DOI Heft:
No. 317 (August 1919)
DOI Artikel:The art of the theatre: the Russian ballet
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.21358#0127
THE ART OF THE THEATRE: THE RUSSIAN BALLET
DESIGN FOB A TAPESTRY PANEL “IN
MEMORY OF THOSE FALLEN IN THE
WAR.” BY GEORGE CLAUSEN, R.A.
(See next article)
whole is a masterly example of living
pattern construction. 000
In “ Les Sylphides ” the ideals of deli-
cate fantasy have become fact. Although
belonging to the traditional or “ classic ”
school of ballet, and not presenting any strik-
ing decorative notes, it lingers in one's me-
mory as a picture of fairy-like charm. Apart
from the purely choreographic achieve-
ments of Mile. Lydia Lopokova, it affords
an excellent example of the clever use of
lighting, which has been so arranged as com-
pletely to fuse together Alexandre Benois's
romantic back-cloth of Gothic ruins and
the figures of the wood-nymphs, intensely
white and wavy. It is a case in which not
only the decorative but also the emotional
qualities of lighting have been effectively
used as the unifying elements to bring
action and setting into definite relationship.
Of the new ballets represented in their
repertory, I should like to single out
especially “ La Boutique Fantasque ” and
“ The Midnight Sun ”—the latter an
ecstatic festival of certain tribes of Northern
Russia, who hail with rites and dances the
coming of the Sun-god of Pagan times.
The setting for this consists solely of a
back-cloth, and the designer, Mr. M.
Larionov, relies for the effect entirely on a
few massed colours of powerful intensity—
peacock blue surmounted by a frieze of
fantastic sun-faces — against which the
dancing groups of peasants perform. No
ballet has aroused such a storm of
applause as “ La Boutique Fantasque," the
wittiest piece of choreography ever seen.
The story is of a toy-shop, two lover-dolls,
dancing poodles, the kings and queens
from a pack of playing-cards, and a quaint
assortment of customers. The comic drop-
curtain, the scenery, and costumes were
designed by Andre Derain, who has applied
the principles of “ Post-Impressionism " to
the decoration of the stage.. The mounting
bespeaks an economy of material that the
unsophisticated cannot fail to understand
and enjoy at first sight. 0 E. O. H.
hi
DESIGN FOB A TAPESTRY PANEL “IN
MEMORY OF THOSE FALLEN IN THE
WAR.” BY GEORGE CLAUSEN, R.A.
(See next article)
whole is a masterly example of living
pattern construction. 000
In “ Les Sylphides ” the ideals of deli-
cate fantasy have become fact. Although
belonging to the traditional or “ classic ”
school of ballet, and not presenting any strik-
ing decorative notes, it lingers in one's me-
mory as a picture of fairy-like charm. Apart
from the purely choreographic achieve-
ments of Mile. Lydia Lopokova, it affords
an excellent example of the clever use of
lighting, which has been so arranged as com-
pletely to fuse together Alexandre Benois's
romantic back-cloth of Gothic ruins and
the figures of the wood-nymphs, intensely
white and wavy. It is a case in which not
only the decorative but also the emotional
qualities of lighting have been effectively
used as the unifying elements to bring
action and setting into definite relationship.
Of the new ballets represented in their
repertory, I should like to single out
especially “ La Boutique Fantasque ” and
“ The Midnight Sun ”—the latter an
ecstatic festival of certain tribes of Northern
Russia, who hail with rites and dances the
coming of the Sun-god of Pagan times.
The setting for this consists solely of a
back-cloth, and the designer, Mr. M.
Larionov, relies for the effect entirely on a
few massed colours of powerful intensity—
peacock blue surmounted by a frieze of
fantastic sun-faces — against which the
dancing groups of peasants perform. No
ballet has aroused such a storm of
applause as “ La Boutique Fantasque," the
wittiest piece of choreography ever seen.
The story is of a toy-shop, two lover-dolls,
dancing poodles, the kings and queens
from a pack of playing-cards, and a quaint
assortment of customers. The comic drop-
curtain, the scenery, and costumes were
designed by Andre Derain, who has applied
the principles of “ Post-Impressionism " to
the decoration of the stage.. The mounting
bespeaks an economy of material that the
unsophisticated cannot fail to understand
and enjoy at first sight. 0 E. O. H.
hi