The Awakening of Flora (libretto)

This is a revived edition of the original libretto of The Awakening of Flora, in which the mythological errors have been corrected

Synopsis

Tableau 1 — It is night. In a quiet grotto, a group of nymphs are deeply asleep. Selene, the Goddess of the Moon, guards their peace. Among the nymphs is Chloris, who is newly married to Zephyrus, the God of the West Wind, and has been renamed Flora. With the approach of dawn, a cool freshness is felt in the air. Selene hides in the clouds.

Tableau 2 — Boreas, the God of the North Wind, rushes stormily over the locale; his cold breath of wind awakens Flora and forces her to seek refuge in the foliage. The appearance of chilling dew brings Flora to despair, and she implores Eos, the Goddess of the Dawn, to help them.

Tableau 3 — Eos consoles Flora with tender caresses and announces that Helios, the God of the Sun, who will end their sufferings, is following behind her. Eos, Flora, and her nymphs perform a waltz.

Matilda Kschessinskaya as Flora and Vera Terfilova as Eros (1894)

Tableau 4 — With the appearance of resplendent Helios, everything becomes animated. Smitten with the beauty of Flora, Helios kisses her. At his call, Zephyrus flies to his beloved Flora’s embrace. He is followed by Eros, the God of Love, and her little amours. “You must be his helpmate,” Helios tells her, “It is the will of the gods.” Everyone is delighted; Eros, the amours and the nymphs rejoice over the lovers’ happiness. A classical Pas d’action is performed.

Tableau 5 — Hermes, Messenger of the gods, announces Hebe, the Goddess of Youth, and Ganymede, cup bearer to the gods. They present Flora and Zephyrus a cup of nectar and proclaim that Zeus has given them eternal youth. Chloris the nymph is now Flora, the Goddess of the Flowers.

Tableau 6 — A procession. The chariot of Dionysus and Ariadne is accompanied by bacchantes, satyrs, fauns, sylvans, and others. A Grand pas is performed by all assembled, followed by a rousing finale.

Apotheosis — Olympus is revealed; Zeus appears with Hera, Poseidon, Hephaestus, Athena, Demeter, Ares, Hades, Persephone, Aphrodite and others.

Mikhail Fokine as Helios (1900)
Mikhail Fokine as Helios (1900)

 

Résumé of scenes and dances

Taken from the piano score that was published in 1914.

  • №01 Prélude
  • №02 L’apparition et danse de Selene–nocturne
  • №03 L’apparition de Boreas
  • №04 Scène et danse de la rosée–scherzo
  • №05 L’apparition et scène d’Eos
  • №06 Valse de Flore, d’Eos et des nymphes
  • №07–a L’apparition d’Hélios
  • №07–b Entrée et danse de Zephyrus
  • №07–c Entrée et danse d’Eros suivi des amours–pizzicato
  • №08 Pas d’action—
—a. Scène et Pas d’ensemble (cadenza for violin for Leopold Auer)
—b. Variation de Zephyrus
—c. Variation de Flore (cadenza for harp for Albert Zabel)
—d. Grande valse-coda
  • №09 L’arrivée et scène d’Hermès, de Ganymède et d’Hébé
  • №10 Grande marche–bacchanale
  • №11 Grand pas
  • №12 Galop générale
  • №13 Apothéose: La révélation d’Olympe
  • interpolation: Pizzicato d’Hébé (added after the 1894 premiere)
  • interpolation: Variation d’Eos (added after the 1894 premiere)
Anna Pavlova as Flora and Mikhail Fokine as Helios (1900)
Anna Pavlova as Flora and Mikhail Fokine as Helios (1900)

 

Sources

  • Wiley, Roland John (1997) The Life and Ballets of Lev Ivanov. Oxford, UK: Clarendon Press