chapter 25

How was his ballet "Rites of Spring" Received?

The reaction to "Rites of Spring" was interesting. The audience felt personally attacked. They perceived the composition as blasphemy, an attempt to destroy music itself. The next day, the newspapers called the dances epileptic fits.

What was innovative about Stravinsky's music?

What was most innovative about Stravinsky's music was that he was able to weave brightly colored threads of Russian folk songs into his music. In this way, the Russians who heard his music had an unexpected appearance of familiar melodies which gave ballets special overtones of humor and warmth.

What did Diaghilev do for ballet?

Diaghilev brought the beauty and appreciation of ballet to Europe. After Diaghilev, more people began to pay attention to ballet as a whole and did not view at as merely the inferior counterpart to opera. Diaghilev rented a dilapidated building that was used for melodramas and completely remade it in less than a month. Doing this was very hard work, but it gave a place for the very first of Diaghilev's ballets to be performed. He provided a way to introduce new concepts of beauty to the West.

Pavlova

"She is to dance what Racine is to poetry"Anna Pavlova began to tour with her own troupe. Although her ballets had a little bit less taste than Diaghilev's, she still brought ballet and her unique talent to a wide public all over the world, including the United States, and popularized the art among modest audiences

Bakst

Bakst was established as the greatest stage designer in the world. Before the Russian ballets, in dress and interior decoration, it was unthinkable to mix blue and green, orange and cerise. After Bask, suddenly strange and unique combinations bloomed everywhere.

Benois

Benois was an influential artist, art critic, historian, preservationist, and founding member of Mir iskusstva. His work with Ballets Russes was groundbreaking. It is said that without his sets and costumes, ballets such as Petrushka may not have received as much acclaim as they did.

Fokine

Fokine was a groundbreaking Russian choreographer and dancer. He was born in St. Petersburg as a son of a prosperous middle-class merchant. Fokine was the choreographer for Diaghilev's Ballets Russes. Fokine later broke off the collaboration because he was jealous of Diaghilev's close association with Nijinsky.

Nijinksy

Known for his high leaps, Impressed the French audience as he leaped over the stage. He was called the genius, dancer divine. Nijinsky was small, five feet four inches tall, 130 pounds, with heavy, muscular thighs. He had a long neck and slanted eyes which gave him a strange expression which he often accentuated on stage with makeup. Even when surrounded by people he seemed to be alone. He sat silently through dinner parties, smiling. When he did talk, it was shyly and softly. People even thought he was a tad childish. His leaps were breathtaking though. He hovered in the air and then more extraordinarily would come down slowly and gently as a feather.

What was Ballet Petrushka about?

Petrushka is a ballet telling the story of a Russian traditional puppet, Petrushka, who is made of straw and with a bag of sawdust as his body, who comes to life and develops emotions. The puppets are able to come to life by a magical spell cast with a flute by a Charlatan. Petrushka leads a dismal life behind the show curtains and although petrushka is a puppet he feels human emotions which include bitterness toward the Charlatan for his imprisonment as well as love for the beautiful Ballarina

Stravinsky

Stravinsky was a relatively unknown twenty six year old composer. Diaghilev had heard Stravinsky's short symphonic poem "fireworks" at a concert some months before and it had delighted Diaghilev. Stravinsky was present at rehearsals, playing passages over and over so forcefully that he almost demolished the piano. He was an integral part in the creation of "The Firebird."

How was Diaghilev's Ballets Russes received in Francce? Give Examples.

The Ballet Russes were received very well in France. The newspapers erupted with praise. Newspapers were printed with Nijinsky's face calling him the dancer divine. During the ballet with Nijinsky did his leaps the crowd erupted. The abllets Russes was the rage of Paris. Even the harshest critics fell in love.

WHat was ballet like in Europe at the turn of the Century?

The Europeans did not enjoy ballet to the same extent as the Russians did. When the French learned that there was to be ballet as well as opera, they declared that they could not permit their august opera to be used for mere dancing performances.