Costume from Prince Igor, Beecham Opera Company, c.1919 - shift

This costume (and costume S.78-1998) appear to relate to Borodin's opera, Prince Igor, as produced by Thomas Beecham in his Grand Opera season at Covent Garden in July 1919. This was the first production of the opera in English and the first time that Prince Igor had been seen in Britain since the 1914 Diaghilev Ballet season at Drury Lane. The Drury Lane season had been backed by Thomas Beecham's father, Sir Joseph. It is known that Sir Joseph paid for the 1914 production of Le Coq d'or, retaining the costumes after the season was over, and it may be that these Prince Igor costumes were also originally created for the 1914 Russian Opera and Ballet season. The credit for the 1914 Prince Igor designs is given to Nicholas Roerich. As illustrations of the Russian opera productions are few, it is impossible to say how the designs for 1914 related to Roerich's original 1909 Prince Igor designs. No designer is credited for the 1919 Covent Garden production. Associated production: Prince Igor. Producer: Thomas Beecham. Performing company: Beecham Opera Company. Covent Garden, London, 26.7.1919. Performance category: Opera.

S.77-1998