ArchivesSpace at the University of Iowa

Scope and Contents The title is of a ballet in one act with choreography by Borlin, libretto by Cocteau, music by Auric, Milhaud, Tailleferre, Honegger, and Poulenc, set by Irene Lagut and costumes by J. Hugo. Premiered 18 June 1921 by the Ballets Suedois at the Theatre des Champs-Elysees in Paris with C. Ari, J. Figoni, and K. Vahlander. The ballet, a farce, is set on the first platform of the Eiffel Tower where a hunchbacked photographer tries to take pictures of a wedding party. Although L. Durey was not involved in the ballet, it is none the less considered to be a showpiece for the musical ideas of the group of composers known collectively as Les Six. Massin has rendered Cocteau's libretto in a wide variety of bold contemporary and ancient typefaces with a concrete poetic appearance. He often places the text across facing pages. "This is a historically famous work, but one more often encountered in music history books than on concert or theatrical stages. One is much more likely to hear...