COVENT GARDEN RUSSIAN BALLET

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20728, 11 February 1939, Page 3

COVENT GARDEN RUSSIAN BALLET

A UNIQUE ATTRACTION The three ballets to be presented here by the famous Covent Garden j Russian Ballet on Thursday night next lat the Theatre Royal are those in . which the company have achieved their best successes in London, America and Australia—namely, “Carnaval,” “The Swan Lake” and “Les Presages.” In “Carnaval” there is no story proper to the scenes from the immortal commedia d'ell Arte, whose characters, the woebegone Pierrot, light, mischievous Harlequin, and fickle Columbine pass across the stage. Pierrot pursues Butterfly, Harlequin and Columbine make sport of poor Pantalon, till the Philistines, spoilsports, appear upon the scene. But they are soon infected by the general gaiety and join in the dance. Michael Fokine enlisted the help of Baskt in : creating the perfect, period ensemble : for “Carnaval.” “The Swan Lake” is ! an abridged version of a four-act bal- [ let composed by Tchaikovsky between August, 1808. and March. 1870, and produced at Moscow in 1877. The story concerns a Princess and her companions who have been changed Into swans by the spell of a wicked sorcerer, but are permitted to resume human shape from midnight to dawn. A young Prince and bis friends have planned a nocturnal bunt near a lake where, the night before, they bad seen, a flock of swans. But the Queen of ; the Swans reveals herself to the Prince, who orders the hunt to be abandoned. He falls in love with the Queen of the Swans, but at break of day she and her companions become The subject, of the ballet - Les Pro- 1 sages,” based oil Tchaikovsky's Fifth

Symphony, is man’s struggle with Destiny. The first scene represents life, with its diversions, .-desires and temptations. In the second scene love is revealed in conflict with the baser passion which shatters the human soul. The beauty of love is imperilled, but prevails in the end. The third scene is one of gaiety untrammelled, in which Destiny, for a time, is forgotten. Jn the last scene the evil in man has aroused the angry passion of war. The women, though striving to hold back their men. are themselves subjected to the martial glamour, and follow them. Irma Baronova, Tatiana Riabouchinska. Tamara Grigorieva, Anna Volkova, Sono Osato, Anton Dolin, David Lichine, Paul Petroff, Roman .Tasinsky. Yura Lazowsky and the other principal dancers of the company are all presented in their greatest roles in “Carnaval,” “The Swan Lake” and “Les Presages.” and each of these ballets lends itself to very spectacular staging gorgeous costumes and brilliant lighting effects. The box plans will be on view atLewis Eady’s, Ltd., on Monday morning.