[THE RUSSIAN OPERA IN PARIS], three programmes Programme of the first season 1929 / Opéra privé de Paris. Paris, [1928].

Colour illustrations after designs by I. Bilibin for ‘Tsar Saltan’ and by K. Korovin for ‘Prince Igor’ and ‘The Snow Maiden’. Théâtre des Champs-Élysées. Paris: published by the advertising and theatre agency, [1930]. Programme for the opera ‘Sadko’, colour illustrations after designs by A. Benois. Théâtre des Champs-Élysées. 2nd season. Paris: published by the advertising and theatre agency, [1930]. Programme for the opera ‘Prince Igor’, colour illustrations after designs by I. Bilibin. The role of Prince Galitsky was sung by Fyodor Chaliapin. It became one of the signature roles of the great singer, and his interpretation entered the history of opera. In French. 32 x 25 cm. All three in the publisher’s illustrated wrappers designed by I. Bilibin. In good condition. Minor rubbing, soiling, tears to the wrappers along the spines. The ‘Russian Opera in Paris’ (Opéra russe à Paris) was an opera company active from 1929 to 1934. It was founded as the ‘Opéra privé de Paris’; in 1930-1932 it was called the ‘Opéra russe à Paris’, and in 1933-1934 simply the ‘Opéra russe’. Its founders were the opera singer and former Mariinsky soloist Maria Kuznetsova-Benois and the former Saint Petersburg impresario Alexei Tsereteli. Financial support came from Kuznetsova’s husband, the millionaire Alfred Massenet, who attracted outstanding Russian émigré singers including K.D. Zaporozhets, L.M. Sibiryakov, M.B. Cherkasskaya, N.S. Ermolenko-Yuzhina and, in 1930, F.I. Chaliapin. In 1929 the company staged four operas at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées: Borodin’s ‘Prince Igor’ and Rimsky-Korsakov’s ‘The Snow Maiden’, ‘Kitezh’ and ‘Tsar Saltan’. Costume and set designs were by K. Korovin and I. Bilibin; Mikhail Fokine staged the ‘Polovtsian Dances’. The performances were a great success.