Cinemateca, December 22–28, 2008
José Luis Pick’n’tip

La Belle  (English: Sleeping Beauty, Russian: ?????? ?????????) is a ballet in a prologue and three acts, Opus 66, by Pyotr Tchaikovsky. The score was completed in 1889, and is the second of his three ballets. The original scenario was

 conceived by Ivan Vsevolozhsky, and is based on Charles Perrault’s La Belle au bois Dormant. The choreographer of the original production was Marius Petipa. The premiere performance took place at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg in 1890. The work is widely regarded as the composer’s finest ballet score and has become one of the classical repertoire’s most famous ballets.

The Tip Important: In order to provide the best viewing experience, the show times for some movies may be adjusted to accommodate their length. Be sure to check the schedule carefully. I also want to remind you of our new ticket price: 50 pesos and discount cards buy 12 shows for 450 pesos. Starting Monday, after 11am, buy your tickets in advance for any movie or show of the week. If you have a discount card, collect your pass to secure a seat; don’t take the risk of being locked out. Would you like to receive this info by email? Write to Jose Luis at alephamour@hotmail.com.  Thank you.



The Movies

Video Opera and Ballet series continues:
Ballet La Belle 
Monday, December 22 at 2pm
By: Peter I. Tchaikowsky

Ivan Vsevolozhsky, director of the Imperial Theatres in St. Petersburg, approached Tchaikovsky on May 25, 1888, about a possible ballet adaptation on the subject of the story of Undine. It was later decided that Charles Perrault’s La Belle au bois Dormant would be the story for which Tchaikovsky would compose the music for Marius Petipa’s ballet. Tchaikovsky did not hesitate to accept the commission, although he was aware that his only previous ballet, Swan Lake, met with little enthusiasm at that stage of his career. The ballet scenario Tchaikovsky worked on was based on the Brothers Grimm version of Perrault’s work entitled Dornröschen, in which the Princess’ parents (the King and the Queen) survived the 100-year sleep to celebrate her wedding to the Prince, although Vsevolozhsky wisely incorporated some of Perrault’s characters from other stories into the ballet, such as Puss in Boots and Little Red Riding Hood. Regardless, Tchaikovsky was happy to inform the director of the Imperial Theatre that he had great pleasure studying the work and had come away with adequate inspiration to do it justice.

Choreographer Petipa was the unrivaled master of the Imperial Ballet, who wrote a very detailed list of instructions as to the musical requirements. Tchaikovsky worked quickly on the new work at his home in Frolovskoye where he began initial sketches in the winter of 1888 and began orchestration on the work on May 30, 1889.


The ballet’s focus was undeniably on the two main conflicting forces of good (the Lilac Fairy) and evil (Carabosse), where a leitmotif representing both of them runs through the entire ballet serving as an important thread to the underlying plot. Act 3 of the work, however, takes a complete break from the two motifs and instead focuses on the individual characters of the various court dances.
Next week: Monday, January 5: Thais. 



Kids Movies: Christmas Cartoons
Saturday, December 27 

.