Conventional signs of the opening of the Bolshoi Theater. Dmitry Medvedev: “The Bolshoi Theater is a symbol that unites the country, a national brand

Grand Theatre Russia has always been and remains one of the main symbols of our state and its culture. This is the main national theater Russia, the bearer of Russian traditions and the center of the world musical culture conducive to development theatrical art countries.
Russian masterpieces musical theater XIX-XX centuries occupy a dominant place in the repertoire, the principles of formation of which can be divided into three categories. The Bolshoi brings to the attention of its viewers Russian classics, including the 20th century, Western classics, also including recognized masterpieces XX century, and specially commissioned compositions.

Grand Theatre started out as private theater provincial prosecutor Prince Peter Urusov. On March 28, 1776, Empress Catherine II signed a “privilege” to the prince for the maintenance of performances, masquerades, balls and other amusements for a period of ten years. This date is considered the founding day of the Moscow Bolshoi Theater. At the first stage of existence Bolshoi Theater opera and drama troupe constituted a unified whole. The composition was the most diverse: from serf artists to stars invited from abroad.
In the formation of the opera and drama troupe, Moscow University and the gymnasiums established under it, which gave good musical education. Theater classes were established at the Moscow Orphanage, which also supplied personnel to the new troupe.

That building Big, which for many years has been perceived by everyone as one of the main attractions of Moscow, opened on October 20, 1856 during the coronation of Alexander II. It was rebuilt after a fire in 1853. The Bolshoi Theatre, practically rebuilt and with very significant changes compared to the previous building. The restoration work was led by Professor of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, Chief Architect of the Imperial Theaters Albert Cavos. The theater opened on August 20, 1856 with the opera "Puritanes" by V. Bellini.

The total height of the building has increased by almost four meters. Despite the fact that the porticos with Beauvais columns have been preserved, the appearance of the main facade has changed quite a lot. A second pediment appeared. The troika of Apollo was replaced by a quadriga cast in bronze. An alabaster bas-relief appeared on the inner field of the pediment, representing flying geniuses with a lyre. The frieze and capitals of the columns have changed. Over the entrances of the side facades, inclined canopies were installed on cast-iron pillars.

But the theatrical architect, of course, paid the main attention to the auditorium and the stage part. In the second half of the 19th century, the Bolshoi Theater was considered one of the best in the world in terms of its acoustic properties. And he owed this to the skill of Albert Cavos, who designed the auditorium as a huge musical instrument. Wooden panels from resonant spruce were used to decorate the walls, a wooden ceiling was made instead of an iron ceiling, and a picturesque ceiling was made of wooden shields - everything in this hall worked for acoustics.

In 1987, by a decree of the Government of the country, a decision was made on the need for an urgent reconstruction of the Bolshoi Theater. But it was clear to everyone that in order to preserve the troupe, the theater should not stop its creative activity. We needed a branch. However, eight years passed before the first stone was laid in the foundation of its foundation. And seven more before the New Stage building was completed.

On November 29, 2002, the new stage opened with the premiere of the opera The Snow Maiden by N. Rimsky-Korsakov, a production that fully corresponds to the spirit and purpose of the new building, that is, innovative, experimental.

In 2005, the Bolshoi Theater was closed for restoration and reconstruction.
This reconstruction lasted from July 1, 2005 to October 28, 2011. It revived many lost features historical appearance famous building and at the same time put it among the most technically equipped theater buildings in the world. The Bolshoi Theater is a stable symbol of Russia for all time. He received this honorary role thanks to the great contribution that he made to the history of Russian art. History continues - and many bright pages in it are still being written by artists of the Bolshoi Theater.

History of reconstruction and restoration of the building Bolshoi Theater began almost from the first years of its existence. By the time the current reconstruction began, the depreciation of the building was, according to various estimates, from 50 to 70 percent. Were suggested various options its recovery: from the trivial overhaul to complete renovation of the existing building. As a result, a project approved by the theater troupe, architects, cultural figures, etc. was chosen. The project provided for the scientific restoration of the audience part of the theater and a radical reconstruction of the stage part with the deepening of the underground space. At the same time, the historical appearance of the building as a monument of architecture was to be preserved.
In addition to restoring the historical appearance and interiors, the designers were tasked with providing the theater with new premises. It was successfully solved by creating an underground space.
Another equally important task was the need to combine strictly scientific restoration in the historical area and the installation of the most modern technological equipment in the stage part and new spaces of the theatre.

Grand Theatre even largely restored the historical appearance, lost during the years of Soviet power. The auditorium and part of its enfilade acquired the form in which their architect conceived Bolshoi Theater Albert Kavos. The halls of the former imperial foyer have been restored as of 1895, when their interiors were changed during preparations for the celebrations that accompanied the coronation of Emperor Nicholas II.
In 2010, the premises of the enfilade were restored auditorium: Main lobby, White foyer, Choir, Exposition, Round and Beethoven halls. Muscovites saw the restored facades and the updated symbol Bolshoi Theater- the famous quadriga of Apollo, created by the sculptor Peter Klodt.
The auditorium has regained its original beauty. And now every viewer Bolshoi Theater can feel like a theatergoer of the 19th century and marvel at its magnificent and at the same time “light” decoration. Gold-studded bright crimson draperies interior spaces lodges, various stucco arabesques on each floor, a picturesque plafond "Apollo and the Muses" - all this gives the auditorium the look of a fairy-tale palace.

Bolshoi Theater after reconstruction.

The Bolshoi Theater is a stable symbol of Russia for all time. He received this honorary role thanks to the great contribution that he made to the history of Russian art. History continues - and many bright pages in it are still being written by artists of the Bolshoi Theater.

On March 28, 1776, Catherine II signed a “privilege” to the prosecutor, Prince Peter Urusov, thanks to which he could arrange performances, masquerades, balls and other entertainments for ten years. This date is considered the founding day of the Bolshoi Theatre.

However, Prince Urusov quickly lost interest in the theatrical business: it turned out to be too costly. He shared the costs with his partner, the English businessman Michael Medox. Over time, the entire "privilege" went to the Englishman. He opened on December 30, 1780, on the right bank of the Neglinka, the Petrovsky Theater, which got its name from Petrovka Street, on which it was located. On the first evening they gave a solemn prologue "Wanderers" by A.O. Ablesimov, as well as the pantomimic ballet "Magic School". The repertoire was formed from opera and ballet performances Russian and Italian authors.

In July 1820, the construction of a new Petrovsky building began. By that time, several of its owners had changed, as a result, in 1806, the sovereign-emperor Alexander I himself became the owner, and the theater acquired the status of an imperial theater and came under the jurisdiction of the created unified Directorate of Imperial Theaters. The theater itself burned twice, including during the fire of 1812.

The new temple of Melpomene, which opened in 1825, was decorated with a portico on eight columns with a large sculptural group - Apollo on a chariot with three horses. Its façade overlooked the Theater Square, which was then under construction, "which contributed to its decoration," as Moscow newspapers wrote. The building significantly exceeded the area of ​​the old one, so the theater began to be called the Bolshoi Petrovsky and, of course, the imperial one. The scene lasted almost 30 years. During this period, the word "Petrovsky" gradually disappears from its name - Muscovites increasingly call it simply "Big". However, the scourge of the wooden buildings of those years - the fire - did not spare the imperial stage, broke out in March 1853, lasted three days and literally destroyed everything - the scenery, costumes and the building.

Rebuilt, the stage reopened in August 1856, on the days of the coronation of Alexander II. This building of the Bolshoi Theater has been considered one of the main attractions of Moscow for many years.

The famous chandelier of the auditorium was originally lit by 300 oil lamps. To light oil lamps, it was raised through a hole in the ceiling into a special room. Around this hole, a circular composition of the ceiling was built, on which the painting "Apollo and the Muses" was made.

After October revolution The existence of the theater was in jeopardy. However, in 1922 the Bolshevik government decided not to close it. By that time, the All-Russian Congresses of Soviets, meetings of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, and congresses of the Comintern were held in the theater building. Even education new country- USSR - was proclaimed from the stage of the Bolshoi. Back in 1921, a special government commission called the condition of the theater building catastrophic. After that, the foundations under the annular walls of the auditorium were strengthened, the wardrobe rooms were restored, the stairs were replanned, new rehearsal rooms and artistic latrines were created.

In April 1941, the Bolshoi was closed for repairs, and two months later the Great Patriotic War. Part of the theater group left for evacuation to Kuibyshev, part remained in Moscow and continued to play performances on the stage of the branch.

On October 22, 1941, a bomb hit the building of the Bolshoi Theater. The blast wave passed between the columns of the portico, broke through the front wall and destroyed the vestibule. Despite the hardships of wartime, restoration work began in the theater, and in the fall of 1943 the Bolshoi opened with a production of M.I. Glinka "Life for the Tsar".

It was only in 1987 that a decision was made to urgently reconstruct the Bolshoi Theatre. But it was clear to everyone that the theater should not stop its creative activity. A branch was needed, but eight years passed before the first stone was laid in the foundation of its foundation. November 29, 2002 new scene opened with the premiere of the opera The Snow Maiden by N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov.

Then the theater began large-scale reconstruction, which lasted from July 1, 2005 to October 28, 2011. She revived many of the lost features of the historical appearance of the building, put it on a par with the most technically equipped theaters in the world.

If we talk about the repertoire of the Bolshoi, then the first place in it is occupied by the masterpieces of the Russian musical theater of the XIX-XX centuries. The Bolshoi also offers Western classics, as well as specially commissioned works, such as the opera The Children of Rosenthal and the ballet Lost Illusions by Leonid Desyatnikov.

Such directors as Francesca Zambello, Eymuntas Nyakroshyus, Declan Donnellan, Robert Sturua, Peter Konvicny, Temur Chkheidze, Robert Wilson, Graham Vick, Alexander Sokurov, choreographers Roland Petit, John Neumeier, Christopher Wheeldon, Angelin Preljocaj, Wayne Mac- Gregor.

October 28 opened historical scene Bolshoi Theatre. One of the main cultural symbols of the country has opened its doors after a six-year reconstruction. The gala concert in honor of the opening was broadcast on central TV channels, on the Internet and on plasma screens in the street. Guests began to flock to Theater Square, and it was certainly impossible to get an "extra" ticket.

18.00 . The Kremlin regiment lined up along the red carpet. Those invited to the opening ceremony walked along it. Not only show business stars, but also politicians were invited to the Bolshoi Theater. In particular, the leader of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation Gennady Zyuganov came. His red tie matched the color of the carpet. sculptor Zurab Tsereteli, Mikhail Barshchevsky, Mikhail Shvydkoy, Alexander Rodnyansky.

18.30. Aide to the President Arkady Dvorkovich followed her along the red carpet. businessman Alexander Gafin with his wife, head of the Winery Sofya Trotsenko, head of the First Winery Konstantin Ernst, president of the Sovershenno Sekretno holding Veronika Borovik-Khilchevskaya, ex-head of Yeltsin's administration Alexander Voloshin and singer Nikolai Baskov.

The script for the solemn gala concert was kept secret for a long time and was supposed to be full of surprises. Main five opera soloists, whose names have so far been kept secret so as not to spoil the surprise for the audience.

Assumptions about who will participate in the concert the day before were made by many media outlets, some of them were confirmed when a RIA Novosti correspondent told the contents of the concert program. There were not five soloists, but four: Romanian Opera singer, soprano Angela Georgiou, French Natalie Dessay (coloratura soprano), Lithuanian star opera stage soprano Violeta Urmana, Russian baritone Dmitry Hvorostovsky.

18.50. The last guests, among whom were the head of Sberbank German Gref, the head of Gazprom Alexei Miller, former Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov and composer Igor Krutoy, hurried along the red carpet to the doors of the theater. Those who arrived early were at the buffet at that time, where, as our correspondent reported, they served bruschetta with sturgeon, beef, cheese and grapes, champagne and stronger alcoholic drinks and desserts "Anna Pavlova".

As a result of the reconstruction for the artists of the troupe, the most modern conditions, and the audience had the opportunity to fully enjoy the restored acoustics and the luxury of the halls. Now the Bolshoi Theater even has elevators.

18.56. Among the latest guests to arrive were TV presenter Ksenia Sobchak and her mother, Senator Lyudmila Narusova.

The concert was supposed to start at seven and exactly at 18.59 . Spectators by that time had already gathered in the hall.

19.02. During the live video broadcast, guests could be seen sitting in the hall. Naina Yeltsina and her family, ballerina Maya Plisetskaya and composer Rodion Shchedrin, singer Zurab Sotkilava and singer Galina Vishnevskaya took their places in the boxes, with Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' sitting next to her. The first and last president of the USSR, Mikhail Gorbachev, sat in the stalls. The concert was also attended by Speaker of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko, First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov, director Oleg Tabakov and his wife Marina Zudina, director of the Foreign Intelligence Service Mikhail Fradkov, singers Elena Obraztsova and Tamara Sinyavskaya.

19.10. She sat in the royal box, to which Dmitry Anatolyevich himself later joined.

About the gala concert at that time it was known that the scenography was built around the plot of the return of the Bolshoi Theater "home" - to its own main stage, and all the troupes of the theater will take part in it. Later, from the message of the correspondent, the list of numbers became known.

19.27. The next number of the concert, composed of scenes from ballets and arias of operas staged on the famous stage, was a fragment from Prokofiev's ballet "Cinderella". The stage was recreated theatre square with the building of the Bolshoi Theater on the back.

19.33 The first of the declared soloists appeared on the stage - the star of the Lithuanian opera scene Violeta Urmana, who performed Joanna's aria from the opera "The Maid of Orleans".

19.40. During the breaks between the concert performances, voluminous video installations were shown on the stage, telling about the history of the theater. Each of them was accompanied by a piece of music. So, in the interval between Violeta Urman's performance and the next number, a polonaise from Glinka's opera "A Life for the Tsar" sounded.

19.45. Then the theater's ballet troupe took the stage with a fragment from Aram Khachaturian's ballet "Spartacus" staged by choreographer Yuri Grigorovich. Grigorovich himself was present in the hall at that moment, he was in the royal box with the president. The main part was performed by the youngest Spartak in the history of ballet.

19.52. worldwide famous baritone Dmitry Hvorostovsky took the stage of the Bolshoi with Yeletsky's aria from Tchaikovsky's opera " Queen of Spades".

19.58. Opera numbers replaced ballet ones, and the next was the Basque dance from Asafiev's ballet "The Flames of Paris". In 2008 this ballet was choreographed for the Bolshoi by Alexei Ratmansky.

20.04. French opera singer Natalie Dessay (coloratura soprano) sang Rachmaninov's romance "Do not sing, beauty, in my presence ..."

20.12. And after it, the ballet troupe performed "Polovtsian Dances" from Borodin's opera "Prince Igor", the backdrop of this number was the curtain of the Bolshoi Theater of the Soviet era.

20.14. After the "Polovtsian Dances" it was time for the tango from the ballet "The Golden Age". The first ballet by Dmitri Shostakovich in 1982 was staged at the Bolshoi by Yuri Grigorovich.

20.20. During a short break, a multimedia presentation of the reconstruction of the theater was shown again. While it was being broadcast, one of Mussorgsky's plays from the "Pictures at an Exhibition" cycle was played.

As a result of the reconstruction, the area of ​​the theater doubled, the interiors were restored to their former appearance, and the acoustics were improved. After all, in late XIX century, the Bolshoi had the best acoustics among large opera houses peace. But after changes in Soviet period he was not even among the fifty (the space under the theater was filled with concrete). During the reconstruction, decks were created for auditorium and under orchestra pit, the room above the ceiling was also unloaded, all this should improve the acoustics.

20.22. The culmination of the concert was the adagio from the ballet " Swan Lake", performed by prima ballerina Svetlana Zakharova and one of the best prime ministers Big Andrey Uvarov.

20.30. During a short break, a video installation was again shown, dedicated to the opening theater on August 20, 1856 on the day of the coronation of Emperor Alexander II.

20.33. Elena Zelenskaya, Anna Aglatova, Ekaterina Shcherbachenko and Svetlana Shilova performed "Nature and Love" by Tchaikovsky. The backdrop to this number was constantly changing backdrops from various performances of the Bolshoi.

20.43. The next number was the finale of Prokofiev's opera Betrothal in a Monastery (Duenna). Soloists - Andrey Grigoriev, Irina Dolzhenko, Maxim Paster, Boris Rudak, Lolitta Semenina.

20.48. Maria Alexandrova, Vladislav Lantratov soloed in a fragment of the ballet "Don Quixote" by Ludwig Minkus.

20.51. Romanian opera prima Angela Georgiou performed Lisa's arioso from Tchaikovsky's The Queen of Spades. At that time, an installation with an enlarged image of Soviet and Russian symbols (1954-2005) on the curtain of the Bolshoi was broadcast on the backdrop.

The change of symbolism was one of the key moments of the reconstruction, during which it was decided to replace the bas-reliefs of the State Emblem of the USSR on the facade of the building and above the central royal box with bas-reliefs of the historical coat of arms of Russia of 1856, and the coats of arms of the USSR went to the museum storage.

20.59. At the end of the gala concert, the life of the theater behind the scenes was played out on the stage: the preparation of the artists for the exit, the change of scenery, and even the stage workers spent white horse and donkey.

21.02. To the sound of Ludwig Minkus' Dance of the Kapeldiners, the "elders of the theatre" took the stage - veterans of the choir carried and placed baskets of flowers around the stage.

21.07. Then archival video footage was shown in which legendary performers and dancers, including Irina Arkhipova, Olga Lepeshinskaya, Maya Plisetskaya, Elena Obraztsova, Boris Pokrovsky, Vladimir Vasiliev and many others, recalled their work at the Bolshoi Theater, how they got here for the first time and how they went on its stage.

21.10. the exit of the artists of the Bolshoi on the stage to the standing ovation of the audience. The brass band played Tchaikovsky's Coronation March. To this music, the entire troupe of the theater came out to bow: choristers, ballet and opera dancers - men in tuxedos, women in white dresses. The decoration for this last scene was the facade of the Bolshoi Theater and the snow-white main staircase. The curtain closed, and the audience stood up to welcome the return of the artists to their native stage.

Patriarch Alexy and "Gorbachev's wife" were mentioned among those present at the opening of the Bolshoi Theater after reconstruction

As the leading Russian news agency RIA Novosti informed the world, “the first concert began after the welcoming speech of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. First Deputy Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister arrived at the opening of the theater after reconstruction Alexander Zhukov , Speaker of the Federation Council, head of the Moscow Art Theater. Chekhov Oleg Tabkov , Mikhail Gorbachev with my wife . Among the guests are former Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov, Minister of Culture, singer Elena Obraztsova, head of the Bolshoi Theater symphony orchestra Fedoseev, Patriarch of All Rus' Alexy II ": http://news.rufox.ru/texts/2011/10/28/216045.htm 00:52 29/10/2011

And even if this post was immediately “demolished” from the news feed, nevertheless, it was he who, as a focus, absorbed the whole gamut of emotions that swept over cultural community, which saw the long-awaited opening on the evening of October 28, 2011 after 6 years of reconstruction of the historical (main) stage of the Bolshoi Theater of Russia. The theater administration apparently wanted to make a lot of money, judging by the ticket prices, which reached up to 2 million rubles in the stalls :-) After the general criticism of this price list in LiveJournal, the theater management announced that “ the most expensive ticket costs 50,000 rubles". The director of the Center for Opera Singing, the ballerina Maya Plisetskaya and Rodion Shchedrin were present in the hall, along with whom Naina Yeltsina, wife of the first president of the Russian Federation, and her family were sitting in the box on the first floor on the left side ...

In his speech at the opening, Dmitry Medvedev gave another trend, calling the Bolshoi Theater " main brand» of the country: «I was convinced that everything is done by last word technology, theatrical technology, the latest approaches to this kind of very complex structures. I am sure that in this sense the theater will be impeccable, but the most important thing is that it retained the spirit of the Bolshoi Theater". However, no sooner had the audience left the old theater building, plunged into a newfangled rebranding, as if they were on the stage at 22 o'clock ... the scenery fell! The law enforcement agencies of Moscow told frightened journalists that “a stage worker was injured, he received a bruise of the chest and was hospitalized at the Sklifosovsky Institute. An ambulance was dispatched to the scene...

By the way, the decoration of the gala concert on October 28, according to many critics, was a number from the ballet "Spartacus" by Khachaturian, where main party performed by Ivan Vasiliev - the youngest Spartacus in the history of ballet. However, on November 14, 2011, it became known that the prime minister ballet troupe Bolshoi Theater Ivan Vasiliev and prima ballerina Natalya Osipova have written a letter of resignation, although both artists are in demand and dance in many performances of the Bolshoi ...