Download Student Matinee Study Guide THE SLEEPING BEAUTY

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Student Matinee Study Guide
THE SLEEPING BEAUTY
Student Matinee Study Guide
THE SLEEPING BEAUTY
Story
Long ago in a distant kingdom, the King awaits the birth of his only child.
When the infant arrives, the King heralds the birth of his daughter Aurora
with a christening ceremony, and invites the fairies of the kingdom to
bestow their gifts of beauty, grace, song, temperament, and generosity
upon the infant Princess. In the midst of the celebration, the arrival of
Carabosse interrupts the festivities. Enraged and insulted that the King
neglected to invite her, she decrees that Princess Aurora will one day
prick her finger and die. As the King anguishes over the curse put on his
daughter, the benevolent Lilac Fairy comes forth and bestows her gift.
She pronounces that Aurora will not die, but instead will fall into a deep
slumber for one hundred years, awakened by a Prince’s kiss of true love.
Act I
Sixteen years later, the kingdom gathers to celebrate Princess Aurora’s
coming of age. The palace is bedecked with flowers and finery in
anticipation of a grand celebration. Aurora dances for the court, and
is presented with four suitors. In the midst of the festivities, Aurora is
presented with a spindle from a stranger and, taking the present, pricks
her finger. As Aurora collapses, the stranger reveals herself as Carabosse
to the King and vanishes in triumph. The Lilac Fairy reminds the King that
Aurora only slumbers, and casts a spell over the entire court to put them
to sleep.
Act II
One hundred years later, Prince Désiré is hunting in the forest with his
friends. In a melancholy mood and leaving his friends, he encounters
the Lilac Fairy. The good fairy shows the prince a vision of Aurora, and
he instantly falls in love with the sleeping beauty. Making his way to the
castle, Prince Désiré finds Aurora and awakens her with a kiss. True love
prevails, and Princess Aurora accepts Prince Désiré’s hand in marriage
with the approval of the kingdom.
Act III
The court is readied for Aurora’s wedding, and the kingdom rejoices for
the grand occasion. The fairies attend the celebration, along with such
fairy tale characters as Puss ‘n’ Boots and the White Cat, Princess Florine
and the Bluebird, and Red Riding Hood and the Wolf. After Princess
Aurora and Prince Désiré dance their sparkling pas de deux, they are
joined in marriage. With the blessing of the Lilac Fairy, and their love
sealed with a kiss, the new royal couple lives happily ever after.
Interesting Facts About The Sleeping Beauty
• The Sleeping Beauty premiered in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1890.
• T he Sleeping Beauty is considered by many to be one of the greatest
classical ballets of all time.
Collaborative Effort of Arts Integration Solutions and Ballet Arizona
•The romance and beauty of this classical ballet has mesmerized
audiences for more than 100 years.
•Tchaikovsky considered the score from The Sleeping Beauty one
of his best.
•Although several versions exist, most ballet companies stage the
ballet according to the choreography of Marius Petipa and Lev
Ivanov for their St. Petersburg performance of 1890.
•
The Sleeping Beauty is one of the longest classical ballets still
performed; danced in a prologue, three acts, and an apotheosis,
the original production is nearly three hours long.
Find out more about The Sleeping Beauty from Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia (www.wikipedia.org).
The Music of Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (May 7, 1840 – November 6, 1893) was a
Russian composer of the Romantic era. Although not a member
of the group of nationalistic composers usually known in Englishspeaking countries as The Mighty Five, his music has come to be
known and loved for its distinctly Russian character as well as its rich
harmonies and stirring melodies. His works, however, were much more
western than his Russian contemporaries as he effectively used both
nationalistic folk melodies and international elements. Tchaikovsky
was born in Kamsko-Votkinsk, Russia, to a mining engineer and his
second wife, a woman of French ancestry. His last name derives from
the Polish/Russian/Ukranian word chaika, meaning seagull. Tchaikovsky
in an early letter to Nadezhda von Meck wrote that his name was
Polish and his ancestors were “probably Polish.” Musically precocious,
he began piano lessons at the age of five. He obtained an excellent
general education at the School of Jurisprudence and was a civil servant
before entering the St. Petersburg Conservatory from 1862 to 1865.
In 1866, he was appointed professor of theory and harmony at the
Moscow Conservatory, established that year. He held the post until
approximately 1878.
Tchaikovsky is perhaps most well known for his ballets:
(1875–1876): Swan Lake, Op. 20. Tchaikovsky’s first ballet, it was first
performed (with some omissions) at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow in 1877.
(1888–1889): The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66. Tchaikovsky considered this
work one of his best. Its first performance was in 1890 at the Mariinsky
Theatre in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
(1891–1892): The Nutcracker, Op. 71. Tchaikovsky himself was less satisfied
with this, his last ballet. It was only in his last years, with his last two
ballets, that his contemporaries came to really appreciate his qualities
as ballet music composer.
Find out more about Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky from Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia (www.wikipedia.org).