Coppélia
comic ballet by Léo Delibes / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Coppélia ou La fille aux yeux d'email (English: Coppélia or The Girl with the Enamel Eyes) is probably the best-known and most performed comedy ballet in the world.[1] Arthur Saint-Léon and Charles Nuitter based the ballet on E. T. A. Hoffmann's 1816 short story The Sandman (short story). Léo Delibes wrote the music. Saint-Léon choreographed the ballet.
Coppélia | |
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Choreographed by | Arthur Saint-Léon |
Composed by | Léo Delibes |
Libretto by | Arthur Saint-Léon Charles Nuitter |
Based on | Der Sandmann (The Sandman (short story)), an 1816 fairy tale by E. T. A. Hoffmann |
Date of premiere | May 25, 1870 |
Place of premiere | Paris, France |
Original ballet company | Théâtre Impérial de l'Opéra |
Characters | Swanhilda Frantz Dr. Coppélius Coppélia |
Designs by | Charles Gambon Édouard Despléchin Jean-Baptiste Lavastre Paul Lormier (costumes) Alfred Albert (costumes) |
Setting | Village in Poland at the end of the 18th century |
Created for | Léontine Beaugrand |
Genre | Comedy |
Type | Romantic ballet |
The ballet is set in a Polish village long ago. Swanhilda and Frantz are sweethearts. Swanhilda thinks Frantz is in love with Coppélia, a strange girl in the house of a dollmaker named Dr. Coppélius. Swanhilda discovers Coppélia is a doll. Dr. Coppélius tries to bring the doll to life using Frantz's life force. Swanhilda saves her sweetheart's life, and the two live happily ever after.
Coppélia was in rehearsal for three years. It had many troubles. One was finding just the right dancer to portray Swanhilda. Sixteen-year-old Giuseppina Bozzacchi was finally chosen.[2] Frantz was played by Eugenie Fiocre. The ballet was first performed on 25 May 1870 at the Théâtre Impérial de l´Opéra in Paris. Coppélia was a great success. It has been performed around the world.