Petrushka 100th Anniversary! Mon 13th June

[Guest]

Well, another Stravinsky masterpiece has reached its 100th Anniversary.

This was the original program back in 1911:


Petrushka
Le Spectre de la rose arr. Berlioz
Scheherazade

I will be listening to the pieces in this order from around 8pm if anyone whishes to join the live run ;)

[Threni]

Oh and to finish an encore of Three pieces from Petrushka ;)

[Petrushka]

Pipped at the post again!!

I can say I don't look a day older and look forward to receiving my telegram from the Queen.

Presumably, that's the Rimsky Scheherazade, Threni. I will naturally be playing the recording of Petrushka made by Stravinsky himself with the Columbia SO.

[Bryn]

Poor old Igor spent the rest of his life paying for his crime of nicking the Peg Leg. ;)

[Ventilhorn]

Well, another Stravinsky masterpiece has reached its 100th Anniversary.

This was the original program back in 1911:


Petrushka
Le Spectre de la rose arr. Berlioz
Scheherazade

I will be listening to the pieces in this order from around 8pm if anyone whishes to join the live run ;)

That is very interesting, Threni.

In June 1951, I played in the opening performance of Dolin's Festival Ballet at the Stoll Theatre. 40 year anniversary, not fiftieth, but I wonder if Dolin and Markova were aware when they scheduled their programme?

Les Sylphides. (not Scheherazade)
Le Spectre de la rose arr. Berlioz
Petrushka

VH

[aeolium]

By chance I have recently been reading a biography of Beecham, in which it records that Stravinsky was very impressed with the 1912 performance of Petrushka in Berlin by the new Beecham Symphony Orchestra (conducted by Monteux) with the Ballets Russes, and again at the London premiere of Petrushka in 1913. "I've never heard such marvellous sounds anywhere as this amazing orchestra revealed in my scores" was Stravinsky's comment. He wasn't so impressed with the Vienna Philharmonic in their 1913 Vienna performance: "[The orchestra], very widely regarded as the finest in Europe, gave endless trouble. Oboists and trumpeters declared their parts to be unplayable and, indeed, performed them as if they really were."

[BBMmk2]

Ah Petrushka!! Waht a lovely ballet by Stravinsky! One of my favourites too!

[salymap]

I saw a very good production of 'Petrushka' with a company that called itself 'The Col de Basil Russian Ballet' in the 1950s. Some of the original Russian Ballet dancers were in the company I believe, they also performed 'Coq d'Or' and the Polovsian dances from Prince Igor. Programme long gone but remember they were first rate.

[Ferretfancy]

salymap

I bought a DVD documentary at the V & A Diaghilev Exhibition, called Ballet Russes, which I expect to be about the great man. Instead the film was largely about the fortunes of the dancers after Diaghilev's death. Col.de Basil carried on the company tradition at Monte Carlo, and later touring in South America and elsewhere, with dancers like Massine and later Dolin and Markova. It seems to be a pretty precarious existence. You must have caught the tail end of the enterprise, I think. I've forgotten the details, but I know there were tremendous battles and walk outs. What's new ?

[salymap]

Morning Ferretfancy. Igoogled Col de Basil earlier and apparently there were lots of rows before the split.
There is also an ad. for the Diaghilev Exhibition which closed in May 2011. I would love to have gone to that. They show one or two costumes on google.
Diaghilev promoted three young dancers as his 'baby ballerinas'. One, Tamara Toumanova went with deBasil and I think she was in the company I saw. The other two were Tatiana Riabouchinska and Irina Baronova. [sp. approx]

Someone recently found me a copy of 'Balletomania' by Arnold Haskell. Long out of the print but the best book on the Diaghilev days IMHO.

[Serial_Apologist]

This piece has to be my favourite ballet music. Play the major arpeggio on C natural on the piano to your friends. Now play the major arpeggio on F sharp. And now play the two arpeggios together - the "Petruschka motif" - watch their faces, and explain that this is a very fine example of bitonality.

My dad had the great fortune to see this ballet and The Firebird done when the Ballets Russes visited London when he was 11 - which would have been in 1919 I guess; or was it called the Bolshoi by that time? Anyway, he never ceased telling us that it was the spectacular theatrical event of his entire life.

S-A

[Ferretfancy]

salymap,

Richard Buckle organised a superb Diaghilev exhibition back in the 50s some time, which I did not see, and the Barbican had a small show a few years ago, but the V&A probably had the most comprehensive collection. The costumes alone made the exhibition worthwhile, and there were lots of letters and photographs together with set designs and models. There was also some very early film of a short extract from the Firebird, which I think is the only film record of an original Diaghilev ballet. There was also room for the huge curtain for Le Train Bleu, which the V & A normally have in store, as it is so large.
My only carp was that there was not enough music to be heard along with the interviews, and what there was had to be reproduced almost as a background, which was a pity.

I'm not really a balletomane, but I used to enjoy visiting the Ballet Bookshop in Cecil Court, largely because they sold 2nd hand LPs. Those bargain opportunities are few and
far between in the days of CD, and some of the magic has gone.

[salymap]

I've found my old B/W video of 'The Kirov Ballet celebrates Nijinsky' including his wonderful 'Petrouchka'.

Hope to play it tomorrow in honour of the anniversary.

[Chris Newman]

I'm not really a balletomane, but I used to enjoy visiting the Ballet Bookshop in Cecil Court, largely because they sold 2nd hand LPs. Those bargain opportunities are few and far between in the days of CD, and some of the magic has gone.

Oh, those were the days, Ferretfancy: Orchesography almost next door (or was it opposite?) and that pavement s/h stall in Newport Place (it's a pub now). All gone.

[Ferretfancy]

Chris Newman,

That stall in Newport Place, ah yes! A young lady was seeking an out of the way record once, when I was browsing outside, and I offered to help by recommending another shop she might try. Unfortunately she thought I was offering an attack on her virtue! The proprietor was hovering nearby in his usual rather camp manner, and intervened in my support before she called the cops, and this was followed by embarrassed apologies all round. I know this was near Soho, but really!!