''Fiametta'' or ''Fiammetta'', (also known as ''The Flame of Love'', ''The Salamander'' or ''Néméa'') is a

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...

in four acts and four scenes, choreographed by

Arthur Saint-Léon Arthur Saint-Léon (17 September 1821, in Paris – 2 September 1870) was the '' Maître de Ballet'' of St. Petersburg Imperial Ballet from 1859 until 1869 and is famous for creating the choreography of the ballet ''Coppélia''. Biography He was ...

to music by

Ludwig Minkus Ludwig Minkus (russian: link=no, Людвиг Минкус), also known as Léon Fyodorovich Minkus (23 March 1826, Vienna – 7 December 1917, Vienna), was a Jewish-Austrian composer of ballet music, a violin virtuoso and teacher. Minkus is no ...

, first presented by the

Ballet of the Moscow Imperial Bolshoi Theatre The Bolshoi Theatre ( rus, Большо́й теа́тр, r=Bol'shoy teatr, literally "Big Theater", p=bɐlʲˈʂoj tʲɪˈatər) is a historic theatre in Moscow, Russia, originally designed by architect Joseph Bové, which holds ballet and ope ...

on November 12–24, 1863 ( Julian/

Gregorian calendar The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It was introduced in October 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian calendar. The principal change was to space leap years dif ...

dates) at the

Moscow Imperial Bolshoi Theatre The Bolshoi Theatre ( rus, Большо́й теа́тр, r=Bol'shoy teatr, literally "Big Theater", p=bɐlʲˈʂoj tʲɪˈatər) is a historic theatre in Moscow, Russia, originally designed by architect Joseph Bové, which holds ballet and ope ...

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

, with

Anna Sobeshchanskaya Anna may refer to: People Surname and given name * Anna (name) Mononym * Anna the Prophetess, in the Gospel of Luke * Anna (wife of Artabasdos) (fl. 715–773) * Anna (daughter of Boris I) (9th–10th century) * Anna (Anisia) (fl. 1218 to 122 ...

as Fiametta.

Plot

Fiametta is a fantastic creature, produced by Cupid from the flame of love, who took the form of an earthly girl in order to charm Count Sterngold and prevent him from marrying a rich bride Regonda for self-interest. Cupid, with the help of Fiametta, reunites Regonda and officer Otto, who love each other. The action, which began on Olympus, was transferred to Tyrol. In an eclectic plot, a magical creature, mythological heroes, Tyrolean aristocrats and gypsies coexisted - the presence on the stage of fantastic as well as real characters from different layers of society allowed the choreographer to use both classical and characteristic dance. The reviewer Bocharov noted that the author “quite managed to reconcile the graceful pride of Greek mythological creatures with the un-ceremoniousness of some Tyrolean Count and the violent revelry of idle gypsies” (a few years later, a similar combination is used by Marius Petipa in his ballet Don Quixote).

Characters

* Cupid, god of love * Fiametta * Mercury * Terpsichore * Coquetry * Count Friedrich Sterngold * Ritter, his friend * Molari, tutor and guardian of the Count * Martini, servant of the count * Princess Milfleur * Regonda, her daughter * Yolanda and Margarita, friends of Regonda * Otto, officer * Three graces, nymphs, cupids, muses, gypsies, Tyrolean villagers and villagers

Synopsis

Prologue

''Scene I'' The goddesses of Olympus worship Cupid. Terpsichore, nymphs and other mythological creatures entertain the inhabitants of Olympus with dances. Mercury appears. He informs Cupid that a young man has appeared on earth, denying his power. Having squandered his fortune, he intends to marry a rich heiress who is in love with a brave officer and these lovers cry to the god of love, hoping for his protection. Cupid offers a view of Regonda and Otto on one side and a pavilion with the inscription "Temple closed to love", where he has fun, drinking wine and playing cards with friends, surrounded by gypsies, Count Sterngold - on the other. Cupid decides to punish the dissolute count and help the lovers. Having extinguished the altar with the flame of love, he reproduces Fiametta: endowed with magical beauty, she must take revenge on Sterngold for insulting Cupid.

Act 1

''Scene II'' Sterngold estate in Tyrol. The count is still having fun in the pavilion. A shot is fired, followed by Cupid in the guise of a hunter. Young people and gypsies persuade him to join their company. Cupid brings Fiametta in the guise of a gypsy. When she starts dancing, she charms Sterngold.

Revivals

*Restaging by Arthur Saint-Léon under the title ''Fiametta or The Devil In Love'' for the

Imperial Ballet The Mariinsky Ballet (russian: Балет Мариинского театра) is the resident classical ballet company of the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Founded in the 18th century and originally known as the Imperial Russ ...

, with Minkus revising his score, first presented on February 13–25, 1864 at the

Imperial Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre The Saint Petersburg Imperial Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre (The Big Stone Theatre of Saint Petersburg, russian: Большой Каменный Театр) was a theatre in Saint Petersburg. It was built in 1783 to Antonio Rinaldi's Neoclassical ...

St. Petersburg, Russia Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

. Principal Dancers:

Marfa Muravieva Marfa may refer to: Music * Marfa (instrument), an African percussion instrument * Marfa (music), celebratory music of the Hyderabadi Muslims Places * Márfa, a village in Baranya county, Hungary * Marfa, Chad * Marfa, Texas, a city in the h ...

(as Fiametta),

Lev Ivanov Lev Ivanovich Ivanov (russian: link=no, Лев Ива́нович Ива́нов; 2 March 1834, Moscow – 24 December 1901, Saint Petersburg) was a Russian ballet dancer and choreographer and later, Second Balletmaster of the Imperial Ballet. ...

(as Count Friedrich), Vera Lyadova (as Cupid), Aleksandra Kemmerer (as Regonda),

Christian Johansson Pehr Christian Johansson (1 June 1817 – 12 December 1903) was a teacher, choreographer and balletmaster for the Russian Imperial Ballet. He was engaged at the Royal Swedish Ballet in 1829-41, and at the Imperial Russian Ballet in 1841-66. ...

(as Otto), and Maria Sokolova (as Terpsichore). Other interpreters of Fiametta were

Praskovia Lebedeva Praskovya or Praskovia (russian: Прасковья) is an old Russian feminine given name. It derives from the Greek female name Paraskeve, meaning "preparation" or "Friday" (Friday being the day of preparation), the name of a martyred 2nd-century ...

Mathilde Madaeva Mathilde is an alternative spelling of the names Matilde or Matilda, and could refer to: * Mathilde Dolgopol de Sáez (1901 –1957), Argentinian vertebrate paleontologist * Mathilde, Abbess of Essen (949–1011) * Mathilde Alanic (1864-1948), ...

Adèle Grantzow Adele (born 1988) is an English singer-songwriter. Adele may also refer to: People * Adele (given name), a common female given name *Jan Adele (1936–2000), Australian actor * Adele, a character in the operetta ''Die Fledermaus'' Places * Ade ...

(November 15–27, 1865). Saint-Léon's 1864 staging of this work was the first Russian production of a ballet to make use of such stage devices as electric lighting and shadow effects with the aid of convex mirrors. *Restaging by Arthur Saint-Léon under the title ''Néméa ou l'Amour Vengé'' (''Nemea or The Avenged Love'') in two acts and four scenes for the

Ballet of the Académie Royale de Musique The Paris Opera Ballet () is a French ballet company that is an integral part of the Paris Opera. It is the oldest national ballet company, and many European and international ballet companies can trace their origins to it. It is still regarded ...

, with Minkus revising his score, first presented on July 11, 1864, at the

Académie Royale de Musique The Paris Opera (, ) is the primary opera and ballet company of France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the , and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and officially renamed the , but continued to be ...

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

. For this production Saint-Léon changed the name of the names of the principal characters of Fiametta and Count Friedrich to Néméa and Count Molder. Principal Dancers:

(as Néméa),

Eugénie Fiorcre Eugénie is the French version of the female given name Eugenia. Eugénie or Eugenie may refer to: People * Eugénie de Montijo (1826–1920), 9th Countess de Teba; later Empress Eugénie, Empress Consort to Napoléon III * * Princess Eugenie ...

(as Cupid),

Louis Mérante Louis Alexandre Mérante (23 July 1828–Courbevoie, 17 July 1887) was a dancer and choreographer, the ''Maître de Ballet'' (First Balletmaster/Chief Choreographer) of the Paris Opera Ballet at the Salle Le Peletier until its destruction by fire i ...

(as Count Molder). *Restaging by Arthur Saint-Léon under the title ''Fiamma d'amore'' for Teatro Comunale di Trieste, with Giuseppe Camorano revising Minkus' score, first presented on March 15, 1868, in

Trieste Trieste ( , ; sl, Trst ; german: Triest ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital city, and largest city, of the autonomous region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, one of two autonomous regions which are not subdivided into provi ...

. Principal Dancers:

(as Fiametta). *Revival by

Marius Petipa Marius Ivanovich Petipa (russian: Мариус Иванович Петипа), born Victor Marius Alphonse Petipa (11 March 1818), was a French ballet dancer, pedagogue and choreographer. Petipa is one of the most influential ballet masters an ...

under the title ''Fiametta'' for the

in four acts, first presented on December 6–18, 1887 at the

Imperial Mariinsky Theatre The Mariinsky Theatre ( rus, Мариинский театр, Mariinskiy teatr, also transcribed as Maryinsky or Mariyinsky) is a historic theatre of opera and ballet in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Opened in 1860, it became the preeminent music th ...

, St. Petersburg, Russia. Principal Dancers:

Elena Cornalba Elena may refer to: People * Elena (given name), including a list of people and characters with this name * Joan Ignasi Elena (born 1968), Catalan politician * Francine Elena (born 1986), British poet Geography * Elena (town), a town in Veliko ...

(as Fiametta), Alexandre Shiryaev (as Cupid), and

Pavel Gerdt Pavel Andreyevich Gerdt (russian: Па́вел Андре́евич Ге́рдт), also known as Paul Gerdt (near Saint Petersburg, Russia, 22 November 1844 – Vamaloki, Finland, 12 August 1917), was the ''Premier Danseur Noble'' of the Imperial ...

(as Count Fiedrich).

Note

References

{{Ballets of Marius Petipa Ballets by Arthur Saint-Léon Ballets by Ludwig Minkus 1863 ballet premieres Ballets premiered at the Bolshoi Theatre