Stravinsky’sscorefortheballetPetrushka,commissionedbyDiaghilevfortheBalletsRusses,wasfirstperformedinParisin1911andwasanimmediatesensationwiththepublicandthecritics.ItfollowedbyayearthegreatsuccessofhisscoreforTheFirebird,alsoproducedbytheBalletsRusses,anditconfirmedStravinsky’sreputationasthemostgiftedoftheyoungergenerationofRussiancomposers.TheballethadbeguninStravinsky’smindasapictureofapuppetsuddenlyendowedwithlife,exasperatingthepatienceoftheorchestrawithdiabolicalcascadesofarpeggios.SoonDiaghilevhadconvincedtheyoungcomposertoturntheworkintoaballetscore.Benoiswaschosentobehiscollaboratorinthelibretto,FokineandNijinskybecameinvolved,andthebizarretaleofthreedancingpuppets--Petrushka(afolkcharacterinRussianlore),theBallerina,andtheMoor,broughttolifeinatragictaleoflove--wouldsoonbecomeoneofthemostacclaimedandperformedofballetmasterpieces.Brilliantlyorchestrated,filledwithRussianfolksongaswellasnewandstrikingharmonies,alternatelypoignantandsplendidlyimposing,thescoreofPetrushkacontinuestobeapopularsubjectforthestudyoftonallanguageandorchestration.Thiseditionisanunabridgedrepublicationoftheoriginaleditionpublishedin1912byEditionRussedeMusiqueinBerlin.Printedonfinepaper,sturdilybound,yetremarkablyinexpensive,itoffersmusicalscholars,musicalperformers,andmusicloversalifetimeofpleasurablestudyandenjoymentofoneofthemostpopularandacclaimedmusicalworksofthetwentiethcentury.
