Petrushka (ballet) - Other Versions

Other Versions

Prior to the premiere of the ballet, Stravinsky and several other pianists like Russian composer Nikolai Tcherepnin used a four hands on one piano version for the rehearsals. This version has never been published, even though several other pianists like Paul Jacobs and Ursula Oppens have played it in concerts.

In 1921, Stravinsky created a piano arrangement for Arthur Rubinstein entitled Trois mouvements de Petrouchka, which the composer admittedly could not play himself for lack of adequate left hand technique.

In 1947, Stravinsky penned a revised version of Petrushka for a smaller orchestra, in part because the original version was not covered by copyright and Stravinsky wanted to profit from the work's popularity. The rapid continuous timpani and snare drum notes which link each scene, optional in the 1911 original, are compulsory in the 1947 edition. The ballerina's tune is assigned to a trumpet in the 1947 version instead of a cornet as in the original. The 1947 version provides an optional fff (fortississimo) near the piano conclusion of the original. Stravinsky also removed some of the difficult metric modulations in the original version of the first tableau from the 1947 revision.

He also created a suite for concert performance, an almost complete version of the ballet but cutting the last three sections.

In 1956, an animated version of the ballet appeared as part of NBC's Sol Hurok Music Hour. It was personally conducted by Stravinsky himself and was the first such collaboration. Directed by animator John David Wilson with Fine Arts Films, it has been noted as the first animated special ever to air on television.

In 1988, Maddalena Fagandini directed a version of Petrushka along with The Sleeping Beauty (Stravinsky), The Nutcracker and the Mouse King (Tchaikovsky) and Coppélia (Delibes) in the BBC puppet film, Musical Tales which was released in VHS.

Basil Twist debuted his puppetry version of Petrushka at Lincoln Center in 2001; it was performed as well at New York City Center's 2009 Fall for Dance Festival.

Expressions Dance Company performed a contemporary adaptation of Petrushka at the Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts in 2009. The performance was entitled Score! and drew heavily on the concept of Reality Television.

The Spirit of Atlanta Drum and Bugle Corps used the work as its 1988 competitive program, a marked change from its previous Southern music theme.