Diaghilev and the Golden Age of Ballet Russes 1909-1929
September 30th 2010 05:47
Original Creative Writing:
Jane Pritchard and Geoffrey Marsh
Link: www.allenandunwin.com
Diaghilev and the Golden Age of Ballet Russes 1909-1929
Edited by Jane Pritchard and Geoffrey Marsh
Serge Diaghilev is a most fascinating character (check out his Facebook site), his influence has stretched far beyond his lifetime, even now there is a brilliant exhibition of The Golden Age of the Ballet Russes travelling around the world showing some of the gems to be found in this wonderful book.
Historians will find it an intelligent and accurate account of his life, times and world while anyone with a desire to be a part of the great and varied world of dance will pour over the contents of this book soaking in the many compelling images. The costumes, set design and poster advertisements are certainly of a time - early nineteenth century - and they are seen in the context of designer's drafts or sketches as well as in monochromatic photographs from the start of the last century, and full colour photographs as they exist today in the Victoria and Albert Museums extensive collection.
The man himself was a powerhouse of creativity and despite some deeply seated strains of hypochondria and a fear of travelling on water (because a gypsy predicted he would die on water) he managed to travel the world with his illustrious ballet.
The insight into his childhood offers plenty of reasons why he may have been both a creative person, and a relatively neurotic one. What a time to be a creative young man emerging into an expanding world, there were so many amazing things happening politically and socially.
Ultimately Diaghilev lost the things that most hold dear, his family, his country - and he was not completely traditional in his sexuality - so he was something of an outsider. I would think his status of being quite disfranchised from the mainstream placed him in a very good position on a creative level. If he wanted something just so, there was not really anything to loose on his behalf (early on particularly) given he had already lost so much, so he fought for what he felt was right.
At a young age Serge told the writer Tolstoy that he knew he was destined to live a life concerned with art. He sure was correct when he said that. Serge was very sure of himself all around when it came to art and creativity. He is described as an assertive homosexual, that is to say he did not worry about his alternative lifestyle and actually promoted it freely among his peers and friends. He was consequently accepted by people around him.
Many of those people around him were (and still are) considered icons in the world of the arts, including Tolstoy, Cocteau, Proust and the dancer Nijinsky to name but a few.
He collaborated with composers Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, Igor Stravinsky, Darius Milhaud, Richard Strauss, Erick Satie, and Sergei Prokofiev. From the circle of Gertrude Stein, Sergei Diaghilev engaged such authors as Andre Gide. Distinguished artists, such as Pablo Picasso, Andre Derain, Georges Braque, Henri Matisse, Giorgio De Chirico, Alexandre Benois, Konstantin Korovin, Alexander Golovin and Pavel Tchelitchev worked with him as stage set and costume designers. One of Diaghilev's consultants was Guillaume Apollinaire, who also acted as writer and artistic adviser for Ballets Russes (Russian Seasons).
As with all of the books published by V&A this one is exceptionally well put together. The teams who research and develop exhibitions and books such as this have their work cut out for them - painstaking effort goes in to keeping the costumes, posters, programmes and photographs in excellent condition - once so much work has been assembled, recorded and written about the material really becomes priceless, so it is a wonderful happenstance when such streams of culture and history are bound together in one volume.
I can not praise Editor Jane Pritchard, curator of Dance for the Theatre and Performance Collections at the V&A, and associate Geoffrey Marsh, Director of Theatre and Performance Collections at the V&A enough for the magnificent job they have done here. Essentially it is a great gift for the young lad or lass, who wants to take the difficult road of the ballet, equally relevant to anyone interested in the history of dance, the development of costume, set and poster design. I think this would become a prized possession, and it is so well made, a lasting one. For well under a hundred dollars it is not even a particularly extravagant gift, but it will be cherished.
David Jobling
ISBN: 9781851776139
Publisher: A&C Black
Imprint: V&A Publications
Format: Hard Cover
Pages: 240
Price: AUD $79.99
NZ $99.00
Edited by Jane Pritchard and Geoffrey Marsh
Serge Diaghilev is a most fascinating character (check out his Facebook site), his influence has stretched far beyond his lifetime, even now there is a brilliant exhibition of The Golden Age of the Ballet Russes travelling around the world showing some of the gems to be found in this wonderful book.
Historians will find it an intelligent and accurate account of his life, times and world while anyone with a desire to be a part of the great and varied world of dance will pour over the contents of this book soaking in the many compelling images. The costumes, set design and poster advertisements are certainly of a time - early nineteenth century - and they are seen in the context of designer's drafts or sketches as well as in monochromatic photographs from the start of the last century, and full colour photographs as they exist today in the Victoria and Albert Museums extensive collection.
The man himself was a powerhouse of creativity and despite some deeply seated strains of hypochondria and a fear of travelling on water (because a gypsy predicted he would die on water) he managed to travel the world with his illustrious ballet.
The insight into his childhood offers plenty of reasons why he may have been both a creative person, and a relatively neurotic one. What a time to be a creative young man emerging into an expanding world, there were so many amazing things happening politically and socially.
Ultimately Diaghilev lost the things that most hold dear, his family, his country - and he was not completely traditional in his sexuality - so he was something of an outsider. I would think his status of being quite disfranchised from the mainstream placed him in a very good position on a creative level. If he wanted something just so, there was not really anything to loose on his behalf (early on particularly) given he had already lost so much, so he fought for what he felt was right.
At a young age Serge told the writer Tolstoy that he knew he was destined to live a life concerned with art. He sure was correct when he said that. Serge was very sure of himself all around when it came to art and creativity. He is described as an assertive homosexual, that is to say he did not worry about his alternative lifestyle and actually promoted it freely among his peers and friends. He was consequently accepted by people around him.
Many of those people around him were (and still are) considered icons in the world of the arts, including Tolstoy, Cocteau, Proust and the dancer Nijinsky to name but a few.
He collaborated with composers Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, Igor Stravinsky, Darius Milhaud, Richard Strauss, Erick Satie, and Sergei Prokofiev. From the circle of Gertrude Stein, Sergei Diaghilev engaged such authors as Andre Gide. Distinguished artists, such as Pablo Picasso, Andre Derain, Georges Braque, Henri Matisse, Giorgio De Chirico, Alexandre Benois, Konstantin Korovin, Alexander Golovin and Pavel Tchelitchev worked with him as stage set and costume designers. One of Diaghilev's consultants was Guillaume Apollinaire, who also acted as writer and artistic adviser for Ballets Russes (Russian Seasons).
As with all of the books published by V&A this one is exceptionally well put together. The teams who research and develop exhibitions and books such as this have their work cut out for them - painstaking effort goes in to keeping the costumes, posters, programmes and photographs in excellent condition - once so much work has been assembled, recorded and written about the material really becomes priceless, so it is a wonderful happenstance when such streams of culture and history are bound together in one volume.
David Jobling
ISBN: 9781851776139
Publisher: A&C Black
Imprint: V&A Publications
Format: Hard Cover
Pages: 240
Price: AUD $79.99
NZ $99.00
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