Le Papillon (ballet)

"Le Papillon" ("The Butterfly") is a "fantastic ballet" in 2 acts, with choreography by Marie Taglioni and music by Jacques Offenbach. Libretto by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges (1861), and revised by Marius Petipa (1874).

First presented by the Ballet du Théâtre Impérial de l´Opéra on November 26, 1860, in Paris, France. "Principal Dancers -" Emma Livry (as Farfalla/the Butterfly), and Louis Mérante (as Prince Djalma), Louise Marquet (as the Fairy Hamza), and Mme. Simon (as the Diamond Fairy).

Revivals/Restagings

*Revival by Marius Petipa in 4 acts/4 scenes for the Imperial Ballet, with Léon Minkus making additions and adapting Offenbach's score. First presented on January 7/19 (Julian/Gregorian calendar dates), 1874 at the Imperial Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia. "Principal Dancers -" Ekaterina Vazem (as Farfalla/the Butterfly), Lev Ivanov (as Prince Djalma), Pavel Gerdt (as Patimate), Mathil'da Madaeva (as the Fairy Hamza), and Lubov Radina (as the Diamond Fairy).

Notes

*For his revival of 1874, Petipa added a variation to the "Grand Pas des Papillons" to a waltz by Luigi Venzano especially for the "Prima Ballerina" Ekaterina Vazem - this variation became known as the "Pas Vazem", and was much celebrated among the balletomanes of St. Petersburg.

*Farfalla, the name of the lead role, is the Italian word for Butterfly.

*Richard Bonynge conducted a recording of Offenbach's original score for "Le Papillon".