Angelica, marigolds, rose, acacia, or What dreams may come

The symbolism of flowers inspired many famous writers, artists, and composers. The world of flowers is stunning. Like music, they create an exciting state of beauty. They can dance in the wind, bring happiness, and highlight any occasion.

When we look at them, we get great pleasure and a sense of contact with something beautiful, which must be why flowers are one of the most popular themes in art.

Composers have often used the symbolism of flowers to convey the nuances of human feelings in their music. There’s hardly a flower in the world that no composer ever wrote about! Today, let us talk about their symbolic power.

 

The symbolism of flowers and the world of fantasy in music

Everyone must know how to die and live in eternity.
The alchemical law of Hiram

We begin our journey into classical music inspired by flowers with the most famous flower dance: “Waltz of the Flowers” by Tchaikovsky from his ballet “The Nutcracker.” In the Land of Sweets, Spanish chocolate, Arabian coffee, Chinese tea, and Russian candy canes entertain Clara and the Prince. The “Waltz of the Flowers” completes the entertainment.

This piece has had many different names across the years: “Waltz of the Flowers,” “The Pink Waltz,” “The Golden Waltz,” and even “The Silver Waltz.” But which one is correct? You can find an explanation that at the premiere, dancers were dressed in pink clothes, which would make pink the canonical color; actually, not exactly.

Originally, the ballet “The Nutcracker” was to be staged by Marius Petipa. So, in his commission to Tchaikovsky, he wrote the following: “Waltz of flowers and large garlands: 8 bars of the introduction, then the same number of bars as in the rural waltz in “The Sleeping Beauty” (2nd scene). The little man claps his hands. 36 dancers appear, in flower dresses, they carry a large bouquet of Angelica flowers, and bring it to the bride and groom. As soon as they give it away, dancers, as customary in operas, get into position and begin to dance.”

So, as you can see, the initial name was “Waltz of Flowers and Large Garlands,” and not pink, gold, or named after any other color. But a commission plan is one thing. On stage, everything, in fact, could have been different, and the dancers could have been bringing out pink flowers, not Angelica. But apparently, it wasn’t roses and or pink carnations either that they carried, but marigolds.

Marigolds — as a tribute to the maestro’s beloved daughter

It is a well-known fact that in the fall of 1892, Marius Petipa fell ill, and could not complete staging the ballet. Instead, Lev Ivanov finished the production. Petipa also withdrew because of the death of his daughter. On the day of the premiere, on December 6, 1892, in “Waltz of the Flowers,” the group of dancers was a golden vase with marigolds (hence the name “golden waltz,” probably).

Why that particular species? There is the following version: on the day of the death of Petipa’s daughter, August 26, 1892, marigolds suddenly blossomed in his garden. And it was for this reason that the dancers, at the premiere, portrayed marigolds — as a tribute to the maestro’s beloved daughter.

Since then, choreographers have edited the waltz many times, not least because of the critics who were much less enthusiastic about the flower waltz than about the waltz of snowflakes from act 1, for example. This is why, with time, the marigolds disappeared, and the dancers stopped depicting a golden vase. With them, obviously, their hidden symbolism disappeared as well. The dancers began to dress in pink, and the waltz began to be called “pink,” and eventually “silver,” when it was staged by Yuri Grigorovich. Some versions lack the dance of flowers completely.

From literary passions to the passionate opera

From ballet, let’s move on to the opera, particularly the most famous opera by the French composer Georges Bizet. It is one of the most famous operas of all time. If you’ve heard any music, there’s a good chance you’ve heard the music from that opera, too. The opera “Carmen” is much more famous than Prosper Mérimée’s short story “Carmen” itself, especially after significant rewrites by the librettists.

In the charming tenor aria “La fleur que tu m’avais jetée,” performed by one of the main characters of soldier José, not only the melody is beautiful, but the verses are delightfully romantic: “The flower that you threw me, I kept with me in prison… I was intoxicated by its scent…”

But what kind of flower was it that intoxicated the warrior and made it possible for the composer to make the image of José a shade more touching? On stage, Carmen holds a rose, which she then throws. But this is not the correct interpretation: in the original version, she was having an acacia.

The flower of a goddess of hunting and war

The acacia has a symbolic power that is deeply rooted in both Spanish and Romani folklore and myths. Every detail is essential and intentional in the appearance of the gypsy woman: her manner of behavior and speech, the combination of colors in her suit, and the white acacia flowers on her neckline, esoterically expressing rebirth and immortality and is serving as the emblem of Neith, the Egyptian goddess of hunting and war, as Mérimée believed the theory that gypsy people originated from Egypt.

In the context of the opera, since acacia has white and red blossoms, Carmen’s life turns into death and rebirth. The spines of the plant also resemble the horns of the growing moon. The alchemical law of Hiram, symbolized by acacia, goes: “Everyone must know how to die and to live in eternity.” With an acacia, she goes hunting for another victim to kill, destroy, and grind out her prey. And red and white acacia blooms are a challenge to death and life thrown at José.

You can now see how much of a semantic load a single flower, thrown out carelessly, can carry. That is why it is our opinion that replacing the acacia with a rose was not such a brilliant idea.

Your dearest one loves classical music, but you cannot go to a theatre together, as you live far apart? Do not leave things to chance — we are always ready to help! A bouquet can be a sparkling image of different colors and aromas. It will give true pleasure to people who love beauty, and the symbolism of flowers emphasizes your message further.

Our international catalogs can help you create a bouquet to convey your feelings if your loved ones are overseas:

• Here’s a collection of sending flowers online for any occasion.
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