The Seasons (Russian: Времена года, Vremena goda; also French: Les Saisons) is an allegorical ballet in one act, four scenes, by the choreographer Marius Petipa, with music by Alexander Glazunov, his Op. 67. The work was composed in 1899, and first performed by the Imperial Ballet on 26 February [O.S. 13 February] 1900 in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Contents
History
Composition history
The score for Marius Petipa's ballet Les Saisons (The Seasons) was originally intended to have been composed by the Italian composer and conductor Riccardo Drigo, who was Glazunov's colleague and close friend. As Les Saisons was being prepared for production, Petipa was also planning his two act Les Millions d’Arlequin to have a score supplied by Glazunov. Since Drigo and Glazunov had an affinity towards each other's assigned ballet, the two composers agreed that Glazunov would compose Les Saisons and that Drigo would compose Les Millions d’Arlequin. Les Saisons was presented for the first time at the Imperial Theatre of the Hermitage on 26 February [O.S. 14 February] 1900 with the Imperial court in attendance.
In 1907, Nikolai Legat staged a revival of Les Saisons at the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre. This production was performed on occasion by the Imperial Ballet after the Russian Revolution, being performed for the last time in 1927.
Les Saisons lived on in an abridged edition in the repertory of Anna Pavlova's touring company.
Performance history
St. Petersburg premiere (World Premiere)
Date: 23 February [O.S. 11 February] 1900
Place: Imperial Theatre of the Hermitage, Winter Palace, St. Petersburg
Balletmaster: Marius Petipa
Conductor: Riccardo Drigo
Scene designer: Pyotr Lambin
Costume designer: Yevgeni Ponomaryov
Other notable productions
1900, February 13, St. Petersburg, Imperial Mariinsky Theatre, same ensemble as the premiere
1907, St. Petersburg, Mariinsky Theatre, balletmaster Nikolay Legat, conducted by Drigo, décor by Lambin, costumes by Aleksandr Golovin.
Roles and original cast
Publication history
1901, M.P. Belyayev, Leipzig
Instrumentation
Woodwinds: 1 piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes (2nd doubling english horn in F), 2 clarinets in B-flat and A, 2 bassoons
Brass: 4 french horns in F, 2 trumpets in B-flat, 3 trombones, tuba
Percussion: timpani, triangle, tambourine, military drum, cymbal, bass drum, glockenspiel
Keyboard: celesta, pianino (upright piano)
Strings: harp, 1st and 2nd violins, violas, cellos, contrabass
Synopsis
Tableau 1 — A winter landscape
Winter is surrounded by his companions: Hoar-frost, Ice, Hail and Snow, who amuse themselves with a band of snowflakes. Two gnomes enter, and soon light a fire that causes all assembled to vanish.
Tableau 2 — A landscape covered with flowers
Spring dances with Zephyr, flower fairies, and enchanted birds. Upon feeling the heat of the sun, the assembly takes flight.
Tableau 3 — A landscape of flowing fields of wheat in the breeze
Cornflowers and poppies revel in the light and warmth of the sun; the spirit of the corn appears. They take rest after their exertion. Now naiads appear, who bring water to refresh the growth, and the Spirit of Corn dances in thanksgiving. Satyrs and fauns enter playing their pipes, and attempt to carry off the Spirit of the Corn, but she and the flowers are rescued by the wind of Zephyr.
Tableau 4 — A landscape in Autumn
The Seasons take part in a glorious dance (the well-known "autumn bacchanale") while leaves from autumn trees rain upon their merriment. Winter, Spring, the Bird and Zephyr dance. Bacchantes, Satyrs, Fauns and the spirit of the corn continue the revels until more leaves fall on the revellers.
Apotheosis — The Sable sky
Constellations of stars sparkle above the earth.
Résumé of dances and the mise-en-scène
List of the numbers comprising The Seasons taken from the Yearbook of the Imperial Theatres, 1899-1900, being the original titles of the dances and mise en scène as originally staged.
No.01 Prélude
Tableau I — L’Hiver (winter)
No.02 Scène de l’Hiver
No.03 Variation du givre (frost)
No.04 Variation de la glace (ice)
No.05 Variation de la grêle (hail)
No.06 Variation de la neige (snow)
No.07 Coda
Tableau II — Le Printemps (spring)
No.08 Entrée de Printemps, Zéphyre, les Fées des fleurs, les oiseaux et les fleurs
Tableau III — L’Été (summer)
No.09 Scène de l’Été
No.10 Valse des bleuets et des pavots (Waltz of the Cornflowers and Poppies)
No.11 Barcarolle – Entrée des naïades, les satyres et des faunes
No.12 Variation de l’Esprit du maïs
No.13 Coda
Tableau IV — L’Automne (fall)
No.14 Grande bacchanale des saisons
Discography
1929, Aleksandr Glazunov, unknown orchestra
1953, Roger Désormière, Orchestre National de France
1956, Albert Wolff, Paris Conservatoire Orchestra
1966, Ernest Ansermet, Suisse Romande Orchestra
196?, Konstantin Ivanov, USSR Symphony Orchestra
196?, Robert Irving, Concert Arts Orchestra
1978, Yevgeny Svetlanov, Philharmonia Orchestra
1987, Neeme Järvi, Scottish National Orchestra
1989, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
1993, Edo de Waart, Minnesota Orchestra
1987, Ondrej Lenard, Czecho-Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra
2004, José Serebrier, Royal Scottish National Orchestra