# Top Three 19th Century Ballets



## Pyotr

Ok, we know what you favorite ballet is from the other thread, but what are your top three 19th century ballets? Since the TC software only allows 15 choices, I’ll have another one for ballets created after 1900. I’m sure I left someone off, so you have the “other” option to select.

Vote for three. Hopefully, this will be the start of getting a TC Top Recommended list for ballets. 

I listed them in order of their opening dates and the composer.


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## Tristan

My three favorite 19th century ballets are Tchaikovsky's three ballets. If he had written a 4th ballet, possibly "Cinderella", it would probably end up being my 4th favorite 

After that would be "Coppelia" and "Sylvia", as I believe Delibes comes closest to Tchaikovsky's quality as far as ballet goes.


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## brotagonist

I believe I've only ever seen Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake (on YT about 2-3 months ago). The dancing swans were breathtaking; I think I forgot to listen to the music, though  but I definitely vote for this one... but the other two?


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## Ingélou

Giselle for its eerie, poignant story; Coppelia for its verve and humour; Swan Lake for its passion and tragedy.
But what a lot of lovely ballets I had to push aside!


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## Cosmos

I'll sadly admit that I cannot vote for any of these because I've only ever heard of Tchaikovsky's three 
But thanks for a list of 19th century ballets to listen to


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## Levanda

I voted Swan Lake but I like all ballets no matter what theme, as long beautiful dance and good music all ballets are brilliant art.


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## hpowders

It's an all Tchaikovsky trio for me: Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty and Nutcracker.


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## Orfeo

Tchaikovsky's "Sleeping Beauty" for me, closely followed by Glazunov's "Raymonda" and Rimsky-Korsakov's "Mlada". Raymonda is especially glorious and Mlada nicely exotic and quite eclectic.

Offenbach's "Le Papillon" is quite wonderful and very worth mentioning and I like Massenet's "Le Carillon."


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## Pyotr

My three were Swan Lake for its jaw-dropping, hypnotic, spell-binding music and dance. It’s truly in another universe IMO. Giselle, the granddaddy of them all. Who knows what ballet would be like today, or if ballet would even exist today as we know it, without it. Love the grand pas in the second act- I still get goose bumps whenever I see it. I have attended two live performances , the last, by the National Ballet of Canada(don’t laugh) although they didn’t do a very good job with that number IMO. There was too much flitting on-and-off the stage, for no reason. The rest of the show was great though. Also, I was fortunate to see Arantxa Ochoa dance the lead role in her final professional performance of her career, she’s since retired from the PA Ballet. Some thought that Arantxa was a little old to play the lead at the time, but the storyline of the ballet does not suggest anywhere that Giselle is a young girl. Does it?

For my third pick, I had to decide between Don Quixote, Coppélia, The Sleeping Beauty, or The Nutcracker. Love the Nutcracker and I already have tickets for a December performance. It’s what got me into ballet and classical music. This past summer I attended a performance of Don Quixote by the Bolshoi and it blew me away. Minkus’ music reminded me a lot of Giselle’s. Coppélia is so much fun I could watch it every day. Of all of the ballets, I like the costumes in Coppélia the best, they are subtle and not flashy or outrageous or anything like that. But my third pick is The Sleeping Beauty because of the Garland dance, and of course Tchaikovsky’s music. The New York City ballet does an incredible job with that number - hundreds of performers on stage at once in perfect harmony and synchronization. Don’t know how they don’t run into each other! An explosion of movement, color, music. 
Thanks for playing!


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## Levanda

Is anybody watched Aniuta ballet? What are thoughts, watched film ballet, absolutely enjoyed.


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## StlukesguildOhio

And Tchaikovsky sweeps the series! Highlights at 11. :lol:


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## senza sordino

I voted for the three Tchaikovsky ballets. Wow, who knew there was anyone else?


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## Tristan

dholling said:


> Tchaikovsky's "Sleeping Beauty" for me, closely followed by Glazunov's "Raymonda" and Rimsky-Korsakov's "Mlada". Raymonda is especially glorious and Mlada nicely exotic and quite eclectic.
> 
> Offenbach's "Le Papillon" is quite wonderful and very worth mentioning and I like Massenet's "Le Carillon."


I'd probably like "Mlada" if I could actually find a recording of it


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## sharik

Tristan said:


> I'd probably like "Mlada" if I could actually find a recording of it


http://rutracker.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4438140

View attachment 53607


http://rutracker.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2693309

View attachment 53608


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## Speranza

Glad someone else voted for Sylvia.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

In order of preference:

The Creatures of Prometheus
Sylvia
The Nutcracker


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## Queen of the Nerds

Tristan said:


> My three favorite 19th century ballets are Tchaikovsky's three ballets. If he had written a 4th ballet, possibly "Cinderella", it would probably end up being my 4th favorite .


I totally agree with you!!


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## Il_Penseroso

Can't we have top 4 instead of 3 by any chance?  i.e. Coppélia + Tchaikovsky's The Three!


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## Marsilius

All three votes went to Ludwig Minkus - for Paquita, Don Quixote and La Bayadere. I've seen the first and last of them several times in London during Mariinsky/Bolshoi visits. Vasiliev and Osipova in Don Q. provided simply the most amazing artistic experience of my life. Pugni, Minkus and Drigo have been unjustly overshadowed by Tchaikovsky.


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## Albert7

Raymonda is my fav of the three and so well worth seeing.


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## Woodduck

Tchaikovsky takes the gold, the silver, and the bronze. Consolation prize to Delibes, honorable mentions to Minkus and Glazunov.


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## MoonlightSonata

There's no way I could decide on three, so I chose five instead - Tchaikovsky's and Delibes'.


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## Lukecash12

Didn't Tchaikovsky write nine ballets? I've only heard these three and it just occurred to me that the others are probably worthy of my attention, given how fantastic Tchaikovsky is. Don't shoot me though, guys, because I have to say that I like his symphonies a lot more. The Waltz of the Flowers is out of this world for me but to be honest Pathetique has, to my mind, a whole host of his best musical thoughts.


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## Marsilius

No, Tchaikovsky himself wrote just three, Lukecash12 - Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker. Its true that various other ballets have subsequently utilised his music - e.g. The "Diamonds" section of Ballanchine's "Jewels" - but the great man himself wrote only those three.


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