Between 1917 and 1962, Picasso was asked to create the decor for nine ballets in collaboration with Jean Cocteau, Erik Satie, Igor Stravinsky, Claude Debussy, Léonide Massine, Vaslav Nijinsky and other great contemporary artists. In this documentary, discover two of these ballets, Le Tricorne and Le Train Bleu, and learn about the history of this collaboration.
Le Train Bleu was premiered in 1924 and Le Tricorne in 1919. Originally staged by Sergei Diaghilev, the Ballet de l'Opéra national de Paris presents these two historic ballets here in their original form in 1994.
Le Train Bleu is a "danced operetta" that takes a hard look at a popular culture fascinated with luxury. Scriptwriter Jean Cocteau used to work to parody the cult of outdoor living and sports, and their philosophy of "a healthy mind in a healthy body." The dances draw inspiration from golf, tennis, swimming and gymnastics. Le Tricorne draws its inspiration from Hispanic culture. For Le Tricorne, Picasso created decor, costumes, and a set curtain evoking a scene from Spanish folklore. With humor and benevolence, the plot recounts the adventures of a miller's wife, her jealous husband, and the senile magistrate in charge of her case.
