During
the First World War Serge Diaghilev turned to modern artists for his new
ballets. Always interested in extending the frontiers of theatre, he incorporated
ideas from the major art movements of the time. Michel Larionov, for example,
exploited the fractured and geometric forms of Cubism and Futurism to create
amazing, sculptural costumes for The Buffoon 1921.
Henri Matisse, famous
for his brilliantly-coloured paintings and flamboyant line designed The
Song of the Nightingale for Diaghilev in 1920. His overall scheme
was restrained and used black, white and yellow for dramatic emphasis.
The costumes, created in multiples, became part of a fluctuating pattern
of stylised shape and colour.
The Ball 1929,
designed by Giorgio de Chirico, was a Surrealist fantasy featuring dancers
wearing costumes embellished with architectural motifs. In Ode
1928, Pavel Tchelitchev used a cinema screen instead of painted backdrops
and projected moving images behind the dancers. At the time, audiences
found this 'metaphysical' ballet incomprehensible, but Tchelitchev's ideas
anticipated many developments in modern theatre.
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