About the work
Napoli (in full Danish, "Napoli, eller Fiskeren og hans Brud," Napoli, or The Fisherman and His Bride) is a three-act ballet by August Bournonville, created in 1842 for the Royal Danish Ballet after a journey to Italy. Its score was written by several composers: Edvard Helsted composed the first act, Niels W. Gade parts of the second, and Holger Simon Paulli the third act with its famous tarantella, while Hans Christian Lumbye contributed the concluding galop. The ballet premiered on 29 March 1842 at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen.
Plot
The Neapolitan fisherman Gennaro and his fiancée Teresina initially find little support for their love from those around them. During a storm at sea, Teresina is swept overboard and presumed lost, but survives in an underwater grotto where the sea spirit Golfo transforms her into a naiad. Aided by an image of the Madonna that restores her human memory, Gennaro finds her and frees her from Golfo's realm. The third act depicts the couple's joyous wedding celebration, featuring the still-famous Pas de six and Tarantella.
Cultural significance
Alongside "La Sylphide" (1836), "Napoli" is regarded as Bournonville's most important ballet; the original choreography of the third act is still danced by the Royal Danish Ballet in near-unchanged form, and individual numbers such as the "Flower Festival in Genzano" pas de deux have entered the international repertoire of many companies as independent gala pieces.