Petrushka
Ballet
Premiere: 1911, Paris
Composer: Igor Strawinski
We are in a square in St Petersburg, during a fair in 1830. In the middle of the square, an old showman with a puppet theater brings three dolls to life: a Ballerina, a Moor and Petrushka, the eternal loser. Petrushka falls in love with the Ballerina, but she prefers the Moor, who, in a bitter fight with his jealous rival, chops off Petrushka's head with his scimitar. The crowd is shocked at the horrible scene, but the puppeteer shows them that Petrushka is just a puppet filled with sawdust. But when the fair is over and the night falls, Petrushka’s spirit appears above the theater as if to defy his tormentors.
