Filippo Taglioni

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Lore & Background

Filippo Taglioni was born in Milan to father Carlo Taglioni and received his dance training predominantly with Carlo Blasis and Jean-François Coulon. He made his dancing debut at age 17 in Pisa performing female roles. He danced in other Italian cities before becoming a dancer (at age 22) with the Paris Opera. With Vestris firmly in control there, he readily accepted an invitation to be a principal dancer and ballet master for the Royal Swedish Ballet in Stockholm, Sweden. In Stockholm, he married the dancer Sophie Karsten, daughter of a famous Swedish opera singer Christoffer Christian Karsten and the Polish actress Sophie Stebnowska, in 1803. Together, they had two children, Marie Taglioni and Paul Taglioni, both of whom became dancers themselves. For several years the family lived in Vienna and Germany but to escape the dangers of the Napoleonic wars, Filippo moved them to Paris. He danced and choreographed throughout Europe, mostly in Italy, Austria, Sweden, Denmark, and Germany. Finally, he was invited to take a more permanent position with the Theater am Kärntnertor in Vienna. Once settled in Vienna, he sent for Marie, who had been studying ballet in Paris. Upon her arrival, Filippo was discouraged by her artistic progress and began training her himself. He had her practice ballet six hours a day for six months, using a level method of technique training. He was very strict with her, and had no sympathy for her aching and bleeding toes. He sought to make her style light and delicate, with an emphasis on jumps with ballon and pointe work, something that was unheard of before this time. When she was ready he took her back to Paris.

Reader's Guide

Filippo Taglioni's significance lies in his role as a pioneer of the Romantic ballet style. After Marie's professional debut she became so popular that Filippo was able to negotiate a six-year contract for the two of them. The triumphant première of La Sylphide on 12 March 1832, made her the most acclaimed prima ballerina of the Romantic period and him the most renowned choreographer of the day. It is said that the great Romantic period of dance was ushered in on that night. Because of this immense success, the two of them traveled widely together and toured both Europe and Russia. The original production of La Sylphide was first presented by the Paris Opera Ballet at the Salle Le Peletier in 1832, and was choreographed by Filippo Taglioni himself to the music of Jean Madeleine Schneitzhoeffer, with libretto by Adolphe Nourrit after a story by Charles Nodier. The leading roles were danced by Marie Taglioni and Joseph Mazilier. As he grew older, he became eccentric and unpredictable, and eventually lost all of Marie's carefully amassed fortune in unwise speculations. Nevertheless, he must be recognized as a pioneer in a ballet style that was to alter forever the very nature of the art. Taglioni died in Como, Italy on 5 February 1871, at the age of 93.

Did You Know?

• Filippo Taglioni made his dancing debut at age 17 in Pisa performing female roles.
• He married Sophie Karsten in 1803; she was the daughter of a famous Swedish opera singer and a Polish actress.
• He trained his daughter Marie six hours a day for six months, with no sympathy for her aching and bleeding toes.
• The original La Sylphide premiered on 12 March 1832 at the Salle Le Peletier with music by Jean Madeleine Schneitzhoeffer.
• Taglioni lost all of Marie's carefully amassed fortune in unwise speculations later in life.