Diaghilev''s Empire: How the Ballets Russes Enthralled the World
English
By (author): Rupert Christiansen
'Deliciously entertaining.' Financial Times
'Scintillating . . . fizzes with balletic energy.' Daily Mail
'Gripping . . . bursting with extraordinary characters and anecdotes.' Sunday Telegraph
'An extraordinary tale, enthrallingly told.' Gramophone
Such was the credo of the ruthlessly manipulative and resourceful Serge Diaghilev - the Russian impresario who created the modern art form of ballet. Commissioning such legendary names as Nijinsky, Fokine, Stravinsky and Picasso, he produced a series of radically original works that had a revolutionary impact throughout the Western world. Off stage there was scandal and sensation, collaboration and competition, tempestuous affairs and a wild carousel of mayhem.
The Ballet Russes left a matchless artistic legacy, ending with the abrupt death of Diaghilev in 1929. But the achievements of its heroic prime would continue to set the standards for the next era.