Ballet Russe De Monte Carlo. Season 1949-50
New York: Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, 1949. First printing. Softcover. Large Quarto. Unpaginated. Original color-illustrated gray wraps with white lettering on cover; protected by modern mylar. Designed by Doris Luhrs. Photo-illustrated title page. Full page b/w close-ups of ballet stars and ballet company. Theater repertoire printed in red and black to tan paper at center. Illustrated throughout with ballet stills. Brief bios of ballet company members. Laid in program for December 9, 1949 featuring Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, and Scheherazade. Illustrated advertisements. Laid in program age-toned, else in near fine condition. Near fine condition. Item #55298
Serge Diaghilev (1872-1929) was the founder of the Ballets Russes, a troupe that revolutionized modern design, fashion and theater and is widely regarded as the most influential ballet company of the 20th Century. It performed first in Paris in 1909 at the Palls Garnier with overwhelming success. Diaghilev himself was skeptical about ballet, at times referring to the dancers as "a herd of cattle." Diaghilev's success, however, was based on his idea to combine dance, music and visual arts, including set design and costumes, with Leon Bakst as the artistic director of the Ballet Russes. Key to the tremendous success of the Ballets Russes was the mix of traditional ballet with show elements, that way making it more appealing to the general public, and influential in contemporary art at the same time.
After Diaghilev's death in 1929 his property was claimed by his creditors and in 1931, Wassily de Basil (a Russian émigré) and René Blum, ballet director at the Monte Carlo Opera, founded the Ballets Russes de Monte-Carlo. Its first performance was given in 1932 at the Monte Carlo Opera.
Price: $175.00