Petrushka

Igor Stravinsky composed the ballet Petrushka for the 1911 Paris season of Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes company; the original choreography was by Michel Fokine and stage designs and costumes by Alexandre Benois, who assisted Stravinsky with the libretto, with the Orchestre Colonne under conductor Pierre Monteux. The ballet premiered at the Théâtre du Châtelet on 13 June 1911 with Vaslav Nijinsky as Petrushka, Tamara Karsavina as the lead ballerina, Alexander Orlov as the Moor, and Enrico Cecchetti the charlatan.
 
At the end of September 1910, Diaghilev went to visit Stravinsky in Clarens, Switzerland, where he was living at the time. Expecting to discuss the new ballet, Diaghilev was astonished to find Stravinsky hard at work on a totally different project. Stravinsky, it seems, had had another vision: "I saw a man in evening dress, with long hair, the musician or poet of the romantic tradition. He placed several heteroclite objects on the keyboard and rolled them up and down. At this the orchestra exploded with the most vehement protestations – hammer blows, in fact …" Later, Stravinsky wrote: "in composing the music, I had in my mind a distinct picture of a puppet, suddenly endowed with life, exasperating the patience of the orchestra with diabolical cascades of arpeggios. The orchestra in turn retaliates with menacing trumpet blasts." Although Stravinsky had conceived the music as a pure concert work—a Konzertstück, Diaghilev immediately realized its theatrical potential. The notion of a puppet put Diaghilev in mind of Petrushka, the Russian version of Punch and Judy puppetry that had formed a traditional part of the pre-Lenten Carnival festivities in 1830s St. Petersburg.
 
Petrushka tells the story of the loves and jealousies of three puppets. The three are brought to life by the Charlatan during the 1830 Shrovetide Fair in Saint Petersburg. Petrushka is in love with the Ballerina, but she rejects him as she prefers the Moor. Petrushka is angry and hurt, and curses the Charlatan for bringing him into the world with only pain and suffering in his miserable life. Because of his anger, he challenges the Moor as a result. The Moor, who is both bigger and stronger than Petrushka, kills him with his scimitar. The crowd watching is horrified, and the Charlatan is called to the scene as well as a police officer. The Charlatan reminds everyone that Petrushka is nothing but a puppet made of straw and cloth, and that he has no real emotion nor 'life.' As the crowd disperses, the Charlatan is left alone on the stage. At that moment, Petrushka's ghost rises above the puppet theatre as night falls. He shakes his fist and thumbs his nose at the Charlatan, making him flee, terrified. Petrushka then collapses in a second death.
 
Petrushka brings music, dance, and design together in a unified whole. It is one of the most popular of the Ballets Russes productions. It is usually performed today using the original designs and choreography. Grace Robert wrote in 1946, "Although more than thirty years have elapsed since Petrushka was first performed, its position as one of the greatest ballets remains unassail. It’s perfect fusion of music, choreography, and décor and its theme—the timeless tragedy of the human spirit—unite to make its appeal universal." 
 
The work is divided into four tableaux (scenes). The score further indicates the following episodes: 
First tableau: The Shrovetide Fair
1. [Introduction]
2. A group of Drunken Revellers passes, dancing.
3. The Master of Ceremonies entertains the Crowd from his     booth above.
4. An Organ-Grinder appears in the Crowd with a [woman] dancer.
5. The Organ-Grinder begins to play.
6. The Dancer dances, beating time on the triangle.
7. At the other end of the stage a Music Box plays, another [woman] Dancer dancing around it.
8. The first Dancer plays the triangle again.
9. The Organ and Music Box stop playing; the Master of Ceremonies resumes his pitch.
10. The Merry Group returns.
11. Two Drummers, stepping up in front of the Little Theatre, attract the attention of the Crowd by their drumrolls.
12. At the front of [i.e. from inside] the Little Theatre. appears the Old Magician.
13. The Magic Trick.
14. The Magician plays the flute.
a. The curtain of the Little Theatre opens and the Crowd sees three puppets: Petrushka (Guignol), a Moor, and a Ballerina.
b. The Magician brings them to life by touching them lightly with his flute. 15.       Russian Dance.
15.Petrushka, the Moor, and the Ballerina suddenly begin to dance, to the great astonishment of the Crowd..
16. Darkness, the Curtain falls.

Second tableau: Petrushka's Room
1. As the Curtain rises, the door to Petrushka's room opens suddenly; a foot kicks him       onstage; Petrushka falls and the door closes again behind him.
2. Petrushka's curses.
3. The Ballerina enters.
4. The Ballerina leaves.
5. Petrushka's despair.
6. Darkness. Curtain.

​Third tableau: The Moor's Room
1. [Introduction]
2. The Moor dances.
3. Appearance of the Ballerina.
4. Dance of the Ballerina (cornet in hand).
5. Waltz (the Ballerina and the Moor).
6. The Moor and the Ballerina prick up their ears.
7. Appearance of Petrushka.
8. The Fight between the Moor and Petrushka. The Ballerina faints.
​9. The Moor throws Petrushka Out. Darkness. Curtain.

Fourth tableau: The Shrovetide Fair (Toward Evening)
1. [Introduction]
2. The Wet-Nurses' Dance.
3. A Peasant enters with a Bear. Everyone scatters.
4. The Peasant plays the pipe. The Bear walks on his hind feet.
5. The Peasant and the Bear leave.
6.     A Revelling Merchant and two Gypsy Women Enter. He irresponsibly amuses himself                     by throwing bank notes to the Crowd.
7. The Gypsy Women dance. The Merchant plays the accordion.
8. The Merchant and the Gypsies leave.
9. Dance of the Coachmen and the Groom. 
a. The Wet-Nurses dance with the Coachmen and the Grooms.
10. The Mummers.
a. The Devil (Mummer) induces the Crowd to frolic with him.
​b. Buffoonery of the Mummers (Goat and Pig).
c. The Mummers and the Maskers dance.
d. The rest of the Crowd joins in the Mummers' Dance.
11. The Crowd continues to dance without taking notice of the cries coming from the     Little Theatre.
a. The dances break off. Petrushka dashes from the Little Theatre, pursued by the Moor, whom the Ballerina tries to restrain.
12. The furious Moor seizes him and strikes him with his sabre.
13. Petrushka falls, his head broken.
14. A crowd forms around Petrushka.
15. He dies, still moaning.
16. A Policeman is sent to look for the Magician.
17. The Magician arrives.
18. He picks up Petrushka's corpse, shaking it.
19. The Crowd disperses.
20. The Magician remains alone on stage. He drags Petrushka's corpse toward the Little Theatre.
21. Above the Little Theatre appears the Ghost of Petrushka, menacing, thumbing his nose at the Magician.
22. The terrified Magician lets the Puppet-Petrushka drop from his hands, and exits quickly, casting frightened glances over his shoulder.
23. Curtain.  

​Here are four Albums:

Stravinsky: Petrushka & Debussy: Jeux and Prelude a l’Apres-midi d’un faune. Klaus Makela and Orchestre de Paris. Release Date: 8 Mar 2024. Label: Decca. Catalogue No: 4870146. Hi-Res FLAC (Lossless, 96 kHz, 24 bit).
Awards:
BBC Music Magazine, May 2024, Orchestral Choice.
Gramophone Magazine, April 2024, Editor’s Choice.
 
Stravinsky: Petrushka & Jeu de cartes. Valery Gergiev and Mariinsky Orchestra.Release Date: 19 Oct 2018. Label: Mariinsky. Catalogue No: MAR0594. Hi-Res FLAC (Lossless, 96 kHz, 24 bit).
Award:
Radio 3 Record Review, 10 November 2018, Disc of the Week.
 
Stravinsky: Petrushka & Le Sacre du Printemps. Francois-Xavier Roth and Les Siecles. Release Date: 30 Jun 2014. Label: Actes Sud. Catalogue No: ASM15. Hi-Res FLAC (Lossless, 44.1 kHz, 24 bit).
Awards:
BBC Music Magazine, September 2014, Orchestral Choice.
Radio 3 Building a Library, July 2019, Also Recommended.
 
Stravinsky: Petrushka & The Rite of Spring. Pierre Boulez and The Cleveland Orchestra. Release Date: 3 Aug 1992. Label: Deutsche Grammophon. Catalogue No: E4357692. FLAC (CD Quality, 44.1 kHz, 16 bit).
Award:
Radio 3 Building a Library, July 2019, Also Recommended.

​Reference:
Petrushka. (2024, December 7). In Wikipedia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petrushka_(ballet)