It was June 13, 1911 in Paris. The formidable combination of Sergei Diaghilev, Vaslav Nijinsky, Tamara Platonovna Karsavina and Igor Stravinsky introduced the ballet Petrushka to the world at the Théâtre du Châtelet. Diaghilev’s ballet and Stravinsky’s music endure as classics in their respective fields. The Los Angeles Philharmonic will perform Stravinsky’s wondrous score on Tuesday night at the Hollywood Bowl.
Ludovic Morlot will conduct this concert which opens with Berlioz’s Roman Carnival Overture. Martin Chalifour, principal Concertmaster of the LA Phil then performs two pieces with the orchestra: Chausson’s Poème and Massenet’s Méditation from his opera Thaïs.
Poème is one of Chausson’s most popular and enduring compositions. The work runs approximately 16 minutes. Meditation fromThaïs is an instantly recognizable work. The opera had its world premiere in 1894 in Paris. So there is definitely a French common denominator amongst all these works (including, of course, the conductor).
But the main attraction will be Petrushka – a ballet that looks at love and jealousy through the story of three puppets. It is ultimately a dark ballet filled with some of Stravinsky’s best writing. The work was written in the same time period when the composer had written The Firebird (which debuted one year earlier) and The Rite of Spring (which debuted one year later). All three compositions were for ballets staged by Diaghilev’s Ballet Russes.
For tickets go here.
Photo of Igor Stravinsky from the George Grantham Bain Collection at the Library of Congress.