Diaghilev's Empire

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A Best Book of the Year at The New Yorker and The Telegraph, this work by Rupert Christiansen, a distinguished dance critic, delves into the history of the Ballets Russes and Serge Diaghilev’s ambition to introduce Russian art and culture to the West. Diaghilev, often credited with inventing modern ballet, was an art critic without formal dance training, yet he envisioned a cultural revolution that fused Russian art, music, and design. He collaborated with iconic figures like Vaslav Nijinsky, Anna Pavlova, Igor Stravinsky, Pablo Picasso, and Henri Matisse, crafting a new ballet form characterized by artistic integrity and creative freedom. The Ballets Russes, with its vibrant colors, sensual choreography, and innovative sounds, was labeled “barbaric” by the Parisian press, yet it challenged traditional ballet norms and significantly impacted European culture. This publication commemorates the 150th anniversary of Diaghilev’s birth and offers a bold, well-researched reexamination of the Ballets Russes phenomenon and its connection to the Russian Revolution in 20th-century art. Christiansen investigates the intense conflicts, larger-than-life personalities, and remarkable artistic breakthroughs that define this captivating saga of triumph and disaster.