Le Corsaire April 13, 2012

Inspired by a poem by Lord Byron, The Corsair (1814), this ballet was originally created in 1856 for the Paris Opera by Joseph Mazilier. In 1858, Jules Perrot presented his version at the Bolshoi Theatre, the version in which Marius Petipa danced. When he became a choreographer, Marius Petipa remained in charge of all choreographic versions until the beginning of the 20th century. In 2007, Alexei Ratmansky and Yuri Burklava created a new choreographic version which remains to this day, the most sumptuous of all.

On the market square of Adrianople, slave trader Lankedem presents his newly arrived goods. A group of corsairs appear in the square, led by Conrad. When Conrad and the beautiful Medora meet, they fall in love instantly. The Pasha appears in the square the captivated by Medora's looks, he decides to buy her. Landekem after explaining that she is not for sale, eventually accepts the Pasha's advantageous offer. Suddenly, at a sign from Conrad, the corsairs capture the female slaves including Medora...

Choreography and direction: Original choreography by Marius Petipa, new choreographic version by Alexei Ratmansky
Revival: Alexei Ratmansky and Yuri Burlaka
Music: Adolphe Adam, with libretto by Jules Henri Vernoy de Saint Georges and Joseph Mazilier and edited by Marius Petipa
With the Orchestra of the Bolshoi State Theatre
With the Bolshoi soloists and the Bolshoi Corps de Ballet

Ballet in 3 acts and one epilogue

Date & Time:
1pm, Saturday 21 April 2012
1pm, Sunday 22 April 2012
Running Time: Approximately 4 hours 30 minutes (including 2 intermissions)
Tickets:Adult $27, Australian Pensioner $23, Australian Senior $23, Child U16 $15*
*Transaction fees apply

Note: This is a screen event captured live in high definition direct from The Bolshoi Theatre of Russia