Original souvenir program for a 1945 performance of Leonide Massine's Ballet Russe Highlights, featuring an attractive color lithograph cover by Marc Chagall and signed to two pages by acclaimed dancer Igor Youskevitch, who has penned his name below two halftone reproductions of Maurice Seymour portraits. 32 pp. In fine condition. 9 x 12 inches (22.9 x 30.5 cm.). Read More...
New York: Gertrude Hoffmann Company. 1911. Rare souvenir program for the 1911 American tour which was the first performance of the Ballets Russes repertory in America. Billed as “Miss Gertrude Hoffmann Announces Les Ballets Russes,” the program features a lushly printed cover illustration, writings about various dances and dancers accompanied by halftone photographs and drawings. 24 pp. Original cord binding. Wear to outer edges of original wrappers, overall in fine condition. 9.75 x 12.5 inches (24.8 x 31.8 cm.). Read More...
New York: Wm. C. Popper & Co. . 1939. First printing. Folio, 66 pages (12" x 9-1/2") Stapled wraps. Illustrated cover by Henri Matisse. Profusely illustrated with photos and theater works (Picasso, Dali, Berman, Tchelitcheff). Program opens with photo of director Leonide Massine. First page of text describes the extraordinary conditions that led to the company coming to America: "With European capitols now closed to the ballet because of the war, the sponsors of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo sense the imperative need to preserve this form of art as a cultural heritage for future generations." Beautiful full-page photos of Alexandra Danilova, Alicia Markova, Mia Slavenska. Much of the program is taken up by synopses of the ballets--an amazing lineup of composers, artists and choreographers. There are 3 pages of sketches by Dali for Wagner's "Bacchanale" and "Devil's Holiday," along with a great photo of the artist studying a figurine. A 4-page color insert printed on heavy stock features designs and costumes by Tchelitcheff, Dali (double-page spread) and Picasso; further photos show costumes for "Bacchanale" and Matisse working on a set. Lots and lots of photos of dancers, and a wonderful photo on the last page of 5 ballerinas backstage arranging their hair. Binding is tight, slight edgewear to back cover, creases to corners, small area of water damage to top edge. A remarkable production attesting to the company's determination to stay alive during the war.
Three Leon Bakst Satin and Rayon Hooded Capes from "Papillons," ca. 1914. In fine condition, formerly property of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Read More...
Profusely illustrated 1929 program for the Opera Privé de Paris production of “Prince Igor” by Borodine. 9.5 x 12.5 inches. 28 pp. Nine tipped-in color plates, including a portrait of its star singer, Maria Kousnetzoff; and, by Konstantin Korovine, six character costumes and two stage sets. The color cover is by J. Bilibine. Also included are full-page portraits of Madame Alexandra Balachova and of baritone Michel Benois, as well as many smaller photographs of other participants such as orchestra director Emil Cooper and choreographer-dancer Michel Fokine (who, a few years later, developed the famous Ballet based on Prince Igor). The center pages somewhat loose from the staples, edges slightly chipped, but complete and overall in very good condition. Read More...
Gouache and watercolor over pencil on paper laid down on board. Inscribed in Russian (upper left and lower left) and with a collector's stamp (lower right). 16.5 x 10.4 inches (41.9 x 26.4 cm). Matted and framed to 37 x 54 cm. Read More...
A beautiful bound volume of special issues and supplements to the Parisian theatrical periodical Comoedia Illustré chronicling the 1909–1921 seasons of the Ballets Russes, with many photographs and full-color illustrations relating to the legendary ballet company. A selection of souvenir programs (published as supplements to the magazine) and extracts from the magazine are arranged in chronological order; interspersed leaves with texts by V. Svetloff (Russian critic and biographer of Anna Pavlova) give further details of each year's productions. Ownership inscription of Osborne Robinson and exhibition loan details on front free endpaper, some marginal dust-soiling, original green silk-covered boards with pictorial inlay (from The Firebird) by Natalia Goncharova, rebacked in green morocco, modern cloth. Graphically interesting endpapers covered in the names of important Ballets Russes figures. Most pages unnumbered; over 200 pp. total. Four leaves with clipped and mounted prints and hand-written captions appear to be the addition of the previous owner, and are partially detached; binding otherwise sound. Binding somewhat sunned, with later restored spine and slipcase. Overall in fine condition. 10.25 x 13.5 inches (26 x 34 cm). Read More...
Original photograph of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo's ballet master, shown assisting Ruthana Boris as she is lifted by Leon Daniellian. Some surface damage and creasing, otherwise good condition. 8 x 10 inches (20.3 x 25.4 cm.).
Berlin; Moscou; St. Pétersbourg: Édition Russe de Musique (Russischer Musikverlag G.M.B.H.). 1913. First edition. Upright folio. 1f., 89pp [PN] 196. Hardcover. Wrappers mounted over tan buckram boards. Corners of boards nicked, tape affixed to lower spine, two small holes to the half title, else clean and in a good state. DeLerma S3, p. 80. CPM 54 p.444; Kirchmeyer: "Kommentiertes Verzeichnis Der Werke & Werkausgaben Igor Strawinskys bis 1971," pp.115-126. The first edition of the corrected version, published within a year of the first version. The full score was not published until 1921. Read More...
Large original watercolour and gouache painting over a pochoir and graphite outline on brown paper, depicting Mikhail Fokine and Vera Fokina in the Serge Diaghilev's Ballets Russes "Carnaval" set to music of R. Schumann and with costumes by Leon Bakst. Signed and dated in graphite [M. Bobyshov 1916.] (lower left in the image), stamped with a library stamp [Library of the Sadovsky club of the Transport Workers Union Konyushennaya Square, 2] [Saint Petersburg] (lower margin), stamped [Checked 1936] (left margin), inscribed in Cyrillic [Checked 1943] (lower margin), inscribed [year 45] and '46' (?) (lower margin). Image size 52 x 32 cm., sumptuously framed under UV-plexi in a hand-gilted and handcarved frame. Some small stains on paper, overall fine. Read More...
Sepia toned gelatin photograph of the important dancer, ca. 1912. Stamped "ADOLPH BOLM / 'THAMAR' / SERGE de DIAGHILEFF'S BALLET RUSSE" on the verso in violet ink. Right edge trimmed irregularly, small loss to upper left corner, light spotting, else in fine condition. 5.2 x 8 inches [13.2 x 20.3 cm]. Framed. Read More...
Three Theatrical Costumes by Alexandre Golovine from the first production of Firebird. Russia, ca. 1910. Formerly the property of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, previously sold by Sotheby's "Costumes and Curtains from Diaghilev & De Basil Ballets," 19 December, 1969, these three all pictured and described in the catalogue lot 16, p. 17-19 (original descriptions in quotations below, for each). All in fine condition with expected wear. Read More...
Ballet Russes de Monte Carlo souvenir program, signed by dancers Alexandra Danilova, Nina Novak, Frederic Franklin (who has signed three different photographs!) and Gerard Leavitt. 68 pp. Fine. 9 x 12 inches (22.9 x 30.5 cm.).
Bound collection of 6 concertinos for 4 violins, viola, cello, and basso continuo in score, copied from a manuscript at the Conservatoire de Paris, as prepared for and subsequently inscribed by Sergei Diaghilev. Long attributed to Italian Baroque composer Pergolesi, these pieces are a famous case of reattribution within the canon of classical music, having been identified in recent decades as the work of the Dutch composer and statesman Count Unico Wilhelm van Wassenaer. Half a century before this musicological consensus had been established, Diaghilev wrote his opinion in an inscription on the cover of the present manuscript (translated as follows from the French): Read More...
Autograph letter from the important ballet impresario and founder of the Ballets Russes, signed "Serge Diaghilev." Single page folio, "Direction des Ballets russes de Serge de Diaghilew" letterhead, Paris, November 1928. Red stamp "Compagnie Ballet Russes. S de D." Translated, in part, from the Russian: “The direction of S.D Diaghilev's ballet certifies that Sergueï Mikhaïlovitch Lifar is the first artist of this ballet...” Purple and red ownership stamps of Serge Lifar, originally obtained at the sale of his library. Read More...
Paris: P. Rosenberg. 1920. Four pochoir from the edition of 250 examples. Sight of each 10 1/8 x 7 inches (25.7 x 17.8 cm); Framed to 11.5 x 14.5/15 inches (29.5 x 37/39 cm). Small tears to a few edges, one with small but significant pinhole and associated splitting, else apparently fine, unexamined out of frames. Read More...
Original brochure, ca. 1940, advertising the Leon Fokine School of Ballet in New York. The principal teachers were Russian ballerina Alexandra Fedorova and her son Leon Fokine; Leon was the nephew of Michel Fokine. The back cover features an image of Fedorova's leg and foot on a pedestal! Vertical crease; overall very good. 4.25 x 5.25 inches (10.8 x 13.6 cm). Read More...
Berlin: Éd. Russe de Musique. [1928]. First edition. 32 pp. de Lerma A6, p. 6; Kirchmeyer 48-1, p. 310. Original printed wrappers, with ownership signature and small abrasion at upper right corner. Some splitting of block from wrappers along inner front gutter, else fine.
Written in 1927-1928 as a show case for Serge Lifar, its Paris performance on 12 June 1928, with choreography by Georges Balanchine, was a landmark event. Stravinsky later described this collaboration with Balanchine as one of the most satisfying of his artistic life.
Autograph letter composed in the hand of Romola Nijinsky on behalf of Waslaw Nijinsky and signed by Waslaw Nijinsky. 2 pp (recto/verso), dated 30 September, 1916 and addressed to Frederick Herman Martens (1874-1932). On stationary for The Biltmore in New York, translated from the French, in full: "Dear sir, I just now received your letter from the 23rd, and I appreciate your lovely offer to dedicate your book to me. I accept with pleasure, and I hope that in attending the rehearsals of my new works, you will have the occasion to discover new perspectives on modern ballet./ With best remembrances,/ W. Nijinsky". Signed letters from Nijinsky, are of the utmost rarity. Read More...
Diffusion transfer reproduction of a 1917 portrait of the composer by Picasso, signed by Stravinsky, who has inscribed "To Bernardine Fritz / send thanks for your kind words and also for trying to STOP us of BEING AFRAID / Cordially / Igor Stravinsky / Nov 57." Framed with an engraved plaque. In fine condition. Framed to 20.5 x 24.5 inches (52.1 x 62.2 cm.). Read More...