Russian ballet seasons. Sergei Diaghilev: the great impresario
"Russian Seasons" - annual theatrical performances of Russian opera and ballet at the beginning of the 20th century in Paris (since 1906), London (since 1912) and other cities of Europe and the USA. The "Seasons" were organized by Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev (1872-1929).
S.P. Diaghilev - Russian theatrical figure, entrepreneur. In 1896 he graduated from the law faculty of St. Petersburg University, at the same time he studied at the St. Petersburg Conservatory in the class of Rimsky-Korsakov. Diaghilev knew painting, theater, history very well. artistic styles. In 1898, he became one of the organizers of the "World of Art" group, as well as the editor of the magazine of the same name, which, as in other areas of culture, fought against the "academic routine" for new means of expression new modern art. In 1906-1907, Diaghilev organized exhibitions of Russian artists in Berlin, Paris, Monte Carlo, Venice, as well as performances by Russian artists.
In 1906, the first Russian season of Diaghilev took place in Western Europe, in Paris. He began working at the Salon d'Automne to organize a Russian exhibition, which was supposed to present Russian painting and sculpture over two centuries. In addition, Diaghilev added to it a collection of icons. Particular attention at this exhibition was given to a group of artists from the "World of Art" (Benoit, Borisov-Musatov, Vrubel, Bakst, Grabar, Dobuzhinsky, Korovin, Larionov, Malyutin, Roerich, Somov, Serov, Sudeikin) and others. The exhibition opened under the chairmanship of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich, the exhibition committee was headed by Count I. Tolstoy. Diaghilev published for greater accessibility the catalog of the Russian Art Exhibition in Paris with an introductory article Alexandra Benois about Russian art. The exhibition at the Autumn Salon was an unheard-of success - that's when Diaghilev begins to think about other Russian seasons in Paris. For example, about the season of Russian music. He arranges a trial concert, and its success set the plans for the next 1907. Returning to St. Petersburg in triumph, Diaghilev began to prepare the second Russian season. His famous Historical Concerts. For this, a committee was created chaired by A.S. Taneyev - chamberlain of the highest court and notorious composer. These concerts were attended by the best musical forces: conducted by Arthur Nikish (an incomparable interpreter of Tchaikovsky), Rimsky-Korsakov, Rachmaninov, Glazunov and others. F. Chaliapin's world fame began with these concerts. "Historical Russian Concertos" were compiled from the works of Russian composers and performed by Russian artists and choir Bolshoi Theater. The program was carefully designed and composed of masterpieces of Russian music: "Seasons" presented in Paris the Russian opera "Boris Godunov" with the participation of Chaliapin. The opera was staged in the editorial office of Rimsky-Korsakov and in luxurious scenery by the artists Golovin, Benois, Bilibin. The program included an overture and the first act of Glinka's Ruslan and Lyudmila, symphonic paintings from "The Night Before Christmas" and "The Snow Maiden" by Rimsky-Korsakov, as well as parts from "Sadko" and "Tsar Saltan". Of course, Tchaikovsky, Borodin, Mussorgsky, Taneyev, Scriabin, Balakirev, Cui were represented. After the stunning success of Mussorgsky and Chaliapin, Diaghilev in next year brings to Paris "Boris Godunov" with the participation of Chaliapin. The Parisians discovered a new Russian miracle- Chaliapin's Boris Godunov. Diaghilev said that this performance was simply impossible to describe. Paris was shocked. Public Grand Opera, always prim, this time screaming, knocking, crying.
And again Diaghilev returns to St. Petersburg to begin work on the preparation of a new "Season". This time he was to show Russian ballet to Paris. At first everything went smoothly and brilliantly. Diaghilev received a large subsidy, he enjoyed the highest patronage, he received the Hermitage Theater for rehearsals. Almost every evening an informal committee met at Diaghilev's own apartment to work out the program for the Paris season. From the Petersburg dancers, a young, "revolutionary" group was outlined - M. Fokin, an excellent dancer, who at that time was starting his career as a choreographer, Anna Pavlova and Tamara Karsavina and, of course, the brilliant Kshesinskaya, Bolm, Monakhov and a very young, but declared himself as about the "eighth wonder of the world" Nijinsky. The prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Theater Koralli was invited from Moscow. Everything seemed to work out so well. But... Died Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich, and besides, Diaghilev offended Kshesinskaya, to whom he was primarily obliged to receive a subsidy. He offended her by wanting to resume Giselle for Anna Pavlova, and he offered the magnificent Kshesinskaya a small role in the ballet The Pavilion of Armida. There was a stormy explanation, "during which the "interlocutors" threw things at each other ...". Diaghilev lost his subsidies and patronage. But that was not all - the Hermitage, scenery and costumes were taken away from him. Mariinsky Theater. Court intrigues began. (Only two years later he would reconcile with the ballerina Kshesinskaya and kept for life with her a good relationship.) Everyone already believed that there would be no Russian season in 1909. But it was necessary to have the indestructible energy of Diaghilev in order to rise again from the ashes. Help (almost salvation) came from Paris, from a secular lady and friend of Diaghilev Sert - she arranged a subscription in Paris with her friends and collected necessary funds in order to be able to remove the theater "Chatelet". Work began again, and the Repertoire was finally approved. These were Tcherepnin's "Pavilion of Armida", "Polovtsian Dances" from "Prince Igor" by Borodin, "Feast" to the music of Rimsky-Korsakov, Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky, Glinka and Glazunov, "Cleopatra" by Arensky, the first act of "Ruslan and Lyudmila" in the scenery ARTISTS of the "World of Art" group. Fokine, Nijinsky, Anna Pavlova and T. Karsavina were the main figures in Diaghilev's "Russian ballet" project. Here is what Karsavina said about Diaghilev:
"As a young man, he already possessed that sense of perfection, which is undoubtedly the property of a genius. He knew how to distinguish transient truth from eternal truth in art. For all the time that I knew him, he was never mistaken in his judgments, and the artists had absolute faith in his opinion. Nijinsky was the pride of Diaghilev - he only graduated from college in 1908 and entered the Mariinsky Theater, and they immediately started talking about him as a miracle. They talked about his extraordinary jumps and flights, calling him a bird-man. “Nijinsky,” recalls the artist and friend of Diaghilev S. Lifar, “given himself completely to Diaghilev, to his careful and loving hands into his will - whether because he instinctively felt that in no one's hands he would be so safe and no one was able to shape his dancing genius like Diaghilev, or because, infinitely soft and completely devoid of will, he was unable to resist someone else's will. His fate turned out to be entirely and exclusively in the hands of Diaghilev, especially after the story with the Mariinsky Theater in early 1911, when he was forced to retire because of Diaghilev. "Nijinsky was a rare dancer, and only a dancer. Diaghilev believed that he could be a choreographer. However, in this role, Nijinsky was unbearable - ballet dancers perceived and remembered rehearsals with him as terrible torments, because Nijinsky could not clearly express what he wanted. In 1913, Diaghilev released Nijinsky into the world, on an American trip. And there, indeed, poor Nijinsky almost died, completely submitting again to someone else's will.But it was already a woman, Romola Pulska, who married Nijinsky to herself, moreover, dragged him into the Tolstoy sect. All this accelerated the process mental illness dancer. But it will still be. In the meantime, until the end of April 1909, the Russian "barbarians" finally arrive in Paris and frantic work begins before the next "Russian Season". The problems that Diaghilev had to overcome were darkness. Firstly, the high society of Paris, seeing the Russian ballet dancers at a dinner in their honor, was greatly disappointed by their outward dullness and provincialism, which caused doubt in their art. Secondly, the "Chatelet" theater itself - state-owned, gray and boring, was completely unsuitable as a "frame" for beautiful Russian performances. Diaghilev even rebuilt the stage, removed five rows of stalls and replaced it with boxes, covered with columnar velvet. And in the midst of all this incredible construction noise, Fokin held rehearsals, raising his voice to shout over all the noise. And Diaghilev was literally torn between artists and musicians, ballet dancers and workers, between visitors and critics-interviewers, who increasingly published materials about Russian ballet and Diaghilev himself.
On May 19, 1909, the first ballet performance took place. It was a holiday. It was a miracle. One French grand dame recalled that it was "sacred fire and sacred delirium that engulfed the whole auditorium". Before the public there was really something never seen before, unlike anything, incomparable. A completely special beautiful world, which none of the Parisian spectators even suspected. This "nonsense", this passion lasted for six weeks. ballet performances alternated with opera. Diaghilev spoke of this time: "We all live as if bewitched in the gardens of Armida. The very air surrounding Russian ballets is full of dope." The famous Frenchman Jean Cocteau wrote: "The red curtain rises over the holidays that turned France upside down and which carried the crowd into ecstasy after the chariot of Dionysus." Russian ballet was accepted by Paris immediately. Accepted as a great artistic revelation that created an entire era in art. Real hymns were sung to Karsavina, Pavlova and Nijinsky. They instantly became favorites of Paris. Karsavina, the critic said, "looks like a dancing flame, in the light and shadows of which languid bliss dwells." But the Russian ballet fascinated everyone by the fact that it was an ensemble, by the fact that the corps de ballet played a great role in it. In addition, the painting of the scenery, and the costumes - everything was significant, everything created an artistic ensemble. Less was said about the choreography of the Russian ballet - it was just difficult to understand it right away. But all holidays come to an end. The Parisian is over. It was, of course, a worldwide success, as Russian artists received invitations to different countries peace. Karsavina and Pavlova were invited to London and America, Fokine - to Italy and America. Diaghilev, having returned to St. Petersburg, began preparations for the new season, in which it was imperative to consolidate success. And Diaghilev, who has a fantastic sense of talent, knew that Igor Stravinsky, with his ballets, in particular The Firebird, would be the new Russian miracle next season. "The predestined man entered his life." And from now on, the fate of the Russian Ballet will be inseparable from this name - from Stravinsky. In the spring of 1910, Paris was again shocked by the Diaghilev ballet and opera. The program was just amazing. Diaghilev brought five new works, including Stravinsky's ballet. These were luxurious ballets, this was a new attitude to dance, to music, to the painting of the performance. The French realized they needed to learn from the Russians. But the triumph of this season also dealt a blow to the Diaghilev troupe - some artists signed foreign contracts, and Anna Pavlova left Diaghilev back in 1909. Diaghilev decided in 1911 to organize a permanent ballet troupe, which was formed in 1913 and received the name "Russian Ballet of Sergei Diaghilev". Over the twenty years of the existence of the Diaghilev Ballets Russes, he has staged eight ballets by Stravinsky. In 1909, Anna Pavlova left the ballet troupe, and others followed her. The permanent ballet troupe begins to replenish with foreign dancers, which, of course, loses its national character.
IN ballet repertoire"Seasons" included "Pavilion of Armida" Tcherepnin, "Scheherazade" by Rimsky-Korsakov, "Giselle" by Tchaikovsky, "Petrushka", "The Firebird", "The Rite of Spring" by Stravinsky, "Cleopatra" ("Egyptian Nights") by Arensky, "Vision Roses" by Weber, "The Legend of Joseph" by R. Strauss, " afternoon rest Faun" Debussy and others. For this touring troupe, Diaghilev invited as choreographer M. Fokine and a group of leading soloists of the Mariinsky and Bolshoi theaters, as well as artists from S.I. Zimin's private opera - A. Pavlova, V. Nijinsky, T. Karsavina, E. Geltser, M. Mordkin, V. Coralli and others.In addition to Paris, the Diaghilev ballet troupe toured in London, Rome, Berlin, Monte Carlo, in the cities of America.These performances have always been a triumph of Russian ballet art.They contributed to the revival of ballet in several European countries, had a huge impact on many artists.
Tours were held, as a rule, immediately after the end of the winter theatrical season. In Paris, performances were held at the Grand Opera (1908, 1910, 1914), Châtelet (1909, 1911, 1912), and the Théâtre des Champs Elysées (1913).
No less prestigious theaters hosted the troupe in London as well. These were the Covent Garden Theater (1912), Drury Lane (1913, 1914).
After the outbreak of the First World War, Diaghilev transferred his entreprise to the United States. Until 1917, his ballet troupe performed in New York. In 1917 the troupe disbanded. Most of the dancers stayed in the USA. Diaghilev returns to Europe and, together with E. Cecchetti, creates a new troupe, in which, along with Russian emigrant actors, foreign dancers perform under fictitious Russian names. The troupe existed until 1929. Diaghilev, with his delicate taste, brilliant erudition, huge plans, most interesting projects, all his life he was the soul of his offspring "Russian Ballet", all his life he was in an artistic search, an eternally seething creator. But in 1927, in addition to ballet, he had a new business that passionately fascinated him - book. It grew rapidly, acquiring Diaghilev proportions. He intended to create a huge Russian book depository in Europe. He made grandiose plans, but death stopped him. Diaghilev died on August 19, 1929. He and his "Russian Seasons" have remained a unique and brightest page in the history of world and Russian culture.
A little over a hundred years ago, Paris and all of Europe were stunned by the bright colors, beauty and, of course, the talent of the actors of the Russian Ballet. "Russian Seasons", as they were also called, for several years remained an unsurpassed event in Paris. It was at this time performing arts had such a big impact on fashion.
Costumes made according to sketches by Bakst, Goncharova, Benois and many other artists, their decorations were distinguished by their brightness and originality. This led to an explosion of creative enthusiasm in the creation of luxurious fabrics and suits, and even determined the future lifestyle. Oriental luxury embraced the whole fashion world, transparent, smoky and richly embroidered fabrics, turbans, aigrettes, feathers, oriental flowers, ornaments, shawls, fans, umbrellas appeared - all this was embodied in fashionable images of the pre-war period.
"Russian Ballet" literally caused a revolution in fashion. How could the naked nakedness of Mata Harry or the barely covered Isadora Duncan compare with the fantastic costumes of the Russian ballet? The performances literally shocked the whole of Paris, for which the new world.
The queen of cosmetics of that time, all her life recalled the performances of the Russian Ballet, after attending which one day, as soon as she returned home, she changed all the decoration of her house to bright shiny colors. The brilliant impresario S. Diaghilev determined the lifestyle of Parisian society. The fireworks of the "Russian Ballet" on the stage inspired the famous Paul Poiret to create bright colorful clothes. Oriental exoticism and luxury were also reflected in the dances of that time, which primarily include tango.
Sergei Diaghilev, the former publisher of the magazine in Russia "World of Art", on the eve of the revolutionary events of 1905, founded a new theater company, which included artists Lev Bakst, Alexander Benois, Nicholas Roerich, composer Igor Stravinsky, ballerinas Anna Pavlova, Tamara Karsavina, dancer Vaslav Nijinsky and choreographer Mikhail Fokin.
Then many more joined them. talented artists and dancers, who were united by S. Diaghilev's ability to see and find these talents and, of course, love for art. Numerous connections of S. Diaghilev with commercial and the artistic world helped to organize a new troupe, which became famous under the name of "Russian Ballets".
Mikhail Fokin, a former student of the genius Marius Petipa, at the beginning of the 20th century began to develop his own ideas of ballet choreography, which were very well combined with the ideas of S. Diaghilev.
Among outstanding artists gathered around Diaghilev, the works of Lev Bakst won special world recognition. In the magazine "World of Art" Bakst was the main graphic artist. After graduating from the Imperial Academy of Arts, the artist painted portraits and landscapes, and then became interested in scenography. Already in 1902, he began to develop scenery for the Imperial Theater, and already here he showed himself as a capable innovative artist.
Bakst was passionate about scenography, he thought a lot about how to make a ballet capable of expressing thoughts and feelings. He traveled through North Africa, was in Cyprus, in , studied ancient art Mediterranean. Lev Bakst got acquainted with the works of Russian art researchers, knew well the works of Western European artists.
Just like Mikhail Fokin, he followed and strove for the emotional content of the performance. And to convey feelings and emotions, he developed his own color theory, which made fireworks in the Russian Ballet. Bakst knew where and what colors could be used, how to combine them in order to convey all the emotions in the ballet and influence the audience through color.
Bakst created luxurious scenery and costumes, and at the same time, Vaclav Nijinsky conquered the audience with his dance, he made hearts flutter. A reviewer for the French newspaper Le Figaro wrote that "... the love of oriental art was brought to Paris from Russia through ballet, music and scenery…”, Russian actors and artists “became mediators” between East and West.
Most Europeans then, as well as now, considered Russia to be part of the East. On the stage there was music by Russian composers, scenery by Russian artists, libretto, costumes and dancers - Russian. But the composers composed harmonies of Asian music, and Bakst, Golovin, Benois and other artists depicted the pyramids of the Egyptian pharaohs, the harems of the Persian sultans.
On the stage, there was a connection between the West and the East, and Russia was both at the same time. As Benois said, from the first performances he felt that the "Scythians" were presented in Paris, "the capital of the world", best art that has hitherto existed in the world.
The fireworks of the colors of the Russian Ballet made me look at the world with different eyes, and this was received with enthusiasm by the Parisians.
Prince Pyotr Lieven wrote in his book The Birth of Russian Ballet: “The influence of Russian ballet was felt far beyond the theater. The fashion makers in Paris included it in their creations…”
The costumes of the Russian Ballet contributed to the change real life women, freeing her body from the corset, provided her with great mobility. Photographer Cecil Beaton later wrote that after the performances the next morning, everyone found themselves in a city immersed in the luxury of the East, in flowing and bright outfits that reflected a new and fast pace. modern life.
New fashion touched and male images. Although they did not change into bloomers and, some tough elegance with a high collar and a top hat left the fashion of men, a new silhouette appeared - a narrow torso, high waist, low collars and bowlers almost pulled over the eyes.
New images and silhouettes attracted the attention of fashion designers, who began to study the work of Bakst and other artists of the Russian Ballet. And Paul Poiret went to Russia in 1911-1912, where he met with Nadezhda Lamanova and other Russian fashion designers, and recognized the influence of Russian fashion.
To this day, textile designers and artists recall and play variations on the theme of "Russian Seasons". Fashion designers are returning to bright exotic images, folklore motifs, to Russian, Indian or Arabic ornamental traditions. They skillfully vary cultural forms East, connecting it with the West. Under the banner of the Russians artistic traditions there was a merger of European and Russian cultures.
Completed:
Student of the group №342-e
Dyakov Yaroslav
Plan.
Introduction.
Music of the "Russian seasons"
Choreographic performances of the "Russian seasons".
Conclusion. Diaghilev's organizational talent.
Introduction.
An outstanding figure in Russian and culture, a brilliant organizer, a man of rare taste, great artistic culture, Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev was born on March 31, 1872 in the Novgorod province in the family of a career military man who knew how to appreciate Russian art. The Diaghilevs' house was filled with music and singing, as almost everyone sang and played the piano and other instruments. Adults and teenagers with pleasure arranged musical performances, which were very popular among their acquaintances. Diaghilev's childhood and adolescence were spent in St. Petersburg, where his father served at one time, and in Perm, where, after the resignation of P. P. Diaghilev, the whole family moved. After graduating from the Perm gymnasium, Diaghilev came to St. Petersburg in 1890 and entered the law faculty of the university, while studying at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. In 1896, after graduating from the university, he became interested in painting, theater, and the history of artistic styles. In 1898, Diaghilev founded and for more than five years headed the periodical "World of Art" - one of the first art magazines in Russia. Unlike previous editions that reported on artistic life, the magazine began to systematically publish monographic articles about Russian and European masters. Diaghilev, the editor, attracted talented young artists and critics of his time to work in the magazine. He opened the art history talent of A. N. Benois to the general reader and in the spring of 1899 invited I. E. Grabar, then a novice critic, to collaborate. Diaghilev appeared in the magazine and as one of the authors. Diaghilev the critic paid the main attention not to the past, but to contemporary art. He said: "I'm more interested in what my granddaughter will tell me than what my grandfather will say, although he is immeasurably wiser." Orientation towards the future is very characteristic of Diaghilev, it permeates his essays and articles about contemporary masters and events in artistic life. Diaghilev was the first critic to pay attention to book illustration. In 1899, in the article "Illustrations to Pushkin", he expressed a number of judgments about the nature and features of this difficult art, which retain their significance to this day. At the beginning of the 20th century, Diaghilev was interested in almost all areas. He writes a monograph on Russian artist XVIII century Dmitry Levitsky, organizes an exhibition of Russian artists in Paris, five Paris concerts of Russian music and a grandiose production of Boris Godunov on the stage of the Opera de Paris with Fyodor Chaliapin in leading role.
The Russian seasons of Sergei Diaghilev and especially his ballet entreprise not only glorified Russian art abroad, but also had a great influence on world culture. "Culture.RF" recalls the life and creative way outstanding entrepreneur.
The cult of pure art
Valentin Serov. Portrait of Sergei Diaghilev (detail). 1904. State Russian Museum
Reviews art criticism turned out to be more than favorable, and for the majority of Parisians, Russian painting became a real discovery. The author of the biography of the impresario, writer Natalia Chernyshova-Melnik, in her book Diaghilev quotes the reviews of the Paris press: “But could we suspect the existence of a majestic poet - the unfortunate Vrubel? .. Here are Korovin, Petrovichev, Roerich, Yuon - landscape painters seeking thrills and expressing them with rare harmony Serov and Kustodiev - deep and significant portrait painters; here is Anisfeld and Rylov - landscape painters are very valuable ... "
Igor Stravinsky, Sergei Diaghilev, Leon Bakst and Coco Chanel. Switzerland. 1915. Photo: persons-info.com
"Russian Seasons" in Seville. 1916. Photo: diletant.media
Backstage at the Russian Ballets. 1916. Photo: diletant.media
The first European success of Diaghilev only provoked him, and he took up music. In 1907, he organized a series of five Historical Russian Concerts, which took place on the stage of the Paris Grand Opera. Diaghilev carefully approached the selection of the repertoire: works by Mikhail Glinka, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Modest Mussorgsky, Alexander Borodin, Alexander Scriabin sounded from the stage. As in the case of the 1906 exhibition, Diaghilev approached the accompanying materials responsibly: the printed programs of the concerts told short biographies Russian composers. The concerts were as successful as the first Russian exhibition, and it was the performance with the part of Prince Igor in the "Historical Russian Concerts" that glorified Fyodor Chaliapin. Of the composers, the Parisian public especially warmly received Mussorgsky, who since that time has become a big fashion in France.
Convinced that Russian music arouses the keenest interest among Europeans, for the third Russian season of 1908, Diaghilev chose the opera Boris Godunov by Mussorgsky. In preparation for the production, the impresario personally studied the author's clavier, noting that in the production of the opera edited by Rimsky-Korsakov, two scenes were deleted, which he considered important for the overall dramaturgy. In Paris, Diaghilev presented the opera in a new version, which has since been used by many contemporary directors. Diaghilev did not hesitate at all to adapt the source material, adapting to the audience, whose viewing habits he knew very well. Therefore, for example, in his "Godunov" the final scene was the death of Boris - to enhance the dramatic effect. The same applied to the timing of performances: Diaghilev believed that they should not last longer than three and a half hours, and he calculated the change of scenery and the order of mise-en-scenes down to seconds. The success of the Paris version of Boris Godunov only confirmed Diaghilev's authority as a director as well.
Russian Ballet Diaghilev
Pablo Picasso is working on the design of Sergei Diaghilev's ballet "Parade". 1917. Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
Workshop Covent Garden. Sergei Diaghilev, Vladimir Polunin and Pablo Picasso, the author of the sketches for the ballet The Three-Cornered Hat. London. 1919. Photo: stil-gizni.com
At the plane Ludmila Shollar, Alicia Nikitina, Serge Lifar, Walter Nouvel, Sergei Grigoriev, Lyubov Chernysheva, Olga Khokhlova, Alexandrina Trusevich, Paulo and Pablo Picasso. 1920s Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
The idea to bring the ballet abroad came to the impresario in 1907. Then at the Mariinsky Theater he saw Mikhail Fokine's production of The Pavilion of Armida, a ballet to music by Nikolai Tcherepnin with scenery by Alexandre Benois. At that time, among young dancers and choreographers, there was a certain opposition to the classical traditions, which, as Diaghilev said, "jealously guarded" Marius Petipa. “Then I thought about new short ballets, - Diaghilev wrote later in his memoirs, - Which would be self-contained phenomena of art and in which the three factors of ballet - music, drawing and choreography - would be merged much more closely than has been observed so far.. With these thoughts, he began to prepare the fourth Russian season, the tour of which was scheduled for 1909.
At the end of 1908, the impresario signed contracts with leading ballet dancers from St. Petersburg and Moscow: Anna Pavlova, Tamara Karsavina, Mikhail Fokine, Vaslav Nijinsky, Ida Rubinstein, Vera Karalli and others. In addition to ballet, the program of the fourth Russian season included opera performances: Diaghilev invited Fyodor Chaliapin, Lydia Lipkovskaya, Elizaveta Petrenko and Dmitry Smirnov to perform. With the financial support of his girlfriend, the famous society lady Misya Sert, Diaghilev rented an old Parisian theater"Chatelet". The interior of the theater was redesigned especially for the premiere of Russian performances in order to increase the area of the stage.
The Diaghilev troupe arrived in Paris at the end of April 1909. The repertoire of the new Season included the ballets Pavilion of Armida, Cleopatra and Sylphides, as well as Polovtsian Dances from the opera Prince Igor by Alexander Borodin. The rehearsals were held in a tense atmosphere: to the sound of hammers and squealing, they drank during the reconstruction of the Chatelet. Mikhail Fokin, the chief choreographer of the productions, has made scandals about this more than once. The fourth Russian season premiered on May 19, 1909. Most spectators and critics did not appreciate the innovative choreography of the ballets, but everyone was delighted with the scenery and costumes of Lev Bakst, Alexander Benois and Nicholas Roerich, as well as the dancers, especially Anna Pavlova and Tamara Karsavina.
After that, Diaghilev focused entirely on ballet entreprise and significantly updated the repertoire, including Scheherazade to the music of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and a ballet based on Russians in the program of the Seasons. folk tales"Firebird". The entrepreneur asked Anatoly Lyadov to write the music for the last one, but he did not manage to do it - and the order went to young composer Igor Stravinsky. From that moment began his many years of fruitful cooperation with Diaghilev.
Russian ballet in Cologne during Sergei Diaghilev's European tour. 1924. Photo: diletant.media
Jean Cocteau and Sergei Diaghilev in Paris at the premiere of The Blue Express. 1924. Photo: diletant.media
The past success of the ballets allowed the impresario to present the performances of the new season already at the Grand Opera; the premiere of the fifth Russian seasons took place in May 1910. Lev Bakst, who traditionally participated in the creation of costumes and scenery, recalled: « Crazy Success"Scheherazade" (all of Paris changed into oriental clothes!).
The Firebird premiered on June 25. In the crowded hall of the Grand Opera, the artistic elite of Paris gathered, including Marcel Proust (Russian seasons are mentioned more than once on the pages of his seven-volume epic In Search of Lost Time). The originality of Diaghilev's vision manifested itself in the famous episode with live horses, which were supposed to appear on stage during the performance. Igor Stravinsky recalled this incident: “... The poor animals came out, as expected, in turn, but began to neigh and dance, and one of them proved to be more of a critic than an actor, leaving a foul-smelling business card... But this episode was later forgotten in the heat of general applause at the address of the new ballet ". Mikhail Fokin combined pantomime, grotesque and classical dance. All this harmoniously combined with the scenery of Alexander Golovin and the music of Stravinsky. The Firebird, as noted by the Parisian critic Henri Géon, was "a miracle of the most delightful balance between movements, sounds and forms ..."
In 1911 Sergei Diaghilev established permanent place holding his Ballets Russes ("Russian Ballet") - in Monte Carlo. In April of that year, the new Russian Seasons opened at the Monte-Carlo Theater with the premiere of the ballet The Phantom of the Rose directed by Mikhail Fokin. In it, the audience was struck by the jumps of Vaslav Nijinsky. Later in Paris, Diaghilev presented "Petrushka" to the music of Stravinsky, which became the main hit of that season.
The next Russian seasons, in 1912-1917, including because of the war in Europe, were not very successful for Diaghilev. Among the most offensive failures was the premiere of the innovative ballet to the music of Igor Stravinsky The Rite of Spring, which the public did not accept. The audience did not appreciate the "barbarian dances" to the unusual pagan stormy music. At the same time, Diaghilev parted ways with Nijinsky and Fokine and invited the young dancer and choreographer Leonid Myasin to join the troupe.
Pablo Picasso. Later, the artists Juan Miro and Max Ernst made the scenery for the ballet "Romeo and Juliet".
1918–1919 were marked by successful tours in London - the troupe spent whole year. In the early 1920s, Diaghilev had new dancers invited by Bronislava Nijinska, Serge Lifar and George Balanchine. Subsequently, after the death of Diaghilev, they both became the founders of national ballet schools: Balanchine - American, and Lifar - French.
Beginning in 1927, work in ballet less and less satisfied Diaghilev, besides, he became interested in books and became an avid collector. The last resounding success of the Diaghilev troupe was Leonid Myasin's 1928 production of "Apollo Musagete" with music by Igor Stravinsky and costumes by Coco Chanel.
The Russian Ballet worked successfully until the death of Diaghilev in 1929. In his memoirs, Igor Stravinsky, speaking about new trends in the ballet of the 20th century, noted: “...would these trends have arisen without Diaghilev? Don't think".
theater ballet degilev
Classical Russian ballet has transformed the world ballet art. He was famous for many decades and is still famous today. But at the beginning of the 20th century, the star of the new Russian choreography flared up, laying down its traditions - and these traditions not only live on to this day, but have become the harbinger 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, the world ballet is nourished by the discoveries and innovations of the Russian troupe, which performed in Europe in the 1910s and 1920s, develops and transforms the traditions laid down by it. By a strange fate, the new Russian ballet was born and gained world fame outside of Russia, but it was created by Russian artists, Russian choreographers, artists, composers. It was no coincidence that the troupe was called the Russian Ballet of Sergei Diaghilev. Diaghilev's ballet seasons not only presented the world with a new Russian ballet, but also most fully revealed the talents of many Russian artists, here they came to world fame.
It all started in 1907, when Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev opened a Russian entreprise called "Russian Seasons" in Paris. Europe already knew Diaghilev's name. 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 art exhibitions, a theatrical figure, a person close both to ballet circles and to the circle of artists, composers, by that time Diaghilev 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 art Silver Age, modern art.
Diaghilev began his “Russian Seasons” in Paris with “Historical Concerts”, in which S. V. Rakhmanov, N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, A. K. Glazunov, F. I. Chaliapin, the choir of the Maritime Bolshoi Theater took part. The following year, Diaghilev brought Russian opera to Paris, introducing the European audience to the masterpieces of productions of works by M. P. Mussorsky, A. P. Borodin, N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov (Fyodor Chaliapin sang the main parts). In the 1909 season, ballet appeared in Diaghilev's entreprise. Ballet performances were interspersed with opera performances. He brought to Europe the color of Russian theatrical culture - dancers V.F. Nizhinsky, A.P. Pavlova, T.P. Karsavina, choreographer M.M. Fokin, invites artists A.N. Benois, L.S. Bakst, N.K. Roerich, A. Ya. Golovin.
The success of the ballet productions was so resounding that the following year Diaghilev abandoned the opera and brought only ballet to Paris. It can be said that since 1910 he has become exclusively a "ballet entrepreneur". Diaghilev devotes the rest of his life to ballet.
Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev has long had a passion for ballet theatre. In 1899-1901. he directed the production of L. Delibes' Silvia at the Mariinsky Theatre. Diaghilev tried to update the scenography of the ballet, but met resistance from the theater management and was fired "for undermining academic traditions." As we can see, Diaghilev's desire to find new ways in ballet appeared long before his Parisian "seasons".
In 1910, Diaghilev brought to Paris Fokine's ballets, staged by this choreographer at the Mariinsky Theater - Scheherazade by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, Cleopard by A. S. Arensky, Pavilion of Armida by N. N. Cherepnin, "Giselle" A. Adam. Polovtsian dances from the opera "Prince Igor" by A. P. Borodin were also presented. Preparation of the season began in St. Petersburg. Here, the outstanding talent of Diaghilev the entrepreneur appeared in full measure. First of all, the St. Petersburg productions were edited in the direction of complicating the choreography. With the help of M. F. Kshesinskaya, a member of the troupe close to the court, Diaghilev managed to get a solid subsidy for this season (the emperor Nicholas 2 was among the “sponsors”). Diaghilev managed to find patrons among French patrons as well.
He gathered an entrepreneurial 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 - both by the originality of the choreography, and the performing brilliance, 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.
Diaghilev's 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 the Diaghilev Russian Ballet. Fokin became the chief choreographer in it. Here were placed legendary performances"Vision of a Rose" to the music of K. M. Weber, "Narcissus" by N. N. Tcherepnin, "Daphnis and Chloe" by M. Ravel, "Tamara" to the music of M. A. Balakirev.
The main event of the first seasons was the ballet Petrushka staged in 1911 by Fokine to the music of I. F. Stravinsky (the artist was A. N. Benois), where Nijinsky played the main role. This party has become one of the pinnacles in the artist's work.
Since 1912, the Diaghilev troupe began touring the world - London, Rome, Berlin, the cities of 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 same United States, in some countries of Latin America.
The Diaghilev troupe was destined to open one of the most remarkable pages in the history of the ballet theater, and thanks to his work in it, Diaghilev was rightfully called later “the creator of a new artistic culture” (the words belong to the dancer and choreographer Sergei Lifar). The troupe existed until 1929, that is, until the death of its founder. Fame always accompanied her, the productions of the Diaghilev troupe were striking in their high artistic level, outstanding talents shone in them, which Diaghilev knew how to find and nurtured.
The activity of the troupe is divided into two periods - from 1911 to 1917. and from 1917 to 1929. The first period is associated with the activities of Fokine, the dancers Nijinsky, Karsavina, Pavlova, as well as with the work of the artists of the "World of Art" - Benois, Dobuzhinsky, Bekst, Sudeikin, Golovin, with Russian classical composers N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, A. K Lyadov, M. A. Balakirev, P. I. Tchaikovsky to the people with modern Russian composers N. N. Cherepnin, I. F. Stravinsky, K. Debusset.
The second period is associated with the names of choreographers L. F. Myasin, J. 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, N. S. Goncharova, G. B. Yakulov, modern Russians and foreign composers- Stravinsky, Prokofiev, F. Poulenc, E. Satie.
In 1917, as a teacher-repetiteur of Diaghilev, he 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 any entreprise troupe been kept at the peak of success for three or three seasons in a row. The Diaghilev troupe held 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. Maintaining influence for 20 seasons is a feat." Over the years of the troupe's existence, more than 20 ballets have been staged in it.
It is impossible not to take into account that after 1917 the European ballet theater entered a state of crisis. classical school I chewed myself up, new ideas and names appeared few. It was at such a moment of crisis that the brilliant team of Diaghilev gave the world models high art, endowed the world ballet with new ideas, proposed new ways of its development.
