early 20th cen. russian ballet in Paris

2. Story by Igor Stravinsky and Alexandre Benois
Choreography by Michel Fokine
Music by Igor Stravinsky
Scenery and costumes by Alexandre Benois
Timing: circa 36:00

3. Scene One: Admiralty Square, St. Petersburg, in 1830, during the mid-winter Butter Week
Fair – the Russian equivalent of Mardi Gras –an excess of celebration in anticipation of the
stringent fasting of the Orthodox Lent. Suddenly, two drummers appear from the
mysterious curtained booth at the back and clear an area in front of the booth. An old
Charlatan then emerges from the booth. He bows to the crowd and, magically producing a
little lute from his sleeve, plays a strange melody, then strides to the curtained booth. As
he raises his hand, the curtains fly back to reveal the dolls: the Moor, the Ballerina and
Petrouchka. At a sign from the Charlatan, the dolls commence a quick, jerky dance and
soon dance out of their compartments into the snowy Square. The crowd is delighted and
applauds enthusiastically. Then, as suddenly as they began their dance, the three dolls
collapse to the ground.
Scene Two: The compartment where the Charlatan keeps Petrouchka – a black box
dominated by a portrait of the Charlatan. Humiliated by the Charlatan’s cruel treatment
and yearning to express the love he feels for the Ballerina, Petrouchka tries in vain to find
some escape from his black cell. He forlornly plucks at the tatters of his motley costume.
The Ballerina then enters, but Petrouchka’s declarations of love repel and frighten her and
she leaves abruptly. Overwhelmed by despair and enraged by the portrait of the Charlatan
from whose presence and power he has no escape, Petrouchka tears savagely at the walls
of his cell. He breaks through the wall and collapses in despair.

4. Scene Three: The Moor’s cell, brightly decorated and comfortably furnished. The Moor is
lying lazily on a divan, playing with a coconut. He becomes convinced he hears something
inside the coconut, and when he is unable to break it open with the scimitar, he prostrates
himself in front of this now sacred object. He is interrupted in his devotions by the entrance
of the Ballerina who dances with a tiny trumpet to attract his attention. Soon he abandons
his fetish to dance with her and finally pulls her into his lap. At this moment Petrouchka
bursts into the room. The lovers spring apart and the Ballerina retreats into a corner, the
Moor pursues the horrified Petrouchka, seizes him, and ejects him with a brutal kick.
Triumphant, the Moor returns again to embrace the Ballerina.
Scene Four: Meanwhile, in the Square, the crowd pursues its restless quest for pleasure. It
is dusk now, the sky is heavy with snow, and constant movement is the best way to ward off
the cold. First the Nursemaids dance; later, as snow begins to fall, the Coachmen begin a
vigorous dance. Everyone eventually joins in, and then a group of masked revelers burst
upon the scene. The sky grows darker, the frenzied revels increase, snow thickens. Suddenly,
a great commotion is heard from the Charlatan’s booth. Out bursts Petrouchka, pursued by
the Moor and the horrified Ballerina. The Moor strikes Petrouchka with his scimitar, then
flees with the Ballerina as the crowd presses close. Trembling, Petrouchka tries to rise, then
falls back limp and inert. A policeman rushes off and returns with the Charlatan who calmly
shows the crowd that the “corpse” is merely a doll, just sawdust and rags. The crowd,
relieved, departs and the Charlatan walks slowly towards his booth, dragging the broken
doll behind him. Suddenly, above the booth, Petrouchka appears. As the Charlatan looks up,
Petrouchka gestures in defiance. The Charlatan drops the doll and flees in terror.

5. Petrouchka was given its World Premiere by
Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes at the Théâtre du
Chatelet on June 13, 1911, danced by Tamara
Karsavina (Ballerina), Vaslav Nijinsky (Petrouchka),
Alexandre Orlov (Moor) and Enrico Cecchetti
(Charlatan). Petrouchka received its United States
premiere by the same company at the Century
Theatre, New York on January 25, 1916, danced by
Leonid Massine (Petrouchka), Lydia Lopoukhova
(Ballerina) and Adolph Bolm (Moor).

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