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SLEEPING BEAUTY IS A BALLET OF THE UTMOST SIGNIFICANCE IN THE HISTORY OF BOTH THE BALLETS RUSSES AND ALEXANDRE BENOIS IN PARTICULAR. COMMISSIONED FROM TCHAIKOVSKY BY I. A. VSEVOLOZHSKY, DIRECTOR OF THE IMPERIAL THEATRES, WHO HIMSELF WROTE THE STORY AS A VARIATION ON PERRAULT'S SLEEPING BEAUTY, THE FIRST PERFORMANCE OF SLEEPING BEAUTY TOOK PLACE ON 3 JANUARY 1890 AT THE MARIINSKY THEATRE IN ST PETERSBURG. TCHAIKOVSKY WAS INSPIRED IN HIS WORK, WRITING IN JANUARY THAT YEAR: 'THE SLEEPING PRINCESS IS PROBABLY ONE OF MY BEST COMPOSITIONS'. THE EMPEROR HIMSELF WAS PRESENT AT THE DRESS REHEARSAL. THE PRODUCTION'S SUCCESS, COMBINED WITH THE ARRIVAL OF BALLERINA VIRGINIA ZUCCHI IN 1885, SPARKED A REVIVAL FOR THE BALLET WHICH ENJOYED A FRESH WAVE OF POPULARITY. ALEXANDRE BENOIS PROVED WILDLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO THE WORK'S CHARMS; HIS ENTHUSIASM AND AFFECTION FOR THIS PARTICULAR BALLET WAS SUCH THAT HE ONCE MANAGED TO SEE IT SIX TIMES IN ONE WEEK, ON ONE DAY ATTENDING TWO PERFORMANCES. WRITING IN 1936, HIS GREAT FRIEND PRINCE LIEVEN DESCRIBES HOW 'EVEN TO THIS DAY BENOIS REMEMBERS BY HEART EVERY NOTE OF THIS BALLET'. BENOIS' ATTEMPTS TO REALISE HIS YOUTHFUL DREAM TO STAGE SLEEPING BEAUTY WERE REPEATEDLY AND TRAGICALLY THWARTED. IN 1921, HE PLOTTED WITH DIAGHILEV TO ESCAPE THE SOVIET UNION AND TRAVEL TO LONDON TO STAGE THE WORK TO MARIUS PETIPA'S CHOREOGRAPHY. CORRESPONDENCE ON THE MATTER BEGAN, A FALSE PASSPORT WAS PROCURED BUT THE INTENDED FLIGHT WAS DISCOVERED AND HE WAS PREVENTED FROM LEAVING. THE COSTUME DESIGNS HERE WERE INTENDED FOR A PRODUCTION AT LA SCALA IN MILAN, WHICH WAS NEVER REALISED. PROPERTY FROM A DISTINGUISHED PRIVATE COLLECTION

Alexandre Benois (1870-1960)

Set design for Sleeping Beauty: Act VI

Details

Alexandre Benois (1870-1960)
Set design for Sleeping Beauty: Act VI
signed, inscribed and dated 'Alexandre Benois 1953/La Belle au Bois Dormant' (on the reverse)
pencil, ink and watercolour on paper
12¼ x 19½ in. (31 x 49.6 cm.)

Provenance

The family of the artist.
Anonymous sale, Sotheby's, London, 17 July 1996, lot 210.
Acquired at the above sale by the present owner.

Special Notice

VAT rate of 5% is payable on hammer price and at 20% on the buyer's premium.

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