Russian seasons with p Diaghilev briefly. "Russian Seasons" by Sergei Diaghilev - the revival of Russian ballet

In the twentieth century, Russia was in a rather ambiguous state: unrest within the country and a precarious position on the world stage did their job. But despite all the ambiguity of the period, it was Russian artists who made a huge contribution to the development European culture, namely thanks to the "Russian Seasons" by Sergei Diaghilev.

Sergei Diaghilev, 1910

Sergei Diaghilev is a major theater and artistic figure, one of the founders of the World of Art group, which included Benois, Bilibin, Vasnetsov, and other famous artists. A legal education and an undoubted talent to see a promising artist in a person helped him “discover” real Russian art in Europe.

After being fired from Mariinsky Theater Diaghilev organized the World of Art exhibition in 1906, which then gradually migrated to the Paris autumn salon. It was this event that launched the conquest of Paris by Russian artists.

In 1908, the opera Boris Godunov was presented in Paris. The scenography was done by A. Benois and E. Lansere, who were already quite well-known from the World of Art. I. Bilibin was responsible for the costumes. But the soloist made a striking impression on the discerning Parisians. The French public appreciated his talent as early as 1907, when Diaghilev brought to Paris Historical Russian Concertos, which were also perceived the best way. So Fyodor Chaliapin became the favorite of the European audience, and later his fame reached the United States, where his work had many in spirit. So in the future, Fyodor Chaliapin expressed his love for art in his autobiography "Pages from my life":

“Remembering this, I can’t help but say: my life is difficult, but good! I experienced moments of great happiness thanks to art, which I passionately loved. Love is always happiness, no matter what we love, but the love of art is the greatest happiness of our life!”

1909 is a landmark year for Diaghilev and his Russian Seasons. It was in this year that five ballet performances were presented: "Pavilion of Armida", "Cleopatra", "Polovtsian Dances", "Sylphide" and "Feast". The production was directed by a young, but already promising choreographer, Mikhail Fokin. The troupe included such stars of the Moscow and St. Petersburg ballet as Nijinsky (Diaghilev was his patron), Rubinstein, Kshesinskaya, Karsavina, who, thanks to the Russian seasons, will get a start into a bright and wonderful future filled with world fame.

The inexplicable glory of Russian ballet, it turns out, has a very logical justification - in ballet there was a synthesis of all types of art, from music to fine art. This is what seduced the aesthetic tastes of the audience.

On next year Orientalia, Carnival, Giselle, Scheherazade and The Firebird were added to the repertoire. And, of course, delight and triumph were provided.

The Russian ballet of Diaghilev was aimed at destroying the existing foundations, and this was done with success only thanks to the talent of Sergei Diaghilev. He did not take part in the production of the ballet, although, as we know, he was not at all far from the world of art (in every sense of the word). In this situation, his talent for choosing suitable and talented people, which may not yet be known to anyone, but they are already making a serious bid for future recognition.

The role of a man became a revolutionary component in ballet. You can guess that this was done because of Diaghilev's favorite - Vaslav Nijinsky - the leading dancer and choreographer of the Diaghilev Russian Ballet troupe. Previously, the man was in the background, but now the ballerina and the ballerina have equalized in positions.

However, not all innovations were received positively. For example, one-act ballet The "Afternoon of a Faun", which lasts only 8 minutes, in 1912, failed on the stage of the Chatelet Theater in Paris due to negative reviews from the audience. They considered it vulgar and unacceptable for big scene. On the stage, Nijinsky appeared frankly naked: no caftans, camisoles or pants. The tights were complemented only by a small ponytail, a vine wrapped around the waist, and a wicker cap of golden hair with two golden horns. The Parisians booed the production, and a scandal erupted in the press.

L. S. Bakst. Costume design for Vaslav Nijinsky as Faun for the ballet

But it is worth noting that in London the same production did not cause a flurry of indignation.

Important people in the life of Sergei Diaghilev

What can make a person create? Of course love! Love for creativity, art and beauty in all manifestations. The main thing is to meet on your own life path inspiring people. Diaghilev had two favorites, whom he made real ballet stars.

Vaslav Nijinsky is a dancer and choreographer, Diaghilev's muse and the star of the first stage of the Russian Seasons. Outstanding talent, spectacular appearance made a strong impression on the impresario. Nijinsky was born into a family of ballet dancers and has been associated with magical world dance. The Mariinsky Theater was also present in his life, from which he left with a scandal, like Diaghilev himself. But noticed by his future patron, he plunged into a completely different life - luxury and glory.

Vaslav Nijinsky with his wife Romola in Vienna 1945

Popularity in Paris turned the head young talent and Diaghilev himself spoiled his favorite dancer. One would think that this wonderful union cannot have black stripes: one loves, the other allows. But, as expected, they had a crisis, the fault of which was Nijinsky himself. Traveling through South America, he married his admirer and aristocrat Romola Pulskaya. When Diaghilev found out about this, he took it too personally and severed all ties with Nijinsky.

After being expelled from such a famous troupe, Nijinsky was depressed and it was difficult for him to cope with the realities of life, because before he did not know any worries, but simply lived and enjoyed life. All his bills were paid from the pocket of his patron.

In recent years, the Russian ballet star suffered from schizophrenia, but thanks to enhanced treatment, Vaslav Nijinsky still got better and his last years were spent in a calm family circle.

Second important person in the life of the great impresario was Leonid Myasin, who studied at the Imperial School Bolshoi Theater. The young man led ballet troupe, and in 1917 there was a grand return of the Russian Seasons. Pablo Picasso himself is working on the scenery for the ballets "Parade" and "Cocked Hat". Myasin gained fame thanks to the phantasmagoria "Parade", where he performed leading role. But already in 1920, a conflict arose here too - the choreographer had to leave the troupe. The new choreographer was, not surprisingly, Nijinsky's sister, Bronislava, who also had a talent for ballet.

Life talented person always in contrast: without losses and failures, great victories are not realized. This is how Sergei Diaghilev lived, his desperate love for his work and professionalism revealed dozens of people whose names everyone knows now.

In 1929, Sergei Diaghilev passed away, his funeral was paid for by Coco Chanel and Misia Sert, who had the most tender feelings for the genius.

His body was transported to the island of San Michele and buried in the Orthodox part of the cemetery.

On marble tombstone the name of Diaghilev is engraved in Russian and in French (Serge de Diaghilew) and the epitaph: “Venice is the constant inspirer of our reassurance” - a phrase written by him shortly before his death in a dedicatory inscription to Serge Lifar. On the pedestal next to the photograph of the impresario, there are almost always ballet shoes (so that they are not blown away by the wind, they are stuffed with sand) and other theatrical paraphernalia. In the same cemetery, next to Diaghilev's grave, there is the grave of his collaborator, the composer Igor Stravinsky, as well as the poet Joseph Brodsky, who called Diaghilev "Citizen of Perm".

Diaghilev's grave on the island of San Michele

It was thanks to the Russian entrepreneur that Europe saw new Russia, which subsequently shaped the tastes and preferences of French high society. It was thanks to Sergei Diaghilev that the 20th century in world art began to be called the Golden Age of Russian ballet!

As in any business, Sergei Diaghilev's "Russian Seasons" had its ups and downs, but only the memory that has survived a century later and lives in immortal productions is a real reward for any figure.

"Russian Seasons" - tour performances of Russian ballet and opera dancers (1908-29), organized by famous figure culture and entrepreneur abroad (from 1908 in Paris, from 1912 in London, from 1915 in other countries). The main activity of the entreprise was ballet. Operas were staged rarely and mostly until 1914.

The Russian Seasons began in 1906, when Diaghilev brought an exhibition of Russian artists to Paris. In 1907, a series of concerts of Russian music ("Historical Russian Concerts") took place at the Grand Opera. The Russian Seasons actually began in 1908 in Paris, when the opera Boris Godunov was performed here (director Sanin, conductor Blumenfeld; set design by A. Golovin, A. Benois, K. Yuon, E. Lansere; costumes by I. Bilibin; soloists Chaliapin, Kastorsky, Smirnov, Ermolenko-Yuzhina and others).

In 1909, Rimsky-Korsakov's The Maid of Pskov was presented to the Parisians under the title Ivan the Terrible (among the soloists were Chaliapin, Lipkovskaya, and Kastorsky). In 1913 Khovanshchina was staged (director Sanin, conductor Cooper, Chaliapin performed the part of Dosifey). In 1914 the Grand Opera hosted the world premiere of Stravinsky's The Nightingale (director Sanin, conductor Monteux). In 1922 Stravinsky's The Mavra was also staged there.

In 1924, three operas by Gounod (The Dove, The Unwilling Doctor, Philemon and Baucis) were staged at the theater in Monte Carlo. We also note the world premiere (concert performance) of Stravinsky's opera-oratorio Oedipus Rex (1927, Paris).

"Russian Seasons" played a huge role in the promotion of Russian art abroad and in the development of the world artistic process in the 20th century.

E. Tsodokov

"Russian Seasons" abroad, opera and ballet performances organized by S. P. Diaghilev. They were supported by the circles of the Russian artistic intelligentsia (“The World of Art”, the musical Belyaevsky circle, etc.). The Russian Seasons began in Paris in 1907 with historic concerts featuring N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, S. V. Rachmaninov, A. K. Glazunov, and F. I. Chaliapin. In 1908-09, the operas Boris Godunov by Mussorgsky, The Maid of Pskov by Rimsky-Korsakov, Prince Igor by Borodin and others were performed.

In 1909 for the first time, along with opera performances, shows the ballets of M. M. Fokin (previously staged by him in St. Petersburg): “The Pavilion of Armida” (art. A. N. Benois), “Polovtsian Dances” (art. N. K. Roerich); Sylphides (Chopiniana) to music by Chopin, Cleopatra (Egyptian Nights) by Arensky (artist L. S. Bakst) and divertissement Feast to music by Glinka, Tchaikovsky, Glazunov, Mussorgsky.

The ballet troupe consisted of artists from the St. Petersburg Mariinsky and Moscow Bolshoi theaters. Soloists - A. P. Pavlova, V. F. Nizhinsky, T. P. Karsavina, E. V. Geltser, S. F. Fedorova, M. M. Mordkin, V. A. Karalli, M. P. Froman and Dr. Choreographer - Fokin.

Since 1910, the Russian Seasons have been held without the participation of the opera. In the 2nd season (Paris, Berlin, Brussels), new performances by Fokine were shown - “Carnival” (artist Bakst), “Scheherazade” to the music of Rimsky-Korsakov (the same artist, curtain according to sketches by V. A. Serov), “ The Firebird" (artists A. Ya. Golovin and Bakst), as well as "Giselle" (edited by M. I. Petipa, artist Benois) and "Orientalia" (choreographic miniatures, including fragments from "Cleopatra", "Polovtsian Dances", numbers to the music of Arensky, Glazunov and others, "Siamese Dance" to the music of Sinding and "Kobold" to the music of Grieg, staged by Fokine for Nijinsky ).

In 1911, Diaghilev decided to create a permanent troupe, which was finally formed by 1913 and received the name "".

The first quarter of the 20th century was a time of innovation. At the same time in Europe were held with an unprecedented full house "Russian Seasons" arranged Sergei Diaghilev. The impresario was passionate about expanding the boundaries of traditional ballet, so he gathered talented dancers, composers and artists around him, who together created a ballet that was ahead of its time. Europe applauded the Russian Seasons for 20 years.

Sergei Diaghilev spent his childhood and youth in Perm (Northern Urals). After the future impresario graduated from law school, he realized that he wanted to devote himself to culture.

The turning point in the life of Sergei Diaghilev came when he moved from Russia to Paris in 1906. He organized an exhibition of paintings there domestic artists, a number of concerts, dedicated to creativity Russian composers. But most of all, he was remembered by posterity as the organizer of the "Russian Seasons" - innovative ballet performances.

Back in 1899, as an official for special assignments under the director of the Imperial Theatres, Diaghilev saw the performance of Isadora Duncan and Mikhail Fokine. Dance innovations led Diaghilev to complete delight. He decided that traditional choreography would no longer surprise the public, so in 1909 he opened the Season of Russian Ballets in Paris.

Anna Pavlova, Mikhail Fokin, Vaslav Nijinsky created something unique. New choreography, music by Stravinsky, Debussy, Prokofiev, Strauss merged together. Alexandre Benois, Pablo Picasso, Coco Chanel, Henri Matisse realized their fantasies in the design of costumes and scenery.

The three earliest ballets, The Firebird (1910), Petrushka (1911), and The Rite of Spring (1913) made a splash. Although it is worth noting that the public did not immediately accept the innovation of Diaghilev and his team. At the premiere of The Rite of Spring, the audience did not understand what was happening on the stage: they screamed so that they drowned out the orchestra. Choreographer Nijinsky had to tap out the beat so that the artists could keep on dancing. Nevertheless, after the “Russian Seasons”, a fashion for everything Russian appeared in Europe: foreign dancers changed their names to Russian manners, and the wife of King George VI walked down the aisle in a dress decorated with elements from Russian folklore.

For 20 years, Europe has applauded the Russian Seasons. Despite the fact that Sergei Diaghilev was a welcome guest in the most famous aristocratic houses of Europe, this man teetered on the brink of ruin all his life. Diaghilev suffered from diabetes for a long time, but did not follow the diet prescribed for him. In 1929, his health deteriorated sharply, while in Venice, he fell into a coma, from which he never came out.
After the collapse of the "Russian Seasons" continued to excite the public for more than a decade.

"Russian Seasons in Paris" or as they are also called "Diaghilev Seasons", which took place in Europe from 1907 to 1929, were a triumph of Russian, and then world art. Thanks to Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev, the world became aware of the names of outstanding Russian artists, musicians, choreographers and ballet performers. "Russian Seasons" gave impetus to the revival of ballet art, which had died out in Europe at that time, and to its appearance in the USA.

Initially, the idea to show the world the works of Russian masters of art belonged to the members of the circle "World of Art", and in 1906 Diaghilev organized an exhibition in the Paris Autumn Salon modern painting and sculpture, in which the works of artists Bakst, Benois, Vrubel, Roerich, Serov and others were presented. The exhibition had resounding success! Russian historical concerts with the participation of N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, Rachmaninov, Glazunov and others. Arias from operas by Russian composers were presented to the European public. Further, in 108, opera seasons took place, during which the French were captivated by the performance of Fyodor Chaliapin in MP Mussorgsky's opera Boris Godunov.

In the 1909 season were included in addition to operas and ballets. Diaghilev's fascination with this view performing arts was so great that it forever pushed the opera into the background in the Russian Seasons. From the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg and the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, Pavlova, Karsavia, Nijinsky, Kshesinskaya were invited. For the first time, the name of the then novice choreographer M. Fokin, who became an innovator in his art and expanded the scope of traditional understanding, was heard for the first time. ballet dance. Starts his creative way young composer I. Stravinsky.

At the first stages of its existence, "Russian Seasons" demonstrated to the foreign audience the achievements of Russian art, using productions that were already going on on the domestic stage. However, the reproaches of some critics against the Diaghilev entreprise that it works "with everything ready" were not fair. The best productions of the imperial theaters were included in the tour program in a transformed and transformed form. Much was modified, refined, created anew to perform scenery and costumes in a number of performances, new artists were involved.

Over time, Diaghilev scored permanent troupe, since many artists for the first period of the existence of the entreprise dispersed into European theaters. The main rehearsal base was in Monte Carlo.

Success accompanied the Russian troupe until 1912. This season has been a failure. Diaghilev began to move towards innovative experiments in ballet art. Turned to foreign composers. Three of the four new productions of the season, in the choreography of Fokine, were received by the Parisian audience coolly and without interest, and the fourth in the choreography of Nijinsky (this was his first stop) - "Afternoon of a Faun" - was received extremely ambiguously. The Parisian newspaper "Figaro" wrote: this is not an elegant eclogue and not a deep work. We had an unsuitable faun with disgusting movements of erotic bestiality and with gestures of grievous shamelessness. That's all. And the fair scrolls met with too expressive pantomime of this body of a badly built animal, disgusting de face and even more disgusting in profile"

However, Parisian artistic circles perceived the ballet in a completely different light. The newspaper Le Matin published an article by Auguste Rodin praising Nijinsky's talent: "There are no more dances, no jumps, nothing but the positions and gestures of a semi-conscious animality: he spreads himself, leans on his back, walks crouched, straightens up, moves forward, retreats with slow movements then sharp, nervous, angular, his gaze follows, his arms tense up, his hand opens wide, his fingers clench one against the other, his head turns, with lust for a measured clumsiness that can be considered the only one.The coordination between facial expressions and plasticity is perfect, the whole body expresses what reason requires: he has the beauty of a fresco and an antique statue; he is an ideal model with which one wants to draw and sculpt.

(To be continued).

Parisian national opera. Palais Garnier

present:

Ballets "Petrushka", "Cocked Hat", "Vision of the Rose", "Afternoon of a Faun".

A few words about each of these ballets.

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Petrushka (Russian funny scenes V four pictures) - ballet by the Russian composer Igor Stravinsky, which premiered on June 13, 1911 at the Chatelet Theater in Paris, conducted by Pierre Monteux. First edition 1910-1911, second edition 1948. Libretto by Alexandre Benois.

"Petrushka" is the story of one of the traditional characters of Russian folk puppet shows, Parsley, made of straw and sawdust, in which life nevertheless wakes up and emotions develop.

Igor Stravinsky and Vaslav Nijinsky as Petrushka, 1911

13.6.1911 - Premiere. Russian Seasons, Theater "Chatelet", Paris, artist A.N. Benois, conductor P. Monteux, choreographer M. M. Fokin; Petrushka - V. F. Nizhinsky, Ballerina - T. P. Karsavina, Arap - A. A. Orlov, Magician - E. Cecchetti.

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Cocked hat- one-act ballet Leonid Myasina to music Manuel de Falla with decoration Pablo Picasso which premiered in Alhambra theater in London. The main roles were played by Leonid Myasin, Tamara Karsavina And Leon Wuytsikovsky.

During World War I, Manuel de Falla wrote the ballet in two acts, The Governor and the Miller's Wife (El corregidor y la molinera). The piece was first performed in 1917. Sergei Diaghilev, who attended the premiere, asked de Falla to rewrite the ballet, which received the name "Cocked Hat" as a result. Libretto wrote Gregorio Martinez Sierra based on the novel "El sombrero de tres picos" by Pedro Antonio de Alarcón (The Three-Cornered Hat). The choreographer was Leonid Myasin, and the costumes and scenery were designed by Pablo Picasso. The ballet "Cocked Hat" consisted of changing numbers, interconnected by pantomime scenes. The performance was based on flamenco, as well as fandango and jota. The ballet presents the story of a miller and his wife living in perfect harmony, and a governor who tries to seduce the miller's wife, which leads to his public ridicule.

To work on the ballet Massine, de Falla and invited to main party spanish dancer Felix Fernandez spent three months in Spain. Myasin wanted to create a Spanish ballet "which would combine national folklore dances and techniques classical ballet". Already during the rehearsals, it became clear that Felix Fernandez, who danced improvisations beautifully, had difficulty learning the complex role of the miller. Diaghilev decided that Myasin, who had perfected his technique during the performance of the ballet, Spanish dances can play a major role.

Photo by Leonid Myasin in the ballet "Cocked Hat"

His partner was supposed to be Lidia Sokolova, but then the choice fell on a more famous dancer who had hardly left Russia Tamara Karsavina . She subsequently wrote:

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"Phantom of the Rose" or "Vision of the Rose"(fr. Le Spectre de la Rose ) is a one-act ballet staged by Mikhail Fokin, to music Carl Maria von Weber based on the poem Theophile Gauthier "Vision of the Rose".

A story about a debutante who fell asleep after her first ball in her life. She dreams that a ghost of a rose appears in the window, which, having passed a half-empty room, invites her to dance. Their dance ends with the first rays of the sun. The ghost of the rose begins to melt and the girl wakes up.

The ballet was first staged by Sergei Dyagelev's Ballets Russes on April 19, 1911 at the Salle Garnier Opera House in Monte Carlo. The main roles were played Vaslav Nijinsky(Phantom of the Rose) and Tamara Karsavina(Young woman). The sets and costumes for the ballet were created by Leon Bakst. Musical basis The play "Invitation to the Dance" by Carl Maria von Weber, written in 1819, served as a

The dancer Vaslav Nijinsky in the ballet Le spectre de la rose as performed at the Royal Opera House in 1911.

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"Afternoon of a Faun"- a one-act ballet, which premiered on May 29, 1912 in theater Chatelet in Paris as part of the shows Russian Ballets Diaghilev. Choreographer and main performer Vaslav Nijinsky , scenery and costumes created Leon Bakst. As musical accompaniment used symphonic poem Claude Debussy « Prelude to Afternoon rest faun". The eclogue formed the basis of music and ballet Stephen Mallarmé « Afternoon of a Faun».

Leon Bakst. Costume design for the ballet "Afternoon of a Faun"

The creation of the ballet on the antique theme of Nijinsky was probably inspired by Diaghilev. During a trip to Greece in 1910, he was impressed by the images on antique amphoras and infected Nijinsky with his enthusiasm. The choice of music settled on the prelude to Claude Debussy's The Afternoon of a Faun. Nijinsky at first found the music too soft and not sharp enough for the choreography he presented, but relented at Diaghilev's urging. While visiting the Louvre with Leon Bakst, Nijinsky was inspired Greek pottery made in the technique of red-figure vase painting. In particular, he was struck by the Attic craters depicting satyrs chasing nymphs and plots from the Iliad. He made some sketches that could give ideas for the choreography. At the end of 1910 in St. Petersburg, Nijinsky and his sister experimented with sketches. Preparatory work continued in Paris until 1911. The first rehearsals took place in Berlin in January 1912.

The plot of the ballet is not an adaptation of Mallarme's eclogue, but a scene preceding the events described in it. The faun wakes up, admires the grapes, plays the flute ... Suddenly a group of nymphs appears, then the second one accompanies the main nymph. She dances holding a long scarf in her hands. The faun, attracted by the dances of the nymphs, rushes towards them, but they scatter in fright. Only the main nymph hesitates, after the duet she runs away, dropping her scarf at the feet of the faun. He picks it up, carries it to his lair on a rock, and, sitting on a light cloth, indulges in love languor.

Georges Barbier, Nijinsky as a Faun, 1913

A feature of Nijinsky's choreography was a break with the classical tradition. He proposed a new vision of the dance, built on frontal and profile poses, borrowed from the figures of ancient Greek vase painting. Nijinsky in the ballet performed only one jump, which symbolized the crossing of the stream where the nymphs bathe. The characters in Bakst's costumes lined up on the stage in such a way that it gave the impression that it was an ancient Greek frieze. The nymphs, dressed in long tunics of white muslin, danced barefoot, their toes dyed red. The part of the main nymph was danced by Lidia Nelidova. As for Nijinsky, the costume and make-up completely changed the dancer. The artist emphasized the slantness of his eyes, made his mouth heavier to show the animal nature of the faun. He was wearing cream-colored tights with scattered dark brown spots. For the first time, a man appeared on stage so openly naked: no caftans, camisoles or pants. The tights were complemented only by a small ponytail, a vine wrapped around the waist, and a wicker cap of golden hair with two golden horns.

Vaslav Nijinsky

Nijinsky's first work impressed the public, which was not accustomed to choreography based on profile poses and angular movements. Many reproached the ballet for obscenity. So Gaston Calmette, editor and owner of the newspaper Le Figaro, removed an article from a critic who sympathized with the Russian Ballet and replaced it with his own text, where he sharply condemned the Faun:

However, Parisian artistic circles perceived the ballet in a completely different light. An article was published in the newspaper "Le matin" Auguste Rodin, who visited both the dress rehearsal and the premiere, praising Nijinsky's talent:

There are no more dances, no jumps, nothing but the postures and gestures of semi-conscious animality: he spreads himself, leans on his back, walks crouched, straightens up, moves forward, retreats with movements now slow, now sharp, nervous, angular; his eyes follow, his arms tense, the hand widens, the fingers clasp one against the other, the head turns, with lust for a measured clumsiness that can be considered the only one. The coordination between facial expressions and plasticity is perfect, the whole body expresses what the mind requires: it has the beauty of a fresco and an antique statue; he is the perfect model to paint and sculpt with.

And now, watch these wonderful ballets