Ballet Stories – La Sylphide

The History and Story of the Ballet La Sylphide

La Sylphide is one of the oldest and most significant ballets of the Romantic Era, encapsulating the ethereal beauty and emotional depth characteristic of this period. Premiering in 1832, it set the standard for the Romantic ballet with its focus on supernatural themes, expressive choreography, and dramatic storytelling.

Origins and Premiere

La Sylphide was choreographed by Filippo Taglioni for his daughter, Marie Taglioni, who became the quintessential ballerina of the Romantic Era. The ballet premiered at the Salle Le Peletier of the Paris Opera on March 12, 1832. This production was notable for several reasons, not least because it featured Marie Taglioni dancing en pointe in a way that highlighted her ethereal, weightless quality—a hallmark of the Romantic ballet style.

The music for the original version of La Sylphide was composed by Jean-Madeleine Schneitzhoeffer, though the later and more widely performed version choreographed by August Bournonville uses music by Herman Severin Løvenskiold. Bournonville’s version, which premiered in 1836 at the Royal Danish Theatre in Copenhagen, is the one most frequently performed today.

The Composer: Jean-Madeleine Schneitzhoeffer

Jean-Madeleine Schneitzhoeffer (1785-1852) was a French composer known for his work in ballet music. Though his contributions to music were significant during his lifetime, La Sylphide remains his most enduring work. His score for the original La Sylphide was praised for its ability to capture the light, airy qualities of the Sylph and the emotional depth of the story.

For Bournonville’s 1836 version, Herman Severin Løvenskiold composed a new score, which became more popular than the original. Løvenskiold’s music is characterized by its melodic richness and its ability to convey the contrasting moods of the ballet.

Famous Dancers

Marie Taglioni: The original Sylph, Taglioni’s performance in 1832 was revolutionary. Her ability to convey the ethereal and otherworldly nature of the Sylph set the standard for Romantic ballet. Her delicate, floating technique, particularly her use of pointe work, became the defining feature of her career.

Lucile Grahn: A Danish ballerina who starred in August Bournonville’s version of La Sylphide in 1836, Grahn’s performance helped solidify the ballet’s place in the Danish repertoire. She was praised for her expressive dancing and technical prowess.

Nora Kaye: A celebrated American ballerina, Kaye brought La Sylphide to life in the 20th century, demonstrating the ballet’s enduring appeal and versatility.

Legacy and Significance

La Sylphide remains a cornerstone of the Romantic ballet tradition, revered for its blend of expressive choreography, emotional depth, and supernatural themes. The ballet’s focus on the ethereal and unattainable reflects the Romantic Era’s fascination with the otherworldly and the tragic.

The innovations in dance technique introduced by Marie Taglioni, especially her use of pointe work to create the illusion of weightlessness, have had a lasting impact on ballet. La Sylphide continues to be performed by ballet companies worldwide, enchanting audiences with its timeless story of love, obsession, and the supernatural.

The Story of La Sylphide

Act I: The Farmhouse

The ballet begins in a Scottish farmhouse where James, a young farmer, is preparing for his wedding to Effie. As he dozes by the fire, a Sylph (a fairy-like spirit of the air) appears and kisses him. When he wakes, the Sylph vanishes but soon reappears, professing her love for him. Despite his attempts to grasp her, she remains elusive. Gurn, another young farmer who loves Effie, witnesses this strange encounter but is unable to convince others of what he saw.

Madge, an old sorceress, arrives and tells fortunes. She predicts that Effie will marry Gurn, not James, angering James, who drives her away. Despite his impending wedding, James is enchanted by the Sylph and follows her into the forest, abandoning Effie.

Act II: The Forest

In the forest, the Sylph introduces James to her ethereal world. Meanwhile, the wedding party searches for James. Madge, seeking revenge, concocts a poisoned scarf and gives it to James, claiming it will allow him to catch the Sylph.

James presents the scarf to the Sylph. As he wraps it around her, her wings fall off, and she dies in his arms, revealing the tragic consequence of his obsession. The ballet ends with Gurn marrying Effie and James left alone in despair.

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