Ballet pantomime in three acts premiered on 14th June 1876 at the Opéra Garnier, Paris

Choreography: Louis Mérante

Music: Léo Delibes

Premiers Rôles

Sylvia: Rita Sangalli

Aminta: Louis Mérante

Orion: M Magri

Plot

Summary

Acte 1

A forest clearing

The ballet begins with a scene of worship as creatures of the forest dance before Eros. Aminta, a lowly shepherd, stumbles in on them, disrupting their ritual. Now Sylvia, the object of Aminta’s desire, arrives on the scene with her posse of hunters to mock the god of love. Aminta attempts to conceal himself, but Sylvia eventually discovers her stalker and, inflamed, turns her bow towards Eros. Aminta protects the deity and is himself wounded. Eros in turn shoots Sylvia. She is hit, and though not badly wounded, the injury is enough to drive her offstage.

A hunter, Orion, is revealed to also have been watching Sylvia, when he is seen celebrating the unconscious Aminta. Orion conceals himself again as Sylvia returns; this time she is sympathetic towards Aminta. As the huntress laments over her victim, she is kidnapped by Orion and carried off. Peasants grieve over Aminta’s figure until a cloaked Eros revives the shepherd. Eros reveals his true identity and informs Aminta of Orion’s actions.

Acte 2

Orion’s Island Cave

Captive in Orion’s island hideout, Sylvia is tempted by him with jewels and wine to no avail. Sylvia now grieves over Aminta, cherishing the arrow pulled from her breast nostalgically. When Orion steals it from her, Sylvia gets her captor drunk until he is unconscious, whereby she retrieves her arrow and appeals to Eros for help. Sylvia’s invocations are not in vain, for Eros quickly arrives and shows his summoner a vision of Aminta waiting for her. The duo depart for the temple of Diana, where Sylvia’s love awaits.

Acte 3

The Sea Coast near the Temple of Diana

Aminta arrives at the temple of Diana to find a bacchanal but no Sylvia, who will soon arrive with Eros. After a few moments of mirth at the reunion, Orion shows up, seeking Sylvia. He and Aminta fight; Sylvia barricades herself in Diana’s shrine and Orion attempts to follow. The goddess of the hunt, outraged at this act, smites Orion and denies Aminta and Sylvia congress. Compassionate Eros gives Diana a vision. The goddess reminisces over her own young love of Endymion, also a shepherd. Diana has a change of heart and revokes her decree. Aminta and Sylvia come together under the deities’ good will.

History

Original Production

Sylvia, originally Sylvia ou La nymphe de Diane, is a ballet in three (sometimes two) acts, first choreographed by Louis Mérante to music by Léo Delibes.

The ballet’s premiere took place on 14 June 1876 at the Palais Garnier, but was largely unnoticed by the critics. The first seven productions were commercially unsuccessful, but the 1952 revival, choreographed by Frederick Ashton, popularised the work. Productions in 1997, 2004, 2005, and 2009 productions were all based on Ashton’s choreography.

Sylvia ou La nymphe de Diane was the first ballet to be shown at the newly built Opéra Garnier. The scenery for the ballet, designed by the artist Jules Chéret, was lavish but suffered from poor stage lighting. The costumes, designed by Lacoste, were well appreciated. In the end it was Delibes’ score that saved the production. Without such highly esteemed music, the ballet would have soon drifted into obscurity.

At the age of 27, Sangalli was the Opéra’s principal ballerina and thus the obvious choice to star as Sylvia. Sangalli was described as having a “superb physique”, but not spectacular dancing skills. Nonetheless, she was the only ballerina taught the rôle, and on one occasion the ballet had to be temporarily closed when she injured herself.

Selected Revivals

1885

Location: Königliche Oper, Berlin

Staged for Antonietta Dell’Era.

1892

Location: Opéra Garnier, Paris

Staged for Rosita Mauri.

1892

Location: The Fantasia Theatre, Moscow

Staged for Carlotta Brianza.

1894

Location: Königliche Oper, Berlin

Staged by Emil Graeb for Marta Draeger.

In 1890, Draeger had been invited to Berlin by Graeb as a guest première danseuse for the winter 1890/1891 season. She made her debut in a revival of Ellinor oder Träumen und Erwachen, in which she received good reviews. She would be invited to return to Berlin for the 1891/1892 winter season, where Satanella oder Metamorphosen would be revived for her. She would continue to return to Berlin in the 1892/1893 and 1893/1894 winter seasons, dancing in her ballets of Ellinor and Satanella.

The 1894/1895 winter season in Berlin was to be Draeger’s last season onstage, as she had retired from the stage of The Royal Opera House in London following the close of their 1894 summer season. As it was to be her last season, she wished to add one more ballet to her repertory in Berlin. With permission from Graeb, Draeger examined the repertory and asked for either Das schlecht bewachte Mädchen, Sylvia, Morgano or Ballanda, oder Der Raub der Proserpina for the 1894/1895 season. However, these were all the reigning prima ballerina Antonietta Dell’Era’s ballets, so the final decision lay with her.

Draeger had danced Das schlecht bewachte Mädchen as The Wayward Daughter in london in 1890, but as it was one of Dell’Era’s favourite roles she was not going to give it up (she had most recently danced it in 1892). Dell’Era had debuted in the ballet in 1884, inheriting it from another ballerina (1878-1884) who in turn inherited the rôle from Virginia Zucchi (who danced it from 1876-1878). Dell’Era had debuted in Sylvia, Ballanda and Morgano in 1885, 1887 and 1889 respectively, and though Ballanda was the only ballet of the three that she still danced (she had most recently danced it in 1890), all three were technically still hers. Dell’Era considered the request and gave her permission to pass on Sylvia to Draeger. Draeger was allegedly disappointed as she had danced Sylvia before (in London in 1892) and had wished to portray something new. The response did not surprise Graeb however, as Dell’Era had not danced Sylvia since her 1886 tour to St Petersburg, and so she did not have as much of an attachment to the ballet as she did to the others.

Draeger retained much of her London solo choreography, though adapted slightly by Graeb to the tastes of the Berlin audience. As with London, Draeger was well suited to the huntress and so ended the 1894/1895 season on a positive note.

15 December [O.S. 2 December] 1901

Location: Imperial Mariinsky Theatre, St Petersburg

Staged by Sergei and Nikolai Legat for Olga Preobrazhenska with Sergei Legat as Aminta. Sharing the stage was Pavel Gerdt as Orion and a young Agripinna Vaganova as one of the nymphs following Diana. 

London Revivals

1886 Revival

In 1886, Isabella Velluti, première danseuse at Her Majesty’s Theatre, decided that it was time for her to retire. As such, she requested that Sylvia be revived for her benefit and William Thompson duly complied.

The other ballet to be revived in 1886 was the Taglioni-Hertel The Wayward Daughter, revived for Emma Ashfield. As it was Velluti’s final season, she also requested some performances as Lise, which were granted by the management. 

Rôles

Sylvia: Isabella Velluti

Aminta: Samuel Penrose

Orion: Rafael Caravetti

Terpsichore: Ivy Gregson

Musical Revisions

Few changes were made to the music by Bardet, though two notable additions were made.

The first addition was to the second act, a Danse des Femmes was added to the Pas des Ethiopiens.

The second addition was to the Divertissement of Act 3. Initially Thompson had planned to add two new dances to this act: a Valse des Dévots and a Danse des Prêtresses, which was to be a Pas de Six. However, he decided against this expansion, instead adding only one dance, the Pas des Muses, a Pas de Sept. 

The music for the Pas des Muses was not written for Sylvia, nor was it by Bardet. It had begun its life as the Pas de Vénus, written for insertion into Act 4 (The Summit of the Brocken, also known as the Walpurgisnacht scene or the Witches’ scene) of Gorman Wills’ 1885 play Faust, that played at The Lyceum. Thompson provided the choreography and a friend of Gorman Wills had provided the music. 

The numbers of the Divertissement were also rearranged into a more conventional Grand Pas Classique.

Résumé des Scènes et Danses

Acte 1

1) Prélude

2) Scène Première – Les Faunes et Dryades

3) Scène – Entrée d’Aminta

4) Pas des Chasseresses

a) Entrée 

b) Intermède

c) Valse Lente

5) Scène

6) Cortège Rustique

7) Scène

8) Scène Finale

a) Entrée du Sorcier

b) Finale

Acte 2 

9) Entr’acte

8) Scène – La Grotte d’Orion

10) Pas des Ethiopiens

a) Entrée

b) Adage – Chant Bachique

c) Danse des Femmes

d) Danse de Sylvia – Scène et Danse de la Bacchante

e) Coda

12) Scène Finale

Acte 3

13) Grand Cortège de Bacchus

14) Scène 

15) Barcarolle

Divertissement

16) Pas des Muses (Pas de Sept)

a) Valse

b) Pizzicato – Variation de Terpsichore 

c) Reprise de la Valse

17) Grand Pas Classique 

a) Andante

b) Danse des Coryphées

c) Variation d’Aminta

d) Pizzicato de Sylvia 

e) Coda Générale

18) Scène Finale – Le Temple de Diane

19) Apothéose – Apparition d’Endymion

1892 Revival

In 1892, Thompson revived the ballet for Marta Draeger.

Musical Revisions

Musical revisions were made by Péchard.

The first, the re-instatement of the saxophones. Bardet was not fond of the saxophone and had removed it from several places in the score (including the famous Barcarolle). Auguste Péchard (the Official Ballet Composer of the Ballet Music to the Royal Opera House at the time) restored the saxophone at Draeger’s request. 

The second and third of these were for the second act Pas des Éthiopiens: firstly a new Danse des Femmes to replace the pas that Bardet had added in 1886 and secondly a variation for Orion.

Résumé des Scènes et Danses

Acte 1

1) Prélude

2) Scène Première – Les Faunes et Dryades

3) Scène – Entrée d’Aminta

4) Pas des Chasseresses

a) Entrée 

b) Intermède

c) Valse Lente

5) Scène

6) Cortège Rustique

7) Scène

8) Scène Finale

a) Entrée du Sorcier

b) Finale

Acte 2 

9) Entr’acte

8) Scène – La Grotte d’Orion

10) Pas des Ethiopiens

a) Entrée

b) Adage – Chant Bachique

c) Danse des Femmes

d) Variation d’Orion

e) Danse de Sylvia – Scène et Danse de la Bacchante

f) Coda

12) Scène Finale

Acte 3

13) Grand Cortège de Bacchus

14) Scène 

15) Barcarolle

Divertissement

16) Pas des Muses (Pas de Sept)

a) Valse

b) Pizzicato – Variation de Terpsichore 

c) Reprise de la Valse

17) Grand Pas Classique 

a) Andante

b) Danse des Coryphées

c) Variation d’Aminta

d) Pizzicato de Sylvia 

e) Coda Générale

18) Scène Finale – Le Temple de Diane

19) Apothéose – Apparition d’Endymion

1906 Revival

In 1906, the ballet was revived for Giulia Moretti with Jane Wheaton as second cast.