10 February 2018 (Sat), 19:30 World famous Mariinsky Ballet and Opera - established 1783 - Stars of the Stars Modern Ballet The evening of ballets to music by Igor Stravinsky: Le Sacre du printemps. Petrouchka.
Running time: 1 hour 30 minutes (till 21:00)
The performance has 1 intermission
Schedule for The evening of ballets to music by Igor Stravinsky: Le Sacre du printemps. Petrouchka. 2022
Conductor: Alexei Repnikov Dancer: Alexandra Iosifidi
Composer: Igor Stravinsky Lighting Designer: Vladimir Lukasevich Musical Director: Maestro Valery Gergiev Stage Director: Andrei Petrov Revival Designer: Batozhan Dashitsyrenov
Orchestra: Mariinsky Theatre Symphony Orchestra Ballet company: Mariinsky (Kirov) Ballet
Modern Ballet in 2 act
World premiere: 13 June 1911, Les Ballets Russes de Serge Diaghilev, Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris
PÉTROUCHKA
Petrushka is a ballet burlesque in four scenes. It was composed in 1910–11 and revised in 1947. Igor Stravinsky composed the music, and, with Alexandre Benois, fashioned the libretto. Michel Fokine choreographed the ballet; Benois designed the sets and costumes. Petrushka was first performed by Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris on 13 June 1911. Vaslav Nijinsky portrayed Petrushka with Tamara Karsavina as the Ballerina. Alexander Orlov portrayed the Moor, and Enrico Cecchetti the Charlatan.
Petrushka tells the story of the loves and jealousies of three puppets. The three are brought to life by the Charlatan during the 1830 Shrovetide Fair (Maslenitsa) in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Petrushka loves the Ballerina, but she rejects him. She prefers the Moor. Petrushka is angry and hurt, and challenges the Moor. The Moor kills him with his scimitar. Petrushka's ghost rises above the puppet theatre as night falls. He shakes his fist at the Charlatan, then collapses in a second death.
Petrushka brings music, dance, and design together in a unified whole. It is one of the most popular of the Ballets Russes productions. It is usually performed today using the original designs and choreography. Grace Robert wrote in 1946, "Although more than thirty years have elapsed since Petrushka was first performed, its position as one of the greatest ballets remains unassailed. Its perfect fusion of music, choreography, and décor and its theme—the timeless tragedy of the human spirit—unite to make its appeal universal
LE SACRE DU PRINTEMPS
scenes from pagan Russia in two parts
CREDITS
Musiс by Igor Stravinsky Scene plan: Igor Stravinsky and Nicholas Roerich Choreography by Millicent Hodson (1987) inspired by Vaslav Nijinsky (1913) Décor and costumes after Nicholas Roerich Revival of the sets and costumes and supervision – Kenneth Archer (Revived sets and costumes © 1987 Kenneth Archer) Set Revival Designer – Boris Kaminsky Costume Revival Technologist – Tatiana Noginova Lighting Designer – Sergei Lukin
World premiere of the ballet choreography by Vaslav Nijinsky: 29 May 1913, Les Ballets Russes de Serge de Diaghilev, Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Paris Premiere at the Mariinsky Theatre: 9 June 2003 Premiere of the revival: 13 July 2012
Running time 40 minutes
Age category: 12+
I discovered the wondereful music for this ballet once it had already been completed by Stravinsky and the ballet's plot, created together with Alexandre Benois, was completely ready. I entered a collaboration with the composer and the designer when they had already created the plot's protagonists and the main line of its development. Nevertheless, when I say "my ballet Pétrouchka", when I say that it is one of my most successful achievements, one of my most significant productions, I feel I have every right so to do. The ballet Pétrouchka may be spoken of as a dramatic musical opus by Igor Stravinsky which holds an exceptional place in new music. The ballet Pétrouchka may be spoken of as one of the very best works by the designer Benois. The ballet Pétrouchka may be spoken of as a Fokine production that is one of the fullest embodiments of ballet reform. In this case there was no collaboration in the sense of us all working together at the same time, the joint work of the composer, choreographer and designer. It was not at all like working on The Fire Bird, when Stravinsky played the music for me at the very outset of its creation and I tried to convey to him every instant of the ballet and excite his imagination with the scenes that I saw so clearly. Here the work followed an entirely different scheme. The composer dealt with his task, and only then did I approach my own. (…) We both spoke of the sufferings of Pétrouchka in our own language: Stravinsky through sounds and I through gestures. (…) The thing that touches me in the music of Pétrouchka is the characters of Pétrouchka and the Moor. Not because the cries of the oboe so closely resemble the nasal voice of puppeteer who accompanies the movements of Pétrouchka the puppet through silly cries through his nose. Mozart said that the most dreadful situations should be conveyed in such a manner that the music soothes the ears. Pétrouchka is an example of how, tormenting the ears, one can caress the soul. It sits well with me. I can't express how wonderful it is for me that the composer found those sounds, those combinations of sounds and timbres that depict before my eyes the image of the loving, downtrodden and forever miserable Pétrouchka. Now, when I choose these words to describe what Pétrouchka is, I feel how inadequate words are and how helpless I am, and value all the more the eloquence of the music and the gestures. The entire image of the Moor embodies blunt self-satisfaction. A voluptuous lucky man. A favourite child of Fate. Everything in him is foolish. The sounds that Stravinsky do not caress the ears. There is no melody that provides pleasure. No-one would ever think of singing the Moor's melody for their own pleasure. To a large extent it is barking, snorting or bass pizzicatos. But each integral image is formed in the imagination. It is such a joy that the character is so accurately expressed. Michel Fokine. Extract from the book "Against the Tide"
Schedule for The evening of ballets to music by Igor Stravinsky: Le Sacre du printemps. Petrouchka. 2022
Extract from the ballet "Petrouchka" |
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About This Video 02:36 Extract from the ballet "Petrouchka"
Mariinsky theatre, St.Petersburg, Russia |
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