Les Boucaniers
Or The Buccaneers
![M_elle_Rosati_dans_[Jovita_[...]Lacauchie_Alexandre_btv1b10541580t](https://storiesfromthelondonballet.com/wp-content/uploads/elementor/thumbs/M_elle_Rosati_dans_Jovita_.Lacauchie_Alexandre_btv1b10541580t-rgjgqb5g0j5ots4ty5zlixnv8hmhkosylwqiczdla8.jpeg "M_elle_Rosati_dans_[Jovita_[…]Lacauchie_Alexandre_btv1b10541580t")
Ballet pantomime in three acts premiered on 11th November 1853 at the Théâtre de l’Académie Impériale de Musique, Paris
Choreography: Joseph Mazilier
Music: Théodore Labarre
Premiers Rôles
Jovita: Carolina Rosati
Don Altamirano: Louis Mérante
Plot
Summary
Acte 1
The story is set on a Mexican plantation in the early 17th century, where Don José Cavallines is preparing a celebration for his daughter Jovita. Amid the festivities, a naval officer, Don Altamirano, arrives and declares his intent to kill the notorious pirate leader Zubillaga to earn a promotion and marry Jovita. An old beggar offers to guide Altamirano to Zubillaga’s lair but later reveals himself as Zubillaga in disguise. The buccaneers ambush the plantation, disarm the soldiers and capture Altamirano as well as the daughters of Castroverde, the owner of the adjacent plantation. Jovita manages to hide from the buccaneers but resolves to rescue the others.
Acte 2
Zubillaga and his band of buccaneers use this naturally fortified hideout to defy the viceroy’s authority, store plunder and imprison captives for ransom. The buccaneers drink and celebrate their raid, instructing the daughters of Castroverde to serve them. Jovita, disguised as a gypsy, enters the hideout and feigns admiration for the bandits. Her beauty captivates the buccaneers, but Zubillaga is suspicious of her motives. Altamirano identifies her as his fiancée but Jovita denies this and is able to gain the trust of the buccaneers. Zubillaga declares Jovita to be his wife and she dances to entertain the buccaneers. Pretending to share the buccaneers’ revelry, she sows discord among them which nearly leads to mutiny that Zubillaga is just about able to control. He proposes a lottery to determine her “owner,” secretly rigging the outcome in his favour. However, Jovita uses the chaos to her advantage. She cuts Zubillaga’s powder horn and spreads gunpowder throughout the cave while freeing Altamirano and Castroverde’s daughters. She is able to escape with the others as the explosion traps Zubillaga and his buccaneers.
Acte 3
At a ball in Mexico, Jovita enters to grand fanfares and artillery salvos, on a chariot drawn by white horses. She is surrounded by all the authorities and preceded by young girls who carry palm fronds and strew flowers on the path. As Jovita has triumphed in the capture of the buccaneers, the viceroy grants her the only reward that she asks for: a captain’s commission for her soon to be husband, Don Altamirano.
History
Original Production
Jovita ou Les Boucaniers was originally choreographed in two acts and three scenes for the great Carolina Rosati. She had not yet become première danseuse at the Paris Opéra but would go on to do so in 1855. Mazilier would go on to choreograph his most famous and most enduring work Le Corsaire for Rosati three years later in 1856.
In 1883 Thompson decided to revive the ballet for Isabella Velluti under the title of The Buccaneers (the same title would be used for subsequent London revivals of the ballet). Thompson greatly expanded on the original score, adding several new dances to increase the spectacle. The new dances succeeded in doing so and the ballet became part of the troupe’s repetoire.
Selected Revivals
1853
Location: Amsterdam
Staged by Andries P. Voitus Van Hamme for Celina Moulinié with musical revisions by J. Halberstadt.
1859
Location: Imperial Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre, St Petersburg
Staged with musical revisions by Pugni.
London Revivals
1883 Revival
In 1883 Thompson decided to revive the ballet for Isabella Velluti under the title of The Buccaneers. Thompson revived the ballet in two acts and three scenes (as in the première) but was greatly unsatisfied with the amount of dancing present in the ballet. The only score that Thompson managed to get his hands on was a violin répétiteur (a reduction for two violins) that seemed to be lacking in dances. In fact, the only pas included in the répétiteur were:
- A Pas de Trois in the first act
- The Pas de Fusil de Jovita in the first scene of the second act which contained a variation (presumably for the heroine)
- The Pas Final in the second scene of the second act which also contained a variation for the heroine
Thompson was dissatisfied with the lack of dancing for the corps de ballet and so commissioned Bardet to expand the score with new dances. Additionally, Bardet was tasked with re-orchestrating the entire ballet, as Thompson was not able to obtain the full orchestral score from Paris. Though Thompson reworked and expanded the dances, he (as was his way) made few changes to the scene music and remained faithful to the libretto. As the ballet had not been seen onstage for many years, Thompson choreographed the entire ballet of his own design, using the libretto as a starting point for the scenes and mime, but arranging the dances entirely to his own tastes.
The rôle of Amalia (the most beautiful of Castroverde’s daughters and sister of Don Alvar) was danced by Mary Butler, a danseuse who had joined the troupe that year as a sujet.
Rôles
Jovita: Isabella Velluti
Don Altamirano: Samuel Penrose
Amalia: Mary Butler
Musical Revisions
A Pas de Deux was added for Jovita and Alvar in the first act. This was a continuation of the argument of the scene, where the lovers Jovita and Altamirano try to make each other jealous by flirting with others (Jovita with Alvar and Altamirano with Amalia respectively). The pas also gave Velluti something to dance in the first act, as besides her entrance, a waltz-scene with the corps de ballet and a Boléro near the end of the act Labarre had provided her with little else to do.
A Danse Générale was added to the first act as a dance for the corps de ballet.
A polka-mazurka titled the Pas des Boucaniers was added to the first scene of the second act. This addition was a dance for the corps de ballet as the buccaneers entertained themselves with their ladies while waiting for their chief, Zubillaga, to arrive.
A brand new variation was composed for Jovita in the Pas de Gitana (what the Pas de Fusil de Jovita was renamed to by Thompson) of the first scene of the second act, replacing Labarre’s original variation. The rest of the pas (save a few cuts) remained mostly intact from Labarre’s conception. The pas was danced by Jovita and a corps de ballet of six ladies and six men.
The Pas de Gitana, arranged and supplemented by François Bardet (1883)
An Entracte was added at the top of the second scene of the second act to allow time for a scene change.
The second scene of the second act was expanded into a Divertissement. To this end, two character dances were added for the corps de ballet: the Danse de Caractère Mexicaine, an energetic cachucha and the Danse de Caractère Européenne, a lively polka.
The Pas Final of the second scene of the second act was reworked and expanded into what Thompson named the Grand Pas Classique. Labarre’s original music was expanded and used to fashion the Adage and Coda Générale of the pas, and new additions were composed by Bardet. Thompson choreographed the pas to be danced by Jovita and Altamirano supported by a corps de ballet of twelve ladies and six men. Three new variations were also composed for the pas: one for a female sujet, one for Altamirano and one for Jovita (with Labarre’s original variation for Rosati being discarded in favour of the new variation). The Coda Générale served as a final dance that included all the dancers; that being the dancers of the two character dances as well as those of the classical grand pas.
Résumé des Scènes et Danses
Acte 1
1) Introduction
2) Scène de la Fête
3) Entrée de Jovita
4) Entrée des Soldats
5) Entrée des Filles de Castroverde
6) Entrée du Vieillard
7) Scène Dramatique
Divertissement
8) Pas de Trois
a) Entrée
b) Variation I – Catalina
c) Variation II – Inès
d) Variation III – Amalia
e) Coda
9) Pas de Deux
a) Adage
b) Variation d’Alvar
c) Variation de Jovita
d) Coda
10) Danse Générale
11) Après le Divertissement
12) Scène Finale de Jovita et Cavallines
Acte 2
Scène 1
13) Entracte
14) Scène – Les Filles et Les Boucaniers
15) Pas des Boucaniers – Polka Mazurka
16) Scène d’Inspection des Armes
17) Entrée de Jovita
18) Scène – Jovita et Altamirano
19) Scène – Retour des Boucaniers
20) Pas de Gitana
a) Adage
b) Cachucha
c) Variation de Jovita
d) Coda
21) Scène – Après le Pas
Scène 2
22) Entracte
23) Marche
24) Danse de Caractère Mexicaine
25) Danse de Caractère Européenne
26) Grand Pas Classique
a) Adagio (adaptation of Labarre’s original music)
b) Variation
c) Variation d’Altamirano
d) Variation de Jovita
e) Coda Générale (adaptation of Labarre’s original music)
1896 Revival
The ballet was revived in 1896 for Thompson’s benefit as he was to retire at the end of that year’s season. Both the dancers, the management and the public were disappointed to learn of the 67 year old Thompson’s retirement, but he wished to retire to spend more time with his family. For his benefit season, Thompson requested the revival of The Buccaneers and also choreographed a new Grand Ballet in four acts that would prove to be his last creation, The Swords of Toledo.
For this revival Thompson expanded further on the 1883 staging, expanding the ballet from two acts to three (with Act 2, Scene 1 becoming the new Act 2 and Act 2, Scene 2 becoming the new Act 3). To support this expansion, even more dances were added and several of the old dances were reworked. In this way, he aimed to breathe new life into the revival, though some critics were not enthusiastic about new the third act devolved to opulence and spectacle without plot. Others were more favourable, praising Thompson’s new dances and the strength of the Royal Ballet. For this revival, music revisions were undertaken by Auguste Péchard.
Contemporary accounts indicate that Thompson seemed to be in better spirits in rehearsals for The Buccaneers than in rehearsals for his new ballet The Swords of Toledo, and Thompson is alleged to have referred to The Buccaneers as his “delightful confection.”
Rôles
Jovita: Sarah Nicholson
Musical Revisions
A new variation was added for Jovita in the Pas de Deux of the first act. This variation was a supplemental variation by Bardet written for Mazourka in the Grand Pas de Deux Noble in the 1883 revival of The Devil to Pay.
A new Pas de Six was added to the second act. This pas was placed where the Pas des Boucaniers was placed in 1883, and the Pas des Boucaniers was moved later in the act to immediately precede the Pas de Gitana. The pas was danced by the three captured daughters of Castroverde (Catalina, Inès and Amalia) with three of the lead buccaneers (called Cardoval, Gil and Diégo).
A Scène was added to the top of the third act. This scene was an expansion of Labarre’s original music and served to close out the story, as Jovita manages to secure the captain’s license for her fiancé, Don Altamirano. The scene had been cut in the 1883 revival of the ballet, as the mime scene had occurred during the march. Since the 1896 Grand Divertissement was expanded from 1883, there were more people to be included in the march so the scene was removed and was given its own music to make room for the increased number of participants of the march. The longer scene also allowed for more mime including Altamirano asking for Jovita’s hand and Cavallines (Jovita’s father) blessing their union. This detail was a notable inclusion as it highlighted a small but significant different between the 1883 and 1896 revivals. Whereas in 1896 the couple became engaged in the third act, in 1883 (as in the original 1853 production) the couple started the ballet as fiancés. Thompson believed the flirting in the first act would be more palatable if the couple were not yet engaged, and so changed this detail in the revival. Subsequent revivals followed the 1896 version of the story, making the Grand Divertissement of the third act a celebration of the couple’s engagement rather than a general celebration for the defeat of Zubillaga (as it had been in 1883).
Due to the ballet being expanded to three acts, the third act received two new dances to increase the spectacle of the Divertissement (now the Grand Divertissement). The first of these dances was the Danse des Demoiselles. This waltz was danced by four female coryphées and was dubbed the Valse Hémiole due to nearly every bar containing some permutation of the hemiola rhythm.
The second dance to be added was arguably the most beloved part of the ballet, the Ballabile des Enfants. Affectionately dubbed Les Jeux, the pas consisted of groups of children appearing as dancing versions of household tabletop games: Cards, Chess, Draughts and Backgammon. The pas was danced by the students of the Royal Ballet School (formerly known as the Covent Garden School for Ballet before 1892) which had opened in 1889. The pas was well received at its première and was often extracted and performed at graduation galas for the Royal Ballet School.
Les Cartes from the Ballabile des Enfants, composed by Auguste Péchard (1896)
A Ballabile was added to the Grand Pas Classique. This was danced by the twelve ladies of the corps de ballet, as after the Adage the six men did not reappear until the Coda (as in 1883). The Coda Générale was reworked so that it could still include all of the dancers of the Grand Divertissement (that being those who danced the character dances, the classical dances and the children).
Résumé des Scènes et Danses
Acte 1
1) Introduction
2) Scène de la Fête
3) Entrée de Jovita
4) Entrée des Soldats
5) Entrée des Filles de Castroverde
6) Entrée du Vieillard
7) Scène Dramatique
Divertissement
8) Pas de Trois
a) Entrée
b) Variation I – Catalina
c) Variation II – Inès
d) Variation III – Amalia
e) Coda
9) Pas de Deux (1883)
a) Adage
b) Variation d’Alvar
c) Variation de Jovita (supplemental variation for Mazourka in the Grand Pas de Deux Noble in the 1883 revival of The Devil to Pay)
d) Coda
10) Danse Générale (1883)
11) Après le Divertissement
12) Scène Finale de Jovita et Cavallines
Acte 2
13) Entracte
14) Scène – Les Filles et Les Boucaniers
15) Pas de Six
a) Andante
b) Allegretto
c) Coda
16) Scène d’Inspection des Armes
17) Entrée de Jovita
18) Scène – Jovita et Altamirano
19) Scène – Retour des Boucaniers
20) Pas des Boucaniers (written in 1883, moved to this position in 1896)
21) Pas de Gitana
a) Adage
b) Cachucha
c) Variation de Jovita (1883)
d) Coda
22) Scène – Après le Pas
Acte 3
23) Entracte (1883)
24) Marche
25) Scène (expansion of Labarre’s original music)
Grand Divertissement
26) Danse de Caractère Mexicaine (1883)
27) Danse de Caractère Européenne (1883)
28) Danse des Demoiselles (Valse Hémiole)
29) Ballabile des Enfants (Les Jeux)
a) Introduction
b) Les Cartes
c) Les Échecs
d) Les Dames
e) Le Backgammon
f) Coda-Valse
30) Grand Pas Classique
a) Adagio
b) Ballabile
c) Variation (1883)
d) Variation d’Altamirano (1883)
e) Variation de Jovita (1883)
f) Coda Générale
1906 Revival
In 1906 Richard Hague revived the ballet much as Thompson had left it in 1896 for the benefit of Harriet Linwood, who was to retire at the end of the season. He invited Adeline Genée (who had made her first guest appearance at Covent Garden as the titular rôle in the 1902 revival of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and her second as Médora in the 1904 revival of The Corsair) to dance the rôle of Jovita in the revival. However, she declined as she was working on staging her version of Coppelia at the Empire Theatre of Varieties at the time.