About the work
Le Corsaire is a full-length narrative ballet whose familiar form today derives largely from Marius Petipa; the music is by Adolphe Adam and other composers. The first version premiered in Paris in 1856. Inspired by Lord Byron's verse tale The Corsair, it is a colourful spectacle of ballet Romanticism.
Plot
The noble pirate Conrad falls in love with the beautiful Greek woman Medora, who is to be sold at an Oriental slave market. With his companions Conrad frees her and other captives, but betrayal within his own ranks, the intrigues of the slave dealer Lankendem and the Pasha, and a mutiny plunge the lovers into ever-new dangers. After abductions, a ruse with a sleeping draught, and a dramatic shipwreck, Conrad and Medora are finally washed ashore as the sole survivors and find their happiness.
Cultural significance
Le Corsaire is famous for its virtuoso pas de deux (or pas de trois) and the spectacular Le Jardin Animé scene, among the highlights of the classical repertoire. The ballet demands the utmost dance bravura, especially from the male soloists, and is a prime example of the exotic-Romantic taste of the nineteenth century. It is still presented by major companies today in opulent productions.