On the site of the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow Previously there was the Petrovsky Theater, which completely burned down on October 8, 1805.
In 1806, with money from the Russian treasury, the site was purchased, and with it the surrounding buildings.
According to the original plans, this was done in order to simply clear large areas to prevent large fires in Moscow.
But even then they began to think about creating a theater square on this site. There was neither a project nor money at that time, and they returned to their plans only at the beginning of 1816, after the war with Napoleon.
To the already approved territory for the creation of Theater Square, the courtyards of two demolished churches were added. And in May the project was approved by Alexander I.
History of the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow begins in 1817, when the tsar was presented with a project for a new theater that was to be built on this site.
It is interesting that the building’s façade was already oriented in the design with access to the square (this is exactly how the theater looks now), although the old Petrovsky Theater had a central entrance from the side of the current Central Department Store. The project was presented to the Tsar by General Engineer Corbinier.
But then the unimaginable happened!
The project somehow disappeared without a trace on the eve of its presentation to the Governor General of Moscow D.V. Golitsyn. Architect O.I. Beauvais is urgently preparing new drawings of the building plan with two floors and a sketch of the facade.
In 1820, work began to clear the territory and begin construction of the Bolshoi Theater. By this time, the project of the architect A. Mikhailov had already been approved, which preserved the concept laid down by the architect O.I. Beauvais.
The appearance of the theater in Moscow was influenced by the design of the Bolshoi St. Petersburg Theater, reconstructed in 1805 by the architect Tom de Thomas. The building also featured a sculpted pediment and Ionic columns.
Simultaneously with the construction of the theater, work was underway to enclose the Neglinnaya River in a pipe (it runs from the corner of the Maly Theater building and goes to the Alexander Garden).
The freed “wild stone” with which the river embankment was covered, as well as the steps of the Kuznetsky Bridge, were used for the construction of the Bolshoi Theater. The bases of the columns at the central entrance were made of stone.
The Bolshoi Theater building turned out to be grandiose.
The stage alone occupied an area equal to the area of the entire former Petrovsky Theater, and the walls left after the fire became the frame of this part of the theater. Auditorium was designed for 2200-3000 seats. The theater boxes were supported on cast iron brackets, the weight of which was more than 1 ton. Enfilades of masquerade rooms stretched along both side facades.
The construction of the building took a little over 4 years.
The opening took place on January 6, 1825 with the play “The Triumph of the Muses”, musical accompaniment to which A. Alyabyev and A. Verstovsky wrote.
In the initial years of its development, Grand Theatre was not a purely musical platform. Representatives of all genres were able to give performances here.
And the name of Teatralnaya Square, on which the Bolshoi Theater stood, did not reflect the essence. At first, it was intended for drill training; it was fenced and entry to it was severely limited.
Over the following years, the theater was constantly reconstructed. This is how separate entrances to the royal and ministerial boxes appeared, the ceiling of the hall was completely rewritten, and artillery chambers were built in place of the masquerade halls. The main stage did not go unnoticed either.
In March 1853, a fire started in the theater. A fire began to burn in one of the closets and the fire quickly engulfed the scenery and the theater curtain. Wooden buildings contributed to the rapid spread of the flames and the force of the elements, which subsided only after a few days.
7 people died during the fire. Only thanks to the actions of two servants was it possible to avoid more victims (they brought out of the fire a group of children who were engaged in main stage theater).
The building was heavily damaged by fire.
The roof and back wall of the stage collapsed. The interior was burnt out. The cast iron columns of the mezzanine boxes melted, and in place of the tiers only metal brackets were visible.
Immediately after the fire, a competition was announced to restore the Bolshoi Theater building. Many famous architects presented their works: A. Nikitin (created designs for many Moscow theaters, took part in the last reconstruction of the building before the fire), K.A. Ton (architect of the Grand Kremlin Palace and the Cathedral of Christ the Savior).
The competition was won by A.K. Kavos, who had more experience in building music halls. He also had a deep knowledge of acoustics.
For better sound reflection, the architect changed the curvature of the hall walls. The ceiling was made flatter and gave the appearance of a guitar soundboard. Under the stalls, they filled in a corridor that had previously served as a dressing room. The walls were covered with wooden panels. All this led to a significant improvement in acoustics, an important component of any theater.
The portal arch of the stage was increased to the width of the hall, and the orchestra pit was deepened and expanded. We reduced the width of the corridors and created outer rooms. The height of the tiers became the same on all floors.
During this reconstruction, a royal box was built and placed opposite the stage. Internal transformations have added comfort to the seats, but at the same time reduced their number.
The curtain for the theater was painted by the then famous artist Kozroe Duzi. The plot was the theme with Prince Pozharsky at the head, who enters the Moscow Kremlin through the gates of the Spasskaya Tower.
Has undergone changes and appearance building.
The Bolshoi Theater building has increased in height. An additional pediment was erected above the main portico, which covered an impressive decorative hall. Klodt's quadriga was brought forward a little and it began to hang directly over the colonnade. The side entrances were decorated with cast iron canopies.
More sculptural decorations were added to the external decoration, and decorative niches were built in. The walls were covered with rustication and they were no longer smoothly plastered as before. The podium in front of the entrance was equipped with a ramp for carriages to enter.
By the way, the most common question is: “How many columns does the Bolshoi Theater have?” Their number did not change even after the reconstruction. There were still 8 of them.
The revived theater stopped staging any performances on its stage, but began to limit its repertoire only to ballet and opera performances.
At the end of the century, noticeable cracks appeared on the building. A thorough examination showed that the building needed major repairs and work to strengthen the foundation.
From 1894 until the first years of the new millennium, a grandiose reconstruction of the Bolshoi was carried out: the lighting became completely electric, the heating was switched to steam, and the ventilation system was improved. At the same time, the first telephones appeared in the theater.
The foundation of the building could only be strengthened in the years Soviet Power, 1921-1925. Supervised the work of I.I. Rerberg is the architect of the Kievsky railway station and the Central Moscow Telegraph.
Reconstruction of the theater is carried out constantly. Our time was no exception.
At the beginning of the third millennium, transformations affected not only interior decoration and the outside of the building. The theater began to grow in depth. Under the current Theater Square there is a new concert hall.
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Initially, the Bolshoi Theater was a state-owned theater and, together with the Maly, formed the Moscow troupe of imperial theaters. It was considered the private theater of the provincial prosecutor Pyotr Urusov, the prince. On March 28, 1776, Empress Catherine II signed him a “privilege” for the maintenance of balls, performances, masquerades and other events for a period of ten years. Nowadays, this date is considered the founding of the Moscow Bolshoi Theater.
The composition of the artists at that time was very diverse: from local serfs to invited stars from neighboring states. The opening of the theater took place on December 30, 1780. It received its first name in honor of the place where it was built; the entrance faced straight onto Petrovka Street. The name Petrovsky Theater was firmly attached to it. However, in the fall of 1805 there was a fire, in which the building of the Petrovsky Theater completely burned down.
In 1819, based on the results of a competition, the project of Andrei Mikhailov, a professor at the Academy of Arts, was selected. But after recognizing this project as too expensive, Moscow governor Dmitry Golitsyn chose the architect Osip Bove and ordered him to correct Mikhailov’s version. Beauvais did an excellent job, and in addition to reducing the cost, he significantly improved the project itself. According to the work of Golitsyn, in July 1820, construction began on the theater building, which was to become the center of the urban composition of the square, as well as the adjacent streets.
The opening of the new Petrovsky Theater took place on January 6, 1825. It was significantly larger in size than the old one, which is why it received the name Bolshoi Petrovsky Theater. The size was truly impressive. It surpassed even the St. Petersburg stone theater in monumental grandeur, proportionality of proportions, harmony of architectural forms and richness of interior decoration. In this form, the building existed for only thirty years, and in 1853 it suffered the same fate as its predecessor: the theater burst into flames and burned for three days. Professor of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts Albert Kavos, who was the chief architect of the imperial theaters, received the right for the next reconstruction.
Work to restore the Bolshoi Theater progressed rapidly, and already in August 1856 the building opened its doors to the public. This speed was caused by the coronation of Emperor Alexander II. The architect's main attention was paid to the stage section and auditorium. This led to the fact that the Bolshoi Theater in the second half of the 19th century was considered one of the best theaters in the world, thanks to its acoustic properties. However, the Imperial Bolshoi Theater stood until February 28, 1917. On March 13, the State Bolshoi Theater was opened.
The revolution of 1917 brought with it the expulsion of the curtains of the imperial theater. It was only in 1920 that the artist Fedorovsky created a sliding curtain consisting of bronze-painted canvas. It was this canvas that became the main curtain of the theater until 1935, when the order for a curtain with woven revolutionary dates “1871, 1905, 1917B” was fulfilled. Since 1955, the “golden” Soviet curtain, again made by Fedorovsky, hung in the theater. The curtain was decorated with Soviet symbols.
Upon completion October revolution the building and the very existence of the Bolshoi Theater became under threat. More than one year was spent trying to ensure that the victorious proletariat abandoned the idea of closing the theater forever. The first step was to award the theater the title of Academic in 1919, but even this did not give it guarantees that there would be no demolition. But already in 1922, the Bolshevik government decided that the closure of such a cultural monument would have a negative impact on the entire Russian history.
In April 1941, the Bolshoi Theater was closed for scheduled repairs, and two months later the Great Patriotic War began. Most of the artists went to the front, but the rest continued to play performances.
On October 22, 1941, at exactly 4 o'clock in the afternoon, a bomb fell on the Bolshoi Theater building. A significant part of the structure was damaged. However, despite the harsh weather and severe cold, restoration work began in winter. The autumn of 1943 brought with it the opening of the Bolshoi and the resumption of its work with the production of M. Glinka’s opera “A Life for the Tsar”. Since then, cosmetic renovations of the theater have been carried out almost every year.
A large rehearsal hall was opened in 1960, located right under the roof. The celebration of the theater's 200th anniversary in 1975 took place in the restored auditorium and Beethoven hall. But the main problems of the Bolshoi Theater still remained the lack of seats and the instability of the foundation. These problems were resolved in 1987, when by decree of the Russian Government it was decided to urgently reconstruct the building. However, the first work began only eight years later, and after another seven the building was built New scene. The theater operated until 2005 and closed again for restoration.
Today, a new mechanical stage allows for maximum use of lighting, visual and sound effects. Thanks to the renovation, the Bolshoi Theater now has an underground concert hall, which is located under Theater Square. This work became truly significant in the life of the theater. Experts were gathered the highest level, whose work can be appreciated only by visiting the Bolshoi Theater.
The unique reconstruction project of the Bolshoi Theater allowed modern audiences to literally touch history. After all, today, having bought tickets to the Bolshoi Theater, the viewer will enjoy the wonderful musical performances and carefully recreated 19th-century interiors. Of course, another remarkable architectural solution was the construction of an underground concert and rehearsal hall, equipped with the most modern underground mechanical equipment. Such designs have proven themselves to work flawlessly in various theaters around the world - Vienna Opera, the Olympia Theater in Spain, the Copenhagen Opera, and the Komische Opera in Berlin. Special attention attention was paid to the acoustics of the hall, which meets the highest requirements of international acoustic standards. There is an underground concert hall under Theater Square.
BIG THEATER Russian State Academic Theater (SABT), one of oldest theaters countries (Moscow). Since 1919 academic. The history of the Bolshoi Theater dates back to 1776, when Prince P. V. Urusov received the government privilege “to be the owner of all theatrical performances in Moscow” with the obligation to build a stone theater “so that it could serve as a decoration for the city, and moreover, a house for public masquerades, comedies and comic operas." In the same year, Urusov invited M. Medox, a native of England, to participate in expenses. The performances were held at the Opera House on Znamenka, which was in the possession of Count R. I. Vorontsov (in the summer - in the “voxal” in the possession of Count A. S. Stroganov “near the Andronikov Monastery”). Opera, ballet and dramatic performances were performed by actors and musicians from the theater troupe of Moscow University, the serf troupes of N. S. Titov and P. V. Urusov.
After the Opera House burned down in 1780, in the same year a theater building in the style of Catherine's classicism was erected on Petrovka Street in the same year - the Petrovsky Theater (architect H. Rosberg; see Medoxa Theater). Since 1789 it has been under the jurisdiction of the Board of Guardians. In 1805, the building of the Petrovsky Theater burned down. In 1806, the troupe came under the jurisdiction of the Directorate of the Moscow Imperial Theaters and continued to perform in different premises. In 1816, a project for the reconstruction of Theater Square by architect O. I. Bove was adopted; In 1821, Emperor Alexander I approved the design of a new theater building by architect A. A. Mikhailov. T.n. The Bolshoi Petrovsky Theater in the Empire style was built by Beauvais according to this project (with some modifications and using the foundation of the Petrovsky Theater); opened in 1825. A horseshoe-shaped auditorium was inscribed into the rectangular volume of the building; the stage area was equal in area to the hall and had large corridors. Main facade was accented by a monumental 8-column Ionic portico with a triangular pediment, topped with a sculptural alabaster group “Apollo’s Quadriga” (placed against the backdrop of a semicircular niche). The building became the main compositional dominant of the Theater Square ensemble.
After the fire of 1853, the Bolshoi Theater was restored according to the design of the architect A. K. Kavos (with the replacement of the sculptural group with a work in bronze by P. K. Klodt), construction was completed in 1856. The reconstruction significantly changed it appearance, but retained the layout; The architecture of the Bolshoi Theater acquired features of eclecticism. It remained in this form until 2005, with the exception of minor internal and external reconstructions (the auditorium seats over 2000 people). In 1924–59 a branch of the Bolshoi Theater operated (in the premises of the former Operas by S. I. Zimin on Bolshaya Dmitrovka). In 1920, a concert hall was opened in the former imperial foyer of the theater - the so-called. Beethovensky (in 2012 its historical name “Imperial Foyer” was returned to it). During the Great Patriotic War, part of the Bolshoi Theater staff was evacuated to Kuibyshev (1941–43); some gave performances on the premises of the branch. In 1961–89, some Bolshoi Theater performances took place on the stage of the Kremlin Palace of Congresses. During the reconstruction of the main theater building (2005–11), performances were performed only on the New Stage in a specially built building (designed by architect A. V. Maslov; in operation since 2002). The main (so-called Historical) stage of the Bolshoi Theater was opened in 2011, since then performances have been staged on two stages. In 2012, concerts began in the new Beethoven Hall.
A significant role in the history of the Bolshoi Theater was played by the activities of the directors of the imperial theaters - I. A. Vsevolozhsky (1881–99), Prince S. M. Volkonsky (1899–1901), V. A. Telyakovsky (1901–17). In 1882, a reorganization of the imperial theaters was carried out; the positions of chief conductor (kapellmeister; became I.K. Altani, 1882–1906), chief director (A.I. Bartsal, 1882–1903) and chief choirmaster (U.I. Avranek, 1882–1929). The design of performances became more complex and gradually went beyond simple stage decoration; K. F. Waltz (1861–1910) became famous as the chief machinist and decorator.
Subsequently, the musical directors were: chief conductors - V. I. Suk (1906–33), A. F. Arends ( chief conductor ballet, 1900–24), S. A. Lynching(1936–43), A. M. Pazovsky (1943–48), N. S. Golovanov (1948–53), A. Sh. Melik-Pashaev (1953–63), E. F. Svetlanov (1963–65 ), G. N. Rozhdestvensky (1965–70), Yu. I. Simonov (1970–85), A. N. Lazarev (1987–95), artistic director of the orchestra P. Feranets (1995–98), musical director of the Bolshoi theater, artistic director of the orchestra M. F. Ermler (1998–2000), artistic director G. N. Rozhdestvensky (2000–01), music director and chief conductor A. A. Vedernikov (2001–09), music director L. A . Desyatnikov (2009–10), music directors and main conductors - V.S. Sinai(2010–13), T.T. Sokhiev (since 2014).
Main directors: V.A. Lossky (1920–28), N.V. Smolich (1930–36), B.A. Mordvinov (1936–40), L.V. Baratov (1944–49), I. M. Tumanov (1964–70), B. A. Pokrovsky (1952, 1955 – 63, 1970–82); head of the directing group G.P. Ansimov (1995–2000).
Main choirmasters: V. P. Stepanov (1926–36), M. A. Cooper (1936–44), M. G. Shorin (1944–58), A. V. Rybnov (1958–88), S. M Lykov (1988–95; artistic director of the choir from 1995–2003), V. V. Borisov (since 2003).
Main artists: M. I. Kurilko (1925–27), F. F. Fedorovsky (1927–29, 1947–53), V. V. Dmitriev (1930–41), P. V. Williams (1941–47) , V. F. Ryndin (1953–70), N. N. Zolotarev (1971–88), V. Ya. Levental (1988–95), S. M. Barkhin (1995–2000; also artistic director, set designer) ; head of the artist service - A. Yu. Pikalova (since 2000).
Artistic director of the theater in 1995–2000 - V. V. Vasiliev . General Directors – A. G. Iksanov (2000–13), V. G. Urin (since 2013).
Artistic directors of the opera troupe: B.A. Rudenko ( 1995–99), V. P. Andropov (2000–02), M.F. Kasrashvili(in 2002–14 headed creative teams opera troupe), L. V. Talikova (since 2014, head of the opera troupe).
Opera at the Bolshoi Theater
In 1779, one of the first Russian operas, “The Miller - the Sorcerer, the Deceiver and the Matchmaker,” appeared on the stage of the Opera House on Znamenka (text by A. O. Ablesimov, music by M. M. Sokolovsky). The Petrovsky Theater staged the allegorical prologue “The Wanderers” (text by Ablesimov, music by E. I. Fomin), performed on the opening day of December 30, 1780 (10.1.1781), opera performances “Misfortune from the Coach” (1780), “The Miser” (1782 ), “St. Petersburg Gostiny Dvor” (1783) by V. A. Pashkevich. The development of the opera house was influenced by the tours of the Italian (1780–82) and French (1784–1785) troupes. The troupe of the Petrovsky Theater consisted of actors and singers E. S. Sandunova, M. S. Sinyavskaya, A. G. Ozhogin, P. A. Plavilshchikov, Ya. E. Shusherin and others. The Bolshoi Petrovsky Theater opened on January 6 (18), 1825 prologue “The Triumph of the Muses” by A. A. Alyabyev and A. N. Verstovsky. Since that time, the operatic repertoire has been increasingly occupied by works by domestic authors, mainly vaudeville operas. For over 30 years, the work of the opera troupe was connected with the activities of A. N. Verstovsky - inspector of the Directorate of Imperial Theaters and composer, author of the operas “Pan Tvardovsky” (1828), “Vadim, or the Awakening of the 12 Sleeping Maidens” (1832), “Askold’s Grave” "(1835), "Homesickness" (1839). In the 1840s Russian classical operas “A Life for the Tsar” (1842) and “Ruslan and Lyudmila” (1846) by M. I. Glinka were staged. In 1856, the newly rebuilt Bolshoi Theater opened with V. Bellini’s opera “The Puritans” performed by an Italian troupe. 1860s marked by increased Western European influence (the new Directorate of Imperial Theaters favored Italian opera and foreign musicians). Among the domestic operas, “Judith” (1865) and “Rogneda” (1868) by A. N. Serov, “Rusalka” by A. S. Dargomyzhsky (1859, 1865) were staged; operas by P. I. Tchaikovsky were performed from 1869. The rise of the Russian musical culture at the Bolshoi Theater is associated with the first production at the Bolshoi opera stage“Eugene Onegin” (1881), as well as other works by Tchaikovsky, operas by St. Petersburg composers - N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, M. P. Mussorgsky. At the same time they put best works foreign composers– W. A. Mozart, G. Verdi, C. Gounod, J. Bizet, R. Wagner. Among the singers 19 – beginning 20th centuries: M. G. Gukova, E. P. Kadmina, N. V. Salina, A. I. Bartsal, I. V. Gryzunov, V. R. Petrov, P. A. Khokhlov. The conducting activity of S. V. Rachmaninov (1904–06) became a milestone for the theater. The heyday of the Bolshoi Theater in 1901–17 is largely associated with the names of F. I. Chaliapin, L. V. Sobinov and A. V. Nezhdanova, K. S. Stanislavsky and Vl. AND. Nemirovich-Danchenko, K. A. Korovina and A. Ya. Golovina.
In 1906–33, the de facto head of the Bolshoi Theater was V. I. Suk, who continued to work on Russian and foreign opera classics together with directors V. A. Lossky (“Aida” by G. Verdi, 1922; “Lohengrin” by R. Wagner, 1923; “Boris Godunov” by M. P. Mussorgsky, 1927) and L. V. Baratov, artist F. F. Fedorovsky. In the 1920s–30s. performances were conducted by N. S. Golovanov, A. Sh. Melik-Pashaev, A. M. Pazovsky, S. A. Samosud, B. E. Khaikin, V. V. Barsova, K. G. Derzhinskaya, E. sang on stage D. Kruglikova, M. P. Maksakova, N. A. Obukhova, E. A. Stepanova, A. I. Baturin, I. S. Kozlovsky, S. Ya. Lemeshev, M. D. Mikhailov, P. M Nortsov, A. S. Pirogov. Premieres of Soviet operas took place: “The Decembrists” by V. A. Zolotarev (1925), “Son of the Sun” by S. N. Vasilenko and “The Stupid Artist” by I. P. Shishov (both 1929), “Almast” by A. A. Spendiarov ( 1930); in 1935 the opera “Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk” by D. D. Shostakovich was staged. In the end 1940 Wagner’s “Die Walküre” was staged (directed by S. M. Eisenstein). The last pre-war production was Mussorgsky's Khovanshchina (13.2.1941). In 1918–22, an Opera Studio operated at the Bolshoi Theater under the direction of K. S. Stanislavsky.
In September 1943, the Bolshoi Theater opened its season in Moscow with the opera “Ivan Susanin” by M. I. Glinka. In the 1940s–50s. Russian and European were staged classical repertoire, as well as operas by composers of countries of Eastern Europe– B. Smetana, S. Moniuszko, L. Janacek, F. Erkel. Since 1943, the name of director B. A. Pokrovsky has been associated with the theater, who for more than 50 years determined artistic level opera performances; His productions of the operas “War and Peace” (1959), “Semyon Kotko” (1970) and “The Gambler” (1974) by S. S. Prokofiev, “Ruslan and Lyudmila” by Glinka (1972), “Othello” by G. Verdi are considered standard. (1978). In general, for the operatic repertoire of the 1970s - early. 1980s typical stylistic diversity: from 18th century operas. (“Julius Caesar” by G. F. Handel, 1979; “Iphigenia in Aulis” by K. V. Gluck, 1983), opera classics of the 19th century. (“Rheingold” by R. Wagner, 1979) to Soviet opera (“Dead Souls” by R. K. Shchedrin, 1977; “Betrothal in a Monastery” by Prokofiev, 1982). In the best performances of the 1950s–70s. sang by I. K. Arkhipova, G. P. Vishnevskaya, M. F. Kasrashvili, T. A. Milashkina, E. V. Obraztsova, B. A. Rudenko, T. I. Sinyavskaya, V. A. Atlantov, A A. Vedernikov, A. F. Krivchenya, S. Ya. Lemeshev, P. G. Lisitsian, Yu. A. Mazurok, E. E. Nesterenko, A. P. Ognivtsev, I. I. Petrov, M. O Reisen, Z. L. Sotkilava, A. A. Eisen, conducted by E. F. Svetlanov, G. N. Rozhdestvensky, K. A. Simeonov and others. With the exclusion of the position of chief director (1982) and the departure of Yu. I. Simonov began a period of instability; Before 1988, only a few opera productions were performed: “The Tale of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevronia” (directed by R. I. Tikhomirov) and “The Tale of Tsar Saltan” (directed by G. P. Ansimov) by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, “ Werther" by J. Massenet (director E. V. Obraztsova), "Mazeppa" by P. I. Tchaikovsky (director S. F. Bondarchuk).
From the end 1980s Opera repertoire policy was determined by a focus on rare performed works: “The Beautiful Miller’s Wife” by G. Paisiello (1986, conductor V. E. Weiss, director G. M. Gelovani), opera by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov “The Golden Cockerel” (1988, conductor E. F. Svetlanov, director G. . P. Ansimov), “Mlada” (1988, for the first time on this stage; conductor A. N. Lazarev, director B. A. Pokrovsky), “The Night Before Christmas” (1990, conductor Lazarev, director A. B. Titel) , “The Maid of Orleans” by Tchaikovsky (1990, for the first time on this stage; conductor Lazarev, director Pokrovsky), “Aleko” and “ Stingy Knight"S. V. Rachmaninov (both 1994, conductor Lazarev, director N. I. Kuznetsov). Among the productions is the opera “Prince Igor” by A. P. Borodin (edited by E. M. Levashev; 1992, joint production with the Carlo Felice Theater in Genoa; conductor Lazarev, director Pokrovsky). During these years, a mass exodus of singers began abroad, which (in the absence of the position of chief director) led to a decrease in the quality of performances.
In 1995–2000, the basis of the repertoire was Russian operas of the 19th century, among the productions: “Ivan Susanin” by M. I. Glinka (resumption of the production by L. V. Baratov 1945, director V. G. Milkov), “Iolanta” by P. I. Tchaikovsky (director G. P. Ansimov; both 1997), “Francesca da Rimini” by S. V. Rachmaninov (1998, conductor A. N. Chistyakov, director B. A. Pokrovsky). Since 1995, foreign operas at the Bolshoi Theater have been performed in their original languages. On the initiative of B. A. Rudenko, a concert performance of the operas “Lucia di Lammermoor” by G. Donizetti (conducted by P. Feranets) and “Norma” by V. Bellini (conducted by Chistyakov; both 1998) took place. Among other operas: “Khovanshchina” by M. P. Mussorgsky (1995, conductor M. L. Rostropovich, director B. A. Pokrovsky), “The Players” by D. D. Shostakovich (1996, concert performance, for the first time on this stage, conductor Chistyakov), the most successful production of these years is “The Love for Three Oranges” by S. S. Prokofiev (1997, director P. Ustinov).
In 2001, for the first time at the Bolshoi Theater, the opera “Nabucco” by G. Verdi was staged (conductor M. F. Ermler, director M. S. Kislyarov), under the direction of G. N. Rozhdestvensky, the premiere of the 1st edition of the opera “The Gambler” by S. S. took place . Prokofiev (director A. B. Titel). Fundamentals of repertoire and personnel policy(since 2001): enterprise principle of working on a performance, inviting performers on a contract basis (with a gradual reduction of the main troupe), rental of foreign performances (“Force of Destiny” by G. Verdi, 2001, rental of a production at the San Carlo Theater, Naples); “Adrienne Lecouvreur” by F. Cilea (2002, for the first time on this stage, in the stage version of the La Scala Theater), Verdi’s “Falstaff” (2005, rental of the play at the La Scala Theater, directed by J. Strehler). Among the domestic operas staged were “Ruslan and Lyudmila” by M. I. Glinka (with the participation of “historical” instruments in the orchestra, conductor A. A. Vedernikov, director V. M. Kramer; 2003), “Fire Angel” by S. S. Prokofiev (2004, for the first time at the Bolshoi Theater; conductor Vedernikov, director F. Zambello).
In 2002, the New Stage was opened, the first performance was “The Snow Maiden” by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov (conductor N. G. Alekseev, director D. V. Belov). Among the productions: “The Rake’s Progress” by I. F. Stravinsky (2003, for the first time at the Bolshoi Theater; conductor A. V. Titov, director D. F. Chernyakov), “The Flying Dutchman” by R. Wagner in the 1st edition (2004, together withBavarian State Opera;conductor A. A. Vedernikov, director P. Konvichny). A subtle minimalist stage design distinguished the production of the opera “Madama Butterfly” by G. Puccini (2005, director and artist R. Wilson ). M.V. brought vast experience as a conductor to the music of P.I. Tchaikovsky. Pletnev in the production of “The Queen of Spades” (2007, director V.V. Fokin). For the production of "Boris Godunov"M. P. Mussorgsky in the version of D. D. Shostakovich (2007) invited director A. N. Sokurov , for whom this was the first experience of working in an opera house. Among the productions of these years are the opera “Macbeth” by G. Verdi (2003, conductor M. Panni, director E. Nekroshus ), “Children of Rosenthal” by L. A. Desyatnikov (2005, world premiere; conductor Vedernikov, director Nekrosius), “Eugene Onegin” by Tchaikovsky (2006, conductor Vedernikov, director Chernyakov), “The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevronia” N . Currentzis, director and artist Chernyakov).
Since 2009, the Youth Theater began working at the Bolshoi Theater opera program, whose participants train for 2 years and take part in theater performances. Since 2010, all productions must include foreign directors and performers. In 2010, the operetta “Die Fledermaus” by J. Strauss (for the first time on this stage) and the opera “Don Giovanni” by W. A. Mozart (together with International festival in Aix-en-Provence, the Teatro Real in Madrid and the Canadian Opera House in Toronto; conductor Currentzis, director and artist Chernyakov), in 2011 - the opera “The Golden Cockerel” by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov (conductor V. S. Sinaisky, director K. S. Serebrennikov).
The first production on the Main (Historical) stage, opened after reconstruction in 2011, is “Ruslan and Lyudmila” by M. I. Glinka (conductor V. M. Yurovsky, director and artist D. F. Chernyakov) - due to the shocking stage design The opera was accompanied by a scandal. In “counterbalance” to it, in the same year the production of “Boris Godunov” by M. P. Mussorgsky, revised by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov (1948, director L.V. Baratov). In 2012, the first production in Moscow of the opera “Der Rosenkavalier” by R. Strauss (conductor V. S. Sinaisky, director S. Lawless), the first stage performance in the Bolshoi Theater of the opera “The Child and Magic” by M. Ravel (conductor A. A.) took place. Soloviev, director and artist E. MacDonald), “Prince Igor” by A. P. Borodin was again staged (in a new edition by P. V. Karmanova, consultant V. I. Martynov , conductor Sinaiski, director Yu. P. Lyubimov), as well as “The Enchantress” by P. I. Tchaikovsky, “Somnambulist” by V. Bellini, etc. In 2013, the opera “Don Carlos” by G. Verdi was staged (conductor R. Treviño, director E. Noble), in 2014 – “ The Tsar's Bride"Rimsky-Korsakov (conductor G. N. Rozhdestvensky, staged based on the scenography of F. F. Fedorovsky, 1955), "The Maid of Orleans" by P. I. Tchaikovsky (concert performance, conductor T. T. Sokhiev), for the first time at the Bolshoi Theater – “The Story of Kai and Gerda” by S. P. Banevich. Among the productions of recent years is “Rodelinda” by G. F. Handel (2015, for the first time in Moscow, together withEnglish National Opera;conductor K. Moulds, director R. Jones), “Manon Lescaut” by G. Puccini (for the first time at the Bolshoi Theater; conductor Y. Bignamini, director A. Ya. Shapiro), “Billy Budd” by B. Britten (for the first time at the Bolshoi Theater together with English National Opera andDeutsche Oper Berlin;conductor W. Lacy, director D. Alden; both 2016).
Bolshoi Theater Ballet
In 1784, the troupe of the Petrovsky Theater included students of the ballet class that was opened in 1773 at the Orphanage. The first choreographers were Italians and French (L. Paradise, F. and C. Morelli, P. Pinucci, G. Solomoni). The repertoire included their own productions and transferred performances by J. J. Noverra, genre comedy ballets.
In the development of ballet art of the Bolshoi Theater in the 1st third of the 19th century. The activities of A.P. were of greatest importance. Glushkovsky, who headed the ballet troupe in 1812–39. He staged performances of various genres, including stories based on A. S. Pushkin (“Ruslan and Lyudmila, or the Overthrow of Chernomor, the Evil Wizard” by F. E. Scholz, 1821; “The Black Shawl, or Punished Infidelity” to composite music , 1831), and also transferred many of the St. Petersburg works of Sh. L. to the Moscow stage. Didlo. Romanticism established itself on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater thanks to the choreographer F. Güllen-Sor, who worked here in 1823–39 and transferred a number of ballets from Paris (“La Sylphide” by J. Schneizhoffer, choreography by F. Taglioni, 1837, etc.). Among her students and most famous performers: E. A. Sankovskaya, T. I. Glushkovskaya, D. S. Lopukhina, A. I. Voronina-Ivanova, I. N. Nikitin. Of particular importance were the performances in 1850 of the Austrian dancer F. Elsler, thanks to which the ballets of J. J. were included in the repertoire. Perrault(“Esmeralda” by C. Pugni, etc.).
From ser. 19th century romantic ballets began to lose their importance, despite the fact that the troupe retained the artists who gravitated towards them: P. P. Lebedeva, O. N. Nikolaeva, in the 1870s. – A.I. Sobeshchanskaya. Throughout the 1860s–90s. At the Bolshoi Theater, several choreographers were replaced, leading the troupe or staging individual performances. In 1861–63 K. worked there. Blasis, who gained fame only as a teacher. Most repertoire in the 1860s. there were ballets by A. Saint Leon, who transferred from St. Petersburg the play “The Little Humpbacked Horse” by C. Pugni (1866). A significant achievement of the theater is the ballet “Don Quixote” by L. F. Minkus, staged by M. I. Petipa in 1869. In 1867–69 he carried out several productions by S. P. Sokolov (“Fern, or Night on Ivan Kupala” by Yu. G. Gerber, etc.). In 1877, the famous choreographer W. Reisinger, who came from Germany, became the director of the 1st (unsuccessful) edition of Swan Lake by P. I. Tchaikovsky. In the 1880–90s. choreographers at the Bolshoi Theater were J. Hansen, H. Mendes, A. N. Bogdanov, I. N. Khlyustin. K con. In the 19th century, despite the presence of strong dancers in the troupe (L. N. Gaten, L. A. Roslavleva, N. F. Manokhin, N. P. Domashev), the Bolshoi Theater ballet was experiencing a crisis: Moscow did not see the ballets of P. I. Tchaikovsky (only in 1899 the ballet “The Sleeping Beauty” was transferred to the Bolshoi Theater by A. A. Gorsky), the best productions by Petipa and L. I. Ivanova. The question of liquidating the troupe, which was halved in 1882, was even raised. The reason for this was partly the lack of attention of the Directorate of the Imperial Theaters to the troupe (which was then considered provincial), untalented leaders who ignored the traditions of Moscow ballet, the renewal of which became possible in the era of reforms in Russian art in the beginning. 20th century
In 1902, the ballet troupe was headed by A. A. Gorsky. His activities contributed to the revival and flourishing of the Bolshoi Theater ballet. The choreographer sought to fill the ballet with dramatic content, achieving logic and harmony of action, accuracy of national coloring, and historical authenticity. Gorsky began his work as a choreographer in Moscow with adaptations of other people's ballets [Don Quixote by L. F. Minkus (based on the St. Petersburg production by M. I. Petipa), 1900; “Swan Lake” (based on the St. Petersburg performance by Petipa and L. I. Ivanov, 1901]. In these productions, the structural forms of academic ballet were largely preserved (variations, small ensembles, corps de ballet numbers), and in “Swan Lake” the St. Petersburg choreography was also preserved. The most complete embodiment of Gorsky's ideas was in the mimodrama "Gudula's Daughter" by A. Yu. Simon (1902). Gorsky's best original productions were "Salambo" by A. F. Arends (1910), "Love is fast!" ). Great importance There were also adaptations of classical ballets. However, discoveries in the field of direction and character dance, innovative designs of mass numbers that violated traditional symmetry, were sometimes accompanied by unjustified disparagement of the rights of classical dance, unmotivated changes in the choreography of predecessors, and an eclectic combination of techniques coming from various artistic movements of the first decades of the 20th century. Gorsky's like-minded people were the leading dancers of the theater M.M. Mordkin, V.A. Caralli, A. M. Balashova, S. V. Fedorov, pantomime masters V. A. Ryabtsev, I. E. Sidorov. E.V. also worked with him. Geltser and V.D. Tikhomirov, dancers A.E. Volinin, L.L. Novikov, but in general Gorsky did not strive for close cooperation with academic artists. By the end of his creative activity, the Bolshoi Theater troupe, which was successively restructured under his influence, had largely lost the skills of performing large performances of the old repertoire.
In the 1920s–30s. There has been a tendency to return to the classics. The leadership of the ballet at this time was actually (and from 1925 ex-officio) carried out by V. D. Tikhomirov. He returned the choreography of M. I. Petipa to the 3rd act of La Bayadère by L. F. Minkus (1923), and resumed the ballets The Sleeping Beauty (1924), Esmeralda (1926, new music edition R. M. Gliere).
1920s in Russia it is a time of searching for new forms in all types of art, including dance. However, innovative choreographers were rarely allowed into the Bolshoi Theater. In 1925 K. Ya. Goleizovsky staged on the stage of the branch theater the ballet “Joseph the Beautiful” by S. N. Vasilenko, which contained many innovations in selection and combination dance moves and building groups, with constructivist design by B.R. Erdman. An officially recognized achievement was considered the production of “The Red Poppy” by V. D. Tikhomirov and L. A. Lashilin to the music of R. M. Gliere (1927), where the topical content was expressed in a traditional form (ballet “dream”, canonical pas de- de, elements of extravaganza). The traditions of A. A. Gorsky’s work were continued at this time by I. A. Moiseev, who staged V. A. Oransky’s ballets “Football Player” (1930, together with Lashchilin) and “Three Fat Men” (1935), as well as new version"Salambo" by A. F. Arends (1932).
From the end 1920s The role of the Bolshoi Theater - now the capital's, "main" theater of the country - is increasing. In the 1930s. choreographers, teachers and artists were transferred here from Leningrad, and the best performances were transferred. M.T. Semyonova and A.N. Ermolaev became leading performers along with Muscovites O.V. Lepeshinskaya, A.M. Messerer, MM. Gabovich. Leningrad teachers E.P. came to the theater and school. Gerdt, A. M. Monakhov, V. A. Semenov, choreographer A. I. Chekrygin. This contributed to the improvement of the technical mastery of the Moscow ballet and the stage culture of its performances, but at the same time, to some extent, led to the loss of Moscow’s own performing style and staging traditions.
In the 1930s - 40s. The repertoire includes the ballets “Flames of Paris” by B.V. Asafiev, choreographed by V.I. Vainonen and drama ballet masterpieces - “The Bakhchisarai Fountain” by Asafiev, choreographed by R.V. Zakharova and “Romeo and Juliet” by S. S. Prokofiev, choreographed by L. M. Lavrovsky(transferred to Moscow in 1946, after G.S. moved to the Bolshoi Theater in 1944 Ulanova), as well as the works of choreographers who continued the traditions of Russian academicism in their work: Vainonen (The Nutcracker by P.I. Tchaikovsky) F.V. Lopukhova(“Bright Stream” by D. D. Shostakovich), V. M. Chabukiani(“Laurencia” by A. A. Crane). In 1944, Lavrovsky, who took over the post of chief choreographer, staged A. Adam's Giselle at the Bolshoi Theater.
Since the 1930s. and until mid. 1950s the main trend in the development of ballet was its rapprochement with realistic drama theater. K ser. 1950s The drama ballet genre has become obsolete. A group of young choreographers appeared who strived for transformation, returning its specificity to a choreographic performance, revealing images and conflicts through the means of dance. In 1959, one of the firstborns of the new direction was transferred to the Bolshoi Theater - the ballet “The Stone Flower” by S. S. Prokofiev, choreographed by Yu. N. Grigorovich and design of S.B. Virsaladze(the premiere took place in 1957 at the Leningrad State Theater of Opera and Ballet). In the beginning. 1960s N.D. Kasatkina and V.Yu. Vasilev staged at the Bolshoi Theater one-act ballets by N. N. Karetnikov (“Vanina Vanini”, 1962; “Geologists”, 1964), I. F. Stravinsky (“The Rite of Spring”, 1965).
From the end 1950s The Bolshoi Theater ballet troupe began to regularly perform abroad, where it gained wide popularity. The next two decades were the heyday of the theater, rich in bright personalities, demonstrating its staging and performing style all over the world, which was aimed at a wide and, moreover, international audience. The productions shown on tour influenced foreign editions of the classics, as well as the original work of European choreographers K. Macmillan, J. Cranko and etc.
Yu. N. Grigorovich, head ballet troupe in 1964–95, began his activity with the transfer of “The Legend of Love” by A. D. Melikov (1965), which he had previously staged in Leningrad and Novosibirsk (both 1961). Over the next 20 years, a number of original productions appeared, created in collaboration with S. B. Virsaladze: “The Nutcracker” by P. I. Tchaikovsky (1966), “Spartacus” by A. I. Khachaturian (1968), “Ivan the Terrible” to the music of S. . S. Prokofiev (1975), “Angara” by A. Ya. Eshpai (1976), “Romeo and Juliet” by Prokofiev (1979). In 1982, Grigorovich staged his last original ballet at the Bolshoi Theater - “The Golden Age” by D. D. Shostakovich. These large-scale performances with large crowd scenes required a special style of performance - expressive, heroic, and sometimes stilted. Along with composing his own performances, Grigorovich was actively involved in editing the classical heritage. His two productions of The Sleeping Beauty (1963 and 1973) were based on the original by M. I. Petipa. Grigorovich significantly rethought “Swan Lake” by Tchaikovsky (1969) and “Raymond” by A.K. Glazunov (1984). The production of “La Bayadère” by L. F. Minkus (1991, as edited by the State Theater Opera and Ballet Theater) returned the play to the repertoire, long years not performed on the Moscow stage. Less fundamental changes were made to Giselle (1987) and Corsair (1994, as edited by K.M. in 1992 at the Bolshoi Theater). , Yu.K. Vladimirov, A. B. Godunov etc. However, the predominance of Grigorovich’s productions also had a downside - it led to the monotony of the repertoire. Focus exclusively on classical dance and within its framework - on the vocabulary of the heroic plan (big jumps and adagio poses, acrobatic supports) with the almost complete exclusion from the productions of characteristic, historical, everyday, grotesque numbers and pantomime scenes, narrowed the creative possibilities of the troupe. In new productions and editions of heritage ballets, character dancers and mimes were practically not involved, which naturally led to the decline of the art of character dance and pantomime. Old ballets and performances by other choreographers were performed less and less often; comedy ballets, traditional for Moscow in the past, disappeared from the stage of the Bolshoi Theater. During the years of Grigorovich’s leadership, productions by N. D. Kasatkina and V. Yu. Vasilyev (“The Rite of Spring” by I. F. Stravinsky), V. I. Vainonen (“The Flames of Paris” by B. V.) that had not lost their artistic value were removed from the stage . Asafieva), A. Alonso (“Carmen Suite” by J. Bizet - R. K. Shchedrin), A.I. Radunsky (“The Little Humpbacked Horse” by Shchedrin), L.M. Lavrovsky (“Romeo and Juliet” by S.S. Prokofiev), the old Moscow editions of “Swan Lake” by Tchaikovsky and “Don Quixote” by Minkus, which were the pride of the troupe, also disappeared. Until sep. 1990s There were no major contemporary choreographers working at the Bolshoi Theater. Some performances were staged by V.V. Vasiliev, M.M. Plisetskaya, A.B. Ashton [« A futile precaution"F. (L.F.) Herold, 2002], J. Neumayer(“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” to the music of F. Mendelssohn and D. Ligeti, 2004). The greatest French choreographers P. composed ballets especially for the Bolshoi Theater. Lacotte(“The Pharaoh’s Daughter” by C. Pugni, based on the play by M. I. Petipa, 2000) and R. Petit (“The Queen of Spades” to the music of P. I. Tchaikovsky, 2001). From the classics of the 19th–20th centuries. During these years, “Romeo and Juliet” by L. M. Lavrovsky and the old Moscow edition of “Don Quixote” were restored. His own editions of classical performances (“Swan Lake”, 1996; “Giselle”, 1997) were prepared by V. V. Vasiliev (artistic director - director of the theater in 1995–2000). All R. 2000s New productions of ballets by S. S. Prokofiev (“Romeo and Juliet” by R. Poklitaru and D. Donnellan, 2003; “Cinderella” by Yu. M. Posokhov and Yu. O. Borisov, 2006) and D. D. Shostakovich appeared in the repertoire (“Bright Stream”, 2003; “Bolt”, 2005; both – directed by A.O. Ratmansky ), carried out using modern expressive means of choreography.
A significant place in the repertoire of the first years of the 21st century. occupied by the works of Ratmansky (in 2004–09, artistic director of the Bolshoi Theater ballet). In addition to those listed above, he staged and transferred his performances to the Moscow stage: “Lea” to the music of L. Bernstein (2004), “Playing Cards” by I. F. Stravinsky (2005), “Flames of Paris” by B. V. Asafiev ( 2008, using fragments of choreography by V. I. Vainonen), “Russian Seasons” to the music of L. A. Desyatnikov (2008).
Since 2007, the Bolshoi Theater began work on restoring classical ballets based on historical materials. It was especially active in 2009–11, when the artistic director of the troupe was a connoisseur of ancient choreography by Yu. P. Burlak: “Corsair” by A. Adam (2007, staged by A. O. Ratmansky and Burlak after M. I. Petipa), Great Classical steps from the ballet “Paquita” by L. F. Minkus (2008, staged by Burlak after Petipa), “Coppelia” by L. Delibes (2009, staged by S. G. Vikharev after Petipa), “Esmeralda” by C. Pugni (2009, staged by Burlak and V. M. Medvedev after Petipa), “Petrushka” by I. F. Stravinsky (2010, directed by Vikharev based on the MALEGOT edition).
In 2009, Yu. N. Grigorovich returned to the Bolshoi Theater as choreographer; he resumed several of his performances (“Romeo and Juliet”, 2010; “Ivan the Terrible”, 2012; “The Legend of Love”, 2014; "Golden Age", 2016), prepared new edition"Sleeping Beauty" (2011).
Since the late 2000s. in the field of modern repertoire, there has been a turn towards large plot performances (“Lost Illusions” by L. A. Desyatnikov in the choreography of A. O. Ratmansky, 2011; “Onegin” to the music of P. I. Tchaikovsky in the choreography of J. Cranko, 2013; “ Marco Spada, or The Bandit’s Daughter” by D. Auber, choreography by P. Lacotte, 2013; “Lady with Camellias” to music by F. Chopin, choreography by J. Neumayer, 2014; “The Taming of the Shrew” to music by D. D. Shostakovich, choreography by J. K. Mayo, 2014; “Hero of Our Time” by I. A. Demutsky, choreography by Y. M. Posokhov, 2015; “Romeo and Juliet” by S. S. Prokofiev, choreography by Ratmansky, 2017; 2nd (2007) and 1st (2013) degrees, Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called (2017).
On par with the State Tretyakov Gallery, State Historical Museum, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the Moscow Kremlin, the Bolshoi Theater is an object cultural heritage and one of the outstanding attractions of the city of Moscow. The history of the creation of the Bolshoi Theater has seen both light and dark periods, periods of prosperity and decline. Since its foundation in 1776, the theater has undergone numerous restorations: fires were merciless to the house of art.
The beginning of formation. Maddox Theater
The starting point in the history of the theater’s formation is considered to be 1776, when Empress Catherine II allowed Prince P. V. Urusov to engage in the maintenance and development theatrical performances. A small theater was built on Petrovka Street, named after the street Petrovsky. However, it was destroyed by fire even before its official opening.
P.V. Urusov transfers ownership of the theater to his friend, an entrepreneur from England, Michael Maddox. Six months of construction under the leadership of the Bolshoi Theater architect Christian Rosberg and 130 thousand silver rubles made it possible by 1780 to create a theater with a capacity of one thousand people. More than 400 performances were staged between 1780 and 1794. In 1805, Maddox's theater burned down, and the acting troupe was forced to give performances in private theaters until 1808. From 1808 to 1812, the wooden theater, designed by K.I. Rossi, was located in Moscow. It burned down during the Patriotic War, in the Moscow fire.
Period from 1812 to 1853
After the fire of 1812, the Moscow authorities returned to the issue of restoring the theater only in 1816. The most prominent architects of the time took part in the organized competition, among whom A. A. Mikhailov became the winner. However, his project turned out to be quite expensive, so the matter was entrusted to O.I. Bove, a specialist who was part of the Commission on the Structure of Moscow. The architect of the Bolshoi Theater, Beauvais, took Mikhailov’s plan as a basis, slightly modifying it. The estimated height of the theater was reduced by 4 meters to 37 meters, and the interior decoration was also revised.
The project was approved by the authorities in 1821, and 4 years later, the work “Creativity of the Muses,” which tells the story of the revival of the Bolshoi Theater from the ashes, was solemnly presented on the stage of the theater. In the period from 1825 to 1853, the Bolshoi Theater posters invited connoisseurs of high art to comedic plays - vaudeville ("The Village Philosopher", "Fun of the Caliph"). It was especially popular at that time operatic creativity: works by A. N. Verstovsky (“Pan Tvardovsky”, “Askold’s Grave”), M. I. Glinka ( famous operas“A Life for the Tsar”, “Ruslan and Lyudmila”), as well as works by Mozart, Beethoven, Rossini. In 1853, the theater was again engulfed in flames and almost completely burned out.
Reconstructions of the second half of the 20th century
The building of the Bolshoi Theater was severely damaged after the fire of 1853. The competition for its reconstruction was won by Albert Katerinovich Kavos - outstanding architect, under whose care were Imperial theaters. He increased the building's height and width, redesigned the interior and exterior decoration, diluting the classical architectural style with elements of early eclecticism. The sculpture of Apollo above the entrance to the theater was replaced with a bronze quadriga (chariot) created by Pyotr Klodt. On this moment The architectural style of the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow is considered to be neoclassicism.
In 1890 The theater building was again in need of repair: it turned out that its foundation was on barely holding wooden piles. The theater was also in dire need of electrification. According to the project of the architects of the Bolshoi Theater - I. I. Rerberg and K. V. Tersky, the half-rotten wooden piles were replaced with new ones by 1898. This temporarily slowed down the building's settlement.
From 1919 to 1922, there were debates in Moscow about the possibility of closing the Bolshoi Theater. This, however, did not happen. In 1921, a large-scale inspection of the structures and the entire theater building was carried out. She identified major problems along one of the walls of the auditorium. In the same year, restoration work began under the leadership of the architect of the Bolshoi Theater of that time, I. I. Rerberg. The foundation of the building was strengthened, which made it possible to stop its settlement.
During the Great Patriotic War, from 1941 to 1943, the Bolshoi Theater building was empty and covered with protective camouflage. The entire acting troupe was transferred to Kuibyshev (modern Samara), where a residential building located on Nekrasovskaya Street was allocated for the theater premises. After the end of the war, the theater building in Moscow was reconstructed: the interior was replenished with a luxurious and extremely expensive curtain made of brocade. He for a long time served as the main highlight of the historical scene.
Reconstructions of the 2000s
The beginning of the 2000s was marked by a historical event for the Bolshoi Theater: a new stage appeared in the building, created with the latest technology, with comfortable chairs and thoughtful acoustics. The entire repertoire of the Bolshoi Theater was staged there. The new stage began operating in 2002, its opening was accompanied by the opera “The Snow Maiden” by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov.
In 2005, a grandiose reconstruction of the Historical Stage began, which lasted until 2011, despite initial plans to complete the work back in 2008. Last performance on Historical scene before its closure, M. P. Mussorgsky’s opera “Boris Godunov” became a stage production. During the restoration, technicians managed to computerize all processes in the theater building, and restoration of the interior decoration required about 5 kg of gold and painstaking work hundreds of the best restorers in Russia. However, the main features and characteristics The exterior and interior decoration of the Bolshoi Theater architects were preserved. The building's area was doubled, which ultimately amounted to 80 thousand m2.
New stage of the Bolshoi Theater
In 2002, on November 29, after 7 years of construction, the New Stage was inaugurated. It is less luxurious and pompous than the Historical Stage, but most of the repertoire is still performed on it. On the posters of the Bolshoi Theater, inviting spectators to the New Stage, you can see excerpts from various ballets and operas. Particularly popular are the ballet productions of D. Shostakovich: “Bright Stream” and “Bolt”. Opera productions are represented by the works of P. Tchaikovsky (Eugene Onegin, The Queen of Spades) and N. Rimsky-Korsakov (The Golden Cockerel, The Snow Maiden). The price of tickets for the New Stage, in contrast to the Historical Stage, is usually lower - from 750 to 4000 rubles.
Historical stage of the Bolshoi Theater
The historical stage is rightfully considered the pride of the Bolshoi Theater. The auditorium, which includes 5 tiers, seats about 2,100 people. The stage area is about 360 m2. The most famous opera and ballet productions are held on the Historical Stage: “Boris Godunov”, “Swan Lake”, “Don Quixote”, “Candide” and others. However, not everyone can afford to buy a ticket. Typically, the minimum price for a ticket is 4,000 rubles, while the maximum can reach 35,000 rubles and above.
General conclusion
The Bolshoi Theater in Moscow is a treasure and one of the main attractions not only of the city, but of all of Russia. The history of its formation since 1776 is dotted with both bright and sad moments. Severe fires destroyed several predecessors of the Bolshoi Theater. Some historians date the history of the theater back to 1853, with the theater revived by the architect A.K. Kavos. Its history has seen wars: the Patriotic War, the Great Patriotic War, but the theater was able to survive. Therefore, even now connoisseurs of high art can see the best opera and ballet productions on the New and Historical stages.
Bolshoi Theater: history of creation
The year of birth of the theater is considered to be 1776. It was on this day that Prince Peter Urusov received permission from Catherine II to hold balls and masquerades, as well as various performances and other events. At first, the number of artists did not exceed fifty people. The history of the Bolshoi Theater building in Moscow is particularly interesting. At that time, the troupe did not have space for performances, and all performances took place in the Vorontsovs’ house. Then the audience saw the opera production “Rebirth” for the first time. Later, the construction of the building itself began, and since the facade of the building was directed towards Petrovskaya Street, the theater received the corresponding name - Petrovsky. The architect was H. Rosberg. Mostly musical performances were shown here - it is not surprising that over time the theater began to be called the Opera House.
Bolshoi Theater: the story of the first fire
1805 is a fateful year for the Bolshoi Theater. At this time there was a fire that completely destroyed the creation of H. Rosberg. The theater troupe had to seek shelter in other cultural institutions. Then their performances took place in the house of Apraksin, Pashkov, in the new Arbat Theater.
Early XIX century
New project The building was designed by A. Mikhailov, and its implementation was undertaken by O. Beauvais. Soon a new building appeared on the site of the fire, which surpassed the previous building in its scale and majesty. In size it was second only to the La Scala theater in Milan.
Second fire
In 1853, a fire broke out again, the causes of which are still unknown. Flame of fire for a short time Almost the entire building was destroyed. The theater suffered colossal damage. Two years later, construction of a new cultural institution began on this site under the leadership of A. Kavos. The famous sculptor P. Klodt and the professional painter Cosroe-Duzi from Venice took part in the process of creating the famous statues and curtain.
Middle XIX century- first half of the 20th century
This time is characterized by creative upsurge. Becoming increasingly popular at the Bolshoi Theater musical art. The main vocalists are such famous opera singers, like F. Shalyapin, A. Nezhdanova, L. Sobinov. The theater's repertoire is being transformed, and new interesting works are appearing.
The Great Patriotic War
The work of the Bolshoi Theater was suspended. Part of the team was transported to Samara. Those who remained in the capital continued to give performances. Performances were often interrupted due to bombing: spectators hid in protective structures. During the war, one of the shells destroyed the facade of the theater. A year later it was already restored.
USSR times
At this time, the number of performances on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater increased several times. The building was built new hall for rehearsals, which is located at the very top. At that time, there were many shortcomings in the design of the building - it was necessary to revive the foundation and solve the problem with the number of seats in the hall. A decision was made to restore the Bolshoi and build a New Stage. It was possible to begin the task only in 1993. In 2005 the theater was closed for reconstruction.
Currently, the Bolshoi Theater has three spacious halls, each of which corresponds modern trends. Thanks to the renovation, new visual and acoustic structures were installed within the walls of the theater, made using the latest technologies. The size of the scenes is striking in its scale and monumentality.
