Le Corsaire (Bolshoi Ballet)

Conducted by Pavel Klinichev
Choreographed by Alexei Ratmansky and Yuri Burlaka after Marius Petipa
Starring Svetlana Lunkina, Ruslan Skvortsov, Nina Kaptsova, Andrei Merkuriev,
3 hrs 25 mins estimated, including pre-show and two intermissions

SYNOPSIS

Act I
Scene 1
Medora is Kidnapped.
The bazaar square. The beautiful slave-girls who are up for sale, sit awaiting buyers; here too throngs a crowd of Turks, Greeks, Armenians who are examining the wares brought from all corners of the earth.

A band of corsairs appear in the square, led by Conrad. He has evidently come to the bazaar to carry out his secret plan to meet a certain beautiful stranger.

Medora, the ward of bazaar-owner Isaac Lanquedem, comes out on to the balcony of her guardian’s house. Seeing Conrad, she quickly makes a selam* out of the flowers she has to hand and throws it to him. The latter, reading the selam is delighted, because now he is convinced the beautiful Medora loves him.

Isaac and Medora appear in the square. While Isaac examines the slave-girls, Medora and Conrad exchange passionate and meaningful glances.

A rich buyer appears in the square – Seyd-Pasha – and his suite. He is surrounded by dealers showing off their girls, but not one of the latter pleases the Pasha. Then Seyd-Pasha catches sight of Medora. He decides come what may to purchase her but Isaac refuses to sell him his ward, obsequiously explaining to Seyd-Pasha that she is not for sale and offering him instead a pair of other maidens.

But Seyd-Pasha insists on buying Medora. His offers are so advantageous and attractive that Isaac is unable to resist them and agrees to the deal. Issuing an order that the new slave-girl he has just bought be delivered to his harem, Seyd-Pasha goes off, threatening Isaac with punishment if Medora is not immediately dispatched to his harem. Conrad calms down Medora, promising that the corsairs will kidnap her.

At a sign from Conrad, the corsairs start a merry dance with the slave-girls, in which Medora takes an active part, to the great delight of all present. But suddenly, Conrad gives the signal, and the corsairs make off with the slave-girls and Medora too. Isaac runs after Medora and tries to snatch her from the corsairs; Conrad orders that Isaac, who is frightened out of his wits, should also be seized.