''La Esmeralda'' is a ballet in three acts and five scenes, inspired by the 1831 novel ''

Notre-Dame de Paris Notre-Dame de Paris ( ; meaning "Cathedral of Our Lady of Paris"), often referred to simply as Notre-Dame, is a Medieval architecture, medieval Catholic cathedral on the Île de la Cité (an island in the River Seine), in the 4th arrondissemen ...

'' by

Victor Hugo Victor-Marie Hugo, vicomte Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romanticism, Romantic author, poet, essayist, playwright, journalist, human rights activist and politician. His most famous works are the novels ''The Hunchbac ...

, originally choreographed by Jules Perrot to music by

Cesare Pugni Cesare Pugni (; ; 31 May 1802, in Genoa – ) was an Italian composer of ballet music, a pianist and a violinist. He studied composition with Bonifazio Asioli and violin with Alessandro Rolla. In his early career he composed operas, symph ...

, with sets by William Grieve and costumes by Mme. Copère. It was first presented by the Ballet of her Majesty's Theatre,

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

on 9 March 1844, with

Carlotta Grisi Carlotta Grisi (born Caronne Adele Josephine Marie Grisi; 28 June 1819 – 20 May 1899) was an Italian ballet dancer. Born in Vižinada, Visinada, Istria (present-day Vižinada, Croatia). Although her parents were not involved in the theatre, she ...

as Esmeralda, Jules Perrot as Gringoire, Arthur Saint-Leon as Phoebus, Adelaide Frassi as Fleur de Lys, and Antoine Louis Coulon as Quasimodo. Today the complete ballet is usually performed only in Russia,

Eastern Europe Eastern Europe is a subregion of the Europe, European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural and socio-economic connotations. Its eastern boundary is marked by the Ural Mountain ...

, and by two ballet companies in the United States. The New Jersey Ballet introduced the full-length version for the first time in the United States in 2004, and the Russian Ballet Orlando performed La Esmeralda for the first time in 2021. Most Western ballet companies perform only two ''Esmeralda''-related pieces—''La Esmeralda pas de deux'' and ''La Esmeralda pas de six''—and the '' Diane and Actéon Pas de Deux'', which is actually not excerpted from the ballet, but often mistakenly credited as having been added 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 ...

to his 1886 revival of ''La Esmeralda''.Naughtin, Matthew. ''Ballet Music,'' 2014, p. 213 (Rowman & Littlefield, 2014). Variations from the ballet are still commonly performed by students at ballet competitions.

Plot

Plot outline based on the full synopsis translated by Professor Roland John Wiley: The beautiful Romani girl Esmeralda marries the poet Pierre Gringoire, to save him from death in the hands of the Romani king. The groom is smitten with his new bride, but she makes it clear that the marriage is strictly one of convenience. Gringoire is not the only one infatuated with Esmeralda, the archdeacon of Notre Dame cathedral, Claude Frollo, is dangerously obsessed with the girl and orders his deformed henchman, Quasimodo, to abduct her. When Quasimodo attacks Esmeralda in the street, she is rescued by the King's Archers, led by their handsome captain Phoebus de Chateaupers, who capture Quasimodo. They plan to torture him, but Esmeralda asks for his release. The hunchback is deeply touched by her kindness. Phoebus is enchanted by the girl and gives her a scarf that was given to him by his fiancée, Fleur de Lys. The next day, Fleur de Lys and her mother hold a grand celebration for her engagement to Phoebus, who is distracted by thoughts of Esmeralda. She arrives to entertain the guests, but is left heartbroken when she sees that Fleur de Lys' fiancé is none other than her beloved Phoebus. Fleur de Lys notices that Esmeralda is wearing the scarf that she gave to Phoebus and realising that he has fallen in love with another, angrily calls off the engagement. Phoebus leaves with Esmeralda. Alone in a tavern, the two declare their love for each other, unaware that the archdeacon Frollo is also there, eavesdropping on them. Taking a dagger that he stole from Esmeralda's room, Frollo sneaks up behind the lovers and stabs Phoebus, who falls unconscious to the ground. Frollo calls for the authorities, shows them the body of Phoebus and the dagger that was used to stab him, which is identified as Esmeralda's. The poor girl is taken away and sentenced to death. At dawn the following morning, the Festival of Fools is under way and Esmeralda is due to be hanged for the murder of Phoebus. Her friends and Gringoire are all present and bid her farewell, while Frollo watches in triumph. Just as Esmeralda is led to the gallows, Phoebus arrives alive and well, having survived and recovered from the stabbing. He reveals the true culprit to be Frollo and announces that Esmeralda is innocent of any crime. Frollo takes a dagger and attempts to do away with them, but Quasimodo wrests the dagger from his master and stabs him to death. Esmeralda and Phoebus are happily reunited.

Revivals

*Jules Perrot for the Imperial Ballet.

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 Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city had a population of 5,601, ...

, 2 January 1849. Revived especially for the ballerina Fanny Elssler. Cesare Pugni revised his original score for the production. *Marius Petipa for the Imperial Ballet in four acts and five scenes.

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, 17 December 1886. Revived especially for the ballerina Virginia Zucchi. Musical revision and additional '' pas'' by

Riccardo Drigo Riccardo Eugenio Drigo (; 30 June 1846 – 1 October 1930) was an Italian composer of ballet music and Italian opera, a theatrical Conducting, conductor, and a pianist. Drigo is most noted for his long career as kapellmeister and Director of Mu ...

(including a ''Pas de six'' for Virginia Zucchi). Petipa added additional numbers in 1866 (a ''Pas de deux'' for the ballerina Claudina Cucchi that became known as the ''Pas Cucchi'' to the music of Pugni), 1871 (a ''Pas de dix'' for the Ballerina Eugenia Sokolova to the music of Yuli Gerber), and 1872 (a ''Pas de cinq'' for the ballerina Adèle Grantzow to music by an unknown composer). *Marius Petipa for the Imperial Ballet in four acts and five scenes. Imperial Mariinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg, 21 November 1899. Revived especially for the ''Prima Ballerina Assoluta'' Mathilde Kschessinskaya. * Agrippina Vaganova for the

Kirov 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 ...

in three acts. Kirov Theatre of Opera and Ballet,

Leningrad Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...

, 3 April 1935. Revived especially for the ballerina Tatiana Vecheslova. Vaganova added a "new" ''Pas d'action'' as a showpiece for the dancers

Galina Ulanova Galina Sergeyevna Ulanova (, ; 21 March 1998) was a Russian ballet dancer. She is frequently cited as being one of the greatest ballerinas of the 20th century. Biography Ulanova was born in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Both parents were the so ...

and Vakhtang Chabukiani, which she arranged from the ''Pas de Diane'' from Petipa's 1868 ballet ''

Tsar Kandavl or Le Roi Candaule ''Le Roi Candaule'' ( en. ''King Candaules'') is a ''Grand ballet'' in four acts and six scenes, with choreography by Marius Petipa and music by Cesare Pugni. The libretto is by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and is based on the history of ...

'' to music by Pugni and Drigo, which is known today as the ''Diane and Actéon pas de deux''. * Pyotr Gusev for the Kirov Ballet in three acts. Kirov Theatre of Opera and Ballet, Leningrad, 1949. *For the

Bolshoi Ballet The Bolshoi Ballet is an internationally renowned classical ballet company based at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, Russia. Founded in 1776, the Bolshoi is among the world's oldest Ballet company, ballet companies. In the early 20th century, it ca ...

in 2009, Yuri Burlaka and Vasily Medvedev staged a revival based on Petipa's final 1899 revival of ''La Esmeralda''. The complete list of numbers is provided by Naughton.Naughtin, Matthew.
Ballet Music
'' 2014, p. 215 (Rowman & Littlefield, 2014).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Esmeralda, La Ballets by Jules Perrot Ballets by Cesare Pugni 1840s ballets 1844 works Ballets premiered at Her Majesty's Theatre Works based on The Hunchback of Notre-Dame Ballets by Marius Petipa Music based on works by Victor Hugo

Plot

Revivals

See also

References