Composer - Peter Hertel

Libretto and choreography by Jean Doberval

Main characters:

Lisa - country girl

Knee - Lisa's favourite

Marcellina - mother of Lisa

Nikez - a candidate for a groom

Misho - father of Nikez

Notary

Friends of Lisa and Colen, villagers.

First performance: 1 July 1789, Bordeaux, France.

First performance in Ruse: 25 December 1980, choreography - Petar Lukanov, artists - Petar Popov and Maria Trendafilova

Short synopsis

Lisa, the daughter of the rich widow Marcellina, is in love with the poor country youth Colin. Her mother's intentions are to marry her off to Nikez, the son of the rich man Michaud.

Lisa trembles in anticipation of her beloved. She ties her ribbon in a "love knot" and leaves it where the two usually meet. After a while, Colin appears and bursts into flames of joy upon seeing the ribbon. Lisa and Colin meet and mingle in an embrace, but their happiness is short-lived. Marcellina arrives and unceremoniously separates them. The mother angrily sends her daughter home where there was urgent work to be done. Colin sneaks after her to help her. The two lovers indulge their joy at finally being alone. Lisa's friends come to ask her out, but the mother won't hear of it. Michaud and his son Nikez arrive. Marcellina greets them affectionately. The father ceremoniously asks for Lisa's hand in marriage to his son. Marcellina happily accepts, and Lisa begins to mockingly play with the clumsy Nikez.

On the field. The reapers have stopped their work for a break. Colin engages them in a merry dance and they are joined by Lisa and Nikez. They all understand that the maiden prefers the poor country lad to the rich man's son. The reapers do not take their eyes off the three: Nikez dances clumsily, behaves foolishly and causes only laughter. Suddenly a heavy rain bursts and drives away the dancers.

In The Tavern. Marcellina and Lisa come home tired and soon the mother falls asleep. Lisa tries to get the key out of her mother's apron to go out and meet Colin, but the old woman senses and opens her eyes. To make sure her daughter doesn't sneak out, she makes her dance. Lisa picks up the dance to the sound of the tambourine, and Marcellina drifts off again. The girl's second attempt to get the key is successful and Colin is finally inside. At that moment, the reapers arrive to collect their wages and Colin quickly hides. While the mother deals with the reapers, the two lovers exchange towels, vowing eternal love.

Michaud and Nikez arrive. They bring a notary with them. Nikez solemnly signs the marriage contract. Marcellina summons her daughter to sign as well. But Lisa shows up with her beloved Colin. They ask her forgiveness and her blessing. At first the mother does not accept, but everyone admonishes her and finally she agrees. Lisa and Colin happily start dancing.

History of creation

"The Wicked Girl" is one of the oldest European ballets to have reached the present day. It was first performed on 1 July 1789 in Bordeaux, France. The libretto and the selection of music from folk and popular dances, as well as the choreography, were written by Jean Doberval (1742-1806), a student and companion of the eminent French ballet master, theorist and ballet reformer Jean Georges Nover. Ballet soon became very popular in Europe. Later, composer Louis Harold made a selection of the rest of Doberval's music, added his own and orchestrated the ballet. This is how The Girl Ill Kept began a new life. This new version premiered in 1828 at the Grand Opera-Paris. New revisions of the music and dancing followed. In 1864 the German composer and conductor Peter Ludwig Hertel (1817-1899) created a new revision of the ballet and conducted the premiere at the Berlin Opera. Hertel's reworking received wide distribution in Russia, and the most famous Russian choreographers created their own ballet versions.

In Ruse the ballet "The Wicked Girl" was performed for the first time on 25 December 1980. The production team was choreographed by Petar Lukanov, the artists were Petar Popov and Maria Trendafilova. In the press, after its 30th anniversary season, the company of the Ruse Ballet was described by critics as "fresh and always young" (Svetlostroy magazine, V. Consolova, CI). The role of Lisa in this "original and realized with the developed vocabulary of contemporary ballet theatre" is performed by Y. Petkova, Colen by Ch. Hristov, Alain (Nikez) by L. Borisov, Simone (Marcellina) by St. Georgiev. The choreographer P. Lukanov uses the old musical version by the French composer L. Herold.

The ballet of the State Opera-Ruse was founded in 1949. The first ballet production was Joseph Bayer's The Doll Fairy, presented on 7 March 1952. It was directed by the great Bulgarian ballet master Assen Manolov.