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Snow White |
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A ballet in two-acts (five scenes). Music by Cornel Trailescu. Libretto by Anghel Ionescu Arbore, inspired by Grimm Brothers’ fairy tale.
Act I
Scene 1
At the palace
Once upon a time there was an emperor who had a daughter. A widower, the emperor married an extremely beautiful woman.
On the anniversary party of the emperor’s second wife, the guests pay their compliments to her, offering her lovely gifts. She thanks them with a dance, when suddenly the emperor’s daughter, Snow White, comes in.
The beautiful and proud empress asks the mirrors in the palace the question: Who in the land is fairest of all? The mirrors answer presently: Queen, you are full fair, 'tis true, but Snow White is fairer than you. In a fit of rage, the empress banishes the girl and the guests, and the party is over.
Soon afterwards, the furious empress calls the court hunter and orders him to kill Snow White, far away, in the woods, telling him that he will be rewarded for accomplishing this mission.
Scene 2
In the woods
The hunter follows Snow White to carry out his order. As the hunter raises the dagger to kill the young princess, a terrible lightning flashes through the sky. Appalled, the man runs away, while the frightened girl faints. The woods surround the princess, helping her regain consciousness, owing to the dances of the glow-worms, dragon flies and flowers; the girl seems to live in a dream. Exhausted, Snow White looks for a place to shelter, when she notices, by the moon light, the dwarves’ humble cottage. She goes in and falls asleep.
Meanwhile, at the palace, the impatient empress asks the magic mirrors again whether she is now the fairest woman in the kingdom, but the mirrors answer that Snow White is still the fairest. In a fit of rage, the step mother goes herself into the woods to find the girl and kill her.
Scene 3
The dwarves’ house
The dwarves come home. To their astonishment, they notice that some of their food and drink is missing, as a proof that somebody has broken into their cottage. It is only then that they notice the girl sleeping in one of the small beds. At the beginning they are furious, but after getting to know her, the seven dwarves grow fond of the fair and tender Snow White, who, in her turn, grows fond of her new friends.
Act II
Scene 4
The dwarves’ yard
Morning has broken. The woods and the dwarves awake. Snow White asks the dwarves not to mention to any one about her presence in their home. The seven dwarves got o work.
The empress, disguised as a farmer’s wife, prowls around the cottage. She finds the girl and tempts her with different bright objects, but she chooses an apple which will turn fatal for her, as it is poisoned. The princess takes a bite from the fuit and she faints.
The beasts of the woods come to see her. The squirrels and the little rabbit find her as she is fainted. Alarmed by the birds and the insects of the woods, the dwarves come home hurriedly and discover the misfortune.
Sad, they put their friend on a bed of leaves and they all say good bye to her.
Somewhere, far away, hunters are heard. A prince is coming by. Curious to see what happens in the dwarves’ yard, he asks the people around why everybody is so sad.
He notices the fair Snow White lying on the bed and presently falls in love with her. Watching her attentively, the prince notices the apple in her hand. He takes it and throws it away. Then, Snow White comes back to life. Amazed by what has happened to her, the girl notices the prince beside herself and thanks him for saving her. All of a sudden, she realizes that she has fallen in love with him.
The two lovers dance in the name of the beautiful feeling they share and decide to go to the palace, in order to ask for the emperor’s blessing. Everybody is invited to their wedding. The suite sets into motion, the young weds, the dwarves and the beasts in the woods making their way towards the palace.
Scene 5
At the palace
Meanwhile, the empress is happy to be the only fair woman in the kingdom and celebrates over her victory. Yet, just as the flattering courtiers pay homage to her beauty, the dwarves enter the great palace hall, accusing her of having poisoned their friend. The empress’ crime is revealed. Her beauty vanishes, and she turns into a witch who flies through the window in a cloud of fire.
The emperor leaves his throne to the young couple, who, they say, had a wonderful wedding and lived happily ever after.
Photos: CHRISTIAN KOSTYAK
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