First Rehearsal of Petrouchka
In her diary, Bronislava Nijinska speaks about the first rehearsal of Petrouchka: “The musicians refused to play Stravinsky’s music, saying they considered it an insult to perform such a piece of music where each note was in discord with the laws of harmony. The conductor, Pierre Monteux, had no authority to force them to play. The presence of Igor Stravinsky did not bother them in the least. At last, Serge Diaghilev arrived. His imposing figure and the look of contempt on his face had an immediate effect on the musicians.” (Petrouchka: music by Igor Stravinsky; libretto by Stravinsky and Alexandre Benois; sets and costumes by Benois; choreography by Michael Fokine; premiere on June 13, 1911, Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris).
In her diary, Bronislava Nijinska speaks about the first rehearsal of <em>Petrouchka:</em> “The musicians refused to play Stravinsky’s music, saying they considered it an insult to perform such a piece of music where each note was in discord with the laws of harmony. The conductor, Pierre Monteux, had no authority to force them to play. The presence of Igor Stravinsky did not bother them in the least. At last, Serge Diaghilev arrived. His imposing figure and the look of contempt on his face had an immediate effect on the musicians.” (<em>Petrouchka:</em> music by Igor Stravinsky; libretto by Stravinsky and Alexandre Benois; sets and costumes by Benois; choreography by Michael Fokine; premiere on June 13, 1911, Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris).