[Russian Music] [Rachmaninoff, Sergei. (1873–1943)] [Rimsky-Korsakow, Nikolai. (1844-1908)] [Glazounov, Alexander. (1865-1936)] [Diaghilev, Sergei. (1872–1929)]

"Cinq Concerts Historiques Russes, 1907" - Deluxe Concert Program

Paris: Moreau [Éditeurs] - G. de Malherbe [Imprimeur]. 1907. Rare deluxe original program from the historic 1907 performance series at the Théâtre de l'Opéra in Paris, "Cinq Concerts Historiques Russes," at the Opéra de Paris on 16, 19, 23, 26, and 30 May 1907, at which Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Sergei Rachmaninoff, and Alexander Glazunov conducted and/or played some of their works. The striking cover was designed by Russian artist Evgenii Lansere [Eugene Lanceray], and there are numerous illustrations throughout by Ilya Repin, Léon Bakst, Valentin Serov, Eugeniusz Zak, Konstantin Korovin, and Viktor Vasnetsov, including stage settings and portraits of the composers. 96 pp. 8.5 x 10.75 inches (22 x 27.5 cm.). Glossy program pages with light toning in a few areas, generally fine condition, block partially split and separated from the outer heavy paper wrappers, these with overall toning and wear to edges and splits to spine.

During the 1906 exhibition of Russian Art in Paris, impresario Sergei Diaghilev was acquainted with the Parisian music publisher Gabriel Astruc, who encouraged him to organize a series of concerts with music by Russian composers. On May 16th, 1907 the first concert with works by Rimsky-Korsakov, Glinka and Tchaikovsky launched the series of 5 concerts. After the performance of the bass Chaliapin with Arias from Borodin's Prince Igor, the audience applauded so long that the conductor got angry and walked away. "It was a scandal" wrote a highly pleased Diaghilev to the composer Rimsky-Korsakov. In the series, the complete programs of which are included in the present program, Rimsky-Korsakov conducted the suite from his Nochʹ pered Rozhdestvom and the Prelude to Act 1 and two songs form Snegurochka (with Mme Zbroueff), Rachmaninoff played his Piano Concerto no. 2 and conducted his Vesna (with Chaliapin) and Glazunov conducted his Iz srednikh vekov (From the Middle Ages). The other works, mostly conducted by Arthur Nikisch and Camille Chevillard, were by Glinka, Mussorgsky, Borodin, Taneyev, Lyadov, Scriabin, and Cui. To mark these historic concerts, the present memorial book was published on heavy glossy paper with portraits and biographies of the composers, facsimiles of scores, set and costume illustrations. The cover is a woodcut designed by Evgenii Lansere showing buildings in an old Russian style, previously used as the title page of the ‘Mir Iskusstva’ (World of Art) magazine 1900, no. 4. References: Richard Buckle, Diaghilev, Londen 1979, part 3; Nijmegen 2004, p. 30. (20743)

Program, unsigned Classical Music