Cinderella (Prokofiev)

Cinderella is a full-length ballet in three acts with music by Sergei Prokofiev to a libretto by Nikolai Volkov; The premiere took place on 21 November 1945 in the choreography Rostislav Zakharov at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow.

The ballet follows the fairy tale Cinderella in its essential features, as it was recorded in the Children 's and Household Tales by the Brothers Grimm.

Together with the librettist Nikolai Volkov Prokofiev began in the winter of 1940 with the outline of the ballet. In the summer of 1941, the first two acts in outline were done. Interrupted by the war, the work on Cinderella was resumed in 1943 and completed in 1944. Due to the war the ballet could not, as originally intended, be the Kirov Theater in Leningrad, now known as the Mariinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg, premiered.

In Western countries, the ballet was given on 23 December 1948 in London for the first time by the Sadler's Wells Ballet, now the Royal Ballet at Covent Garden Opera House in a production of Frederick Ashton. The performance with Moira Shearer in the title role was a brilliant success. The triumph of the ballet continues to this day. Along with Romeo and Juliet, Cinderella is one of Prokofiev's most popular ballet compositions. Significant new productions were, inter alia, by Tom Schilling (1968), Valery Panov (1977 ) and John Neumeier (1992 ) made.

Cinderella follows in its construction of the tradition of the classic narrative ballet ( character dances, ensemble dances, solos and pas de deux of the protagonists ). Prokofiev's humorous and quirky, rhythmically incisive music meets the fairytale style of presentation excellent and provides the dancers effective, virtuosic display options. As a curiosity, it should be at number 35 in Act 2 ( Dance of the stepsisters with the oranges), " The Love of Three Oranges" quoted in Prokofiev 's famous march from his opera.

Sequence of scenes: Act 1: In the house of Cinderella's father (19 numbers) Act 2: Large banquet hall in the palace of the Prince: The Ball ( 19 numbers) Act 3: The Search for Cinderella ( 1 picture) (6 points ); The prince finds Cinderella (2nd picture) (6 numbers)

For concert use presented Prokofiev three orchestral suites (Opp. 107-109 ) together, but did not reach the popularity of the suites inspired by Romeo and Juliet.