''Fiametta'' or ''Fiammetta'', (also known as ''The Flame of Love'', ''The Salamander'' or ''Néméa'') is a

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...

in four acts and four scenes, choreographed by

Arthur Saint-Léon Arthur Saint-Léon (17 September 1821, in Paris – 2 September 1870) was the '' Maître de Ballet'' of St. Petersburg Imperial Ballet from 1859 until 1869 and is famous for creating the choreography of the ballet '' Coppélia''. Biography He ...

to music by

Ludwig Minkus Ludwig Minkus (), also known as Léon Fyodorovich Minkus (23 March 1826, Vienna – 7 December 1917, Vienna), was an Austrian composer of ballet music, a violinist and teacher of music. Minkus is noted for the music he composed during his caree ...

, first presented by the Ballet of the Moscow Imperial Bolshoi Theatre on November 12–24, 1863 ( Julian/

Gregorian calendar The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It went into effect in October 1582 following the papal bull issued by Pope Gregory XIII, which introduced it as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian cale ...

dates) at the Moscow Imperial Bolshoi Theatre,

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

, with Anna Sobeshchanskaya as Fiametta.

Plot

Fiametta is a fantastic creature, produced by Cupid from the flame of love, who took the form of an earthly girl in order to charm Count Sterngold and prevent him from marrying a rich bride Regonda for self-interest. Cupid, with the help of Fiametta, reunites Regonda and officer Otto, who love each other. The action, which began on Olympus, was transferred to Tyrol. In an eclectic plot, a magical creature, mythological heroes, Tyrolean aristocrats and gypsies coexisted - the presence on the stage of fantastic as well as real characters from different layers of society allowed the choreographer to use both classical and characteristic dance. The reviewer Bocharov noted that the author “quite managed to reconcile the graceful pride of Greek mythological creatures with the un-ceremoniousness of some Tyrolean Count and the violent revelry of idle gypsies” (a few years later, a similar combination is used by Marius Petipa in his ballet Don Quixote).

Characters

* Cupid, god of love * Fiametta * Mercury * Terpsichore * Coquetry * Count Friedrich Sterngold * Ritter, his friend * Molari, tutor and guardian of the Count * Martini, servant of the count * Princess Milfleur * Regonda, her daughter * Yolanda and Margarita, friends of Regonda * Otto, officer * Three graces, nymphs, cupids, muses, gypsies, Tyrolean villagers and villagers

Synopsis

Prologue

''Scene I'' The goddesses of Olympus worship Cupid. Terpsichore, nymphs and other mythological creatures entertain the inhabitants of Olympus with dances. Mercury appears. He informs Cupid that a young man has appeared on earth, denying his power. Having squandered his fortune, he intends to marry a rich heiress who is in love with a brave officer and these lovers cry to the god of love, hoping for his protection. Cupid offers a view of Regonda and Otto on one side and a pavilion with the inscription "Temple closed to love", where he has fun, drinking wine and playing cards with friends, surrounded by gypsies, Count Sterngold - on the other. Cupid decides to punish the dissolute count and help the lovers. Having extinguished the altar with the flame of love, he reproduces Fiametta: endowed with magical beauty, she must take revenge on Sterngold for insulting Cupid.

Act 1

''Scene II'' Sterngold estate in Tyrol. The count is still having fun in the pavilion. A shot is fired, followed by Cupid in the guise of a hunter. Young people and gypsies persuade him to join their company. Cupid brings Fiametta in the guise of a gypsy. When she starts dancing, she charms Sterngold.

Revivals

*Restaging by Arthur Saint-Léon under the title ''Fiametta or The Devil In Love'' for the

Imperial Ballet The Mariinsky Ballet () is the resident classical ballet company of the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Founded in the 18th century and originally known as the Imperial Russian Ballet, the Mariinsky Ballet is one of the world's ...

, with Minkus revising his score, first presented on February 13–25, 1864 at the

Imperial Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre The Saint Petersburg Imperial Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre (The Big Stone Theatre of Saint Petersburg, ) was a theatre in Saint Petersburg. It was built in 1783 to Antonio Rinaldi's Neoclassical design as the Kamenny (i.e., Stone) Theatre; Giovann ...

, St. Petersburg, Russia. Principal Dancers: Marfa Muravieva (as Fiametta),

Lev Ivanov Lev Ivanovich Ivanov (; 2 March 1834, Moscow – 24 December 1901, Saint Petersburg) was a Russian ballet dancer and choreographer and later, Second Balletmaster of the Mariinsky Ballet, Imperial Ballet. As a performer with the Mariinsky Ballet, ...

(as Count Friedrich), Vera Lyadova (as Cupid), Aleksandra Kemmerer (as Regonda), Christian Johansson (as Otto), and Maria Sokolova (as Terpsichore). Other interpreters of Fiametta were Praskovia Lebedeva, Mathilde Madaeva,

Adèle Grantzow Adele (born 1988) is an English singer-songwriter. Adele may also refer to: People * Adele (given name), a common female given name * Jan Adele (1936–2000), Australian actor *Adeniji Adele (1893–1964), Oba (King) of Lagos * Adele, a charac ...

(November 15–27, 1865). Saint-Léon's 1864 staging of this work was the first Russian production of a ballet to make use of such stage devices as electric lighting and shadow effects with the aid of convex mirrors. *Restaging by Arthur Saint-Léon under the title ''Néméa ou l'Amour Vengé'' (''Nemea or The Avenged Love'') in two acts and four scenes for the Ballet of the Académie Royale de Musique, with Minkus revising his score, first presented on July 11, 1864, at the

Académie Royale de Musique The Paris Opera ( ) is the primary opera and ballet company of France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the , and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and officially renamed the , but continued to be kn ...

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

. For this production Saint-Léon changed the name of the names of the principal characters of Fiametta and Count Friedrich to Néméa and Count Molder. Principal Dancers: Marfa Muravieva (as Néméa), Eugénie Fiorcre (as Cupid),

Louis Mérante Louis Alexandre Mérante (23 July 1828–Courbevoie, 17 July 1887) was a dancer and choreographer, the ''Maître de Ballet'' (First Balletmaster/Chief Choreographer) of the Paris Opera Ballet at the Salle Le Peletier until its destruction by fire ...

(as Count Molder). *Restaging by Arthur Saint-Léon under the title ''Fiamma d'amore'' for Teatro Comunale di Trieste, with Giuseppe Camorano revising Minkus' score, first presented on March 15, 1868, in

Trieste Trieste ( , ; ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital and largest city of the Regions of Italy#Autonomous regions with special statute, autonomous region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, as well as of the Province of Trieste, ...

. Principal Dancers:

(as Fiametta). *Revival by

Marius Petipa Marius Ivanovich Petipa (; born Victor Marius Alphonse Petipa; 11 March 1818) was a French and Russian ballet dancer, pedagogue and choreographer. He is considered one of the most influential ballet masters and choreographers in ballet history ...

under the title ''Fiametta'' for the

in four acts, first presented on December 6–18, 1887 at the

Imperial Mariinsky Theatre The Mariinsky Theatre (, also transcribed as Maryinsky or Mariyinsky) is a historic opera house in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Opened in 1860, it became the preeminent music theatre of late 19th-century Russia, where many of the stage masterpieces ...

, St. Petersburg, Russia. Principal Dancers: Elena Cornalba (as Fiametta), Alexandre Shiryaev (as Cupid), and

Pavel Gerdt Pavel Andreyevich Gerdt (), also known as Paul Gerdt (22 November 1844, near Saint Petersburg, Russia – 12 August 1917, in Vamaloki, Finland, Russian Republic), was the ''Premier Danseur Noble'' of the Mariinsky Ballet, Imperial Ballet, the Bol ...

(as Count Fiedrich).

Note

References

{{Ballets of Marius Petipa Ballets by Arthur Saint-Léon Ballets by Ludwig Minkus 1860s ballets 1863 works Ballets premiered at the Bolshoi Theatre