Contes russes

Rowell, E. A.: Dancers of the Monte Carlo Russian Ballet in 'Contes russes' [3], 1936 or 1937

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Contes russes ('Russian Tales', also presented as Children's Tales) was choreographed by Leonide Massine for the Diaghilev Ballets Russes. This work was revived by the de Basil Ballets Russes, premiering at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden on August 7, 1934, and was performed in Australia by de Basil's Monte Carlo Russian Ballet during its 1936/37 tour. The first Australian performance took place at His Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne on December 5, 1936.

Set to music by Anatol Liadoff, with vivid design of scenery and costumes by Mikhail Larionov, Contes russes was a popular ballet that drew on the fantasy of Russian folklore. With characters such as a witch, a cat, a swan princess, a prince, a dragon, a demon and a little house with legs, it was, in the words of original cast member Lydia Sokolova, 'full of fantasy, excitement and humour'. The first section, Kikimora, originally appeared as a short independent work in 1916, with the other two scenes, Bova Korolevich and the Swan Princess and Baba Yaga being added to create the Contes russes that premiered in the Paris season of 1917. For the ensuing London season, Massine added light hearted inserts to link the episodes.

The premiere Australian performance of the work was reviewed positively in The Age:

'Three naïve and charming Russian folk tales…form the basis of "Contes Russes". Grotesque, heroic, and sentimental by turn, they are overlaid thickly with a gruff humour that is the special property of the Russian peasant.'

Bibliography:

'Fairy Tale Dances: Humour Lends Zest to New Ballets', The Age, 5 December 1936, p. 4; Richard Buckle (ed), Dancing for Diaghilev: the memoirs of Lydia Sokolova (London: John Murray, 1960).

See also: Ballets Russes Australian tours ; Massine, Leonide

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