of the sun; the spirit of the corn appears. They take rest after their exertion. Now naiads appear, who bring water to refresh the growth, and the Spirit of Corn dances in thanksgiving. Satyrs and fauns enter playing their pipes, and attempt to carry off the Spirit of the Corn, but she and the flowers are rescued by the wind of Zephyr.
Tableau 4 — A landscape in Autumn
The Seasons take part in a glorious dance (the well-known "autumn bacchanale") while leaves from autumn trees rain upon their merriment. Winter, Spring, the Bird and Zephyr dance. Bacchantes, Satyrs, Fauns and the spirit of the corn continue the revels until more leaves fall on the revellers.
Apotheosis — The Sable sky
Constellations of stars sparkle above the earth.
Résumé of dances and the mise-en-scène
List of the numbers comprising The Seasons taken from the Yearbook of the Imperial Theatres, 1899-1900, being the original titles of the dances and mise en scène as originally staged.
No.01 Prélude Tableau I — L’Hiver (winter)
No.02 Scène de l’Hiver No.03 Variation du givre (frost) No.04 Variation de la glace (ice) No.05 Variation de la grêle (hail) No.06 Variation de la neige (snow) No.07 Coda
Tableau II — Le Printemps (spring)
No.08 Entrée de Printemps, Zéphyre, les Fées des fleurs, les oiseaux et les fleurs
Tableau III — L’Été (summer)
No.09 Scène de l’Été No.10 Valse des bleuets et des pavots (Waltz of the Cornflowers and Poppies) No.11 Barcarolle – Entrée des naïades, les satyres et des faunes No.12 Variation de l’Esprit du maïs No.13 Coda
Tableau IV — L’Automne (fall)
No.14 Grande bacchanale des saisons No.15 Petit adage No.16 Variation du Satyre No.17 Coda générale
Tableau V — Apothéose No.18 La Révélation des étoiles
Discography 1929, Aleksandr Glazunov, unknown orchestra 1953, Roger Désormière, Orchestre National de France 1956, Albert Wolff, Paris Conservatoire Orchestra 1966, Ernest Ansermet, Suisse Romande Orchestra 196?, Konstantin Ivanov, USSR Symphony Orchestra 196?, Robert Irving, Concert Arts Orchestra 1978, Yevgeny Svetlanov, Philharmonia Orchestra 1987, Neeme Järvi, Scottish National Orchestra 1989, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra 1993, Edo de Waart, Minnesota Orchestra 1987, Ondrej Lenard, Czecho-Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra 2004, José Serebrier, Royal Scottish National Orchestra
See also List of ballets by title
References
External links
YouTube clip of the Autumn variation