A modern production recreating the Ballets Russes premiere performance of Rite of Spring. Nijinsky’s choreography was not so carefully preserved in this case, but modern reconstructions rely on photographs and the reminiscences of the original performers, so it’s probably pretty close. This is the ballet that sparked a riot.
Month: August 2016
Afternoon of a Faun
Rudolph Nureyev stars in a re-creation of the original Ballets Russes production. Nijinsky’s choreography for the piece was carefully documented in a series of still photographs, so this production is very authentic.
045 The God of Dance
Vaslav Nijinksy bursts onto the scene as a new kind of ballet dancer for a new kind of ballet, becoming the star of Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes. Over a five year period, 1909-1913, these two men would redefine ballet.
Playlist:
Fanfare
Opening Theme
Shéhérezade
Composed in 1888 by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. Public domain.
Public domain recording. Source.
Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune
Composed in 1894 by Claude Debussy. Public domain.
Performed by the Natalia Ensemble, and used pursuant to a Creative Commons license. Details.
Closing Theme
Except when otherwise indicated, the contents of this podcast are © and ℗ 2015, 2016 by Mark Painter, all rights reserved. Some sound effects used by arrangement with Pond 5.
044 Charlatan and Charmer
The Russian aristocrat Sergei Diaghilev brings Russian art to the Western world, and becomes a hugely influential figure in the world of art.
Playlist:
Fanfare
Opening Theme
Concerto No. 1 in F-sharp Minor
Composed in 1892 by Sergei Rachmaninoff. Public domain.
Performed by the University of Washington Symphony Orchestra, Neal O’Doan, piano. Recording used pursuant to a Creative Commons license. Details.
Closing Theme
Except when otherwise indicated, the contents of this podcast are © and ℗ 2015, 2016 by Mark Painter, all rights reserved. Some sound effects used by arrangement with Pond 5.
043: Carry a Big Stick
In his final years as President, Theodore Roosevelt continues to pursue an aggressive foreign policy, while at home, racial tensions, an earthquake, and a stock market panic roil American politics.
Playlist:
Fanfare
Opening Theme
“El Himno de Bayamo”
Composed in 1867 by Perucho Figueredo. Public domain.
Performed by the United States Navy Band. Public domain recording. Source.
“Jacob’s Ladder”
Traditional. Arranged by Mark Painter.
Closing Theme
Except when otherwise indicated, the contents of this podcast are © and ℗ 2015, 2016 by Mark Painter, all rights reserved. Some sound effects used by arrangement with Pond 5.
042: A Square Deal for Every Man
Theodore Roosevelt is re-elected in 1904, breaking the Vice Presidents’ curse. William Howard Taft emerges as Roosevelt’s most trusted advisor and spokesperson, and Roosevelt begins to speak of Taft as his preferred successor. 1906 proves to be Roosevelt’s best year yet, as he gets much of his legislative agenda through Congress.
Playlist:
Fanfare
Opening Theme
“The Cascades”
Composed in 1904 by Scott Joplin. Public domain.
Public domain recording. Source. Thanks to Ragnar Hellspong.
Closing Theme
Except when otherwise indicated, the contents of this podcast are © and ℗ 2015, 2016 by Mark Painter, all rights reserved. Some sound effects used by arrangement with Pond 5.