Pétrouchka (English: Petrushka; Russian: петрушка) is a ballet with music by the Russian composer Igor Stravinsky. Petrushka is a folk tale of a puppet who is only made of straw and with a bag of sawdust as his body, but who comes to life and has the capacity to love. He is to the Russians what Pinocchio is to the Italians—a not-quite-real “being” whose tragedy is his very real passion, which make him yearn for an unattainable human life. His movements are sometimes jerky and awkward, conveying the torture of imprisoned emotions within the body of a puppet. The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... The Waltz of the Snowflakes from Tchaikovskys The Nutcracker. ... A composer is a person who writes music. ... Igor Stravinsky in his middle ages. ... A puppet is any controlled character, whether formed by a shadow, strings, by the use of a glove, by direct mechanical contrivance (for example a cable-controlled figure for film or TV) or electronic guidance (such as a radio or infrared remote controller). ... Art by Fritz Kredel (1900-73) The Adventures of Pinocchio (Le Avventure di Pinocchio) is a novel for children by Italian author Carlo Collodi. ...

Composition

The work was composed during the winter of 1910-1911 for Serge Diaghilev's Ballets Russes. It was premiered at the Paris Théâtre du Chatelet on 13 June 1911 in Paris. While the production was generally a success, more than a few observers were taken aback by music that was brittle, caustic, and at times, even grotesque. One critic approached Diaghilev after a dress rehearsal and said: “And it was to hear this that you invited us!” to which Diaghilev succinctly replied, “Exactly.” When Diaghilev and his company traveled to Vienna in 1913, the Vienna Philharmonic initially refused to play the score, deriding Petrushka as “schmutzige Musik” (“dirty music”).-1... 1911 (MCMXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). ... Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev (Сергей Павлович Дягилев) (March 19, 1872 – August 19, 1929), often known as Serge, was a Russian ballet impresario and founder of the Ballets Russes from which many famous dancers and choreographers would later arise. ... Léon Bakst: Firebird, Ballerina, 1910 The Ballets Russes was a ballet company established in 1909 by the Russian impresario Serge Diaghilev and resident first in Paris and then in Monte Carlo. ... The Eiffel Tower has become a symbol of Paris throughout the world Paris is Frances capital and largest city, straddling the river Seine in the northern centre of its country. ...

The original 1911 version of Petrushka is scored for 2 piccolos, 4 flutes, 4 oboes, English horn, 4 clarinets, bass clarinet, 4 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 cornets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, 2 harps, piano, celesta, bass drum, cymbals, glockenspiel, snare drum, tambourine, triangle, xylophone, tam-tam, offstage snare drum and tambourine, and strings. A Yamaha piccolo. ... The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. ... Modern Oboe The oboe is a musical instrument of the woodwind double reed family. ... Cor anglais The cor anglais or English horn is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. ... A bass clarinet, which sounds an octave lower than the more common Bâ™­ soprano clarinet. ... A typical bass clarinet The bass clarinet is a musical instrument of the clarinet family. ... A Fox Instruments bassoon. ... Drawing of a Contrabassoon The contrabassoon or double bassoon is a larger version of the bassoon sounding an octave lower. ... The horn is a brass instrument that consists of tubing wrapped into a coiled form. ... Trumpeter redirects to here. ... Bâ™­ cornet The cornet is a brass instrument that closely resembles the trumpet. ... A lip-reed aerophone with a predominantly cylindrical bore, the trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. ... The tuba is the largest of the low-brass instruments and is one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra, first appearing in the mid-19th century, when it largely replaced the ophicleide. ... A timpanist in the United States Air Forces in Europe Band. ... The harp is a stringed instrument which has its strings positioned perpendicular to the soundboard. ... A grand piano A piano is a keyboard instrument, which is widely used in western music for solo performance, chamber music, and accompaniment, and also as a convenient aid to composing and rehearsal. ... French type, four-octave Celesta or Celeste The celesta (IPA )) or celeste () is a struck idiophone operated by a keyboard. ... A bass drum is a large drum that produces a note of low definite or indefinite pitch. ... It is also possible that you want to know about the Cymbalum instrument. ... Glockenspiel The Glockenspiel (German, play of bells, also known as orchestra bells and, in its portable form, bell lyra or bell lyre) is a musical instrument in the percussion family. ... The snare drum or side drum is a tubular drum made of wood or metal with skins, or heads, stretched over the top and bottom openings. ... This article is about musical instrument. ... The triangle is an idiophonic musical instrument of the percussion family. ... Xylophone in Bali 1937 The xylophone (from the Greek meaning wooden sound) is a musical instrument in the percussion family which probably originated in Indonesia (Nettl 1956, p. ... A tam tam is also a kind of Gong A tam is also kind of Jamaican hat, probably from the Irish tam-o-shanter. ... A string instrument (or stringed instrument) is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. ...

The work is characterized by the so-called Petrushka chord, a polytonic device heralding the appearance of the main character. Polytonic orthography for Greek uses a variety of diacritics (πολύ = many + τόνος = accent) to represent aspects of Ancient Greek pronunciation. ...

Story

Sets for Petrushka's original production were designed by Alexandre Benois.

The play opens up at a carnival/fair, called Shrovetide, (the Russian Maslenitsa - akin to Mardi Gras) which is a celebration a few days prior to a long religious fast. The people rejoice before the long fast when they won’t be able to enjoy themselves for a while. Image File history File links Alexandre Benoiss set for Stravinskys Petrushka (1911). ... Image File history File links Alexandre Benoiss set for Stravinskys Petrushka (1911). ... Alexandre Nikolayevich Benois (May 4, 1870, St Petersburg - February 9, 1960, Paris) was probably the most important member of the artistic Benois family. ... Boris Kustodiev Maslenitsa tuesday Maslenitsa or Pancake week (Russian: , also called Pancake week) is a Russian folk holiday that dates back to the pagan times. ... Mardi Gras (French for Fat Tuesday) is the day before Ash Wednesday, and is also called Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day. It is the final day of Carnival (English:IPA: and Romance languages:IPA: ). It is a celebration that is held just before the beginning of the Christian liturgical season...

Stravinsky's orchestration and rapidly changing rhythms depict the hustle and bustle of the fair. An organ grinder and dancing girl entertain the crowd. Drummers announce the appearance of the Old Wizard, who charms the captivated audience. Suddenly, the curtain rises on a tiny theater, as the Wizard introduces the inert, lifeless puppet figures of Petrushka, the Ballerina and the Moor (the brute).

The Old Wizard uses a flute to cast a magic spell. The vivified puppets leap from their little stage and dance among the astounded carnival-goers. The puppets, now alive, perform a vigorous Russian dance.

After the performance, we are taken back to Petrushka’s room (the 2nd scene) where the walls are dark colors, and are decorated with black stars, a half-moon, and a portrait of the frowning Old Wizard. Petrushka lands in his cell with a resounding crash, as he is kicked into his dismal cell by the Wizard.

Petrushka leads a dismal life behind the show curtains, and is smitten with love for the ballerina puppet. The frowning Wizard’s portrait hangs there, looming, as if to remind Petrushka that he is a mere puppet, which is nothing compared to a human, and that he should be submissive and humble. This causes Petrushka to become angry and shake his fists at the Wizard's glare.

Although Petrushka is a puppet, he feels human emotions, including bitterness toward the Old Wizard for his imprisonment, as well as love for the beautiful Ballerina. Petrushka unsuccessfully tries to escape from his cell.

The Ballerina enters. Petrushka attempts to profess his love, but the Ballerina rejects his pathetic advances. As Petrushka is treated without compassion by the Magician, the Ballerina engages in wanton affairs with the Moor, and this snaps the poor puppet's sensibilities. In The 3rd scene, it is very easy to see that the Moor lives a better life just by glancing into the Moor’s lavishly decorated cell. The Moor has a couch to lounge on, where he is playing with a coconut. His room is much more spacious. The bright colors give off a happy, luxurious atmosphere. Red, green and blue are the prominent colors, and rabbits, palm trees and exotic flowers decorate the walls, along with a red floor. Instead of going to a cell like Petrushka's, this puppet goes on a vacation to a happy room where he has luxury at the tip of his fingers.

Then the Ballerina, who is attracted by the Moor’s handsome appearance, is placed in his room by the Wizard. She plays a saucy tune and she and the Moor begin to dance.

After Petrushka finally breaks from his cell-like room, he is put into the moor's by the Wizard to interrupt the ballerina’s seduction. Petrushka begins to attack the Ballerina's lover, but realizes he is only small and weak. The Moor shows his extreme displeasure by working him over and chasing him, as Petrushka runs for his life escaping out of the room.

The fourth and final scene is back at the fairground, where a series of (unrelated) characters of the fair come and go. The orchestra becomes a giant accordion to introduce the chain of colorful dances, the first and most prominent being the Wet-Nurses’ Dance (to the tune of the folk song “Down the Petersky Road”). Then comes a peasant with his dancing bear, followed in turn by a rake merchant and Gypsies, coachmen and grooms, and masqueraders.

As the merrymaking reaches its peak, (after some time has passed), a cry is heard from the puppet-theater. Petrushka suddenly runs across the scene, followed by the Moor in hot pursuit with an axe. The crowd is horrified when the Moor catches up with Petrushka and hacks him to death.

The police at the fair question the Old Wizard, who seeks to restore calm by shaking sawdust from the “corpse” to remind everyone that Petrushka is but a puppet with a wooden head and a body filled with sawdust.

As Night falls and the crowd disperses, the wizard leaves, carrying Petrushka’s limp body with him, his ghost appears on the roof of the little theater, his cry now in the form of an angry protest. Petrushka’s death only enlivens his spirit, which thumbs its nose at his tormentor from beyond the wood and straw of his carcass.

Now completely alone, the Old Wizard is terrified to see the leering ghost of Petrushka. The wizard scampers off, with a single frightened glance over his shoulder, and the scene is hushed, leaving the audience to wonder who is “real” and who is not.

Sections

The work is divided into four parts (tableaux) with the following scenes:

Part I: The Shrovetide Fair

• Introduction (at the Shrovetide Fair)
• The Charlatan's Booth
• Russian Dance

Part II: Petrushka's Room

• Petrushka's Room

Part III: The Moor's Room

• The Moor's Room
• Dance of the Ballerina
• Waltz - The Ballerina & the Moor

Part IV: The Shrovetide Fair (Evening)

• Dance of the Wet Nurses
• Peasant With Bear
• The Jovial Merchant with Two Gypsy Girls
• Dance of the Coachmen and Grooms
• The Masqueraders
• The Fight - The Moor and Petrushka
• Death of Petrushka
• Apparition of Petrushka's Double.

Other versions

In 1947, Stravinsky penned a revised version of Petrushka for a reduced orchestra. The 1947 version also provides an optional fff (fortissimo) near the ambiguous piano conclusion of the original. In either guise, Petrushka — along with its Ballets Russes siblings, The Firebird and The Rite of Spring — continues to challenge and thrill audiences with a dramatic impact that is as fresh today as when the works first appeared. 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1947 calendar). ... LOiseau de feu (English: The Firebird; Russian: Жар-птица) is a 1910 ballet by Igor Stravinsky based on the Russian folk tales of the magical glowing bird (see Firebird) that is both a blessing and doom of its captor. ... Le Sacre du printemps (English: The Rite of Spring; Russian: Весна священная) is a ballet with music by the Russian composer Igor Stravinsky. ...

Sources

• Carnegie Hall's Program Notes for the performance on Nov 16th 2004.