The Sylph is one of the most famous and representative of the romantic ballet or white ballet for its connotations. The libretto, original by Adolphe Nourrit, is inspired by Trilby, a story by Charles Nodier. The music is by Jean Schneitzhöffer and the choreography by Filippo Taglioni. It was premiered at the Paris Opera on March 12, 1832, playing the lead role Marie Taglioni, accompanied by Joseph Mazilier and Lisa Noblet. It is considered that this was the first time that Marie Taglioni used the tip technique.
It tells the story of James, a young Scottish man already promised, loved by a sylph that only he can see. On the day of her wedding, she seizes the bride's wedding ring and runs to hide in the forest. He pursues her by forgetting his fiancee. There James meets an old sorceress whom he had denounced some time ago and who, willing to take revenge, offers him a veil with which, according to her, he could capture the sylph. The veil, however, is poisoned; falling on the sylph makes him lose his wings and life. Deeply distressed, James, glimpses his former girlfriend in the distance marrying his rival.
The booklet, from 1832, contains the following distribution:
The dance corps, representing the Scottish and Scottish, sorceresses and sylphs, is composed of seventy dancers.
At the beginning of the 1970s, Pierre Lacotte recreated this ballet completely starting from the notes of the time when a film was made in which Ghislaine Thesmar interpreted the role of the Sylphide, the ballet (in its reconstituted version) ) is part of the repertoire of the Paris Opera.
wiki
