Petrouchka in Performance, 1911: Tensions and Illusions.

Bowden, Sally. (1993) Petrouchka in Performance, 1911: Tensions and Illusions. Doctoral thesis, University of Surrey (United Kingdom)..

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Abstract

The first performance of Petrouchka in 1911 was an important event in the history of twentieth century ballet. The collaboration between Stravinsky, Benois and Fokine created a masterpiece for Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes, in which the fusion of music, setting, costume and choreography formed an integrated spectacle on the stage. At its premiere in Paris and again in London, where it was first danced in 1913, the originality of Petrouchka impressed theatre critics and intrigued audiences. The key to the interpretation of the Petrouchka of 1911 lies in the perception that the dance-drama is a theatre piece of the early twentieth century by Russian artists in collaboration with Diaghilev, whose alignment with the avant-garde was affirmed by the publication of Mir iskusstva. Since the dramatic nature of Petrouchka during its early years is consistently stressed by dance historians and critics, the study analyses the relationship of Russian modernist theatre to the making of the ballet. The dispute between the exponents of anti-representational drama and the supporters of theatre realism informs the history of Russian early modernist theatre, and is reflected in the presentation of Petrouchka. An exploration of the materials of the ballet, the ideologies that governed its conception and the forms of ancient drama that were revived to end the hegemony of theatre realism, are crucial to the translation of Petrouchka in performance, 1911. The modernist modes of theatre reflected in the composition of Petrouchka indicate the innovative nature of its mise-en-scene, the impact of the first performances and support the description of masterpiece.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Divisions :	Theses
Authors :	Bowden, Sally.
Date :	1993
Additional Information :	Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Surrey (United Kingdom), 1993.
Depositing User :	EPrints Services
Date Deposited :	24 Apr 2020 15:27
Last Modified :	24 Apr 2020 15:27
URI:	http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/id/eprint/854803

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