Ballets Russes The scandal caused by the premiere performance in Paris of Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring" has been partly attributed to the provocative aesthetic of the costumes of the Ballets Russes. Alexandre Benois had been the most influential member of The Nevsky Pickwickians and was one of the original founders (with Bakst and Diaghilev) of "Mir iskusstva". His particular interest in ballet as an art form strongly influenced Diaghilev and was seminal in the formation of the Ballets Russes. In addition, Benois contributed scenic and costume designs to several of the company's earlier productions: "Le Pavillon d'Armide", portions of "Le Festin",
The Rite of Spring orchestras would be reluctant to pay a second rental charge from two publishers to match the full work and the revised Sacrificial Dance; moreover, the revised dance could only be published in America. The 1948 score provided copyright protection to the work in America, where it had lapsed, but Boosey (who acquired the Editions Russe catalogue) did not have the rights to the revised finale. The 1929 score as revised in 1948 forms the basis of most modern performances of "The Rite." Boosey & Hawkes reissued their 1948 edition in 1965, and produced a newly engraved edition (B&H 19441) in