nijinsky
EWA BATHELIER
The Vienna State Ballet is part of the Vienna State Opera and Vienna Volksoper
nijinsky Ballet by John Neumeier
Choreography, Stage & Costume Design, Lighting John Neumeier partially based on the original designs by Léon Bakst & Alexandre Benois Music Prelude No. 20 in C Minor, Op. 28 by Frédéric Chopin Sheherazade, Op. 35, 1st, 3rd and 4th Movements by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov Symphony No. 11 in G Minor The Year 1905, Op. 103, and Sonata for Viola and Piano, Op. 147, 3rd Movement, by Dmitri Shostakovich Carnival Jest from Vienna, Op. 26, 1st Fantasy Picture by Robert Schumann Musical Direction Nathan Brock Lighting Design Execution Ralf Merkel Staging Laura Cazzaniga Piotr Stanczyk Sonja Tinnes Orchestra of the Vienna State Opera
WORLD PREMIERE 2 JULY 2000, HAMBURG BALLET HAMBURGISCHE STAATSOPER PREMIERE WITH THE VIENNA STATE BALLET 20 OCTOBER 2026, VIENNA STATE OPERA
Ensemble
about tonight’s performance “Nijinsky’s life can be simply summarised: ten years of growing; ten years of learning; ten years of dancing; thirty years in eclipse”: this is dance critic Richard Buckle’s summary of the moving biography of the artist who thrilled people with his intense, virtuosic dance on stage and whose choreography paved the way for ballet’s entry into the modern era. Vaslav Nijinsky: the star of the Ballets Russes, the »dancer of the century«, a »scandalous choreographer«, and at the same time someone who was afflicted by fears, doubts and madness. John Neumeier’s choreographic portrait combines Nijinsky’s personal fate with the glittering fame and remarkable era of the Ballets Russes. Neumeier’s Nijinsky is not a narrative ballet in the traditional sense, it is more a danced fusion of memories, sensations and different realities. Nijinsky once again relives the peaks of his career – his revolutionary choreographies and legendary roles such as the Golden Slave from Sheherazade, the Spirit of the Rose from Le Spectre de la Rose and the Faun from L’Après-midi d’un faune appear on stage as reflections that are repeatedly interrupted by moments from Nijinsky’s childhood or encounters with family members. However the glitter and the glory increasingly give way to darkness… past and present, stage and war, triumph and loss merge in a single inner vortex…
Characters Vaslav Nijinsky (1889 – 1950) was born in Kyiv and received professional dance training at the Imperial Ballet School in St. Petersburg. In 1907 he was hired by the Imperial Theatre, where he was immediately given solo roles. Two years later Serge Diaghilev engaged him for the Ballets Russes, where he became an acclaimed star. He created the revolutionary works L’Après-midi d’un faune (1912), Jeux (1913) and Le Sacre du printemps (1913). From 1919 onwards he suffered from severe mental illness and spent much of his life in clinics and in the care of his wife Romola.
ABOUT TONIGHT’S PERFORMANCE
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Romola Nijinska was born Romola de Pulszky in Budapest. After seeing Nijinsky in a touring performance by the Ballets Russes in 1912, she followed the company across Europe and started taking dance lessons. She married Nijinsky in 1913 during a tour of South America. The couple had two daughters. Following the onset of his mental illness, she took care of her husband for decades. Eleonora Bereda & Thomas Nijinsky, Vaslav’s parents, trained as ballet dancers at Teatr Wielki in Warsaw. Eleonora worked as a soloist, while Thomas was also a soloist and dance teacher. The family toured many cities together with a variety of companies. They introduced their children to the art of dance at an early age but due to their continual touring, the life they led was restless and financially unstable. Bronislava Nijinska, Vaslav’s younger sister, was a dancer, choreographer and teacher. Like her brother, she attended the Imperial Ballet School in St. Petersburg. She was a member of the Ballets Russes and supported her brother in preparing his creations. Her own modern approach to movement and her choreographies such as Les Noces (1923), Les Biches (1924) and the world premiere of Maurice Ravel’s Bólero (1928) made her one of the leading female choreographers of the 20th century. Stanislav Nijinsky was the eldest child of the Nijinsky family. Like his siblings, he was trained as a dancer. Following a severe accident, he developed psychiatric problems and was unable to continue his career. The condition of his health deteriorated increasingly over the years. The burden that his illness placed on the family also affected the lives of his siblings. Serge Diaghilev was a Russian art critic, curator and impresario. He became a patron of the arts at an early age and in 1909 he founded the Ballets Russes, which swiftly became a sensation. He not only promoted Nijinsky within his ensemble, the two were also lovers. After Nijinsky’s marriage to Romola, Diaghilev broke with him not just on a personal, but also on an artistic level. Tamara Karsavina was one of the most famous Russian ballerinas of her time. She graduated from the Imperial Ballet School in St. Petersburg and then became a soloist at the Mariinsky Theatre. From 1909 onwards, she was one of the leading artists of the Ballets Russes. Together with Nijinsky she danced leading roles in works such as Les Sylphides, Petrushka and Le Spectre de la Rose. Léonide Massine was a Russian dancer, choreographer and later one of Nijinsky’s most important successors with the Ballets Russes. He trained in Moscow at the Bolshoi Theatre School. Diaghilev discovered him for his company in 1914. Here he rapidly developed into a leading dancer and created numerous innovative ballets.
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ABOUT TONIGHT’S PERFORMANCE
Vaslav Nijinsky as Petrushkka
VASLAW NIJINSKY
“I am a madman who loves mankind. My madness is my love for mankind.”
Victor Caixeta (Faune)
Davide Dato (Spirit of the Rose)
Ensemble