Description

Nijinsky's score of his L'Après-midi d'un faune lay unused for nearly forty years after his death, because nobody could read it. In 1987 Dr Ann Hutchinson Guest and Dr Claudia Jeschke "broke the code" of his notation system and thus made the choreography he had notated available for revival. Subsequent performances of the restored Faune have been acclaimed for their beauty and subtlety. This book presents Nijinsky's ballet as he himself recorded it in 1915, making this authentic version, translated into Labanotation, immediately available to dance students, teachers, scholars and researchers. It intentionally includes the historical background, the chronology of Nijinsky's performances of Faune, Nijinsky's production notes, analysis of the choreographic style of the ballet, detailed study and performance notes, approaches to learning and teaching the ballet, research problems encountered in the transcription and revival, and a comprehensive explanation of Nijinsky's notation system with examples from his score. Supplemented by photographs of the 1912 production and with the music adjacent to the dance phrases, this book provides unique access to a much discussed and elusive ballet.