Raymonda
The story of Raymonda takes place in the Middle Ages. Raymonda, a young noblewoman, is waiting for the return of her fiancée Jean de Brienne, a knight on crusade to the Holy Land. While her kinsfolk at her castle are passing their time with all kinds of leisurely entertainment, her mind is troubled with longing for her lover in the distance.
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Rather than him, however, the Saracen knight Abderachman turns up and tries -- friendly at first, but with increasing rudeness in the face of her denial -- to conquer and subdue her. Thanks to the warning and aid of a ghostly Lady in White, who appears to be an ancestor and guardian of the family, she maintains her resistance just long enough for her true lover to come to her rescue, accomplished through his victory in a dramatic duel. The ballet ends in a great wedding celebration.
Raymonda, a masterpiece of the young russian composer Alexander Glazunov was first performed in 1898 in a choreography by Marius Petipa. Outside Russia this ballet seems to be far less widely known than it deserves. With its tremendously versatile and colourful Romantic score it provides an ideal base for a great classical ballet night.
On December 19, 2002, 8:00pm, the Ulm University Ballet performed scenes from Raymonda (with narrated storyline) together with other highlights of the ballet season 2002: Un truc joyeux, Klezmer Tango, Swan Lake variations, and more.