[Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo] Bound Volume of Deluxe Souvenir Programs, 1933-1940

[Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo]

Bound Volume of Deluxe Souvenir Programs, 1933-1940

A bound volume of six deluxe souvenir programs from British and American tours of the various incarnations of the celebrated Russian ballet company between 1933 and 1940, billed as the "Ballet Russe de Monte-Carlo," "Col. W. de Basil's Ballets Russes" or "Col. W. de Basil's Ballets Russes (de Monte Carlo)," "Covent Garden Russian Ballet Company," and "Original Ballet Russe." The four American and two British tour programs contain not only numerous portraits of the artistic leadership, choreographers and dancers, but also many plates of set and costume design by Christian Bérard, Cecil Beaton, Picasso, Leon Bakst, Raoul Dufy, Natalia Gontcharova, J. M. Sert, Joan Miro, and others. 346 pp. in total. Hardcover with green cloth binding; programs trimmed to size with occasional slight losses to the edges, approx. 30 pp with light dampstaining on the foreedge, some of those pages also with small tears and chipping on the outer edge, otherwise in fine condition. 9.5 x 12 inches (24 x 30.5 cm).

The Original Ballet Russe (originally named Les Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo) was a ballet company established in 1931 by René Blum and Colonel Wassily de Basil as a successor to the Ballets Russes, founded in 1909 by Sergei Diaghilev. The company assumed the new name Original Ballet Russe after a split between de Basil and Blum in 1937. De Basil led the renamed company, while Blum and others founded a new company under the name Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. The large-scale professional ballet company toured extensively in Europe, Australia and New Zealand, the United States, and Central and South America until 1947.

Contents:

1. Undated program from an American tour, ca. 1933, billed as "Ballet Russe de Monte-Carlo." Gold cover with a blue line drawing of two ballerinas by André Derain. 38 pp.

2. Undated program from an American tour, ca. 1934, billed as "Col. W. de Basil's Ballets Russes." Cover with a color illustration of Russian domed towers by Natalia Gontcharova. 78 pp.

3. 1936-1937 program from the 4th American season, billed as "Col. W. de Basil's Ballets Russes (de Monte-Carlo)." Cover with a very bold color illustration of a knight in full armor by Natalia Gontcharova.. 74 pp.

4. 1937 program from the 4th season, Coronation Season at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Billed as "Col. W. de Basil's Ballets Russes (de Monte-Carlo)." Glossy cover with an illustration of two dancers by Christian Bérard. 58 pp. Including 20 color plates of set and costume designs, tipped to mounts, all in very fine condition.

5. 1939 program of the "Covent Garden Russian Ballet Company" (not a production of W. Basil), directed and choreographed by Michel Fokine with David Lichine, with the London Philharmonic conducted by Antal Dorati, and produced by Serge Grigorieff. Cover illustration of Cinderella by Natalia Gontcharova. 46 pp. With 8 color plates, tipped to mounts.

6. 1940-1941 program from the 6th American tour, billed as "Original Ballet Russe." Color cover illustration from Coq d'Or by Natalia Gontcharova. 52 pp. (13573)

Program, unsigned Dance