K2356 Posted May 10, 2002 Share Posted May 10, 2002 -I came across a illustrated souvenir theater program for a 1919 play called "Aphrodite:A Romance of Ancient Egypt" produced by Morris Gest at the Century Theater in NYC. -The program lists and illustrates a ballet called "Bacchanale" chorographed by Michel Fokin and some of the costumes designs by Leon Bakst. -I read on a internet site that Aphrodite was one of the first jobs that Fokin had when he first arrived in the USA. -I also know that many verisons of "Bacchanale" were done later by Martha Gramm,Ballet Russe Monte Carlo,etc. -Is there any book that may have a history of Bacchanale? -Aphrodite looks like something the same as Fokin's Ballet Russe production of Cleopatre with i read is a rework of Fokine's 1908 "Egyptian Nights" at the Mariinsky. -Egyptian Nights production is to incorporated the "Solemn Procession led by the high priest" from the 1901 Lev Ivanov's "Une Nuit Egypte" -I wanted to know if "Bacchanale" dates farther back to the 19th century as a Opera dance,part of a Ballet,or theater production. KEVIN Link to comment
Mel Johnson Posted May 14, 2002 Share Posted May 14, 2002 Kevin, a bacchanale is a large frenetic dance done as part of the dithyramb, a worship festival to the god Dionysos. The term has been used for a lot of things which are up-tempo, but have nothing to do with the god of wine and conviviality. There are some mighty sedate bacchanales by Gluck for example. And the most famous of the musical treatments of the party (Saint-Saens) is set in Philistia - a long way and time from a Greek god!(Samson and Delilah) Link to comment
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