LIFAR Serge [Kiev, 1905 - Lausanne, 1986], Russian-born Fren - Lot 269

LIFAR Serge [Kiev, 1905 - Lausanne, 1986], Russian-born French dancer and choreographer. Exceptional set on the creation of Serge Lifar's piece "Icare": 1) Serge Lifar: Autograph manuscript signed entitled "Icare Légende Chorégraphique". June 1935; 4 pages in-4°. Some erasures and corrections. This manuscript is the original text that will be published in the program of the "académie nationale de musique et de danse 1935", which will be the Ballet's first performance. performance of the Ballet. "According to Greek mythology, Icarus, son of Daedalus, succumbed in a daring attempt to become the first explorer of "the air". wings made by his father Daedalus, he had soared so high that the heat of the sun, which he had come too close to, melted the wax of his apparatus, and he was thrown to the ground. Such is the subject of this choreographic legend. A group of young people play on a steep shore of the Hellenic Sea. Daedalus appears, carrying the wings he has just made. [...] Daedalus ties the wings to his son's his son's shoulders. Icarus tries to fly, but is unable to do so and falls repeatedly to the ground. The young men look on in amazement until a group of young girls lead them away. Left alone with his son, Daedalus urges him to renew his effort. And then the hero's the hero's wings begin to quiver and, stretched taut by the breath of air, they lift the man into the sky". A copy of the program, signed by Serge Lifar, is included in very good condition. 2) Autograph score signed by Serge Lifar titled "ICARE", Théâtre National de l'opéra, Paris 1935; 5 folio pages. Very numerous annotations in pencil (curtain, the men are going to music notes, young men, young girls, attention chief electrician ...) large red pencil signature "BECKER" on front cover. 3) Musical drafts by Arthur Honegger. 5 folio pages, 2 in pencil. pencil. Handwritten annotations "Icare -Preludes-Rhythms by Serge Lifar orchestrated by A Honegger". 4) Correspondence between Serge Lifar and Arthur Honegger during the year 1935 concerning the conception of Icare and 1 letter to Jacques Rouché about the set design proposed by Dali: - Serge Lifar : - 1 typed letter signed. Paris, May 2, 1935 ; 1 page 1/3 in-4°. He has just "completed a ballet in which rhythm is born of dance dance" and asks Arthur Honneger for help in finding "which instrument should chant my rhythms". He explains the name given to his new ballet: Icare. - 1 autograph letter signed with 4 drawings addressed to Jacques Rouché (director of the Opéra). Paris, May 11, 1935; 9 pages in-8°. "As we agreed, I saw Salvadore Daly about Icare. d'Icare. [...] Surrealism is an excellent concept and its transformation of transformation of art into matter, its neo-romanticism - all external are full of interest. [...] Daly was delighted to collaborate with me with me and to work for the opera, but, unfortunately, our our attempt was unsuccessful. Yesterday he showed me his sketches. Here's one for the sets: The curtain rises before the music and reveals a beautiful canvas. This in turn rises to reveal a background unmasks a backdrop curtain, as ridiculous as it gets, with thirty motorcycles in motion. Costumes: a completely naked Icarus topped with an enormous bread pudding, with a fly a fly above his forehead on a wire. [...] For the wings to represent the wings, Daly suggested an excellent pair of crutches. why not a piece of old tire on the tip of the nose? [...] At the end of the ballet, he suggests that a priest be brought in in a coffin as if in a perissory dish, crawling with a spoon spoon to scoop up Icarus. As I was and didn't know how to get out of there. He replied that Elloire [Eluard] and Aragon were in complete agreement with him. with him. [We are faced with a Communist disease [? seems to be passing in Russia, but which, here, is unfortunately supported by people supported by people who have nothing to do and are dying of money, by our friends like Marie Laure de Noailles, [...] Etienne de Beaumont, Picasso, [...] La princesse de Polignac [...] who offer rottenness to the people as beauty. Only our friend Coco Chanel, who knows what she's talking about, has a lot of fun. and doesn't let herself be taken in. I would like to thank you, dear Monsieur Rouché, for for supporting me in my bold undertaking, but I must ask you, for once, to ask you to give me a painter, let's say, moderately classical painter. It's impossible for a new musical to be compromised by absurdity. - Arthur Honneger: 1 autograph letter signed, addressed to Serge Lifar, to whom he sends some