This project belongs to the artistic director of the Bolshoi Theater Ballet Sergei Filin. He has good memories of working with the French choreographer when he was a dancer - together with Nina Ananiashvili, Filin danced the premiere of “The Pharaoh’s Daughter” in 2000. Over the past 13 years, Pierre Lacotte has returned to the Bolshoi more than once to resume his ballet - blessing new performers (in particular, Svetlana Zakharova, with whom the DVD “Pharaoh's Daughters” was recorded).
Outside the walls of the Bolshoi they also went to Soviet era and now there are various productions of Lacotte.
In 1979, the choreographer brought “La Sylphide” to the stage of the Novosibirsk Theater, a ballet through which he gained fame as an expert and restorer of ancient French choreography. In the same year, he transferred Maria Taglioni’s “Butterfly” and “Pas de sis” from “The Marquitante” to the Kirov Theater, and in 1980 he staged “Natalie, or the Swiss Milkwoman” at the Moscow Theater classical ballet under the leadership of N. Kasatkina and V. Vasilyov for Ekaterina Maksimova.
In 2006, the ballet “Ondine” premiered at the Mariinsky Theater, and in 2011, “La Sylphide” premiered at the MAMT. Russian audiences became acquainted with the choreographer’s style during the tour (they brought both La Sylphide and Paquita).
Before describing the ballet “Marco Spada” by P. Lacotte at the Bolshoi Theater, it is worth identifying several features of the author’s style of this French choreographer.
Lacotte began in the fifties of the last century as an avant-garde artist,
one might even say he was a revolutionary who rebelled against the routine of the Paris Opera. He wanted to stage it himself, but he had to dance in the dull ballets of Serge Lifar, and Lacotte quit the theater and broke free.
We know almost nothing about what exactly his first productions were. However, recently a curious documentary(thanks to the art association CoolConnections, which, among other film projects, also broadcasts performances of the Metropolitan Opera, ballets of the Bolshoi Theater, etc.) “Life in Ballet: Pierre Lacotte and Ghislain Thesmard” by French director Marlene Ionesco.
The film contains several surviving fragments of Lacotte's first performances.
As we expected, young Lacotte staged in the same manner as Lifar, only much more boring, but the design and arrangements were truly trendy. It is clear that the aspiring choreographer was feeling his way, starting from what he saw every day, and his strong point in the future would not be the creation of a new choreographic language, but something completely different.
It is important that Lacotte showed his ballets on television - and “Night the Magician” to the music of the king of jazz Sidney Bechet in 1954 and “La Sylphide” in 1971. Maybe he did not use doubles in order to make the artists’ jumps seem longer, higher and more beautiful, and the flights of sylphs over the stage are more fantastic than they usually look in the theater, but he liked the very idea of some “film chemistry”, and it benefited the popularization of the direction that Lacotte led. Because
after the success of La Sylphide, he awoke as a true guardian of 19th-century ballet romance.
Lacotte, of course, reinvented this romance, relying on documents of the era - books, notes, engravings, letters and critical articles, stories of their famous ballet teachers - Carlotta Zambelli, Lyubov Egorova, Gustave Rico, Madame Ruzan, Matilda Kshesinskaya, as well as “neo-romantic” discoveries of choreographers of the 20th century - Fokine in “Chopinian”, Balanchine in “Serenade”, Ashton in “ Vain precaution” and even Macmillan in “Manon.”
For some lost ballets of the past, he found author's notes in the margins of claviers and violin tutors, but
In no case is it a complete recreation or reconstruction of the performance in its original form.
Such reconstructions are carried out by Sergei Vikharev and Yuri Burlaka, but not by Lacotte. Lacotte, so to speak, composes ballets of the 19th century in the 20th-21st centuries. And his main advantage, which sets him apart from other choreographers who are also trying to stage XIX style century, is the ability to talentedly stage the dances themselves, without copying anyone but oneself -
Lacotte, to some extent, is the Rossini of dance.
His method has disadvantages. Firstly, the composition - the architecture of the ballet performance - is lame. If Lacotte staged his own performance, he would build the building of the future ballet in his head, as all the talented choreographers did before him, but he stages the ballets of the past without being their original architect.
And the second thing that gets lost if you reconstruct in a platonic way is the characters' personalities. The 19th century choreographer offered the artists a model of behavior on stage in a particular film, and then they improvised.
And Lacotte’s productions are similar to the mechanical dolls of the scientist Coppelius
They are equipped with a beautiful form, shell, mechanism, that is, dances, but there is no soul in them (the soul happily flew away along with the last breath of those historical performances that the choreographer reanimates).
However, releasing one ancient ballet after another - “La Sylphide”, “Giselle”, “Natalie”, “Coppelia”, “Butterfly” - Lacotte compiled a unique data bank, which includes all possible components of a romantic and post-romantic ballet performance 19th century, including typical costumes (bodice type, Chopinovka, tunics, tunics, headdresses, color combinations) and decorations.
When, having become proficient, he staged “Marco Spada” in Rome and Paris, “Lake of Sorceresses” in Berlin, “Pharaoh’s Daughter” at the Bolshoi and “Paquita” in Paris, the puzzle structure of his fantasy productions began to be felt even more, as well as his style became even more authorial, expressive, Lacottian.
But every single one of his works suffers from the Coppelia complex. They have no living characters.
The historical Marco Spada is one of three notable performances by French choreographer Joseph Mazilier. We also know the other two - these are “Paquita” and “Corsair”, but they passed through the hands of M. Petipa and became part of another ballet tradition.
Mazilier was in a hurry to move away from the sylphic style of Taglioni's choreography. He abandoned the foggy northern mythology and “went” to the south - Italy, Spain, Türkiye. The choreographers' mental journeys to these Mediterranean regions enriched the ballet with colorful southern dances, fantasy oriental settings, and curious costumes and accessories.
"Marco Spada" is not the best shining example Orientalization of the choreographer's style, the ballet takes place in Latium, somewhere in the vicinity of Rome. But this is the Rome of Poussin and Lorrain, who invented a picturesque Italy XVII century - a country of romantic ruins, cute shepherdesses and bandits operating in forests and cities.
Incorporate into this mythical southern landscape a story about noble robber Marco Spada and his courageous daughter Angela, who did not abandon her father when she found out what he was really doing, as well as two love affairs - Angela - Prince Federici and Marchioness Sampietri - Captain Pepinelli - were not difficult.
The bourgeois Parisian public dreamed of breaking out of the office routine and using the theater as a magic carpet to the beautiful and unknown Italy.
Daniel Ober first - in 1852 - wrote the opera "Marco Spada, or the Bandit's Daughter", and then - in 1857 - made an arrangement for the ballet of the same name, providing the score with melodies from his operas that were popular at that time. The ballet ran for three seasons in a row, which generally meant success, but did not prevent it from suddenly disappearing into oblivion - such was the fate of 80 percent of the opera and ballet production of that time.
Lacotte began reviving Marco Spada in 1980 from scratch.
Only a few sketches could serve as witnesses of the era in his exercises.
Naturally, the first production of Spada in the 20th century took place at the Rome Opera - where else could the forgotten story about a Roman robber come in handy.
Lacotte's main trump card has always been Ghislaine Thesmar - wife and muse,
without which he could not imagine his productions. A unique ballerina - smart, thinking, worried, and sensitive to style. All these qualities were crowned with the ingenious ballerina form of Tesmar. It is important that Ghislaine Thesmar was relatively tall, with elongated forms, and Lacotte’s thought worked in this direction - the beauty of the steps he composed was revealed in a wide format.
They once had lunch with Lacotte in New York, shared creative plans, and when the choreographer spoke about the upcoming premiere of the ballet about a robber, Nureyev exclaimed, “Yes, it’s me.” They shook hands, Nureyev made a written promise to attend all rehearsals and kept his word.
It was not possible to cast Carla Fracci, who often dances with Rudolf, in the role of Angela's rival (Tesmar was Angela), since Carla's husband wanted to choreograph variations for her himself. This did not suit Lacotte, who had already come up with everything from start to finish (including scenery and costumes). When Karla found out that Nureyev was participating, she refused the “inserted” variations, but a contract with another ballerina had already been concluded.
Success accompanied the production both in Rome and in Paris, where Lacotte moved the performance in 1984 for the same Nureyev and Tesmar.
Only the recording was affected, since RAI broadcast one of the last performances with the participation of Nureyev, and the dancer’s illness had already progressed, he did not demonstrate better shape. However, this is one of his signature recordings (it was digitized and released on DVD).
For the Bolshoi, Lacotte made a new version, although the differences are noticeable only to the eye of an experienced balletomane - a couple of new variations and different music in the parade pas de deux of the second act. Previously, Angela and Marco danced at the governor’s ball to Auber’s music, which is famous for the concert “Grand Classical Pa” by Gzovsky, but now Lacotte found another Auber music for their dance.
The strength of Lacotte's performances is visible when good textured dancers are employed; the acting factor is secondary.
The Bolshoi Theater found in its bowels four performers of the title role, three of whom reached the finals. David Hallberg became the main Marco - American Swedish origin, who graduated from the school at the Paris Opera and is the premier of ABT in combination with the Bolshoi.
By definition, he fits the format of a dancer for Lacotte ballets, since he knows the so-called French foot technique and French spins better than ours. Unlike Russian artists who love pauses for acting, David feels very natural in an atmosphere of continuous dancing. He is also wonderful in the role of Prince Pepinelli (in a different cast) - the frivolous young man, in love first with Angela, then with the Marquise, then again with Angela. Evgenia Obraztsova and Olga Smirnova danced with him on the first day of the premiere.
Exemplary's participation did not brighten up the performance, since the role of Angela is designed for a tall ballerina.
At some point, two dancers compete (such dances of rivals were a favorite trick of choreographers in the history of ballet in the mid-19th century) and Angela should win, but she doesn’t. Smirnova-Sampietri wins - because of her stateliness, beauty, clearer drawing of the dance lines and an unexpected sense of comedy in the ever-serious ballerina.
Obraztsova dances exemplarily, but it does not work due to textural flaws. She was a pretty Ondine in the Mariinsky Theater, but she didn’t live up to the bandit.
In their composition, Igor Tsvirko also danced in the role of Pepinelli, and he also received the title role on the third day, but he still looked more harmonious in the role of captain, not Spada. Semyon Chudin worthy complemented the first cast quartet in the role of Federici.
He looked more like Hallberg than Nureyev, but even more like Brad Pitt, if he had decided to play a historical bandit. Thanks to the make-up artists for the amazingly created images - they turned out to be completely different types (Holberg, Ovcharenko, Tsvirko). People rarely write about these home front workers, although they should: the makeup artists at the Bolshoi are some of the best in the world.
It was an excellent performance, in which Ovcharenko-Spada and Hallberg-Federici came together. This composition came about by chance - due to the illness of the fourth Spada - Vladislav Lantratov.
In the same cast, Ekaterina Krysanova shone in the role of Angela.
Mazilier's ballets are one of her elements. Let us remember the sparkling Gulnara in “Corsair”, when the ballerina rushes diagonally, and we can almost hear as if she is egging on the conductor - “faster, faster.” She really suits all sorts of experiments with headdresses: the bandit’s bandana from the third act in the manner of Krysanova is the latest in fashion. Angela's third act in the camp of robbers is a complete dance triumph for the ballerina. It’s a mystery, of course, why she didn’t dance in the first lineup?
Andrei Merkuryev became a harmonious Pepinelli (an officer in love with the Marquise Sampietri, whom she will eventually marry under pressure from Marco Spada, who clears the way for a successful marriage for his adopted daughter Angela). Playing honestly and straightforwardly, Andrey unwittingly gave away Lacotte's source of inspiration for this image. Since Lacotte creates a universal performance of the 19th century, he borrows images from various ballets.
Pepinelli is a distant relative of Alain from "A Vain Precaution".
He and his funny troop march straight out of a comic ballet by Dauberval-Ashton.
The work of conductors A. Bogorad and A. Solovyov is a plus.
Lacotte, meanwhile, hopes to appear at the Bolshoi again soon - he has an idea to stage “The Three Musketeers” and “Coppelia.” If he comes, he will be able to look after Marco Spada, which, being a fragile ballet, will not live long without its faithful Coppelius.
Daniel Francois Esprit Aubert
Member of the Institute of France (1829). As a child, he played the violin and composed romances (which were published). Contrary to the wishes of his parents, who were preparing him for a commercial career, he devoted himself to music. His first experience of theatrical music was the comic opera “Julia” (1811), approved by Cherubini (under his leadership, Aubert subsequently studied composition).
Ober's first staged comic operas - "The Military at a Rest" (1813) and "Testament" (1819) - did not receive recognition. His comic opera “The Shepherdess of the Castle” (1820) brought him fame. In the 1920s, Ober began a long-term fruitful collaboration with the playwright Scribe, the author of the libretto for most of his operas (the first of them were “Leicester” and “Snow”).
At the beginning creative path Aubert was influenced by Rossini and Boieldieu, but the comic opera "The Mason" (1825)alreadytestifies to his creative independence and originality. In 1828, the opera “The Mute of Portici” (“Fenella”, libretto by Scribe and Delavigne) was staged with triumphant success, confirming his fame. In 1842-71 Aubert was director of the Paris Conservatory, and from 1857 he was also a court composer.
Aubert, along with Meyerbeer, is one of the creators of the genre grand opera. The opera “The Mute of Portici” belongs to this genre. Its plot - the uprising of Neapolitan fishermen in 1647 against Spanish enslavers - corresponded to the public mood on the eve of the July Revolution of 1830 in France. With its focus, the opera responded to the demands of progressive audiences and sometimes provoked revolutionary performances (a patriotic manifestation at a performance in 1830 in Brussels served as the beginning of an uprising that led to the liberation of Belgium from Dutch rule). In Russia, the performance of the opera in Russian was allowed by the tsarist censorship only under the title “The Bandits of Palermo” (1857).
This is the first big opera based on a real historical plot, characters which is not ancient heroes, but ordinary people. Aubert interprets the heroic theme through rhythmic intonation folk songs, dances, as well as battle songs and marches of the Great french revolution. The opera uses contrasting dramaturgy techniques, introducing numerous choruses, mass genre and heroic scenes (at the market, an uprising), and melodramatic situations (the madness scene). The role of the heroine was entrusted to the ballerina, which allowed the composer to saturate the score with figurative and expressive orchestral episodes accompanying Fenella’s stage performance, and to introduce elements of effective ballet into the opera. The opera "The Mute of Portici" influenced further development folk heroic and romantic opera.
Ober - largest representative French comic opera. His opera Fra Diavolo (1830) marked new stage in the history of this genre. Among the numerous comic operas, the following stand out: “ Bronze horse"(1835), "Black Domino" (1837), "Diamonds of the Crown" (1841). Aubert relied on the traditions of the masters of French comic opera of the 18th century: Philidor, Monsigny, Grétry, as well as his older contemporary Boieldieu, and he learned a lot from the art of Rossini.
In collaboration with Scribe, Ober created new type comic opera genre, which is characterized by highly entertaining adventures, sometimes fairy tales, a casual and rapidly developing action, replete with spectacular, playful, and sometimes grotesque situations.
Ober's music is witty, sensitively reflects the comedic turns of the action, and is full of graceful lightness, elegance, fun and brilliance. It embodies the intonations of French everyday music (song and dance). His scores are marked by melodic freshness and variety, sharp, piquant rhythms, and often subtle and vibrant orchestration. Ober used a variety of arias and song forms, masterfully introduced ensembles and choirs, which he interpreted in a playful, effective way, creating lively, colorful genre scenes . Ober combined creative fertility with the gift of variety and novelty.
An expert in ancient choreography, Pierre Lacotte, prepared new version his ballet "Marco Spada" - a free stylization of a forgotten performance of the 19th century with its own scenery and costumes.
For the first time Lacottestaged "Marco Spada" in 1982 at the Rome Opera, for the 200th anniversary of the composer Ober. Main role- the bandit Marco Spada in that performance was performed by Rudolf Nureyev, who had already passed the peak of his form and fame; his stage daughter was Lacotte’s wife and muse, ballerina Ghislaine Thesmar; Prince Federici, who was in love with her, was danced by the handsome Mikael Denard.
Ballet legend says that the initiator of the birth of historical ballet was Napoleon III. IN mid-19th century, two students of the great teacher Carlo Blasis competed at the Paris Opera - Amalia Ferraris and Carolina Rosati. It occurred to the emperor to bring the rivals face to face in one ballet. A suitable plot was provided by Ober's opera "Marco Spada" - about an elusive Italian robber who robs the clergy and aristocrats. Eugene Scribe, author opera libretto, immediately converted it into a ballet, the ballet score was made up of hits from various Ober operas, and took on the choreography chief choreographer Paris Opera Joseph Mazilier. To the most experienced choirthe artist had to show an extraordinary diplomatic gift: he brought together the ballerinas in only one mise-en-scène, came up with the most advantageous steps for each one and divided the variations with apothecary precision. Throughout the rehearsals, the rivals jealously watched the production, throwing tantrums for any reason: the gentle Ferraris cried, the determined Rosati almost ran away to London on the eve of the premiere.
However, everything ended well: both received rave reviews. It seems that Amalia won after all - the praises for her aerial dance were more poetic and abundant than the praise for Carlotta’s ground technique and her dramatic gift. This premiere went down in the history of ballet as “a duel of wings and feet, spirit and flesh, the disembodiment of an elf and the flame of a bacchante” (the aesthetic formula for the competition between antagonists was derived by the critic Saint-Victor). From 1857 to 1859, “Marco Spada” was performed 27 times, which indicates its undeniable success. And then Carlotta Rosati drove off to distant St. Petersburg, where she became the mistress of the director of the Imperial Theaters and patronized Marius Petipa - it was for her that he staged “The Pharaoh’s Daughter,” his first full-length ballet. At the Paris Opera there was no replacement for Rosati, and Marco Spada left the stage, leaving nothing for posterity except the memory of innovative two-level sets, hot ballerina battles, and a libretto rich in events.
Kommersant
The ballet “Marco Spada” appeared in the repertoire of the Bolshoi Theater - an attempt at reconstruction ancient ballet about a robber who has a difficult time in the 18th century: he loves both a profitable craft and adopted daughter, innocently suffering from her father’s profession. Romantic melodrama with luxurious costumes and spectacular dances - from classics to bandit dances - was staged based on the 1857 play by Pierre Lacotte especially for Rudolf Nureyev. The Moscow version will differ from the production at the Rome Opera:
Lacotte tried to take into account the scale of the stage and the size of the troupe, introduced new characters, expanded the corps de ballet scenes and came up with a lot of new choreography.
Bolshoi gets exclusive rightson "Marco Spada"for five years.
November 8, 2013
Daniel Auber
Marco Spada
Ballet in three acts
Choreographer: Pierre Lacotte
Scenography and costumes - Pierre Lacotte
Stage conductor -Alexey Bogorad
|
Marco Spada, bandit |
David Hallberg |
|
Angela, his daughter |
Evgenia Obraztsova |
|
Marchioness of Sampietri, daughter of the governor |
Olga Smirnova |
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Prince Federici, fiancé of the Marquise, in love with Angela |
Semyon Chudin |
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Pepinelli, captain of the dragoons, in love with the Marchioness |
Igor Tsvirko |
Summary
Act I
Scene 1
The villagers gathered for the wedding complain to the Governor of Rome about the outrages of a certain Marco Spada. The villagers have never seen him, but they pass on rumors to each other about the thefts he commits in the area. A dragoon regiment enters the village. The regiment commander, Count Pepinelli, cannot resist the charms of the Marchioness of Sampietri, the daughter of the Governor. Alas, she is engaged to Prince Federici... Taking advantage of the general confusion, Marco Spada, unrecognized in the crowd, lightens the pockets of onlookers. Residents are in panic! The rain begins to disperse the crowd. Only Brother Borromeo remained in the square, from whom the bandit cleverly stole all the collected donations.
Scene 2
The Marchioness, the Governor and Count Pepinelli, lost on a mountain walk, have no idea that they have found refuge in the house of Marco Spada. Angela, the bandit's daughter, also knows nothing about her father's robbery activities. Spada's accomplices, deciding that there is no one in the house, quickly fill the room, but then just as suddenly disappear. Pepinelli, who was present at this scene, warns Spada that his house has been attacked by thieves. The dragoons take up defensive positions. The underground doors opened again, the paintings on the wall moved from their places - but only so that a festively decorated table and seductive beauties mysteriously appeared before the surprised guests!
Act II
Marco Spada and Angela are invited to the Governor's ball. At the very moment when Federici wants to ask Spada for his daughter’s hand in marriage, Brother Borromeo appears, complaining to everyone about the criminal whose victim he recently became. Borromeo says that he will be able to identify the thief. Spada, fearing exposure, prefers to hide, but Borromeo managed to see him. Angela guesses everything, she is shocked and refuses Prince Federici. The prince, in annoyance, informs those gathered about his imminent marriage to the Marquise, which, in turn, cannot but upset Pepinelli.
Act III
Scene 1
Pepinelli in last time decides to confess his love to the Marquise, but she comes out to him in wedding dress, she has already made her choice. Suddenly bandits appear from all sides and kidnap both the girl and the count.
Scene 2
Surrounded by his accomplices, Marco Spada is surprised to meet Angela, dressed in the same way as the bandits. “For life or death! I accept my fate and want to live with you...” Borromeo, against his will, is forced to marry the Marchioness and Pepinelli. The noise of an approaching regiment is heard in the distance; the bandits prefer to hide in a cave, grabbing Federici and the Governor along the way, who are in their way, but Angela saves both. Shots are heard nearby. Marco Spada is mortally wounded. He returns, barely able to stand. Before dying, he addresses the stunned soldiers and informs them that Angela is not his daughter. This lie saves Angela from arrest and allows Prince Federici to take her as his wife.
03/10/2013. St. Petersburg, Mariinsky Theater.
Gala concert of world ballet stars.
Music - Daniel Ober. Choreography - Victor Gzovsky
Thanks to live television broadcast via satellite communication system, the three-act ballet “Marco Spada” staged by Pierre Lacotte, an outstanding French choreographer, will be shown in one thousand of the world’s largest cinemas on specialized HD screens and on the Youtube channel. The main roles will be performed by the leading soloists of the Bolshoi Theater: David Hallberg (Marco Spada), Evgenia Obraztsova (Angela), Olga Smirnova (Marquise Sampietri). At the conductor's stand is Alexey Bogorod.
The ballet “Marco Spada, or the Robber's Daughter” was born on the stage of the Paris Opera: the premiere took place on April 1, 1857. Interesting performance in three acts and six scenes, the great French choreographer Joseph Mazilier staged the plot of the comic opera of the same name by Daniel François Esprit Aubert, created in 1852; The libretto was written by the young playwright Eugene Scribe. The audience liked the funny ballet and remained in the repertoire of the Paris Opera for a relatively long time. This was also facilitated by the fact that the main roles were performed by ballet stars of that time - Carolina Rosati (Angela), Amalia Ferraris (Marquise Sampietri) and Lucien Petipa (Prince Federici), the elder brother of the great choreographer Marius Petipa.
On March 15, 1981, a revival of the ballet “Marco Spada” took place on the stage of the Rome Opera. The choreography, scenery and costumes were created, based on the ancient performance, by Pierre Lacotte, a well-known specialist in restoring forgotten performances of ballet classics. In particular, 11 years ago he staged the ballet “The Pharaoh’s Daughter” at the Bolshoi Theater of Russia. The ballet “Marco Spada” owes its revival to Rudolf Nureyev, who wanted to dance the hero of this performance. This game attracted him with the amusing two-facedness of Marco Spada: either a robber brilliantly playing the aristocrat, or an aristocrat gracefully and deftly playing the robber. The performance was performed by famous French ballerinas Gelen Thesmar (Angela) and Francesca Zumbo (Marquise Sampietri).
On November 8, 2013, the ballet “Marco Spada” staged by Pierre Lacotte appeared on the historical stage of the Bolshoi Theater of Russia. Now, on March 30, thanks to a live television broadcast carried out by the French company Bell Air Media, headed by Francois Duple, the ballet performance of the Bolshoi Theater of Russia will be seen all over the world.
Credit photo: Damir Yusupov
E. Obraztsova (Angela) and S. Chudin (Federici) D. Holberg (Marco Spada)
Brief summary of the ballet
Act I – Scene 1
The villagers, gathered on the occasion of the wedding, complain to the Governor of Rome about the robbery of Marco Spada, whom no one has ever seen, but rumors of his thefts are spreading throughout the area. A dragoon regiment arrives in the village. His commander, Count Pepinelli, falls in love with the Marchioness of Sampietri, the daughter of the Governor, but she is engaged to Prince Federici. Unrecognized in the crowd, Marco Spada empties the wallets of onlookers. Residents are in panic. It starts to rain, everyone runs away, only Brother Borromeo remains, from whom the bandit stole all the collected donations.
Act I – Scene 2
The Marchioness, the Governor and Count Pepinelli, lost on a mountain walk, have no idea that they are in the house of Marco Spada. His daughter also does not know about her father’s thieving activities. Pepinelli, who was present when Spada's accomplices appeared and disappeared in the house, warns Marco that thieves have attacked his house. But a festively decorated table and seductive beauties appear before the surprised guests.
Act II
Marco Spada and Angela are going to the Governor's ball. At this moment, Prince Federici asks Spada for his daughter’s hand in marriage, but Borromeo appears and complains about the bandit who recently robbed him. Spada, fearing exposure, prefers to hide, but Borromeo manages to see him. Angela guesses everything and refuses Prince Federici. In annoyance, he informs everyone about his imminent marriage to the Marquise, but this displeases Pepinelli.
Act III – Scene 1
Pipinelli declares his love to the Marquise for the last time, and she comes out to him in a wedding dress. Suddenly bandits appear and kidnap the girl and the count.
Act III – Scene 2
Surrounded by his accomplices, Marco Spada meets Angela, dressed in the same way as the bandits. She decided to live and die with them. Borromeo, against his will, is forced to marry the Marchioness and Pepinelli. A regiment of soldiers appears, the bandits hide in a cave, seizing the Governor and Federici along the way, but Angela saves them. Marco Spada is mortally wounded. Dying, he tells the stunned soldiers that Angela is not his daughter. This lie saves her from arrest and execution, and allows Prince Federici to take her as his wife.
Credit photo: Damir Yusupov
O. Smirnova (Sampietri) and I. Tsvirko (Pepinelli) E. Obraztsova (Angela)
"Marco Spada" - b Alet in 3 acts to the music of Daniel François Esprit Aubert
In 1857, Aubert reworked the opera Marco Spada or the Bandit's Daughter, written in 1852, into a ballet. The libretto was written by Eugene Scribe, who had previously written the libretto for the opera of the same name.
ACT 1
Scene 1. Village near Rome
The governor of Rome and his daughter, the Marchioness of Sampitri, attend the wedding of young peasants. The entire village takes the opportunity to complain to the governor about the thefts committed by Marco Spada. No one has ever seen Marco Spada. Nobody can really describe it. He can easily get lost in the crowd. Or maybe a group of bandits is hiding behind his name? A detachment arrives to fight the robbers under the command of Count Pepinelli. The Count declares his feelings for the Marchioness. But she does not share them, and her father (the governor) wants to marry her to Prince Federici.
Marco Spada appears with his accomplices and begins to mockingly read the indictments of himself, posted on the walls of the houses. Prince Federici reassures everyone: “I am armed.” “Me too,” Marco Spada retorts back and continues to mock. Meanwhile, Brother Borromeo collects donations, ostensibly for the benefit of the parish. For Marco Spada, this is a temptation, and demonstrating sleight of hand, he begins to rob the people, following the example of the monk. The peasants realize that they have been robbed. Everyone is completely confused. Suddenly a strong storm breaks out. The governor and his daughter are looking for a place to shelter before it starts to rain. Brother Borromeo is left alone. Marco Spada returns and robs him, leaving a piece of paper as a souvenir on which he writes his name: MARCO SPADA.
Scene 2. Castle of Marco Spada
The governor, his daughter and Count Pepinelli got lost in the mountains and came to the castle of Marco Spada. They are discovered by Spada's daughter Angela (not knowing what her father really does) and offers them rooms in which they can spend the night. Having settled the guests, Angela opens the window and hears the sounds of a guitar coming from the street. She catches the eye of Federici, who often sneaks under her windows at night and sings serenades. Angela doesn't want to let him in, but he insists. "If my father finds out, he will kill you!" - Angela shouts to him, to which the prince replies: “I don’t care! Let your father come, I want to meet him, talk, so I can marry you!” The sound of hooves can be heard in the distance. “Go away!” says Angela and the lover reluctantly obeys. Marco Spada enters the castle through a secret door so that his daughter does not notice him. He is wearing an elegant suit - the clothes that Angela is used to seeing her father in. A huge surprise comes to him when he learns who is staying at his house for the night. His right hand- the butler Geronio offers Spada to kill the unexpected guests, to which Marco refuses - after all, his beloved daughter Angela is in the house, and he does not want her to know about it. “Later,” he says.
The Governor thanks Spud for his hospitality and introduces him to his daughter and Pepinelli. He invites him and his daughter to a reception at his home in Rome. Marco Spada refuses, but Angela insists, and he agrees, taking into account that now Angela will have to be taught to dance. The Marquise undertakes to teach her. Angela is a quick learner. Marco enthusiastically joins in the dance, then invites the guests to explore the castle.
Pepinelli is left alone. Geronio, thinking that the room is empty, gives a signal to his accomplices. Pepinelli hides in horror behind the tapestry, dreaming of not being caught by the robbers. Just as quickly as they appear, the robbers disappear through secret passages. Soldiers appear. Pepinelli climbs out of a secluded corner, runs to the window and calls for them to enter. Marco Spada enters with guests. Pepinelli tries to talk about what he saw. He claims that the house is infested with robbers. But since he cannot explain where they went, the governor and the soldiers do not believe him. The action ends with everyone making fun of Pepinelli, amazed at his wild imagination.
ACT 2
Scene 1. Governor's House
Everything is ready for a magnificent ball. Marco Spada and his daughter arrived. Prince Federici greets them. Father asks Angela who this gentleman is. “He’s the one who wants to marry me,” Angela replies. "In what nightmare did you dream that you could marry my daughter?" Marco retorts. The father dances with his daughter, and Federici, meanwhile, prepares a speech to formally ask Angela's hand from her father. Suddenly Brother Borromeo enters and begins to tell how he was robbed, pointing at Marco Spada and claiming that he definitely recognized his robber. Marco turns pale and pulls his daughter towards the exit, but the crowd cuts off their escape. Finally, Federici looks at Angela, and Spada still persuades his daughter to run away. papers that Marco handed him when he robbed him - with own name. Spada calls his accomplices, who grab and drag away the monk. Angela realizes who her father is and refuses to marry Federici. He, in despair, announces to the guests about his engagement to the Marquise. Pepinelli is shocked by this news. Spada leads his sobbing daughter away...
Scene 2. Marquise's bedroom
Pepinelli tries to convince the Marchioness of his love. But she doesn’t want to listen, and says that she is preparing for her wedding with Federici. Suddenly robbers burst into the room. The Marchioness and Pepinelli do not have time to hide, and the robbers take them away.
ACT 3
In the forest at dawn. Marco Spada sits in the robber's abode and thinks about his daughter, while everyone in the area dances to entertain him. Suddenly Angela appears in a strange outfit and declares that she also wants to become a robber. Her father dissuades her. The crowd encourages Angela with shouts of support. Finally, the father, amazed by her courage, hugs his daughter. Guerronio appears, he drags Marchioness and Pepinelli. They are forced to get married. A crowd of peasants approaches and the robbers take cover. Federici enters. He is looking for the missing Angela. The robbers attack him in the hope of profiting, but Angela attacks them, shouting that she will not allow this to happen. And if they shoot, she will die along with Federici. The robbers lower their guns. Federici asks her why she is dressed so strangely and what she is doing here, to which Angela recommends that he talk less and run away from here as quickly as possible. Federici agrees to run away only with her.
There is a noise, robbers are chasing the soldiers. Marco Spada gets shot. He's wounded. The daughter rushes to him, but he assures her that everything is fine. The Marchioness informs her father that she has married Pepinelli. Marco Spada turns to Federici and declares to everyone present: “I am MARCO SPADA, but Angela is not my daughter. She is from a noble Roman family. Let her marry the man she loves.” He then falls into Angela's arms and dies. She looks with reverence at the man whom she considered her father, and thanks him for his last wish, with which he united her with her beloved.
Act IScene 1
The villagers gathered for the wedding complain to the Governor of Rome about the outrages of a certain Marco Spada. The villagers have never seen him, but they pass on rumors to each other about the thefts he commits in the area. A dragoon regiment enters the village. The regiment commander, Count Pepinelli, cannot resist the charms of the Marchioness of Sampietri, the daughter of the Governor. Alas, she is engaged to Prince Federici... Taking advantage of the general confusion, Marco Spada, unrecognized in the crowd, lightens the pockets of onlookers. Residents are in panic! The rain begins to disperse the crowd. Only Brother Borromeo remained in the square, from whom the bandit cleverly stole all the collected donations.
Scene 2
The Marchioness, the Governor and Count Pepinelli, lost on a mountain walk, have no idea that they have found refuge in the house of Marco Spada. Angela, the bandit's daughter, also knows nothing about her father's robbery activities. Spada's accomplices, deciding that there is no one in the house, quickly fill the room, but then just as suddenly disappear. Pepinelli, who was present at this scene, warns Spada that his house has been attacked by thieves. The dragoons take up defensive positions. The underground doors opened again, the paintings on the wall moved from their places - but only so that a festively decorated table and seductive beauties mysteriously appeared before the surprised guests!
Act II
Marco Spada and Angela are invited to the Governor's ball. At the very moment when Federici wants to ask Spada for his daughter’s hand in marriage, Brother Borromeo appears, complaining to everyone about the criminal whose victim he recently became. Borromeo says that he will be able to identify the thief. Spada, fearing exposure, prefers to hide, but Borromeo managed to see him. Angela guesses everything, she is shocked and refuses Prince Federici. The prince, in annoyance, informs those gathered about his imminent marriage to the Marquise, which, in turn, cannot but upset Pepinelli.
Act III
Scene 1
Pepinelli decides to confess his love to the Marquise for the last time, but she comes out to him in a wedding dress, she has already made her choice. Suddenly bandits appear from all sides and kidnap both the girl and the count.
Scene 2
Surrounded by his accomplices, Marco Spada is surprised to meet Angela, dressed in the same way as the bandits. “For life or death! I accept my fate and want to live with you...” Borromeo, against his will, is forced to marry the Marchioness and Pepinelli. The noise of an approaching regiment is heard in the distance; the bandits prefer to hide in a cave, grabbing Federici and the Governor along the way, who are in their way, but Angela saves both. Shots are heard nearby. Marco Spada is mortally wounded. He returns, barely able to stand. Before dying, he addresses the stunned soldiers and informs them that Angela is not his daughter. This lie saves Angela from arrest and allows Prince Federici to take her as his wife.