An important group of four working scores of the the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, without doubt the most celebrated dancer of her time. Famed for her technical skills, expressiveness, and grace, she was the principal artist of the Imperial Russian Ballet and, for a short time, the Ballets Russes of Serge Diaghilev. This grouping of scores, owned and heavily used by Pavlova in the preparation of her performances, offer important insights into her choreographic process.
Uniformly bound in period green cloth bindings, each with the gilt ownership stamp "Anna Pavlova" to the upper right corner and including extensive autograph annotations (including choreographic directions), insertions, and deletions throughout, some in Pavlova's own hand and others apparently in the hand of various of her conductors and pianists. Comprising:
• Ajanta [Conductor]. Music by Alexander Tcherepnin. Autograph copyist score in an unknown hand. Upright folio. 45 numbered pages, featuring a label to inside front board, inscribed "Property of Anna Pavlova," with the ballet and part titles filled in by hand and inscrbed "B. Toporkoff 2/VII/1930." Various annotations to the score in blue pencil and graphite. Binding heavily dampstained, but internally fine throughout.
The ballet "Ajanta Frescoes" was staged to music by Alexander Tcherepnin in
1923 at Covent Garden Theatre (Royal Opera House) in London. The concept for the ballet originated with Anna Pavlova, who also performed the lead role.
• Le Réveil de Flore. Ballet en I Acte. Music by R. Drigo. Printed piano score score. Leipzig: Jul. Heinr. Zimmermann. 1914. Upright folio. Engraved throughout. [PN] Z. 10187. Lacking title page; 1 - 71 pp. "Anna Pavlova" stamp on the first page, extensively annotated and edited throughout in blue pencil, graphite and blue ink. Soiling and restorations to pages; wear to the binding, else fine.
The one-act ballet "Le Réveil de Flore" can rightly be considered a classic among Mariinsky Theatre productions. Matilda Kschessinska (1894) and Michel Fokine (1904) both achieved great acclaim in this work. Anna Pavlova revived the ballet production for her own company while in exile.
• Ballet Égyptien [Piano]. Music by Alexandre Luigini. Printed score, with autograph manuscript insertions in an unknown hand. Paris: L. Grus & Cie. [ca. 1915]. Upright folio. 19 pp.+ 22 in manuscript. Extensively annotated and edited throughout in blue pencil, graphite. Toning throughout with one torn page, else fine.
The "Egyptian Ballet" became one of the thematic productions performed by Anna Pavlova’s troupe during her tour of Egypt in 1923.
• Autumn Leaves. [Conductor]. Music by Chopin. Composite printed piano score, including 5 separately issued and paginated scores by Augener and G. Schirmer, the first inscribed in blue pencil "Autumn Leaves / Feuilles d'Autonne / Conductor." Upright folio. 25 pp. (non-sequential, with some pages pasted together for editing purposes). Extensively annotated and edited throughout in blue pencil, graphite. One page torn, others repaired, else fine.
A short ballet set to music by Chopin, choreographed and staged by Anna Pavlova herself; first performed in 1919.
An important group of four working scores of the the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, without doubt the most celebrated dancer of her time. Famed for her technical skills, expressiveness, and grace, she was the principal artist of the Imperial Russian Ballet and, for a short time, the Ballets Russes of Serge Diaghilev. This grouping of scores, owned and heavily used by Pavlova in the preparation of her performances, offer important insights into her choreographic process.
Uniformly bound in period green cloth bindings, each with the gilt ownership stamp "Anna Pavlova" to the upper right corner and including extensive autograph annotations (including choreographic directions), insertions, and deletions throughout, some in Pavlova's own hand and others apparently in the hand of various of her conductors and pianists. Comprising:
• Ajanta [Conductor]. Music by Alexander Tcherepnin. Autograph copyist score in an unknown hand. Upright folio. 45 numbered pages, featuring a label to inside front board, inscribed "Property of Anna Pavlova," with the ballet and part titles filled in by hand and inscrbed "B. Toporkoff 2/VII/1930." Various annotations to the score in blue pencil and graphite. Binding heavily dampstained, but internally fine throughout.
The ballet "Ajanta Frescoes" was staged to music by Alexander Tcherepnin in
1923 at Covent Garden Theatre (Royal Opera House) in London. The concept for the ballet originated with Anna Pavlova, who also performed the lead role.
• Le Réveil de Flore. Ballet en I Acte. Music by R. Drigo. Printed piano score score. Leipzig: Jul. Heinr. Zimmermann. 1914. Upright folio. Engraved throughout. [PN] Z. 10187. Lacking title page; 1 - 71 pp. "Anna Pavlova" stamp on the first page, extensively annotated and edited throughout in blue pencil, graphite and blue ink. Soiling and restorations to pages; wear to the binding, else fine.
The one-act ballet "Le Réveil de Flore" can rightly be considered a classic among Mariinsky Theatre productions. Matilda Kschessinska (1894) and Michel Fokine (1904) both achieved great acclaim in this work. Anna Pavlova revived the ballet production for her own company while in exile.
• Ballet Égyptien [Piano]. Music by Alexandre Luigini. Printed score, with autograph manuscript insertions in an unknown hand. Paris: L. Grus & Cie. [ca. 1915]. Upright folio. 19 pp.+ 22 in manuscript. Extensively annotated and edited throughout in blue pencil, graphite. Toning throughout with one torn page, else fine.
The "Egyptian Ballet" became one of the thematic productions performed by Anna Pavlova’s troupe during her tour of Egypt in 1923.
• Autumn Leaves. [Conductor]. Music by Chopin. Composite printed piano score, including 5 separately issued and paginated scores by Augener and G. Schirmer, the first inscribed in blue pencil "Autumn Leaves / Feuilles d'Autonne / Conductor." Upright folio. 25 pp. (non-sequential, with some pages pasted together for editing purposes). Extensively annotated and edited throughout in blue pencil, graphite. One page torn, others repaired, else fine.
A short ballet set to music by Chopin, choreographed and staged by Anna Pavlova herself; first performed in 1919.