Serge Diaghilev: Ballets Russes (22 Cd)

Serge Diaghilev succeeded in this with "his" Ballets Russes in a unique way. Legendary is the scandal that the premiere of Igor Stravinsky's Le Sacre du printemps with its archaic rhythms and modern sound balloons provoked among the audience in 1913. On the whole, however, one must imagine the audience of the Ballets Russes to be decidedly open-minded. Commissioned works were part of the company's trademark, which premiered Claude Debussy's Jeux and Maurice Ravel's Daphnis et Chloé, for example The spectacular combination of dance, music and design was perceived as a sensation. Diaghilev succeeded in involving renowned artists such as Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse and Léon Bakst. For the art of dance, the works of the star dancer Vaslav Nijinsky represented the most decisive step into modernity: he consistently dispensed with virtuoso step sequences and traditional pantomime in order to draw the "meaning" of his choreography solely from the artful combination of movements. Russia fashion in Paris Diaghilev was a brilliant cultural manager who had come to St. Petersburg to study. After failing to gain acceptance at the Mariinsky Theater with his innovative ideas for a new production of Sylvia, he focused his energy on presenting Russian art and music in Paris, then the world capital of culture He initiated a Russian fashion with an art exhibition at the 1906 Paris Autumn Salon, which allowed him to establish Russian Historical Concerts and even a production of the opera Boris Godunov in subsequent years. It was in this loose series that Diaghilev first presented the Ballets Russes in 1909. It was a spontaneously assembled but high-caliber project ensemble with only one production, whose sensational success threw the door wide open to the future. A voyage of discovery Diaghilev succeeded in leading the Ballets Russes as director for more than 20 years until his death in 1929 - a masterstroke in view of the politically turbulent times that the company survived without public funding. He skilfully succeeded again and again in winning private patrons as financial backers for his ambitious productions. This newly compiled CD box set offers the opportunity to follow the performances of the Ballets Russes from season to season: with recordings, some of which are being released on CD for the first time. Of particular note are the historic recordings, including Stravinsky's Sacre in a recording by Pierre Monteux, who had already conducted its premiere

"The magnificent Warner box with 22 CDs and exquisite illustrations offers with the more than 40 recorded works the most comprehensive overview of this music of the 'Ballets Russes' to date. And with its arrangement according to the seasons it documents the musical-stylistic developments of the time in an almost fascinating way." (Fono Forum, May 2022) "For passionate followers of stage dance, there is no way around this comprehensive box set, which in a way provides the soundtrack to the era of Sergei Diaghilev, the legendary impresario of the Ballets Russes. (...) A true encyclopedia of ballet music!" (Rondo Magazine)

Price: $101.98