Sylvia, ou La Nymphe de Diane

Ballet in three acts with choreography by Mérante, libretto by Jules Barbier and Baron de Reinach, music by Delibes, sets by Chéret, Rubé, and Chaperon, and costumes by E. Lacoste. Premiered 14 June 1876 at the Paris Opera with Mérante and Sangalli. Delibes's score is considered to be one of the masterpieces of the ballet repertoire with its vividly descriptive orchestration and exquisite melodies, but the ballet's success has been compromised by its contrived and flimsy libretto (written after Tasso's pastoral Aminta). It tells the story of the shepherd Aminta who falls in love with Sylvia, a nymph of Diana. She rejects him but, undaunted, he pursues her and attempts to rescue her when she is captured by the huntsman, Orion. Sylvia's escape is finally facilitated by Eros rather than Aminta as the former has been keeping a benign watch over the lovers' fate. But even so, Sylvia decides she loves Aminta and confesses this to Diana. At first the goddess forbids the match but, after the intervention of Eros, she blesses their union.

Though Mérante's version was short-lived, Staats subsequently used it as a basis for his revival at Paris Opera in 1919. Many other choreographers have also been drawn to Delibes's score including Ivanov, for Maryinsky Theatre in 1901; Lifar for Paris Opera in 1941 (revived by Lycette Darsonval in 1979); and Balanchine, whose Act III pas de deux for New York City Ballet was first danced by Maria Tallchief and Magallanes in 1950. Ashton choreographed a complete new version for Sadler's Wells Ballet (premiered 3 Sept. 1952 at the Royal Opera House) with Fonteyn and Somes. The libretto was revised but despite praise for the music and for the writing of Fonteyn's role, in 1967 Ashton chose to compress the ballet to a single act and it was subsequently dropped from the repertory until 2004 when the original work was successfully revived. Bintley's version for Birmingham Royal Ballet (1993) was also problematic. Though the choreography for Sylvia (M. Yoshida) and Aminta (J. Cipolla) was considered lyrically inventive and the designs by Sue Blane added a contemporary twist (Eros drove a large limousine through the leafy archaic setting), these did not successfully conceal the cracks in the old plot. In 1997 another new version was choreographed by Neumeier for Paris Opera, which updated the ballet to a contemporary, minimalist setting. Mark Morris created a new version for San Francisco Ballet in 2004.