Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes not only revolutionised the world of dance in the early years of the century, but radically altered the prevailing ideas on theatre design and produced some of the most startlingly innovative music ever written into the bargain, so a study of the man and his era is particularly welcome as the century draws to a close. Like all the best obsessives John Drummond - yes, that John Drummond: Edinburgh, the Proms and the BBC - became interested in his subject almost by accident, and his trawl through the murky depths of what used to be known as "Western culture" has produced a series of thought-provoking interviews which will fascinate anyone interested in the theory and practice of the arts.
By Arminta Wallace