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"Afternoon of a Faun"- one-act ballet, which premiered May 291912 V theater Chatelet V Paris within the framework of shows Russian ballets by Diaghilev. The choreographer and main performer was Vaslav Nijinsky, created the scenery and costumes Leon Bakst. Used as musical accompaniment symphonic poemClaude Debussy« Prelude to Afternoon of a Faun" The music and ballet are based on eclogueStefan Mallarmé« Afternoon of a Faun».

History of creation

To create a ballet on antique theme Nijinsky was probably inspired by Diaghilev. During a trip to Greece V 1910 he was impressed by the images on the ancient amphorae and infected Nijinsky with his enthusiasm. The choice of music settled on the prelude to "The Afternoon of a Faun" Claude Debussy. Nijinsky initially found the music too soft and not sharp enough for the choreography he was presenting, but relented at Diaghilev's insistence. During your visit Louvre With Leon Bakst, Nijinsky was inspired by Greek ceramics made in the technique red-figure vase painting. He was especially struck atticcraters depicting satyrs pursuing nymphs and scenes from " Iliad" He made several sketches that could provide ideas for choreography. At the end 1910 V St. Petersburg Nijinsky with sister experimented with sketches . Preparatory work continued in Paris before 1911. The first rehearsals took place in Berlin in January 1912.

Georges Barbier,Nijinsky as a faun 1913

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

Choreography

A feature of Nijinsky's choreography was the break with classical tradition. He proposed a new vision of dance, based on frontal and profile poses borrowed from the figures of ancient Greek vase painting. Nijinsky performed only one jump in the ballet, which symbolized the crossing of the stream where the nymphs bathe. Characters in Bakst costumes lined up on stage in such a way that it seemed as if it were an ancient Greek frieze. Nymphs, dressed in long tunics of white muslin, danced barefoot with their toes painted red. Danced the part of the main nymph Lidiya Nelidova. As for Nijinsky, the costume and makeup completely changed the dancer. The artist emphasized the slant of his eyes and made his mouth heavier to show the animal nature of the faun. It was wearing tights cream color 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 that wrapped around the waist, and a braided cap of golden hair with two golden horns.

I looked one act ballet“The Afternoon of a Faun” and once again I was convinced that inspiration does not appear out of nowhere.
In 1894, Claude Debussy wrote a prelude for large orchestra, “The Afternoon of a Faun,” based on the poem by Stéphane Mallarmé, being captivated by the bright picturesqueness of a mythological creature dreaming of beautiful nymphs on a hot day.

S. Mallarmé's poem, in turn, was written in 1876 under the impression of an allegorical painting by Francois Boucher, which Mallarmé saw in the London National Gallery. Thus, the poem was inspired by a work of painting.
It is interesting that later it itself gave birth to several wonderful paintings...
Stéphane Mallarmé is rightfully considered one of the best French poets of the 19th century century;
the peculiarity of the poems he created is included in their practical untranslatability into foreign languages. Mallarmé asserted the primacy of form over content, saying once: “To name an object means to destroy three-quarters of its charm.” He attached great importance to the musicality of the verse and its phonetics. That is why it is so difficult to translate these verses. It is much more natural to translate Mallarmé's poetry into the language of music or painting, drawing, printmaking, engraving, which Debussy, Edouard Manet, Henri Matisse did so brilliantly and in such different ways...

And yet... here are excerpts from Mallarmé’s poem translated by I. Ehrenburg:

O faun, your dream is like a spring of tears,
From the cold blue eyes of the ashamed one emerged.
But look how the summer breeze sighs,
Dissimilar trembles before you, different.
When in languor, the morning wants to turn around
Heat and refresh the languishing flesh,
It only babbles like splashes of a pipe,
Mine! that they sat on the bushes with the dew of harmonies...

But the secret, here it is - airy and light
From the mouth comes the playing reed.
He thinks that we are carried away in vain
With our game, which we call beautiful,
Having decorated, for fun, love with a sacrament,
Closing my eyes and sobbing in the dark again
Above the dream of hips and above the backs a riddle,
We are these dreams that came to the soul furtively,
For some reason, let’s translate it into one drawn-out sound,
What sounds boring and aimless around...

My greedy eye, drilling the reeds, melting desires,
The movement of the nymphs bathing the sweet burn,
I could see those screaming madly in the water.
But then the delight suddenly disappeared, the body is a miracle,
Amidst your brilliance, O emeralds!
I run and see sleeping maidens, intoxicated
To be languid together, their hands intertwined.
I carry them without opening their hands away from the light,
In the thick shade, where the roses are warmed by the sun,
They are fragrant, preserving the games of the maidens,
Making them like the luminary of the day...

Overcome their first fear with a trembling hand
Unravel their untouched thickets of hair,
Separate stubborn lips for loved ones -
I did it, and my crimson laughter
I hid on the chest of one of them, the other
She lay next to her and caressed her with her hand,
I longed for the sisters' rapidly growing ardor
I would illuminate her innocence with a bright shine...

Thirsty, you, among the whiteness,
Having forgotten your blasphemy, you must sleep.
I will offer my lips to the heavenly body...
Goodbye nymphs! I see you as a dear shadow!
This work served as the basis for the creation of a one-act ballet
“The Afternoon of a Faun” premiered on May 29, 1912 at the Chatelet Theater in Paris as part of the Diaghilev Ballets Russes. The choreographer and main performer was Vaslav Nijinsky, the scenery and costumes were created by Leon Bakst. As musical accompaniment Claude Debussy's symphonic poem "Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun" was used. The music and ballet are based on Stéphane Mallarmé's eclogue “The Afternoon of a Faun.”
Interestingly, Nijinsky was probably inspired to create a ballet on an ancient theme by Diaghilev. During a trip to Greece in 1910, he was impressed by the images on ancient amphorae and infected Nijinsky with his enthusiasm. The choice of music settled on the prelude to “The Afternoon of a Faun” by Claude Debussy. Nijinsky initially found the music too soft and not sharp enough for the choreography he was presenting, but relented at Diaghilev's insistence. While visiting the Louvre with Leon Bakst, Nijinsky was inspired by Greek pottery made using the red-figure vase painting technique. He was especially struck by Attic craters depicting satyrs pursuing nymphs and scenes from the Iliad. He made several sketches that could provide ideas for 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.

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

Abstract on the topic:

Afternoon of a Faun (ballet)

Plan:

Introduction

• 1 History of creation
• 2 Plot
• 3 Choreography
• 4 Reaction from the public and critics
Notes
Literature

Introduction

"Afternoon of a Faun"- a one-act ballet, which premiered on May 29, 1912 at the Chatelet theater in Paris as part of the screenings of Diaghilev's Ballets Russes. The choreographer and main performer was Vaslav Nijinsky, the scenery and costumes were created by Leon Bakst. The symphonic poem by Claude Debussy “Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun” was used as the musical accompaniment. The music and ballet are based on Stéphane Mallarmé's eclogue “The Afternoon of a Faun.”

1. History of creation

Nijinsky was probably inspired to create a ballet on an ancient theme by Diaghilev. During a trip to Greece in 1910, he was impressed by the images on ancient amphorae and infected Nijinsky with his enthusiasm. The choice of music settled on the prelude to “The Afternoon of a Faun” by Claude Debussy. Nijinsky initially found the music too soft and not sharp enough for the choreography he was presenting, but relented at Diaghilev's insistence. While visiting the Louvre with Leon Bakst, Nijinsky was inspired by Greek pottery made using the red-figure vase painting technique. He was especially struck by Attic craters depicting satyrs pursuing nymphs and scenes from the Iliad. He made several sketches that could provide ideas for 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.

2. Plot

Georges Barbier, Nijinsky as a Faun, 1913

The plot of the ballet is not an adaptation of Mallarmé'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 a second one that accompanies the main nymph. She dances holding a long scarf in her hands. The faun, attracted by the dancing of the nymphs, rushes towards them, but they run away in fright. Only the main nymph hesitates; after the pas de deux she runs away, dropping her scarf at the feet of the faun. He picks him up, takes him to his lair on the rock and, sitting on a light cloth, indulges in love languor.

3. Choreography

A feature of Nijinsky's choreography was its break with classical tradition. He proposed a new vision of dance, based on frontal and profile poses borrowed from the figures of ancient Greek vase painting. Nijinsky performed only one jump in the ballet, which symbolized the crossing of the stream where the nymphs bathe. The characters in Bakst's costumes lined up on stage in such a way that it seemed as if it were an ancient Greek frieze. Nymphs, dressed in long tunics of white muslin, danced barefoot with their toes painted red. The part of the main nymph was danced by Lidia Nelidova. As for Nijinsky, the costume and makeup completely changed the dancer. The artist emphasized the slant of his eyes and made his mouth heavier to show the animal nature of the faun. He was wearing a 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 that wrapped around the waist, and a braided cap of golden hair with two golden horns.

4. Reaction of the public and critics

Nijinsky's first work amazed the audience, which was not accustomed to choreography based on profile poses and angular movements. Many accused the ballet of obscenity. So Gaston Calmette, editor and owner of the newspaper Le Figaro, removed from the set an article by 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. The newspaper Le matin published an article by Auguste Rodin, who attended both the dress rehearsal and the premiere, praising Nijinsky’s talent:

Notes

1. Israel Vladimirovich Nestyev Diaghilev and Musical Theatre XX century - books.google.ru/books?id=g7YuAAAAMAAJ&source=gbs_navlinks_s. - Music, 1994. - P. 215.
2. Bronislava Nijinska Early memories. - Moscow: Artist, director, theater, 1999. - P. 89, 120. - ISBN 9785873340330
3. 1 2 Serge Lifar Diaghilev and with Diaghilev. - Routledge, 1998. - ISBN 5969700223

Literature

• Baron Adolf de Meyer, Jennifer Dunning L"Après-midi d"un faune: Vaslav Nijinsky, 1912. - Dance Books, 1983. - ISBN 0903102781

I continue the story about Diaghilev’s Russian Seasons.

This is what Sergei Lifar, Diaghilev’s future favorite, writes about the history of the creation of the choreographic painting “The Afternoon of a Faun.” Diaghilev himself most likely told him.

“Sergei Pavlovich was sitting with Nijinsky on St. Mark’s Square in Venice, and then suddenly, instantly, the plastic and choreographic idea of ​​making “Faun” came to his mind. Sergei Pavlovich immediately jumped up and began to show an angular, heavy sculpture of a Faun near two large columns of the Venetian square...

Nijinsky's first creative experience was painful and required an enormous expenditure of time and effort not only for Nijinsky, who was confused and helpless, but also for Bakst and Diaghilev himself... Diaghilev was present at all rehearsals - and there were more than a hundred of them! Nijinsky set each bar separately and after each bar he turned to Diaghilev and asked, “So Sergei Pavlovich? Well, now what?”

Let’s compare this story by Sergei Lifar, taken from his book, with a fragment from “Early Memoirs” by Vaslav Nijinsky’s sister Bronislava. In a book (written in 1960) based on the diaries, which is future famous ballerina and a choreographer throughout her life, she recalls how in 1911 she became aware of the idea for the production of “Faun”:

“...Vaclav began to share with me the plans for his first choreographic work.

-I want to move away from classical Greece, which Fokine loves so much, and turn to the archaic, which is less known and rarely used in the theater... Nothing sentimental, nothing “sweet”, neither in forms nor in movements... More likely even Assyria than Greece. I already have some ideas.

I was shocked: “What about Fokin? Does he already know? How did he take it?”

-For now, Fokine should not know anything about my ballet. I'll work on some dances with you, then we'll show it to Diaghilev and Bakst."

Bronislava became a model for her brother. She played both the role of a faun and the role of nymphs. Vaclav tried it on it different shapes, movements, unusual plasticity...

Only at the beginning of 1912 did Nijinsky begin rehearsals for “Faun.” They are very difficult. Not only is the choreography itself unusual, Nijinsky demands absolute precision in every pose, every gesture. Dancers accustomed to classical productions, where they were allowed to make individual additions or changes to their roles, as long as they did not violate general composition, here we felt constrained:

“Is this ballet? Not a single dance step, not a single free movement - not a solo dance - and no dancing at all... It’s like we’re hewn from stone!”

Artists not involved in the play spoke even more harshly about “The Faun.” Many of them... believed that Nijinsky had taken on the wrong business. Disaster came when The Faun was shown in its entirety to Diaghilev. He demanded that the ballet be remade from beginning to end!

Bronislava Nijinska recalls:“On the way home I met Sergei Pavlovich. He was no less excited than Vaclav and immediately began to talk about the misunderstandings they had and complain that Vaclav was impossible... In the end, he decisively told me: “I won’t show this in Paris! Let Vatsa know that!”

Saved "Faun" by Lev Bakst. After watching the rehearsal, he was so delighted that he kissed Nijinsky and declared to everyone present: “Paris will be wildly delighted! This is super-brilliant, and you are just idiots for not understanding it!”

Nijinska recalls:“Bakst... had considerable influence on Diaghilev. He knew how to fight for his beliefs and defend them. Often his voice was decisive. Everyone in the troupe loved Bakst..."

Bakst created amazing sets and costumes. For nymphs - cream-colored pleated gauze tunics with light blue and greenish patterns.

On their heads are wigs made of golden cords-curls.

Faun is wearing a light brown tights with brown spots - “goatskin”. A garland of grape leaves wrapped around her hips, ending in a small ponytail; on her head was a wig made of the same golden cords, but tightly woven and decorated with horns...

The ballet was first performed in Paris on May 29, 1912. The performance lasted only 8 minutes. After the curtain fell, the audience was silent for several moments, then exploded with shouts, whistles, and applause. Indignant exclamations mixed with cries of “encore!” The curtain was raised and the performance was repeated.

The next day, the Le Figaro newspaper published an article by its director, Gaston Calmette:

“Whoever talks about art and poetry in relation to this performance is laughing at us... We saw a faun, unbridled, with disgusting movements of bestial eroticism and completely shameless gestures. That's all. Well-deserved whistles accompanied the overly expressive pantomime of a lustful animal, disgusting from the front and even more disgusting in profile.”

The famous sculptor Auguste Rodin spoke in defense of “Faun”:

“There are no more dances, no more jumps, no more leaps - nothing but the facial expressions and gestures of a half-asleep animal. He stretches out, bends, bends down, crouches to the ground, straightens up, rushes forward and retreats back. His movements are sometimes slow, sometimes impetuous, nervous, angular; his eyes eagerly absorb his surroundings, his hands are extended, palms up, fingers clenched; the head is turned back. The harmony of his facial expressions and movements is perfect. The whole body expresses what the mind dictates. It has the beauty of antique frescoes and statues; he is the ideal model for whom every artist and sculptor yearns.

One might think that Nijinsky turns into a statue when he lies on a rock, stretched out to his full height, bending his leg, putting the flute to his lips, and nothing can be more exciting than his movement at the end of the act, when he throws himself on the cover thrown by one of the nymphs, and kisses him passionately.

I would like every artist to be able to see this perfect embodiment of the ideal of beauty of the ancient Greeks."

Calmette, who did not want to give up, demanded that the government take away his mansion from Rodin, for which the state, i.e. taxpayers paid five million francs.

“I don’t have time to respond to Monsieur Calmette’s insults,” Rodin wrote. - I admire Nijinsky’s work and consider it a model of harmony. He is a genius dancer. I would like such a noble experiment as "Faun" to be understood in all its integrity, and all artists could come and exchange views on this most beautiful spectacle.

The newspaper war was gaining momentum: some were against “Faun”, others were in favor. Finally, the police came to the performance, but did not dare to ban “Faun.” Among the mass of articles, Diaghilev’s attention was attracted by a review by a certain Lunacharsky, according to rumors a political emigrant who lived in Paris, but was published in the St. Petersburg magazine “Theater and Art”:

“In response to the condemnation of the Russian performance as obscene and morally dangerous, a large philistine crowd responded by pouring into the Chatelet. "How! An indecent thing! Go and get a ticket immediately,” said the mass lady to the mass gentleman.”

“Faun” eclipsed all the new productions of the season, including the ballet “Daphnis and Chloe.” Mikhail Fokin left the troupe. Vaslav Nijinsky remained the only choreographer.

Orchestra composition: 3 flutes, 2 oboes, cor anglais, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, antique cymbals, 2 harps, strings.

History of creation

"The Afternoon of a Faun" is Debussy's first symphonic work, in which his individual impressionist style is perfectly expressed; it is inspired by the eclogue of the same name by Stéphane Mallarmé (1842-1898). French poet, the head of the Symbolist school, who united around himself young poets and impressionist artists, wrote this large poem on an ancient mythological subject back in 1865-1866 (it was published 10 years later), perhaps inspired by a painting French artist XVIII century Boucher from the London National Gallery. Mallarmé's poetic style - deliberately complex, incomprehensible, allegorical - is distinguished at the same time by the sensual brightness of images, elegance of taste, and a refined and joyful perception of life. Mallarmé himself compared his poetry to music: he strove for his phrases, arranged in a certain way, to have a poetic effect on the reader, like the sounds of music on the listener.

The eclogue "The Afternoon of a Faun" was intended for the famous French actor Coquelin the Elder - for recitation illustrated by dancing. Debussy, who became acquainted with the eclogue in 1886, decided to supplement the reading with a three-part composition: prelude, interlude and finale (paraphrase). However, the meaning of the poem turned out to be completely exhausted already in the prelude, without requiring a continuation. Hearing it for the first time in its original performance on the piano, Mallarmé was delighted: “I didn’t expect anything like that! This music continues the mood of my poem and complements it more brightly than colors.”

The surviving program is probably by Debussy: “The music of this Prelude is a very free illustration of Mallarmé’s beautiful poem. It does not at all pretend to be a synthesis of the poem. Rather, these are landscapes following one after another, among which the desires and dreams of the Faun float in the afternoon heat. Then, tired of chasing the timidly fleeing nymphs, he gives himself up to a delightful sleep, full of finally realized dreams of complete possession in all-encompassing nature.”

And in a letter written a year after the completion of “The Afternoon of a Faun” (1894), Debussy explained the principle of its program in a humorous tone: “This is the general impression of the poem, since if you tried to follow it more accurately, the music would choke like a carriage horse , competing with a thoroughbred in the competition for the Grand Prize."

The premiere took place on December 22, 1894 in Paris, in a concert National Society conducted by Gustave Doré. As the conductor later recalled, already during the performance he suddenly felt that the listeners were completely captivated by this music, and immediately after the end it was played again. This was Debussy's first real success.

In 1912, the music of “The Afternoon of a Faun” was staged at the Chatelet Theater in Paris. The choreographer and performer of the role of the Faun was the famous Russian dancer Vaslav Nijinsky, who was not liked at all by the composer, who called Nijinsky a young savage and a vicious genius.

Music

The flute solo immediately introduces both the distant world of bright pastoral antiquity and the world of Debussy’s music, it is so typical of the composer. The chromated sensual melody unfolds in a freely improvisational manner in the flute timbres of high woodwind instruments. A special flavor of the music is given by the glissando of the harp and the roll call of horns - the only brass ones used in the prelude. In the central section, a broader, melodious, sunlit theme emerges in a rich tutti sound. When she freezes at the solo violin, the flute's pipe music returns again against the backdrop of the harp's shimmer. His presentation is interrupted by brief teasing motifs. The music acquires, according to the author’s definition, the character of “even greater languor”; the colorfulness is enhanced by the inclusion of antique cymbals. Their pianissimo against the backdrop of harmonics of the harp and pizzicato of low strings completes the work - as if a beautiful vision dissolved in a light midday haze.