麻豆社

In 1920, Igor Stravinsky was a modernist with a problem. How could he and his fellow artists make art meaningful after the atrocities they had witnessed during the Great War?

Neoclassicism (the artistic movement referencing the aesthetics of bygone eras) would be one way of re-connecting with a past that felt clean. Pulcinella was Stravinsky鈥檚 first neoclassical score, and was a huge hit with audiences at the Paris Opera who first saw the ballet performed with choreography by Massine and sets by Picasso.

This was the dawn of a brave new era, just five months into an Parisian inter-war decade of determinedly blithe hedonism. The after-party was hosted by Prince Firouz of Persia in a stylishly dilapidated dance hall on the edge of town. Everyone was there: Picasso, Misia Sert, Jean Cocteau... Stravinsky drank so much champagne that he ended up sitting on a balcony, chucking cushions onto the dance floor below. The pillow fight raged until 3 in the morning.

This is one of 100 significant musical moments explored by 麻豆社 Radio 3鈥檚 Essential Classics as part of Our Classical Century, a 麻豆社 season celebrating a momentous 100 years in music from 1918 to 2018. Visit bbc.co.uk/ourclassicalcentury to watch and listen to all programmes in the season.

This 麻豆社 archive recording is by the 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra with conductor Charles Hazlewood.

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