L'Éventail de Jeanne
Encyclopedia
L'éventail de Jeanne is a children's ballet
choreographed in 1927 by Alice Bourgat and Yvonne Franck.
The music is a collaborative work
by ten French
composers, each of whom contributed a stylised dance in classic form:
"Jeanne" refers to a Paris
ian hostess and patroness of the arts, Jeanne Dubost, who ran a children’s ballet school. In the spring of 1927 she presented ten of her composer friends with leaves from her fan, asking each of them to write a little dance for her pupils. The children were dressed in fairytale costumes and the décor was enlivened by a set designed with mirrors.
It was produced in private at Jeanne Dubost’s Paris salon on 16 June 1927, with Maurice Ravel playing a piano transcription of the music. It had its public premiere at the Paris Opéra on 4 March 1929, with the ten-year-old Tamara Toumanova
dancing the lead role. This was the first performance of any of Darius Milhaud's music at the Opéra, and he was so annoyed that he should debut with a trifling little Polka rather than one of his serious stage works that he boycotted the performance.
Various excerpts have been recorded, particularly Ravel’s Fanfare and Poulenc’s Pastourelle, but the first complete recording was not made until 1984, with the Philharmonia Orchestra
conducted by Geoffrey Simon
.
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
choreographed in 1927 by Alice Bourgat and Yvonne Franck.
The music is a collaborative work
Classical music written in collaboration
In classical music, it is relatively rare for a work to be written in collaboration by multiple composers. This contrasts with popular music, where it is common for more than one person to contribute to the music for a song...
by ten French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
composers, each of whom contributed a stylised dance in classic form:
- Maurice RavelMaurice RavelJoseph-Maurice Ravel was a French composer known especially for his melodies, orchestral and instrumental textures and effects...
(Fanfare) - Pierre-Octave FerroudPierre-Octave FerroudPierre-Octave Ferroud was a French composer of classical music.He was born in Chasselay, Rhône, near Lyon. He went to Lyon, to Strasbourg where he studied with Guy Ropartz, and again to Lyon where he was for a time an associate and "disciple" of Florent Schmitt, and a pupil of Georges Martin...
(Marche) - Jacques IbertJacques IbertJacques François Antoine Ibert was a French composer. Having studied music from an early age, he studied at the Paris Conservatoire and won its top prize, the Prix de Rome at his first attempt, despite studies interrupted by his service in World War I.Ibert pursued a successful composing career,...
(Valse) - Alexis Roland-ManuelAlexis Roland-ManuelAlexis Roland-Manuel was a French composer and critic, though he is remembered mainly for his work in the latter area.-Biography:...
(Canarie) - Marcel DelannoyMarcel DelannoyMarcel Delannoy was a French composer and critic. He wrote operas, ballets, orchestral works, vocal and chamber works, and film scores.-Life and career:...
(Bourrée) - Albert RousselAlbert RousselAlbert Charles Paul Marie Roussel was a French composer. He spent seven years as a midshipman, turned to music as an adult, and became one of the most prominent French composers of the interwar period...
(Sarabande) - Darius MilhaudDarius MilhaudDarius Milhaud was a French composer and teacher. He was a member of Les Six—also known as The Group of Six—and one of the most prolific composers of the 20th century. His compositions are influenced by jazz and make use of polytonality...
(Polka) - Francis PoulencFrancis PoulencFrancis Jean Marcel Poulenc was a French composer and a member of the French group Les six. He composed solo piano music, chamber music, oratorio, choral music, opera, ballet music, and orchestral music...
(Pastourelle) - Georges AuricGeorges AuricGeorges Auric was a French composer, born in Lodève, Hérault. He was a child prodigy and at age 15 he had his first compositions published. He studied at the Paris Conservatoire with Georges Caussade, and under the composer Vincent d'Indy at the Schola Cantorum...
(Rondeau) - Florent SchmittFlorent SchmittFlorent Schmitt was a French composer.-Early life:A Lorrainer, born in Meurthe-et-Moselle, Schmitt originally took music lessons in Nancy with the local composer Gustave Sandré. Subsequently he entered the Paris Conservatoire. There he studied with Gabriel Fauré, Jules Massenet, Théodore Dubois,...
(Finale: Kermesse-Valse)
"Jeanne" refers to a Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
ian hostess and patroness of the arts, Jeanne Dubost, who ran a children’s ballet school. In the spring of 1927 she presented ten of her composer friends with leaves from her fan, asking each of them to write a little dance for her pupils. The children were dressed in fairytale costumes and the décor was enlivened by a set designed with mirrors.
It was produced in private at Jeanne Dubost’s Paris salon on 16 June 1927, with Maurice Ravel playing a piano transcription of the music. It had its public premiere at the Paris Opéra on 4 March 1929, with the ten-year-old Tamara Toumanova
Tamara Toumanova
Tamara Toumanova was an American ballerina and actress. "Toumanova" was a stage name proposed by Olga Preobrazhenskaya, after her mother’s family name of Tumanishvili.-Personal life:...
dancing the lead role. This was the first performance of any of Darius Milhaud's music at the Opéra, and he was so annoyed that he should debut with a trifling little Polka rather than one of his serious stage works that he boycotted the performance.
Various excerpts have been recorded, particularly Ravel’s Fanfare and Poulenc’s Pastourelle, but the first complete recording was not made until 1984, with the Philharmonia Orchestra
Philharmonia Orchestra
The Philharmonia Orchestra is one of the leading orchestras in Great Britain, based in London. Since 1995, it has been based in the Royal Festival Hall. In Britain it is also the resident orchestra at De Montfort Hall, Leicester and the Corn Exchange, Bedford, as well as The Anvil, Basingstoke...
conducted by Geoffrey Simon
Geoffrey Simon
Geoffrey Simon is an Australian conductor resident in London.-Recordings:Geoffrey Simon was born on 3 July 1946 in Adelaide. He was a student of Herbert von Karajan, Rudolf Kempe, Hans Swarowsky and Igor Markevitch, and a major prize-winner at the first John Player International Conductors' Award...
.