Description
A variation written for Nikiya, the heroine of La Bayadère. The music mirrors the temple dancer's inner conflict over a forbidden love, weaving delicate melody with restrained emotion. In about a minute and a half, it demands careful shading of tempo and tone typical of expressive ballet variations.
Works written in theme-and-variations form, where a single melody is transformed in many different ways.
Sheet Music
Sheet music provided by Mutopia Project
About the Composer
Léon Minkus (1826-1917)
Léon Minkus (1826-1917) was an Austrian-born composer who worked primarily in Russia and Paris, specializing in ballet music. His best-known work, 'La Bayadère,' remains a staple of the classical ballet repertoire. This site includes four excerpts from that ballet.
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