Nicolas Simon

Cécile Pruvot illustrations

Petrouchka, ballet composed by Igor Stravinsky, choreographed by Michel Fokine with decorations by Alexandre Benois was premiered in Paris in 1911. This original and complete version is not only very little put together but has very rarely been the subject of new choreographic creations.

On the other hand, music, in its new version from 1947, continues to feature in the program of many concert halls. However, music alone is not enough to reveal all the richness of the work as a whole, as it was initially imagined ...

An illustrated concert
This format of the illustrated concert has thus established itself as a way of reconnecting with the original form of the work, namely music with a set, characters, a story to tell and show!
Petrouchka's music is theatrical and narrative, intimately linked to the argument and the actions taking place on stage. At the simple listening, it can sometimes seem very obscure. Planting a scene, giving features to the puppets, tend to give listening keys.

... to express in color the richness of music ...
In addition, the format of the illustrated concert makes it possible to discover classical music in a different way and to make it more accessible to people who consider it as an art reserved for initiates.

... and rediscover the whimsical spirit of ballet
It is not an animation: the illustrations evolve and succeed, but the movement on the screen is less. The illustrations evoke, suggest and do not say everything, to reveal all the more the expressiveness of the music. They are there to guide the eye and listen to this or that part of the orchestra, which will remain visible during the projection.

In addition, this format, unlike the movie concert, makes it possible to stick as closely as possible to the inspiration of the conductor.