Igor Stravinsky. "The Firebird", "Petrushka", "The Rite of Spring"

Three ballets by Igor Stravinsky, "The Firebird", "Petrushka", "The Rite of Spring", performed by the "Century" orchestra, conducted by François-Xavier Roth.

"The Firebird" is a one-act ballet written by the composer on commission from Sergei Diaghilev for the "Russian Seasons" company. The premiere of the performance, choreographed by Mikhail Fokine, took place in Paris on the stage of the Grand Opera on June 25, 1910. The ballet is based on Russian folk tales about the magical Firebird. The action of the ballet takes place in the castle of the evil immortal Koschei.

The premiere of "Petrushka" with the subtitle "Russian Amusing Scenes in Four Scenes" took place on June 13, 1911, also as part of the "Russian Seasons" at the Parisian Théâtre du Châtelet. The author of the libretto was Alexandre Benois with the participation of the composer himself. This is the story of one of the traditional characters of Russian folk puppet shows, Petrushka, made of straw and sawdust, in whom life nevertheless awakens, the soul and human emotions awaken.

"The Rite of Spring" is a ballet that premiered on May 29, 1913 at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris as part of the "Russian Seasons". The idea of ​​the ballet was based on a dream Stravinsky had, in which he saw an ancient pagan ritual: a young girl, surrounded by elders, dances to exhaustion to awaken spring, and dies.

PERFORMERS:

Orchestra de la Centenaire

Conductor - François-Xavier Roth

Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Paris, 2022