ballet theater degilev
Classical Russian ballet has transformed world ballet art. It was famous for many decades and is still famous today. But at the beginning of the 20th century, a star of new Russian choreography flashed, laying down its own traditions - and these traditions not only live on to this day, but have become the proclamation of a new world art. Russian ballet of the early 20th century is a completely unexpected word in the art of ballet, and ballet culture seems to have been waiting for it for a long time.
Until now, world ballet feeds on the discoveries and innovations of the Russian troupe, which performed in Europe in the 1910s-1920s, develops and transforms the traditions laid down by it. By a strangeness of fate, the new Russian ballet was born and gained worldwide fame outside of Russia, but it was created by Russian artists, Russian choreographers, artists, and composers. It is no coincidence that the troupe was called "Sergei Diaghilev's Russian Ballet". Diaghilev's ballet seasons not only presented the world with a new Russian ballet, but also revealed the talents of many Russian artists to the fullest extent, and here world fame came to them.
It all began in 1907, when Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev opened in Paris a Russian enterprise called Russian Seasons. Diaghilev's name was already familiar to Europe. An unusually energetic entrepreneur, also known in Russia as a serious connoisseur of world culture, author of works on the history of Russian painting, one of the organizers of the art association "World of Art", editor of the magazines "World of Art" and "Yearbook of Imperial Theaters", organizer of art exhibitions, theatrical figure , a man close both to ballet circles and to the circle of artists and composers, Diaghilev by that time managed to organize in Europe more than one exhibition of works by Russian artists, representatives of that new Russian art, which would later be called the art of the Silver Age, the art of the Art Nouveau era.
Diaghilev began his "Russian Seasons" in Paris with "Historical Concerts", in which S. V. Rakhmanov, N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, A. K. Glazunov, F. I. Shalyapin, and the Maritime Bolshoi Theater Chorus took part. The following year, Diaghilev brought Russian opera to Paris, familiarizing the European audience with masterpieces of productions of works by M. P. Musorsky, A. P. Borodin, N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov (the main roles were sung by Fyodor Chaliapin). In the 1909 season, ballet appeared in Diaghilev's enterprise. Ballet performances were in turn with operas. He brought to Europe the flower of Russian theatrical culture - dancers V.F. Nizhinsky, A.P. Pavlova, T.P. Karsavin, choreographer M.M. Fokin, invites artists A.N. Benois, L.S. Bakst, N.K. Roerich, A. Ya. Golovin.
The success of ballet performances was so deafening that the next year Diaghilev abandoned opera and brought only ballet to Paris. We can say that since 1910 he has become an exclusively “ballet entrepreneur”. Diaghilev devotes the rest of his life to ballet.
Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev has long had a passion for ballet theater. In 1899-1901. he directed the production of L. Delibes' Silvia at the Mariinsky Theater. Diaghilev tried to update the ballet's scenography, but met with resistance from the theater management and was fired "for undermining academic traditions." As we can see, Diaghilev's thirst for finding new ways in ballet appeared long before his Parisian "seasons".
In 1910 Diaghilev brought to Paris ballets by Fokine, staged by this choreographer at the Mariinsky Theater - "Scheherazade" by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, "Cleopard" by A. S. Arensky, "Pavilion of the Armida" by N. N. Cherepnin, "Giselle" by A. Adam. The Polovtsian dances from the opera "Prince Igor" by A.P. Borodin were also presented. Preparations for the season began in St. Petersburg. Here Diaghilev's outstanding talent as an entrepreneur appeared in full measure. First of all, the St. Petersburg performances were edited in the direction of complicating the choreography. With the help of MF Kshesinskaya, a member of the troupe close to the court, Diaghilev was able to get a substantial subsidy for this season (Emperor Nicholas II beat among the "sponsors"). Diaghilev managed to find patrons among French patrons of art.
He assembled an entertaining troupe from young people, primarily from supporters of Fokine's choreography - these were Pavlova, Karsavina, Bolm, Nijinsky. From Moscow he invited Coralli, Geltser, Mordkin. The French were shocked by the Russian ballet - and the originality of the choreography, and the brilliance of the performing, and the painting of the scenery, and spectacular costumes. Each performance was a spectacle of amazing beauty and perfection. Nijinsky, Pavlova, Karsavina became a discovery for Europe.
The Diaghilev seasons were called "Russian Seasons Abroad" and were held annually until 1913. The 1910 season was the first season, and in 1911 Diaghilev decided to create a separate ballet troupe, called Diaghilev's Russian Ballet. Fokine became the main choreographer in it. The legendary performances “The Vision of a Rose” to the music of KM Weber, “Narcissus” by NN Cherepnin, “Daphnis and Chloe” by M. Ravel, “Tamara” to the music of MA Balakirev were staged here.
The main event of the first seasons was the ballet Petrushka, staged by Fokin in 1911, to the music of IF Stravinsky (the artist was A. Benois), where Nijinsky played the main role. This party became one of the heights in the artist's work.
Since 1912, Diaghilev's troupe begins to tour the world - London, Rome, Berlin, cities in America. These tours contributed not only to strengthening the glory of the new Russian ballet, but also to the revival of ballet in a number of European countries, and subsequently to the emergence of ballet theaters in countries that did not yet have their own ballet, for example, in the United States, in some countries of Latin America.
Diaghilev's troupe was destined to open one of the most remarkable pages in the history of the ballet theater, and Diaghilev, thanks to his activities in it, was rightfully called subsequently “the creator of a new artistic culture” (words belong to the dancer and choreographer Sergei Lifar). The troupe existed until 1929, that is, until the death of its creator. She was always accompanied by fame, the performances of the Diaghilev troupe amazed with a high artistic level, outstanding talents that Diaghilev knew how to find and nurtured shone in them.
The troupe's activities are divided into two periods - from 1911 to 1917. and from 1917 to 1929. The first period is associated with the activities of Fokine, dancers Nizhinsky, Karsavina, Pavlova, as well as with the work of the artists of the "World of Art" - Benoit, Dobuzhinsky, Bext, Sudeikin, Golovin, with Russian classical composers N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, A. K Lyadov, MA Balakirev, PI Tchaikovsky to the people with contemporary Russian composers NN Cherepnin, IF Stravinsky, K. Debussé.
The second period is associated with the names of ballet masters L.F. Myasin, G. Balanchine, dancers Sergei Lifar, Alicia Markova, Anton Dolin, European artists P. Picasso, A. Beauchamp, M. Utrillo, A. Matisse and Russian avant-garde artists - M F. Larionov, NS Goncharova, G.B. Yakulov, contemporary Russian and foreign composers - Stravinsky, Prokofiev, F. Poulenc, E. Sati.
In 1917, as a teacher-tutor, Diaghilev invited the famous Ernesto Cecchetti, an admirer and connoisseur of Russian classical ballet: Diaghilev never declared a break with the great traditions of Russian ballet, even in his most "modernist" productions, he still remained within their framework
Rarely has an entreprise troupe stayed at the peak of success for three-cheat seasons. Diaghilev's troupe has been at the level of world fame for 20 years. The director of Diaghilev's Ballets Russes S. L. Grigoriev wrote: “It is difficult to conquer Paris. Holding influence over 20 seasons is a feat. " Over the years of the troupe's existence, it has staged more than 20 ballets.
It should be noted that after 1917 the European ballet theater entered a state of crisis. The classical school chewed up itself, new ideas and names appeared few. It was at such a crisis moment that the brilliant team of Diaghilev gave the world samples of high art, endowed the world ballet with new ideas, suggested new ways of its development.
Description:
A professional ballet company based on classical ballet in its repertoire. The company also offers dance accompaniment for events - weddings, exhibitions, concerts, birthdays, presentations, advertisements, fashion shows, shootings, etc. A wide professional range of artists allows performing the composition both in the classical style (ballet) and in the neo-classical, modern style, etc. The repertoire includes short concert numbers (from 2 minutes) to ballet fragments of 15-20 minutes each performance (1.40 minutes) or staging a performance / program / performance specifically for a specific project, an adapted fairy tale ballet for children (accompanied by a narrator). Own extensive wardrobe, decorations and professional mobile flooring are also available.
Special Conditions (Rider):
It is discussed directly for each specific order (since it depends on the nature of the selected number / performance).
All “Theater of young spectators named after AA Bryantsev "Theater" Music Hall "St. Petersburg State Academic Ballet Theater named after Leonid Yakobson Producer Company Ilya Averbukh Moscow Synodal Choir" Astrakhan State Song and Dance Ensemble "Bolshoi Symphony Orchestra Sverdlovsk State Academic Philharmonic Vocational Theater named after Mossambassal INTRADA "Kaluga Regional Philharmonic Society Kazan State Conservatory named after N.G. Zhiganov Academy of Russian Ballet named after A.Ya. Vaganova All-Russian Museum of A.S. Pushkin All-Russian Museum of Decorative, Applied and Folk Art" Moscow Musical Theater "Helikon-Opera" under the direction of Dmitry Bertman "State Museum of the History of Russian Literature named after VI Dahl State Academic Mariinsky Theater State Academic Central Puppet Theater named after SV Obraztsov State Chamber Orchestra" Moscow Virtuosi "State Memorial Historical and Literary Native Landscape Museum-Reserve of A.S. Pushkin "Mikhailovskoye" State Museum-Reserve "Peterhof" State Museum-Reserve "Tsarskoye Selo" State Museum and Exhibition Center "ROSIZO" State Research Museum of Architecture named after A.V. Shchusev Yekaterinburg theater of modern choreography "Provincial Dances" Regional Autonomous Institution "State Philharmonic Society of Altai Krai" Moscow State Academic Philharmonic Society Moscow Theater "Et Cetera" Museum of the World Ocean Museum of Victory ( Central Museum Great Patriotic War 1941-1945) Novosibirsk State Philharmonic Project of the Russian Orthodox Church St. Petersburg State Academic Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture named after I.E. Repin at the Russian Academy of Arts "State Academic Capella of St. Petersburg" "Academic Theater of Boris Ballet Eifman "Theater named after EB Vakhtangov Teatrium on Serpukhovka under the direction of Teresa Durova State Vladimir-Suzdal Museum-Reserve" State Museum of the History of Religion "Soyuzmultfilm Pianist Rem Urasin Youth Symphony Orchestra of the Republic of Tatarstan Russian Film Festival" Short Meetings "Arkhangelsk budgetary institution of culture region "State Academic Northern Russian Folk Choir" Russian-German Music Academy Surgut Music and Drama Theater Days of Russian Spiritual Culture Conference "Granin and Germany. A difficult path to reconciliation "State Autonomous Institution of Culture" Ryazan Regional Philharmonic "State Pushkin Theater Center in St. Petersburg Theater" Myrt "(Workshop Integrated Rehabilitation Theater) State Autonomous Institution of the Republic of Komi" Komi Republican Philharmonic "Academy of Watercolors S. Andriyaka State Budgetary Institution culture of the city of Moscow "Moscow State Academic Dance Theater" Gzhel "State Autonomous Institution of Culture of the Novosibirsk Region" State Academic Siberian Russian Folk Choir "Federal Agency for Press and Mass Communications (Rospechat) Federal State Enterprise" Russian State Circus Company "Days of Russian Spiritual Culture International festival ballet DANCE OPEN Academic Bolshoi Choir "Masters of Choral Singing" Pskov Academic Drama Theater named after A.S. Pushkin FKP "Rosgoscirk"
"Russian Seasons" by Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev
“And what are you doing here, dear? - once asked Sergei Diaghilev King of Spain Alfonso during a meeting with a famous entrepreneur of the "Russian Seasons". - You do not conduct an orchestra or play on musical instrument, do not paint the scenery and do not dance. So what are you doing? " To which he replied: “You and I are alike, Your Majesty! I do not work. I do nothing. But you can't do without me. "
The Russian Seasons organized by Diaghilev were not just a propaganda of Russian art in Europe, they became an integral part of European culture at the beginning of the 20th century. and an invaluable contribution to the development of ballet art.
History Diaghilev's Russian Seasons and many interesting facts read on our page.
Prehistory of "Russian Seasons"
The combination of legal education and interest in music developed in Sergei Diaghilev brilliant organizational skills and the ability to discern talent even in a novice performer, complemented, in modern terms, by the vein of a manager.
Diaghilev's close acquaintance with the theater began with the editing of the Yearbook of the Imperial Theaters in 1899, when he served at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg. Thanks to the assistance of the artists of the "World of Art" group, to which the special assignment officer S. Diaghilev belonged, he turned the publication from a stingy statistical collection into a real art magazine.
When, after a year of work as the editor of the Yearbook, Diaghilev was commissioned to organize L. Delibes' ballet Sylvia, or the Nymph of Diana, a scandal broke out over the modernist scenery, which did not fit into the conservative atmosphere of the theater of that time. Diaghilev was fired and he returned to painting, organizing exhibitions of paintings by European artists and "Miriskusniki" in Russia. The logical continuation of this activity was in 1906 a landmark art exhibition at the Paris Autumn Salon. From this event, the history of the Seasons began ...
Ups and downs…
Inspired by the success of the Salon d'Automne, Diaghilev did not want to stop and, having decided to found a tour of Russian artists in Paris, he first gave preference to music. So, in 1907, Sergei Pavlovich organized "Historical Russian Concerts", the program of which included 5 symphony concerts of Russian classics, held at the Parisian Grand Opera reserved for the "Seasons". Chaliapin's high bass, the Bolshoi Theater choir, Nikish's conducting skills and Hoffmann's delightful piano playing captivated the Parisian public. In addition, a carefully selected repertoire, which includes excerpts from "Ruslana and Lyudmila" Glinka, "Christmas Nights", "Sadko" and "Snow Maiden" Rimsky-Korsakov, " Sorceresses "Tchaikovsky," Khovanshchyna "And" Boris Godunov "by Mussorgsky, made a splash.
In the spring of 1908, Diaghilev again went to win the hearts of Parisians: this time with an opera. but "Boris Godunov" gathered a far from full hall and the proceeds barely covered the expenses of the troupe. It was necessary to urgently solve something.
Knowing what the then public liked, Diaghilev made a compromise with his own principles. He despised ballet, considering it a primitive entertainment for the same primitive minds, but in 1909, an entrepreneur sensitive to the mood of the public brought 5 ballets: "Pavilion of the Armida", "Cleopatra", "Polovtsian Dances", " Sylph "And" Feast ". The astonishing success of the performances staged by the promising choreographer M. Fokin confirmed that Diaghilev's choice was correct. The best ballet dancers from Moscow and St. Petersburg - V. Nijinsky, A. Pavlova, I. Rubinstein, M. Kshesinskaya, T. Karsavina and others - formed the core of the ballet troupe. Although after a year Pavlova will leave the troupe because of disagreements with the impresario, "Russian Seasons" will become the springboard in her life, after which the ballerina's fame will only grow. The poster of V. Serov's work, made for the 1909 tour and containing the image of Pavlova frozen in a graceful pose, became for the artist a prophecy of glory.
It was the ballet that brought great fame to the Russian Seasons, and it was Diaghilev's troupe that influenced the history of the development of this art form in all countries where they had to perform on tour. Since 1911, "Russian Seasons" contained exclusively ballet numbers, the troupe began to perform in a relatively stable composition and was named "Diaghilev's Russian Ballet". Now they perform not only at the Paris Seasons, but also go on tour in Monaco (Monte Carlo), England (London), USA, Austria (Vienna), Germany (Berlin, Budapest), Italy (Venice, Rome).
In Diaghilev's ballets, from the very beginning, there was a desire to synthesize music, singing, dance and visual arts into a single whole, subordinate to a general concept. It was this feature that was revolutionary for that time, and it was precisely because of this feature that Diaghilev's performances of the Russian Ballet evoked either storms of applause or storms of criticism. In search of new forms, experimenting with plastics, decorations, musical arrangement, Diaghilev's entreprise was significantly ahead of its time.
This can be proved by the fact that the premiere held in Paris (Theater on the Champs Elysees) in 1913 "Sacred Spring" - a ballet based on Russian pagan rites , - was drowned out by the whistles and shouts of the indignant audience, and in 1929 in London (Covent Garden Theater) its production was crowned with enthusiastic exclamations and frantic applause.
Continuous experimentation gave rise to such peculiar performances as Games (fantasy on the theme of tennis), Blue God (fantasy on the theme of Indian motives), 8-minute ballet "Afternoon of a Faun", called by the audience the most obscene phenomenon in the theater due to frankly erotic plastics of the luminary, "choreographic symphony" "Daphnis and Chloe" to music by M. Ravel, etc.
Diaghilev - reformer and modernist of ballet art
When Diaghilev's troupe came to the ballet, there was a complete stagnation in academic conservatism. The great impresario had to destroy the existing canons, and on the European stage this, of course, was much easier to do than in Russia. Diaghilev did not directly participate in the productions, but he was the organizing force thanks to which his troupe achieved world recognition.
Diaghilev intuitively understood that the main thing in ballet is a talented choreographer. He knew how to see the organizational gift even in a novice choreographer, as was the case with M. Fokin, and was able to bring up the qualities necessary for working with his troupe, as happened with 19-year-old V. Myasin. He also invited Serge Lifar to his collective, first as a performer, and later made him a new star in the galaxy of ballet masters of the Russian Ballet troupe.
The productions of Russian Seasons were strongly influenced by the work of modernist artists. The sets and costumes were created by A. Benois, N. Roerich, B. Anisfeld, L. Bakst, S. Sudeikin, M. Dobuzhinsky, who gravitate towards the symbolism of the World of Arts association, as well as avant-garde artists N. Goncharova, M. Larionov, Spanish monumentalist H.-M. Sert, the Italian futurist D. Balla, the cubists P. Picasso, H. Gris and J. Braque, the French impressionist A. Matisse, the neoclassicist L. Survage. Such famous personalities as C. Chanel, A. Laurent and others were also involved as decorators and costume designers in Diaghilev's productions. As you know, the form always affects the content, which was observed by the audience of "Russian Seasons". Not only the scenery, costumes and curtain were striking in their artistic expressiveness, outrageousness, play of lines: the entire production of this or that ballet was permeated with modernist trends, plastic gradually ousted the plot from the center of the viewer's attention.
Diaghilev used a wide variety of music for the performances of the Russian Ballet: from world classics F. Chopin , R. Schumann, K. Weber , D. Scarlatti, R. Strauss and Russian classics N. Rimsky-Korsakov , A. Glazunov, M. Mussorgsky, P. Tchaikovsky , M. Glinka before the impressionists K. Debussy and M. Ravel, as well as contemporary Russian composers I. Stravinsky and N. Cherepnin.
European ballet, which was experiencing a crisis in its development at the beginning of the twentieth century, was gifted with the young talents of Diaghilev's Russian ballet, refreshed by his new techniques of performance, new plastics, an unsurpassed synthesis of various types of arts, from which something completely different from the usual classical ballet was born.
Interesting Facts
- Although "Historical Russian Concerts" and ranked as "Russian Seasons", only the poster of 1908 contained this name for the first time. There were still 20 such seasons ahead, but the 1908 tour was the last attempt of the entrepreneur to do without ballet.
- To stage The Afternoon of a Faun, lasting only 8 minutes, Nijinsky needed 90 rehearsals.
- An avid collector, Diaghilev dreamed of getting A. Pushkin's unpublished letters to Natalia Goncharova. When they were finally handed over to him in June 1929, the entrepreneur was late for the train - he was to tour in Venice. Diaghilev put the letters in the safe to read them after arriving home ... but he was not condemned to return from Venice. The land of Italy has accepted the great impresario forever.
- During the performance of the solo part in the ballet Orientalia in 1910, V. Nijinsky made his famous leap, glorifying him as a “flying dancer”.
- Before each performance of the ballet The Phantom of the Rose, the dresser sewed rose petals to Nijinsky's costume anew, because after the next performance he tore them off and gave them away to numerous fans of the dancer.
Films about S. Diaghilev and his activities
- In the film "The Red Shoes" (1948), Diaghilev's personality received an artistic rethinking in the character under the name Lermontov. A. Walbrook as Diaghilev.
- In the feature films Nijinsky (1980) and Anna Pavlova (1983), attention is also paid to Diaghilev's personality. In his role - A. Bates and V. Larionov, respectively.
- The documentary film by A. Vasiliev “The Fate of the Ascetic. Sergey Diaghilev "(2002) tells the story of the founder of the magazine" World of Arts "and the entrepreneur of" Russian Seasons ".
- A very interesting and exciting film “Geniuses and villains of the passing era. Sergei Diaghilev "(2007) tells about little-known facts related to Diaghilev and his production activities.
- In 2008, the series “Ballet and Power” was dedicated to films by Vaslav Nijinsky and Sergei Diaghilev, however, their ambiguous relationship and the talent of the young dancer became the focus of attention of many films that deserve a separate review.
- The film Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky (2009) touches upon the relationship between the entrepreneur and the composer, who wrote the music for many of his performances.
- The documentary "Paris by Sergei Diaghilev" (2010) is the most fundamental film about the life and work of a talented entrepreneur.
- The first of the films in the series “Historical Travels of Ivan Tolstoy” is dedicated to Sergei Diaghilev - “Precious Bundle of Letters” (2011).
- One program from the cycle “The Chosen One. Russia. Century XX "(2012).
- The documentary “Ballet in the USSR” (2013) (The series “Made in the USSR”) partially touches upon the theme of “Russian seasons”.
- The release of the TV "Absolute Pitch" dated 13.02.2013 tells about Diaghilev and the art of the 20th century, and from 14.01.2015 - about the first performances of the ballet "Afternoon of a Faun".
- As part of the cycle of programs "The Riddles of Terpsichore" two films were released - "Sergei Diaghilev - a man of art" (2014) and "Sergei Diaghilev - from painting to ballet" (2015).
It can rightfully be considered the ancestor of the domestic show business. He managed to play on the shocking performances of his troupe and purposefully saturating the performances with various modernist techniques at all levels of composition: scenery, costumes, music, plastic - everything bore the imprint of the most fashionable trends of the era. In the Russian ballet of the beginning of the 20th century, as in other areas of art of that time, dynamics was clearly visible from the active searches of the Silver Age for new means of expression to the disruptive intonations and broken lines of avant-garde art. " Russian seasons»Raised European art to a qualitatively new level of development and to this day they do not cease to inspire creative bohemians in search of new ideas.
Video: Watch a film about Diaghilev's "Russian Seasons"
