Diaghilev Sergei (EN)

Diaghilev Sergei Pavlovich, *31 (19) March 1872, Gruzino (Novgorod Governorate); †19 August 1929, Venice, Russian ballet impresario. While studying law in St Petersburg, he belonged to a group of young, progressive Russian artists led by A. Benois. Between 1899 and 1904, Diaghilev edited the magazine “Mir iskusstva”, and between 1899 and 1900, he edited the annuals of the tsarist theatres. From 1906 to 1908, he organised exhibitions of Russian painting and music and performances of Russian opera (Boris Godunov, music by M. Mussorgsky, T. Shalyapin in the title role) in Paris. Diaghilev’s greatest achievement was the organisation of a ballet company in 1909 for the so-called Russian Seasons in Paris, which revolutionised European ballet. In 1911, the company performed for the first time under the name Ballets Russes. Diaghilev directed it for 20 consecutive years. He invited the most outstanding artists (painters, musicians, writers, dancers) to collaborate with him. Until 1914, these were mainly Russian artists, including A. Benois, L. Bakst, I. Stravinsky, M. Fokin, A. Pavlova, T. Karsavina and V. Nijinsky. In later years, while in exile, Diaghilev selected his collaborators from among the representatives of the Parisian artistic avant-garde (P. Picasso, H. Matisse, M. Utrillo, A. Derain, F. Poulenc, G. Auric, E. Satie, S. Prokofiev, J. Cocteau). Thanks to his excellent artistic intuition and organisational talent, he discovered, nurtured and made good use of choreographic talents (W. Nijinsky, L. Miasin, B. Nijinska, G. Balanchine, S. Lifar), coordinated the cooperation of individual artists, shaping the repertoire of the Ballets Russes in accordance with his changing artistic tastes. He was particularly concerned with aligning all the components of ballet (music, set design, dance) to a common overarching theme. Diaghilev’s individuality had such a strong influence on the company that after his death, the Ballets Russes fell apart. Through his work, Diaghilev had a decisive influence on the development of contemporary ballet.

Diaghilev’s correspondence, theatre programmes, costume designs, drawings and photographs from performances, books and other items documenting the history of the Ballets Russes are collected in the Rothschild Collection of the Russian Ballets of Serge Diaghilev, currently housed in the Harvard Theatre Collection in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Literature: C.W. Beaumont Serge Diaghilev, London 1933; A.L. Haskell, W. Nouvel Diaghileff. His Artistic and Private Life, London 1935; S. Lifar Serge Diaghilev, London 1940; A.L. Haskell Ballet Russe. The Age of Diagileff, London 1968; B. Kochno Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes, New York 1970; J. Percival The World of Diaghilev, London 1971; R. Buckie D., London 1977.

S.L. Grigoriev The Diaghilev Ballet, 1909–1929, London 1953, 2nd edition 1960; S. Charles The World of Serge Diaghilev, London 1974; N. MacDonald Diaghilev Observed by Critics in England and the United States, New York 1975; J. Percival The World of Diaghilev, 2nd edition 1979; R. Buckle In the Wake of Diaghilev Autobiography 2, London 1982; L. Garafola Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes, New York 1989; N. van Norman Baer The Art of Enchantment. Diaghiev’s Ballets Russes, 1909–1929, San Francisco 1989; Diaghilews Ballets Russes. Aufbruch in die Moderne, ed. S. Dahms and M. Woitas, Salzburg 1994; A. Kodicek Diaghilev. Creator of the Ballets Russes. Art, Music, Dance, Suffolk 1996; J. Drummond Speaking of Diaghilevk, London 1999.