“The Sleeping Beauty was adapted from Charles Perrault’s well-known fairy story, La Belle au bois dormant (1697). Tchaikovsky took special pains over the orchestration, achieving an unprecedented precision of effect, assisted by his recent experiences as a conductor. The story goes that at the gala rehearsal before the Maryinsky première which took place on [3 January] / 15 January 1890, the grandeur and novelty of the conception left Tsar Alexander III bemused. He summoned up only a lukewarm ‘Very nice!’ when the composer was called to the royal box. ‘His majesty treated me with distant hauteur’ noted the composer in his diary.
The ballet’s prologue depicting the christening of the baby Princess Aurora contains a variation for each of the six fairies come to bestow gifts upon the infant. In the midst of the excitement the wicked fairy, Carabosse, casts a spell over Aurora, promising that she will prick her finger and die. Intervening to save her, the Lilac Fairy (originally played by Petipa’s daughter, Marie) mitigates the curse from death to sleep. Many years later the royal family is celebrating Aurora’s birthday. The choreographic highpoint is the Adagio maestoso or ‘Rose’ Adagio which she dances with her princely suitors, the steps revealing her growing confidence. Since her christening the King has attempted to ban all sharp objects from the kingdom but when a disguised Carabosse presents Aurora with a spindle, sometimes a bouquet of flowers or a beautiful tapestry with embedded needle, she pricks her finger and she and the court fall deeply asleep.
One hundred years later in a dark forest a Prince is hunting with his friends. The Lilac Fairy conjures up an irresistible apparition of Aurora and he instantly falls in love. Led to the castle to rescue her and put an end to the evil Carabosse, one kiss and the spell is broken. Princess Aurora and her entire family awaken from their slumber and the couple’s wedding is celebrated in Act 3 with a divertissement involving a cornucopia of fairytale characters including Puss in Boots, Cinderella, the Bluebird, Little Red Riding Hood and Tom Thumb. In the grand pas de deux Aurora is presented musically and choreographically as a woman in full bloom, rejoicing in true love. Initially performed abroad in abbreviated form, Diaghilev and his Ballets Russes brought the first full-length Sleeping Beauty to the UK in 1921. The countless stagings since have tended to remain close to the Russian original rather than imparting layers of psychological meaning.”
CD 14
01. Ballet, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Op.66 – a. Introduction (Allegro vivo; andantino); Prologue–The Christening. N.1; March (moderato)
02. Ballet, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Op.66 – b. Prologue–The Christening; N.2; Dance Scene (moderato con moto)
03. Ballet, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Op.66 – c. Prologue–The Christening; N.3-a; Pas de six. Introduction; adagio
04. Ballet, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Op.66 – d. Prologue–The Christening; N.3-b; Pas de six. Var.I–Fairy Of The Crystal Fountain (allegro moderato)
05. Ballet, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Op.66 – e. Prologue–The Christening; N.3-c; Pas de six. Var.II–Fairy Of The Enchanted Garden (allegro)
06. Ballet, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Op.66 – f. Prologue–The Christening; N.3-d; Pas de six. Var.III–Fairy Of The Woodland Glades (allegro moderato)
07. Ballet, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Op.66 – g. Prologue–The Christening; N.3-e; Pas de six. Var.IV–Fairy Of The Songbirds (moderato)
08. Ballet, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Op.66 – h. Prologue–The Christening; N.3-f; Pas de six. Var.V–Fairy Of The Golden Vine (allegro molto vivace)
09. Ballet, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Op.66 – i. Prologue–The Christening; N.3-g; Pas de six. Var.VI–Lilac Fairy (Tempo di valse)
10. Ballet, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Op.66 – j. Prologue–The Christening; N.3-h; Pas de six. Coda (Allegro giusto)
11. Ballet, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Op.66 – k. Prologue–The Christening; N.4; Finale
12. Ballet, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Op.66 – l. Act I–The Spell; N.5; Scene (allegro vivo; moderato)
13. Ballet, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Op.66 – m. Act I–The Spell; N.6; Waltz (Allegro. Tempo di Valse)
14. Ballet, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Op.66 – n. Act I–The Spell; N.7; Scene (Andante)
15. Ballet, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Op.66 – o. Act I–The Spell; N.8-a; Pas d’action. Rose Adagio (andante; adagio maestoso)
16. Ballet, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Op.66 – p. Act I–The Spell; N.8-b; Pas d’action. Dance Of The Maids Of Honour & Pages
17. Ballet, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Op.66 – q. Act I–The Spell; N.8-c; Pas d’action. Aurora’s Variation
18. Ballet, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Op.66 – r. Act I–The Spell; N.8-d; Pas d’action. Coda (allegro giusto)
19. Ballet, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Op.66 – s. Act I–The Spell; N.9; Finale
CD 15
01. Ballet, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Op.66 – t. Act II–The Vision; N.10; Entr’acte & Scene (Allegro con spirito; un poco più tranquillo)
02. Ballet, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Op.66 – u. Act II–The Vision; N.11; Blind Man’s Bluff (Allegro vivo)
03. Ballet, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Op.66 – v. Act II–The Vision; N.12-a; Scene. Dances Of The Courtiers
04. Ballet, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Op.66 – w. Act II–The Vision; N.12-c; Dance Of The Duchesses (Minuet. Moderato con moto)
05. Ballet, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Op.66 – x. Act II–The Vision; N.12-d. Dance Of The Baronesses (Gavotte)
06. Ballet, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Op.66 – y. Act II–The Vision; N.12-e; Dance Of The Countesses (Allegro non troppo)
07. Ballet, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Op.66 – z. Act II–The Vision; N.12-f; Dance Of The Marchionesses (Allegro non troppo)
08. Ballet, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Op.66 – z-a. Act II–The Vision; N.13; Farandole. Scene (Poco più vivo); Dance (Allegro non troppo)
09. Ballet, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Op.66 – z-b. Act II–The Vision; N.14; Scene. Prince Florimund & The Lilac Fairy
10. Ballet, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Op.66 – z-c. Act II–The Vision; N.15-a; Pas d’action. Aurora & Florimund (Andante cantabile)
11. Ballet, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Op.66 – z-d. Act II–The Vision; N.15-b; Pas d’action. Aurora’s Variation (Allegro con moto)
12. Ballet, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Op.66 – z-e. Act II–The Vision; N.15-c; Pas d’action. Coda (Presto)
13. Ballet, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Op.66 – z-f. Act II–The Vision; N.16; Scene (Allegro agitato)
14. Ballet, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Op.66 – z-g. Act II–The Vision; N.17; Panorama (Andantino)
15. Ballet, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Op.66 – z-h. Act II–The Vision; N.19-20; Symphonic Entr’acte (The Sleep); Scene (Andante misterioso); Finale. The Awakening (Allegro agitato)
16. Ballet, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Op.66 – z-i. Act III–The Wedding; N.21; March (Allegro non troppo)
17. Ballet, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Op.66 – z-j. Act III–The Wedding; N.22; Polonaise. Procession Of The Fairy-Tale Characters (Allegro moderato e brillante)
18. Ballet, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Op.66 – z-k. Act III-The Wedding; N.23-a; Pas de quatre. Introduction (Allegro non tanto)
19. Ballet, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Op.66 – z-l. Act III-The Wedding; N.23-b. Pas de quatre. Var.I–The Golden Fairy (Allegro. Tempo di Valse)
20. Ballet, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Op.66 – z-m. Act III-The Wedding; N.23-c. Pas de quatre. Var.II–The Silver Fairy (Allegro giusto)
21. Ballet, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Op.66 – z-n. Act III–The Wedding; N.23-d; Pas de quatre. Var.IV–The Diamond Fairy (Vivace); Coda (L’istesso tempo)
22. Ballet, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Op.66 – z-o. Act III–The Wedding; N.24; Pas de caractère. Puss-in-Boots & The White Cat (Allegro moderato)
23. Ballet, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Op.66 – z-p. Act III–The Wedding; N.25-a; Pas de quatre. Introduction (Adagio)
24. Ballet, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Op.66 – z-q. Act III–The Wedding; N.25-b. Pas de quatre. Var.I–Cinderella & Prince Charming (Allegro. Tempo di Valse)
25. Ballet, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Op.66 – z-r. Act III–The Wedding; N.25-c; Pas de quatre. Var.II–The Bluebird & Princess Florine (Andantino)
26. Ballet, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Op.66 – z-s. Act III–The Wedding; N.25-d; Pas de quatre. Coda (Presto)
27. Ballet, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Op.66 – z-t. Act III–The Wedding; N.26; Pas de caractère. Red Riding Hood & The Wolf (Allegro moderato)
28. Ballet, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Op.66 – z-u. Act III–The Wedding; N.27-a; Tom Thumb (Allegro agitato; tempo di Valse; vivace assai)
29. Ballet, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Op.66 – z-v. Act III–The Wedding; N.27-b; Cinderella & Prince Fortune
30. Ballet, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Op.66 – z-w. Act III–The Wedding; N.28-a; Pas de deux (Aurora & Florimund). Entrée (Allegretto; allegro moderato); Adagio (Andante non troppo)
31. Ballet, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Op.66 – z-x. Act III–The Wedding; N.28-b; Pas de deux (Aurora & Florimund). Var.I–Florimund (Vivace; prestissimo)
32. Ballet, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Op.66 – z-y. Act III–The Wedding; N.28-c; Pas de deux (Aurora & Florimund). Var.II–Aurora (Andantino)
33. Ballet, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Op.66 – z-z. Act III–The Wedding; N.28-d; Pas de deux (Aurora & Florimund). Coda (Allegro vivace)
34. Ballet, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Op.66 – z-z-a. Act III–The Wedding; N.29; Sarabande
35. Ballet, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Op.66 – z-z-b. Act III–The Wedding; N.30-a; Finale (Allegro brillante. Tempo di Mazurka)–
36. Ballet, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Op.66 – z-z-c. Act III–The Wedding; N.30-b; Apotheosis. Andante molto maestoso
Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
Ernest Ansermet – Conductor
CD 14 – BAIXE AQUI – DOWNLOAD HERE
CD 15 – BAIXE AQUI – DOWNLOAD HERE
Não consigo extrair as faixas 4 e 6 do CD 14