Russian Ballet. Seasons of Sergei Diaghilev

«Russian Seasons» — legendary theatrical tours organized in 1909 by Sergei Diaghilev, a talented popularizer of Russian art. Diaghilev's performances took place in the best European venues, and our great artists — Nijinsky, Pavlova, Shalyapin, Kschessinskaya — received applause from the sophisticated audiences of the world's major capitals, while the prestige of Russian opera and ballet was raised to an unattainable height for the first time.
Diaghilev's productions became a revolution in the theatrical world, each turning into a mesmerizing and provocative show with colorful decorations created by Roerich, Serov, Benois, Bakst and other Russian artists, luxurious costumes and delightful music by Mussorgsky, Glinka, Borodin, Stravinsky, Prokofiev…
This book is almost the only one on the market that gathers the entire palette of memories from contemporaries without external comments and interpretations. The history of «Russian Seasons» is told by dancers and choreographers, artists and composers, officials and theater critics, whose revelations convey the atmosphere of the early 20th century when Russian ballet and theater not only expanded the boundaries of traditional art but also changed the face of global culture.