Brilliant Ballets and Music Of The Tzarist Regime

Radio Record, 31 July 1936, Page 24

Brilliant Ballets and Music Of The Tzarist Regime

Igor Stravinsky’s Chronicles of His Life

YEAR ago Victor Gollancz published the story of Diaghileff’s life, one of the most interesting histories of the modern Russian ballet to come from an English publisher. A parade of fainous names trailed itself across the pages of the book-Diaghileff himself, probably the greatest creator of ballets the world has ever known, Rimsky Korsakov, Bakst, Pavlova, Nijinsky, Benois-but there was one that occurred again and again; that of Igor Stravinsky, To-day Gollancz has published "Chronicles of My Life,’ by this same Stravinsky-a book that adds to the .interesting impressions gathered be-

tween the covers of the Diaghileff story. It takes one back to the Russia of Czarist days, the mad days of reckless luxury in St. Petersburg and the brooding poverty of the people living on the huge land masses stretching away from the capital. It talks of Tehehov .and Tolstoi, the first glittering days of the Russian ballet as we know it now, the musiaé of Rimsky Korsakov-and the. beginnings of the brilliant career of Stravinsky himself (although the author, naturally, claims nothing for his own work). It seems, from a close reading of the book, that the most important phase of Stravinsky’s career began ;Shortly after the death, in 1909, of his old master, Rimsky Korsakov. He says: , It was at this point that I began the close relations with Diaghileff,- which

lasted for 20 years, right up to his death .. Having heard Fantastique" "Feu d’Artifice," he commissioned me, among certain ‘other Russian composers, to "orchestrate two pieces by Chopin for the ballet, "Les Sylphides, " to be given in Paris in the spring of 1909. They were the Nocturne with which the ‘pallet begins and the Valse Brillante. "Les Sylphides," one of the most brilliant ballets ever conceived, will servé as a lasting monument to Stravinsky’s skill, (It was revived with enormous success by Colonel de Basil’s company in London only last month.) Diaghileff, pleased beyond measure, commissioned him to write the music for "T/Oiseau de Feu" for the Russian ‘ballet season at the Paris Opera House in the spring of 1910. There is no need to stress the success of this work. To-day Stravinsky is world-famous, as much sought after in America as he is in Europe. And his book-a little untidy in places, perhaps-should find avid readers not only among musicians and balletomanes, but among laymen as well, "Chronicle of My Life." Igor Stravinsky. Victor Gollancz. Our copy from the publishers,