The premiere dancers in Cigale were Jeanne Chasles (grasshopper), Louis Mesmaecker (ant), Mlle G Dugué (poor woman), Mlle Mary (the friend), M Delehaye (bank messenger boy).[2] The angel's voice was Julie Girardon.[3] In the music, James Harding noted the use of an old French carol and "deft variations on Au clair de la lune".[4]
The story is inspired by Jean de la Fontaine's fable La cigale et la fourmi (a version of The Ant and the Grasshopper), and portrays "Cigale" (Cicada) as a charitable young woman who takes pity on "La Pauvrette" (The Poor Girl) and gives away her breakfast, bonnet and red umbrella, and finally her money. She is then ridiculed for her kindness by "Madame Fourmi" (Madam Ant), ticketed by "Le Garçon de Banque" (The Banker), and seduced by her "Petit Ami" (The Boyfriend). On a cold winter's night, Cigale, whose kindness and carefree nature has led her to lose what little she has, is refused shelter by Madame Fourmi. Her lover and the poor girl enter and dance under her red umbrella. She falls to the grounds and dies in the snow grasping her guitar but the ballet ends with her ascending to heaven with the angels.
Harding comments that "The worldly fabulist would have been discomfited at seeing his grasshopper, now a true Massenetic heroine, dying of hunger in the snow surrounded by angels and the murmur of a celestial choir...".[4] The style of the work "a story in mime and dance" mixes both poetry and humour.[3]
Cigale is rarely performed and is not part of the standard ballet repertory. The music was recorded by the National Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Richard Bonynge on 28-29 November 1978 in the Kingsway Hall London with Enid Hartle and the London Voices, and first released on a Decca LP in 1980, then re-issued on compact disc in 1989 and 2001.[5]
Charactersedit
Cigale (Cicada)
La Pauvrette (The Poor Girl)
Le Petit Ami (The Boyfriend)
Madame Fourmi (Madam Ant)
Le Garçon de Banque (The Banker)
Referencesedit
^"Cigale (Massenet, Jules) - IMSLP: Free Sheet Music PDF Download".
^ abMassenet et l'Opéra-Comique - Actes de la journée d'études de l'Opéra Comique, 8 décembre 2012, Université Jean Monnet-Opéra Comique (eds. Jean-Christophe Branger & Agnès Terrier) - Massenet, vingt ans de danse à l'Opéra-Comique (1884-1904). Université de Saint-Étienne, 2015, p92-93.
^ abHarding, James. Massenet. JM Dent & Sons Ltd, London, 1970, p159.
^Philip Stuart. Decca Classical, 1929-2009 (Discography), entry 2702. AHRC Research Centre for the History and Analysis of Recorded Music. Accessed 20 December 2016.
cigale, ballet, cigale, divertissement, ballet, acts, jules, massenet, scenario, henri, cain, composed, Égreville, during, summer, 1902, first, published, heugel, 1903, premiered, opéra, comique, paris, february, 1904, first, performance, part, benefit, progra. Cigale is a divertissement ballet in two acts by Jules Massenet to a scenario by Henri Cain It was composed in Egreville during the summer of 1902 first published by Heugel in 1903 and premiered at the Opera Comique in Paris on 4 February 1904 1 The first performance was part of a benefit programme for former musical and technical staff of the house which raised over 10 000 francs The programme having commenced with Bastien et Bastienne in a translation by Georges Hartmann and Henry Gauthier Villars also included Debussy s Damoiselle elue with Mary Garden and J Passama conducted by Andre Messager a feature on musical interpretation under hypnosis by Professeur Magnin poetry readings by Mlle Bartet and Coquelin aine songs from Yvette Guilbert a selection of French operatic airs a one act pantomime entitled Feminissima with Jean Delvoye among the singers and the 2nd act of Don Pasquale with Korsoff as Louise Fugere as don Pasquale Edmond Clement as Octave and Delvoye as the doctor 2 Poster for the original production by Maurice Leloir The premiere dancers in Cigale were Jeanne Chasles grasshopper Louis Mesmaecker ant Mlle G Dugue poor woman Mlle Mary the friend M Delehaye bank messenger boy 2 The angel s voice was Julie Girardon 3 In the music James Harding noted the use of an old French carol and deft variations on Au clair de la lune 4 The story is inspired by Jean de la Fontaine s fable La cigale et la fourmi a version of The Ant and the Grasshopper and portrays Cigale Cicada as a charitable young woman who takes pity on La Pauvrette The Poor Girl and gives away her breakfast bonnet and red umbrella and finally her money She is then ridiculed for her kindness by Madame Fourmi Madam Ant ticketed by Le Garcon de Banque The Banker and seduced by her Petit Ami The Boyfriend On a cold winter s night Cigale whose kindness and carefree nature has led her to lose what little she has is refused shelter by Madame Fourmi Her lover and the poor girl enter and dance under her red umbrella She falls to the grounds and dies in the snow grasping her guitar but the ballet ends with her ascending to heaven with the angels Harding comments that The worldly fabulist would have been discomfited at seeing his grasshopper now a true Massenetic heroine dying of hunger in the snow surrounded by angels and the murmur of a celestial choir 4 The style of the work a story in mime and dance mixes both poetry and humour 3 Cigale is rarely performed and is not part of the standard ballet repertory The music was recorded by the National Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Richard Bonynge on 28 29 November 1978 in the Kingsway Hall London with Enid Hartle and the London Voices and first released on a Decca LP in 1980 then re issued on compact disc in 1989 and 2001 5 Characters editCigale Cicada La Pauvrette The Poor Girl Le Petit Ami The Boyfriend Madame Fourmi Madam Ant Le Garcon de Banque The Banker References edit Cigale Massenet Jules IMSLP Free Sheet Music PDF Download a b Stoullig E Les Annales du Theatre et de la Musique 30eme edition 1904 Librairie Paul Ollendorff Paris 1905 p84 and n1 a b Massenet et l Opera Comique Actes de la journee d etudes de l Opera Comique 8 decembre 2012 Universite Jean Monnet Opera Comique eds Jean Christophe Branger amp Agnes Terrier Massenet vingt ans de danse a l Opera Comique 1884 1904 Universite de Saint Etienne 2015 p92 93 a b Harding James Massenet JM Dent amp Sons Ltd London 1970 p159 Philip Stuart Decca Classical 1929 2009 Discography entry 2702 AHRC Research Centre for the History and Analysis of Recorded Music Accessed 20 December 2016 External links editCigale Scores at the International Music Score Library Project Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Cigale ballet amp oldid 1211672189, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
