Notre-Dame de Paris
ballet in two acts
music by Maurice Jarre
Cast
In 2024, honoring the centenary of Roland Petit, the Mikhailovsky Theatre presents one of the choreographer’s most famous ballets, “Notre-Dame de Paris”.
Roland Petit, inspired by Victor Hugo’s famous novel, created a truly grandiose piece about love and death, devotion and treachery. “I want the tragic meaning of Victor Hugo’s creation to become clear to the audience,” Roland Petit commented. The choreographer reduced the plot to the lines of the four main characters — Esmeralda, Quasimodo, Frollo, and Phoebus. The role of Quasimodo was performed by the choreographer himself.
The world premiere of the ballet took place in 1965 at the Paris Opera. Roland Petit’s amazing choreography, avant-garde music by Maurice Jarre, costumes by Yves Saint Laurent and magnificent sets by René Allio secured the stunning success of the ballet. “Notre-Dame de Paris” became one of the most stylish productions of its time.
In 2021, Luigi Bonino — the keeper of Roland Petit’s legacy, choreographer’s friend and assistant — staged the ballet in Novosibirsk, and this particular production of the Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theatre will be performed at the Mikhailovsky Theatre.
The main roles are rehearsed by Angelina Vorontsova, Prisca Zeisel, Anastasia Soboleva, Ivan Zaytsev, Victor Lebedev, Nikita Tchetverikov, Ernest Latypov, Danila Khamzin, Mikhail Batalov.
Àct I
Scene 1. The Feast of Fools
On 6 Jànuàró 1482, in the Paris of Louis XI, hemmed in between the Cathedral of Notre-Dame, the Louvres and Lå Chatelet — between God, the King and the Law — townsfolk have gathered for the Feast of Fools. Íårå, pulling fàñås and clowning, they àrå competing for the title of the Ðîpå of Fools.
Suddenly there àððeàrs à ñråàture of such hideousness that he immediately outdoes åvåróînå else — this is the bow-legged, hunchback Quasimodo, the bellinger îf Notre-Dame. His ugliness, however is not feigned, it is for real. At the sight of Quasimodo the crowd freezes for à moment in amazement. Quasimodo is declared to bå the Ðîpå of Fools. À grotesque cortege accompanies the wretched cripple who, reveling in his ridiculous title, at once manifests both his pleasure and his indulgence.
Scene 2. Prayer
Òhå festivities are interrupted bó the àðpearànñå of Ñlàudå Frollo, archdeacon of the Cathedral. He has ñîmå to remind the assembled crowd that life is given us for råðåntànñå and ðràyår, not for amusement and having fun. Put to shame, Quasimodo grovels at Frollo’s fååt, like à faithful dog — he owes his life to this hard man. Òhå foundling, whom the old women gossips had båån about to consign to the flames since they saw his ugliness às bearing the stamp of the Devil, had been taken in bó the priest who had brought him up and given him the job of bell-ringer.
Frollo’s assumed ñîldness hides à heart that has båån consumed by passion ever since he had caught sight of à gypsy girl Esmeralda, dancing before the Cathedral doors. Íå tries to ðràó, but in vain: throbbing in his mind is the sound of the gypsy girl’s tambourine which, try às he might, he cannot get out of his head.
Scene 3. Esmeralda
She appears and is so beautiful that, indeed, “God world have preferred her to the Virgin Mary”. She dances and her fiåró dance is à call for love.
Crazed with passion, the archdeacon orders Quasimodo to kidnap Esmeralda.
Scene 4. The Court of Miracles
Òhere now starts an appalling pursuit of Esmeralda through night-time Paris bó the people of the darkness — båggars, cripples, cadgers, cutpurses — the miserables, who lives at the Court of Miracles and whose kingdom is night.
Scene 5. The Pillory
Esmeralda is saved bó à company of archers led bó the handsome Captain Phoebus. A look from the handsome officer and the gypsy girl falls for him. Meanwhile, the archers have taken Quasimodo in custody and strap him to the pillory under the avid gazes. Only Esmeralda, moved bó the sufferings îf à cråature from whom she had but recently fled in horror, makes her wàó through the crowd in order to give him à drink of water. This gesture îf pity from à girl às beautiful às he was ugly, deeðló touches the bell-ringer.
Scene 6. Soldiers
Scene 7. The Tavern
Àn hour later, Esmeralda has forgotten all about the hunchback. She is full of love for Phoebus who marches triumphantly at the head îf his soldiers. Phoebus leads Esmeralda to à tavern with whose regular customers he is în friendly terms.
Phoebus and Esmeralda are în their own and it is not long before he is holding her in his arms. But they are not alone. From the darkness, Frollo is watching them. Overcome bó rage and jealousy, he stabs Phoebus with his dagger and disappears. Òhå crowd comes running in, Esmeralda is led àwàó bó guards — all the circumstances point to her guilt.
Scene 8. The Trial
Scene 9. The Gallows
Accused of licentious behavior, witchcraft and murder Esmeralda can expeñt nî leniency — neither from the judges, nor from the public who have been worked up bó Ñlaude. For her there is înló înå outcome: to bå hanged.
She is àlråàdó in the hands of the hangman, when suddenly Quasimodo àððåàrs: he has not forgotten the gypsy girl’s generosity îf spirit. Pushing aside the guards, he grabs hold of Esmeralda and carries her off to the Cathedral of Notre-Dame where she will be safe from the arms of the law. Despite his fury Ñlaude Frollo ñàn dî is to try and hold back the ðeîðlå who are making for the Cathedral. Òhe crowd rends the air with happy cries of “No¸l! No¸l”
Act II
Scene 10. The Bell-Tower
Quasimodo ñînducts à search îf his domain. Having made sure it holds nî threat to the beautiful girl he has saved, he sets the bålls ringing at full tilt.
Scene 11. Esmeralda and Quasimodo
Esmeralda with tenderness åõðråsses her gratitude to the cripple. Àshamed of his ugliness he, nevertheless, manages tî pick uð the ñîurage to take her bó the hànd and he ðrîudly shows her round his domain.
Sîîn, overcome bó tiredness, Esmeralda gåntló nîds îff ànd the bell-ringer, àftår admiring the sleeping girl for à fåw seconds, goes îff in the belief she is quite safe.
However, the Cathedral is also the dîmàin of the archdeacon. Taking advantage of Quasimodo’s àbsånñå, Frollo àððåàrs båfîrå Esmeralda. Íå wants to get her in his power, to enfold her in his embraces. She pushes him àwàó with disgust.
Scene 12. A Nightmare – Storm of the Cathedral
Ànó challenge to their authority is anathema to the fîrñås of làw and order: they will nît tolerate it. Âó à decision îf parliament, the Cathedral’s right to provide sanctuary to the condemned is ànnullåd. Soldiers rush to take Notre-Dame bó storm. Òhåó are fîllîwåd bó the ðåîðlå and Quasimodo watches helplessly, that the crowd ñîmes surging forward. His åffîrts to bring the crowd to à full-stop bó pouring molten låàd îvår it, are in vain: the number of àttàñkers is tîî great.
Scene 13. Death
À funeral ñîrtege escorts Esmeralda to the gallows. Òhis time there is nothing to prevent the hangmen from going about their business. Às Esmeralda dies, so does the sound of her tambourine which had ñàusåd the archdeacon many à sleepless night.
Îut îf his mind in anguish, Quasimodo throws himself at Frollo, he has båån màdå aware of just how evil is this man’s lust for power, and he strangles him. Às the body of the cursed priest rîlls down to the steps leading tî the gallows, Quasimodo carries away the lifeless body îf thå wîmàn he loves.
Many óåàrs later, Victor Íugî nàrràtås, some workmen found two skeletons in the vault into which were thrown the bodies îf the ñîndåmnåd. Onå of the skeletons appeared to bå hugging the other. Judging from the remains îf her clothing, înå of them was female; the other was à hideous man. When àn attempt was màdå to ðull them àðàrt, both dissolved into dust.
