And Fantasia (which I saw big screen when I was eight, or so) also gives imperishable visual images to The Sorcerer's Apprentice (Mickey Mouse) Rite of Spring (lugubrious dinosaurs) and Beethoven 6 (twee Snow White style centaurs).


Do let us know.

The Soldiers' Dance in William Tell is the one of the catchiest, perkiest pieces of music I know, and describes virtual rape.

I  would be sorry not to hear it.

I agree entirely, Don B. I had thought of Onegin, but wondered if it really counts as a ballet, despite it being dance. Who dances the waltz and polonaise? I assume members of the chorus rather than ballet dancers...perhaps Reiner or someone can offer enlightenment?

I'm talking out of turn here, because this is only my gut feeling on the matter...  but I am fairly certain that the country dance in Act II,  and Prince Gremin's Ball in Act IV would have been intended for a professional corps de ballet, primarily from the high expectation of dance standards which Russian audiences of the time would have held.  And indeed this is how they're still done at the Bol'shoi, the Mariinski (I presume - I've not seen their current ONEGIN), St P Opera, Stanislavsky-Danchenko Opera Theatre, Kiev Academic Opera etc. 

But dramatically it should be the chorus who dance, and at least at my beloved Helikon Opera in Moscow they do so - Helikon insist on dance skills when they recruit new choristers, and since they mainly recruit from GITIS (the equivalent of RADA) instead of the Conservatoires, they can mostly rely on this.  And they dance both scenes very well, too:



The dance ability of the Helikon Chorus is employed for a coup de theatre in FALSTAFF which earned them a heap of press plaudits (including a remark "the Bol'shoi production is a shambles by comparison" which caused a lot of trouble at the time).  The female chorus in the Oak Of Herne scene emerge in costumes clearly based on the "Willi"* scene in GISELLE, and do a complete choreographed ballet scene, "on point".  I can't think of another opera chorus who could do it, and the humour of the gag lies in the fact that they're faultless when they do it.  Nanetta (Tania Kuinji) isn't excused ballet-shoes either, and she has a starring role in the scene






* Martle, George & Tommo - don't even think about it....

Incidentally, the EMI recording of Oedipe, with José van Dam, is being released on their budget label very soon.

All this hot weather's making me thirsty so, for your next question, name drinks which are specifically mentioned in opera libretti!

Show me the way to the next whiskey bar (if we can stretch a point and call "Mahagonny" an opera)

Act 1 Finale of The Sorcerer

TEA-CUP BRINDISI, 1st Verse – SIR M.
   Eat, drink, and be gay,
      Banish all worry and sorrow,
   Laugh gaily today,
      Weep, if you’re sorry, tomorrow!
   Come, pass the cup around –
      I will go bail for the liquor;
   It’s strong, I’ll be bound,
      For it was brewed by the vicar!

CHORUS.   None so knowing as he
      At brewing a jorum of tea,
         Ha! ha!
   A pretty stiff jorum of tea.

Not forgetting, if we can include Die Dreigroschenoper, the Zuhälter Ballade with its charming:

"Und wenn ein Freier kam, kroch ich aus unserm Bett
Und drückte mich zu meinem Kirsch und war sehr nett"