description The Firebird (Béjart) Overview
Benjamin Britten’s opera *The Firebird* was adapted into a highly theatrical and visually arresting ballet by Maurice Béjart in 1991, featuring a large ensemble and exploring the myth's themes of transformation and chaos through dynamic movement and elaborate costumes.
help The Firebird (Béjart) FAQ
Who choreographed Béjart's The Firebird?
Maurice Béjart choreographed his version of The Firebird, or L'Oiseau de feu, to music by Igor Stravinsky. It premiered in Paris on 31 October 1970 at the Palais des Sports, with Michaël Denard in the title role. [Béjart Ballet Lausanne](https://www.bejart.ch/ballet/loiseau-de-feu/)
How is Béjart's Firebird different from the traditional fairy tale?
Béjart treats the Firebird as an image of the Russian poet and revolutionary, with rebirth after destruction at its center. The version uses an abstract political and spiritual frame rather than simply retelling Ivan Tsarevich's rescue of the princess from Kashchei. [Béjart Ballet Lausanne](https://www.bejart.ch/ballet/loiseau-de-feu/)
What music does Béjart's Firebird use?
It uses Stravinsky's Firebird score, often in the orchestral suite form rather than the complete 1910 ballet. Stravinsky wrote the original music for Serge Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, and Michel Fokine choreographed that first version. [Béjart Ballet Lausanne](https://www.bejart.ch/ballet/loiseau-de-feu/)
How long is Béjart's Firebird?
Durations differ by staging: Alvin Ailey lists its repertory version at 22 minutes, while Spain's Compañía Nacional de Danza lists another version at 45 minutes. It is a short work rather than a full-evening ballet. [Alvin Ailey](https://ailey.org/repertory/firebird)
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