Spartacus (ballet)

Principal characters:

• Crassus, Roman consul
• Spartacus, captive king of Thrace
• Phrygia, wife of Spartacus
• Aegina, concubine to Crassus

Act I

Ivan Vasiliev in an extract from Spartacus during re-opening gala of the Bolshoi Theatre, 28 October 2011

The Roman consul Crassus returns to Rome from his latest conquests in a triumphal procession. Among his captives are the Thracian king Spartacus and his wife Phrygia. Spartacus laments his captivity and bids a bitter farewell to Phrygia, who is taken off to join Crassus's harem of concubines. To entertain Crassus and his entourage, Spartacus is sent into the gladiatorial ring and is forced to kill a close friend. Horrified at his deed, Spartacus incites his fellow captives to rebellion.

Khachaturian extracted and arranged music from the ballet in 1955 for four orchestral suites:

• Spartacus Suite No.1
  • Introduction – Dance of the Nymphs
  • Adagio of Aegina and Harmodius
  • Variation of Aegina and Bacchanalia
  • Scene and Dance with Crotala
  • Dance of the Gaditanae – Victory of Spartacus
• Spartacus Suite No.2
  • Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia
  • Entrance of the Merchants – Dance of a Roman Courtesan –
  • General Dance
  • Entrance of Spartacus – Quarrel –
  • Treachery of Harmodius
  • Dance of the Pirates
• Spartacus Suite No.3
  • Dance of a Greek Slave
  • Dance of an Egyptian Girl
  • Night Incident
  • Dance of Phrygia – Parting Scene
  • At the Circus
• Spartacus Suite No.4
  • Bacchante's Melancholy Dance
  • Spartacus Procession
  • Death of the Gladiator
  • Call to Arms – Spartacus' Uprising

Instrumentation: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons; 4 horns, 4 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba; timpani, percussion; strings.

• Part of the "Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia" (the opening piece in Suite No. 2), was used as the main love theme in the 1968 film Mayerling; as the opening theme for the British television series The Onedin Line (1971–1980); in advertisements for Philips television sets in Australia in the late 1970s; and in The Hudsucker Proxy (1994).
• Part of the "Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia" was used in the film Caligula (1979). A disco version of this theme with lyrics by the artist Lydia was released as a single from the soundtrack.[5]
• Spartakus, a 1977 Soviet musical/ballet film directed by Vadim Derbenyov and Yuri Grigorovich, which is also a remake of the Bolshoi Theater's 1968 production also choreographed by Grigorovich.[6]
• The adagio had several plays during the James Bond film Thunderball.
• Portions of the ballet were performed by the Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps in 1981, 1982, and 2008 – with the Corps winning the 2008 DCI World Championship title, performing their interpretation of the ballet.[7]
• In 1984, with words by Tony Hiller and Nicky Graham, it became a popular song, "Journey's End", recorded by Andy Williams on Capitol.
• In 1990, Mexican rock band Caifanes used "Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia" for their hit song "Antes de que nos olviden" (Before We're Forgotten) from their album El Diablito.
• In 2004, Ukrainian rhythmic gymnast Anna Bessonova performed her bronze medal ball routine at the Athens Olympics to an excerpt of the adagio.
• Michelle Kwan used "Adagio of Sparticus and Phrygia" for her short program in the 2004–2005 season, winning the 2005 US. Figure Skating Championships.
• The adagio is featured toward the ending of 20th Century Fox's 2006 computer-animated film Ice Age: The Meltdown.
• Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin won the 2009 World Figure Skating Championships Ice Dance competition with their free dance to the adagio.
• Ashley Wagner won the 2015 U.S. Figure Skating Championships with her short program to the adagio.

• List of historical ballet characters