The story behind the scandalous first performance of one of the most influential works in the history of music, as part of the stunning Landmark Library series. On 29 May 1913, at the Theatre des Champs-Elysees in Paris, a new ballet by Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, choreographed by Vaslav Nijinsky, received its premiere. Many of the cultural big names of Paris were there, or were rumoured to have been there: Debussy, Ravel, Proust, Gertrude Stein, Picasso.
When the curtain rose on a cast of frenziedly stamping dancers, a near-riot ensued, ensuring the evening would...
The story behind the scandalous first performance of one of the most influential works in the history of music, as part of the stunning Landmark ...