Sylvia

No less a figure than Tchaikovsky singled out Sylvia (1876)—Leo Delibes’ second full-scale ballet—as an important work. The history of ballet music had been one of unobtrusive sonic backdrop and embellishment. The idea that the score itself might step into the spotlight and actually drive the drama, rather than simply accompany it, was new. There’s plenty of drama to inspire a composer in the mythological plot. Sylvia, a nymph loyal to the goddess Diana, is torn between her vow of chastity and her love for the shepherd Aminta. When she is kidnapped by the hunter Orion and carried off to his island cave, her lover must find a way to rescue her and placate the angry goddess. Arcadian prettiness and rustic dances give way to louring orchestral drama during the kidnap episode. A Bacchic festival supplies exotic music for priestesses and revellers, while Sylvia’s return home closes Act II in an exhilarating whirl of celebration.