Pulcinella Grand Theatre Romain de Pompei

Pulcinella transports the commedia dell'arte tradition into a sunlit Mediterranean world, where the mischievous servant Pulcinella navigates a landscape of romantic entanglements and comic deceptions. Set against the ruins of Pompeii, the ballet celebrates the timeless appeal of theatrical trickery and physical comedy through a series of encounters involving young lovers, jealous rivals, and the ever-resourceful protagonist who orchestrates chaos with wit and agility. Stravinsky's neoclassical score, drawing on themes attributed to Pergolesi, provides a sparkling musical backdrop to Massine's inventive choreography, which blends classical ballet vocabulary with the exaggerated gestures and slapstick traditions of Italian popular theatre. The work represents a pivotal moment in twentieth-century ballet, merging high art with popular entertainment and establishing a new aesthetic that would influence generations of choreographers.