A damsel in distress who gets kidnapped twice is often the first thought when the ballet Le Corsaire is mentioned. The swashbuckling adventure of pirates and slaves, however, is rumored to have royal roots. 

It is widely believed that Empress Eugenie gave the idea to use Lord Byron’s poem, Manfred, as material for a new ballet to librettist Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and composer Charles Gounod. But the French Empress became preoccupied with matters of the state and did not follow up on her request. The seed was planted, however, and it is believed that another Byron poem, Le Corsaire, was chosen to make a new ballet. Saint-Georges, who frequently wrote works for the Paris Opera, would later create the libretto for the original Le Corsaire.

Eventually, Le Corsaire turned out to be the final collaboration between two of 19th century ballet’s greatest figures: choreographer Joseph Mazilier and composer Adolphe Adam. The latter died just a few months before the ballet premiered at the Paris Opera on January 23, 1856.

While elements of the poetry – particularly the characters – made it to the choreography, the libretto reimagined everything else. The ballet opens at the market square that Conrad and his band of pirates frequent. He sees Medora, the ward of the slave trader Isaac Lanquedem, and she sends him a message through a bouquet of roses.

The wealthy Seyd Pasha arrives and immediately desires Medora upon laying eyes on her. He offers a high price to Isaac who agrees to sell the girl. After the Pasha leaves, Conrad gives the signal and his pirates run off with all the slave girls as well as Isaac.

They head to the pirates’ den where Medora asks Conrad to free the slave girls. He agrees but angers Birbanto in doing so. The other pirates are also upset. They hatch a plan and make Isaac give flowers laced with sleeping potion for Conrad through Medora. She accepts the bouquet and gifts it to Conrad who passes out with one whiff. Surrounded by the other corsaires, Medora stabs Birbanto in the arm and is taken away together with Isaac. Birbanto attempts to stab Conrad but hides the knife as the latter suddenly awakens. He tells Conrad that Medora has been kidnapped.

Back at the palace, the Pasha is being entertained by Gulnara and the Odalisques when Medora is brought in by Isaac. She begs for her freedom and while Gulnara comforts her, the corsaires, disguised as members of a religious order, arrive. They eventually reveal themselves and threaten the Pasha. Medora sees Birbanto and tells Conrad of his treachery. In the heat of their dispute, the Pasha’s guards arrive and arrest Conrad and his pirates.

Medora pleads for Conrad’s life. The Pasha agrees to spare him only if Medora agrees to marry him. The couple decides to die together but Gulnara comes up with a plan. She will take the place of Medora and marry the Pasha whom she truly loves.

Their plan succeeds and the couple is able to escape and reunite with the other corsaires. Birbanto is captured but Medora begs for his life. Conrad spares him but, in return, he starts a mutiny. Conrad throws him overboard as a literal storm brews and hits the ship. The ship itself is destroyed but Conrad and Medora escape from the wreck and start their life over.

Le Corsaire premiered with Carolina Rosati as Medora and Domenico Segarelli as Conrad. The rest of the cast included Claudina Cucchi as Gulnare, Alexandre Fuchs as Birbanto, Francisque Garnier Berthier as Isaac Lanquedem, and François Édouard Dauty as the Seyd Pasha.

The ballet was conceived to highlight Rosati and welcome her as the Paris Opéra’s new prima ballerina. Conrad, on the other hand, was a non-dancing role. It was only after many restagings that the role transitioned from miming to actual dancing.

The premiere was a great success. Rosati received praises from both admirers and critics. The entire production was appreciated by the audience. The Pas des Éventails of Act 1, Scene 2 was considered the most successful piece of choreography in the ballet. And Adam Adolphe’s music was praised as the “swansong of the man who was probably the Romantic Ballet’s greatest composer.”

It was in its performance in Russia, however, that the choreography began to transform to the ballet as it is commonly known today. Taking on the lead roles were prima ballerina Ekaterina Friedbürg as Medora and Marius Petipa as Conrad. The latter revised the Grand Pas des Éventails and the Scene de séduction of Act 1, Scene 2. He also introduced the pas de deux for the first scene entitled the Pas d’esclave and the pas de trois for the second act entitled the Pas de trois des odalisques. He continued to add more and more to the choreography as he restaged the ballet again and again in the coming years.

Many versions of Le Corsaire have been staged all over the world, most of which were based on Petipa’s choreography. Ballet Manila’s staging in 1998 based on Marius Petipa’s version was the piece’s premiere not just in the Philippines but in Asia as well – made possible with the guesting of the 30-strong contingent from the Krasnoyarsk Ballet.

Medora was originally meant to be performed by prima ballerina Lisa Macuja Elizalde opposite BM co-founder and principal dancer Osias Barroso Jr. as Conrad. But she was pregnant with her first child so another BM pioneer, soloist Pamela Asprer, stepped in and was paired with Barroso. In 2000, a few months after giving birth to her second child, Macuja Elizalde was finally able to make her debut as Medora in the full-length ballet, alternating with Asprer and another soloist, Aileen Gallinera.

Le Corsaire has been part of Ballet Manila’s performance season eight times. The ballet will once again be staged in 2024 as part of the company’s 26th season. This time, however, significant changes will be made by Macuja Elizalde to create a more seamless narrative of the beloved pirate adventure.