Pavillon, Le

Seymour, Maurice: David Lichine in costume for 'Le pavillon', Ballets Russes, 1930s

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David Lichine's Le pavillon premiered at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, on August 11, 1936, performed by the de Basil Ballets Russes. Lichine choreographed this ballet to an arrangement by Antal Dorati of piano pieces by Alexander Borodin, and Cecil Beaton was responsible for conceiving the design. The simple libretto, a slight story about a poet, a young girl and the spirits of the garden, was by Boris Kochno, whose guidance was an important influence on Lichine at this early stage of his choreographic career. The opening night cast featured Lichine himself as the Poet, Tatiana Riabouchinska as the Chief Spirit, and, somewhat unexpectedly, Irina Baronova as the Young Lady – Alexandra Danilova also having been rehearsed in this role.

Le pavillon was performed in Australia by the Original Ballet Russe, opening at His Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne, on May 20, 1940, with Tatiana Stepanova as the Young Lady, Tatiana Leskova as the Chief Spirit and Roman Jasinsky as the Poet. For the Australian staging, scenery was by Nicolas Benois and costumes executed by B. Karinska. The Australian performances also saw Tamara Toumanova dancing as the Young Lady, and marked the last stagings of this work by the company.

Bibliography:

Kathrine Sorley Walker, De Basil's Ballets Russes (London: Hutchinson, 1982); Vicente Garcia-Marquez, The Ballets Russes: Colonel de Basil's Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo 1932-1952 (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1990)

See also: Baronova, Irina ; Jasinsky, Roman ; Lichine, David ; Riabouchinska, Tatiana

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