The origins of Daphnis et Chloe (1912)

Beyond Maurice Ravel's 1910 score, the remnants of the original production of Daphnis et Chloe - one known stage photograph, an assortment of studio photographs, seven known costumes, brief reviews, anecdotal memoirs, and a bundle of pastel drawings - constitute choreographer Michel Fokine's 1907 scenario. These materials are scattered across the globe, preserved in libraries and museums in Russia, Sweden, France, England, and the United States. They compose less a ballet, even the archival detritus of a ballet, than a haunting absence. This article assembles all of these materials in an assessment of the differences between Ravel's and Fokine's conceptions of Hellenic antiquity. The discussion focuses on the draft and revised versions of the literary scenario and the draft and revised versions of the finale of the score, cast in 3/4 and 5/4 meter respectively. The ending of the article offers brief remarks on the music-dance relationship in the original and two subsequent productions of the ballet.