Diaghilev's Empire

'Deliciously entertaining. ' Financial Times. 'Scintillating. fizzes with balletic energy. ' Daily Mail. 'Gripping. bursting with extraordinary characters and anecdotes. ' Sunday Telegraph. 'An extraordinary tale, enthrallingly told. '. Gramophone. Such was the credo of the ruthlessly manipulative and resourceful Serge Diaghilev - the Russian impresario who created the modern art form of ballet. Commissioning such legendary names as Nijinsky, Fokine, Stravinsky and Picasso, he produced a series of radically original works that had a revolutionary impact throughout the Western world. Off stage there was scandal and sensation, collaboration and competition, tempestuous affairs and a wild carousel of mayhem. The Ballet Russes left a matchless artistic legacy, ending with the abrupt death of Diaghilev in 1929. But the achievements of its heroic prime would continue to set the standards for the next era.