La Scala Theatre in Milan, First Performance September 26, 2015. Fantastic ballet in three acts with a prologue after the fairy tale by Charles Perrault. Music by Pëtr Il’ič Čajkovskiij. Coreography by Marius Petipa, philologically restaged by Aleksej Ratmanskij (in collaboration with Tat’jana Ratmanskij). Scenary and costumes by Richard Hudson after Léon Baskt. Co-production of La Scala Theatre in Milan and American Ballet Theatre in New York.

Svetlana Zacharova (Princess Aurora), Jacopo Tissi (Prince Désiré), Massimo Murru (Carabosse), Nicoletta Manni (Lilac Fairy), Angelo Greco (Bluebird), Vittoria Valerio (Enchanted Princess), Precious Stones: Virna Toppi (Diamond), Alessandra Vassallo (Gold), Marta Gerani (Silver), Chiara FIandra (Sapphire).

La Scala Corps de Ballet, directed by Machar Vaziev. Students of La Scala Ballet School, directed by Frédéric Olivieri. La Scala Orchestra, director Vladimir Fedoseev.

During Expo 2015, La Scala Theatre stages a new production of the most sumptuous ballet. In this case, “new” means a real leap back in time, since Ratmanskij’s operation consists of a philologically reconstruction of Marius Petipa’s version of The Sleeping Beauty, even thus scenery and costumes are inspired from the sketches of Léon Baskt, who made them for Sergej Djagilev’s production for the Ballets Russes in 1921.

I am a classical philology scholar and I must recognise that Aleksej Ratmanskij’s reconstruction is a marvellous operation of great stage impact, which cost him effort, commitment and dedication. Nevertheless, it also received sceptical and unfavourable comments. It does not exist in the choices uniqueness, however it should be considered the scientific methodology and honesty, even when choices are not countenanced. I would like to remember the sceptics of Ratmanskij’s philological reconstruction the first lesson of philology: «The original is inevitably and unavoidably lost. The philologist operates a reconstruction that is closest to the original following a rigorous scientific method». Aleksej Ratmanskij did not forget this first and the other lessons of philology and made a ‘new’ production without any grotesque effect.

Ratmanskij’s philological version fully gives back the fairytale essence, it respects the original tempi decided by Čajkovskij and uses again choreographic elements, which are being lost. On the stage of La Scala Theatre the Cecchetti style returns: small jumps, which cross the tinkles in a plié à quart, the flowing and blending arms, attitudes en avant which turn only shins, pirouettes sur le cou-de-pied (to hock/calf). What dancers had to show better is the actor’s mime and interpretation together with an excellent — not exasperated — technique. This does not mean that there neither was a ‘minimalist’, nor ‘subdued’ technique. Low legs at hip have revealed what the dancer is (or should be) its main study, the rotation of the legs, which often is opposite high and split legs; also they gave greater prominence to the batteries, the cabrioles and in general to all the jumps.

La Scala Corps de Ballet showed a smart and elegant first performance of The Spleeping Beauty. Étoile Svetlana Zacharova smartly and philologically conformed her skills to the stiffened slats of Aurora’s bodice.
Nicoletta Manni was extremely elegant in Lilac Fairy’s variations and interpretation. Thanks to his prestigious experience, Étoile Massimo Murru showed a great histrionic interpretation of the old witch Carabosse, which teaches for all further performances of this role. The youngest Jacopo Tissi made an adequate debut at La Scala Theatre with the hard role of Prince Désiré, which required batteries, manifold manège and other jumps in Cecchetti style. Nice and very appreciable the small scenes with the characters of other fairy-tales; particularly intense was Antonella Albano (White Cat) between bassoons and clarinets of Puss-in-Boots’ duet. The Bluebird pas de deux showed an extremely good performance offered by the two soloists Angelo Greco and Vittoria Valerio. The fairies and the Precious Stones were all pretty and smart, in particular the soloist Virna Toppi; the dancers from the corps de ballet Marta Gerani, Stefania Ballone and Alessandra Vassallo deserve a special mention for their stage presence.