Author: SERGE LIFAR BALLET COLLECTION AUCTION CATALOGUE -
Title: Ballet Material and Manuscripts from the Serge Lifar Collection. which will be sold by auction by Sotheby Parke Bernet & Co.
Description: London, Sotheby Parke Bernet & Co., 1984. Orig. stiff coloured illustrated glossy wrappers. [208]pp., incl. sales conditions, list of auctioneer's branches. Num. coloured and black/white tex-ills., facsims. of Mss. and music-scores, preface, indexes of artists, [ballet] productions and exhibitions, advice to bidders. Orig. bidding-form bound-up, printed estimates in Pounds Sterling. Serge Lifar, 1905-1986, famous Russian-French dancer and choreographer of exceptional stage presence, being the primary figure of modern French ballet. Born in Kyev, Lifar was premier danseur in the ballet company of the Russian imperial impresario Serge Diaghilev, hefore becoming the director of the Paris Opéra ballet in 1929. Conveying drama through choreography rather than through mime or music, he created more than 50 ballets on themes from myth, legend and history and used male dancers in dominant rather than supporting roles. Lifar choregraphed his famous experimental ballet 'Icare' (1935), without music, and added only a percussive score to fit the dance. A lavishly illustrated catalogue, comprising tog. 228 lots to be auctioned from this impressive collection. Very fine copy.

Keywords: ballet costume auction catalogue sotheby parke bernet serge lifar collection manuscript sheetmusic busts bronzes history choreography diaghilev impresario russian opera ballet icare history