The ballet Sylvia is based on the play Aminta written by the Italian poet Torquato Tasso. It is a ballet performed in three acts with characters that are taken from mythology. The music used in the ballet is by Lo Delibes the French composer and is often cited as one of Delibes's greatest pieces of work. Unfortunately it could not live up to the acclaim of its music and its debut was met with a lukewarm response. Future performances of Sylvia were also unsuccessful and the ballet all but disappeared from the stage for many years.
It was the renowned dancer and choreographer Sir Frederick Ashton who resurrected the almost forgotten ballet in 1952. However Sylvia still did not receive critical acclaim it is thought largely down to it's complicated plot. Sir Frederick tried to give the ballet more popular appeal reducing it to a one-act piece but Sylvia could still not capture the publics' heart and Ashton eventually gave up on it in 1965. Sir Frederick believed in Sylvia though and had expressed a desire to rework it once again into a three-act ballet. This was picked up on by one of his former students, Christopher Newton, who rewrote Sylvia for the 21st Century audience and a three-act version close to Sir Frederick's vision appeared on stage in 2001.
The main characters in the ballet are Sylvia a nymph huntress and Aminta a young shepherd who is in love with Sylvia. The other protagonists come from mythology - the God of Love Eros and Diana the Goddess of hunting. The malevolent force within the ballet comes in the guise of Orion, a hunter who also desires Sylvia's affections. Various forest creatures, nymphs and dryads provide the ballet's pastoral imagery, with other minor characters such as peasants and hunt attendants featured.
A Sacred wood is the title of the first act of Sylvia and the ballet begins with a ritualistic scene featuring the forest creatures and nymphs dancing for the God Eros. Both Aminta and Sylvia stumble upon the scene and while Aminta remains hidden Sylvia and her hunt attendants make themselves known and mock Eros. Sylvia shoots an arrow at the hidden Aminta, not realizing it is her ardent suitor, but injures both Eros and Aminta with her arrow. The malevolent force in the play is Orion who is also in love with Sylvia and he has been watching the whole scene unfold and he uses the ensuing confusion as an opportunity to kidnap Sylvia.
Act two is titled Orion's Island Cave, which is the location Orion brings the kidnapped Sylvia to. Sylvia stubbornly refuses all offers of kindness such as jewelry and wine from Orion with her only thoughts focused on the wounded Aminta. She fakes a change of heart, getting Orion drunk on the wine so that she can make her escape. After invoking the God of love Eros, Sylvia receives a vision that Aminta is waiting for her at the temple of the Goddess Diana and with the help of Eros escapes from Orion.
The final act - The Sea Coast Near The Temple Of Diana - sees Sylvia and Aminta briefly reunited however Orion is fast to catch up with them and starts to fight with Aminta. During the fight Orion tries to enter Diana's shrine, which is forbidden making the Goddess angry and she refuses to allow Aminta and Sylvia to be together. However all is not lost as God of love Eros presents Diana with a vision of her own young love. The memory of this past love results in Diana reversing her decision and Sylvia and Amintas' union is allowed with the good will of the Gods. - 40730
It was the renowned dancer and choreographer Sir Frederick Ashton who resurrected the almost forgotten ballet in 1952. However Sylvia still did not receive critical acclaim it is thought largely down to it's complicated plot. Sir Frederick tried to give the ballet more popular appeal reducing it to a one-act piece but Sylvia could still not capture the publics' heart and Ashton eventually gave up on it in 1965. Sir Frederick believed in Sylvia though and had expressed a desire to rework it once again into a three-act ballet. This was picked up on by one of his former students, Christopher Newton, who rewrote Sylvia for the 21st Century audience and a three-act version close to Sir Frederick's vision appeared on stage in 2001.
The main characters in the ballet are Sylvia a nymph huntress and Aminta a young shepherd who is in love with Sylvia. The other protagonists come from mythology - the God of Love Eros and Diana the Goddess of hunting. The malevolent force within the ballet comes in the guise of Orion, a hunter who also desires Sylvia's affections. Various forest creatures, nymphs and dryads provide the ballet's pastoral imagery, with other minor characters such as peasants and hunt attendants featured.
A Sacred wood is the title of the first act of Sylvia and the ballet begins with a ritualistic scene featuring the forest creatures and nymphs dancing for the God Eros. Both Aminta and Sylvia stumble upon the scene and while Aminta remains hidden Sylvia and her hunt attendants make themselves known and mock Eros. Sylvia shoots an arrow at the hidden Aminta, not realizing it is her ardent suitor, but injures both Eros and Aminta with her arrow. The malevolent force in the play is Orion who is also in love with Sylvia and he has been watching the whole scene unfold and he uses the ensuing confusion as an opportunity to kidnap Sylvia.
Act two is titled Orion's Island Cave, which is the location Orion brings the kidnapped Sylvia to. Sylvia stubbornly refuses all offers of kindness such as jewelry and wine from Orion with her only thoughts focused on the wounded Aminta. She fakes a change of heart, getting Orion drunk on the wine so that she can make her escape. After invoking the God of love Eros, Sylvia receives a vision that Aminta is waiting for her at the temple of the Goddess Diana and with the help of Eros escapes from Orion.
The final act - The Sea Coast Near The Temple Of Diana - sees Sylvia and Aminta briefly reunited however Orion is fast to catch up with them and starts to fight with Aminta. During the fight Orion tries to enter Diana's shrine, which is forbidden making the Goddess angry and she refuses to allow Aminta and Sylvia to be together. However all is not lost as God of love Eros presents Diana with a vision of her own young love. The memory of this past love results in Diana reversing her decision and Sylvia and Amintas' union is allowed with the good will of the Gods. - 40730
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