Tugan Sokhiev. Photo – Kirill Kallinikov
The scandal surrounding the Nureyev ballet could ruin the reputation of the Russian Bolshoi Theater, which will participate in the Finnish Opera Festival in the city of Savonlinna. The chief conductor and musical director of the theater, Tugan Sokhiev, says that questions regarding ballet should be asked to the director of the theater.
Moscow's Bolshoi Theater chief conductor Tugan Sokhiev still believes in his company's artistic freedom, although the recent postponement of the Nureyev ballet has damaged the reputation of the legendary ballet and opera house, which takes part in the Opera Festival in the Finnish city of Savonlinna.
Nureyev is a legendary dancer and homosexual. The Minister of Culture is said to have wondered whether the ballet would violate the law prohibiting the “propaganda of homosexuality” among minors. The law has already been used, for example, to ban gay pride parades.
“Ask the general director who made the decision to postpone the premiere of the ballet. I'm in charge of the music."
Reminds me of Sokhiev.
The editors of Helsingin Sanomat agreed to interview CEO Vladimir Urin later. Sokhiev can only tell what he heard himself.
“As far as I know, the project staged in the studio was more difficult to transfer to the big stage. A good composer, a brilliant choreographer, and an interesting director were invited for the ballet “Nureyev”.
They probably need additional time, and, as far as I know, the premiere should take place before the new year, although initially it was about next May, since they have a lot of other work,”
He said.
Sokhiev is responsible for the opera productions of “Iolanta” and “Eugene Onegin” to the music of Pyotr Tchaikovsky. On July 25, 2017, spectators were able to enjoy the one-act opera “Iolanta”.
“In the composer’s time, the ballet “The Nutcracker” and the opera “Iolanta” were shown on the same evening. Then they prepared theatrical evenings that lasted 4-5 hours. We, in turn, present excerpts from “The Nutcracker”, which reflect the hidden aspects of “Iolanta” in this version of the production,
The conductor notes.
Symbolic “black” and “white” rooms will appear on the Olavinlinna Fortress stage.
“In Moscow they also move and unite, but in Olavinlinna this is impossible. For this performance we made special new and simple decorations,”
Sokhiev says.
The opera “Eugene Onegin” will be shown on July 26. Unfortunately, a concert version of the opera will be presented, as was recently done as part of the Aix-en-Provence Opera Festival.
“In fact, concert performance is also possible. Eugene Onegin" is an unusual opera. The composer presents a series of lyrical fragments in it. This is more chamber music than many imagine."
The conductor speaks.
The Bolshoi Theater made headlines four years ago when the then director of the theater had acid thrown in his face. A ballet dancer was accused of assault.
“This happened, fortunately, before I took up my post. As far as I understand, it was about a personal conflict that became a problem for the entire theater. Now we have a good healthy atmosphere,”
Sokhiev says.
Sokhiev is also responsible for the opera performance, which the presidents of Russia and Finland are to attend on July 27, and utters polite words appropriate to the situation: “It’s great that Finland’s centenary can be celebrated in this way among its neighbors.”
Sokhiev works in Moscow five months a year. At the same time, he remains the conductor of the Toulouse Orchestra in France. He takes part in the most significant events - for example, he comes to philharmonic concerts in Berlin and Vienna.
“And to the performance of the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra! There’s a lot to do, but I’ll try to get to this beloved country to conduct the orchestra in 2019,”
The invitation to cooperation of Tugan Sokhiev is the first personnel move of the new theater director Vladimir Urin. Forced move ( The theater's previous conductor and music director, Vasily Sinaisky, left with a scandal in the middle of the season, two weeks before the important premiere of Verdi's opera Don Carlos, and a replacement had to be found incredibly urgently. - Approx. ed.). But successful, reasonable and very balanced. The name of Sokhiev was heard more often than others in conversations about who could replace Sinaisky, along with the names of two more young conductors, Vasily Petrenko and Dmitry Yurovsky. And it was obvious to many that Petrenko had a contract with the Mikhailovsky Theater, and young Yurovsky still had to grow and grow. In general, Sokhiev remains - reliable and proven. So this news did not come as a bolt from the blue.
In general, the reputation of Sokhiev, the current director of the National Orchestra of the Capitol of Toulouse and the German Symphony Orchestra of Berlin, pleasantly surprises with the normal - and not crazy, as is often the case with us - course of events. He became an important figure in the West gradually, without breaking with his St. Petersburg roots, in particular with the Mariinsky Theatre, where he worked at the Academy of Young Singers and where he accepted permanent conducting in 2005, having already made his debut on the stages of the Welsh National Opera (La Bohème, 2002) and at the Metropolitan Opera (Eugene Onegin, 2003). Then there were the Houston Opera, La Scala, the Real Madrid Theater, and the Munich Opera. And a hell of a lot of first-class orchestras, from London to the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonic. He often chooses the Russian repertoire, and for the upcoming concert with the Philadelphia Symphony, the former orchestra of the legendary Eugene Ormandy, he is preparing “Pictures at an Exhibition.” That is, there he is Russian, here he is, as it were, Western.
Influential European magazines call the young maestro a miracle, his career is developing at incredible speed, while Sokhiev is not arrogant, not arrogant, and does not even particularly boast of belonging to the great St. Petersburg conducting school. Or he could: in St. Petersburg his conservatory mentors were Ilya Musin and Yuri Temirkanov, and his godfather at the theater was Valery Gergiev. His modesty, professional adequacy and diplomacy are almost Martian traits in our latitudes, where every conductor is Muzykant Muzykantovich. And Bolshoi was clearly lucky with him; Moreover, the theater could only dream of such a conductor. And the fact that Vladimir Urin managed to come to an agreement with him, and even in such a short time, in a situation of unprecedented time pressure, is almost incredible. It's not even a matter of the encouraging (and not the declining) age of the 36-year-old conductor who was signed to a four-year contract. The point is to hit the bull's eye absolutely accurately.
If previously the leaders of the Bolshoi were chosen either on the basis of fame and merit (Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Vasily Sinaisky), or from those who were at hand and ready to work as hard as possible (Alexander Vedernikov, under whom Nikolai Alekseev worked as the main invitee on the same basis), then Sokhiev, perhaps, is capable of becoming at the Bolshoi not a star or a victim, but a qualified accomplice in artistic politics. Evidence of this is the deadline specified by him (until September) for gradual entry into the work process; the announced volume of their own projects in the coming season (2 projects, which ones have not yet been reasonably announced). And an implicit but implied plan for cooperation with Valery Gergiev, during which Sokhiev will be promoted from an opera conductor with an enviable reputation to a full-fledged opera quartermaster. This means that after the expiration of the director’s contract in 2018, Vladimir Urin will have someone to leave the Bolshoi Theater to.
The Bolshoi Theater of Russia is a state academic theater (SABT), one of the oldest theaters in the country (Moscow). Academic since 1919. The history of the Bolshoi Theater dates back to 1776, when Prince P. V. Urusov received the government privilege “to be the host 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 fire of the Opera House 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 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 Teatralnaya 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. The so-called 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. The main façade 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 its appearance, but retained the layout; The architecture of the Bolshoi Theater acquired features of eclecticism. The theater 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 S.I. Zimin Opera on Bolshaya Dmitrovka). In 1920, a concert hall, the so-called Beethoven Hall, opened in the former imperial foyer. During the Great Patriotic War, part of the Bolshoi Theater staff was evacuated to Kuibyshev (1941-42), 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 (since 2005) of the main theater building, performances are staged on the New Stage in a specially built building (designed by architect A.V. Maslov; in operation since 2002). The Bolshoi Theater is included in the State Code of Especially Valuable Objects of Cultural Heritage of the Peoples of the Russian Federation.
N. N. Afanasyeva, A. A. Aronova.
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 (1901-1917). 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 main conductors of the Bolshoi Theater: V. I. Suk (1906-33), A. F. Arende (chief conductor of the ballet, 1900-24), S. A. Samosud (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 (1965-1970), Yu. I. Simonov (1970-85), A. N. Lazarev (1987-95). Main directors: V. A. Lossky (1920-28), N. V. Smolich (1930-1936), B. A. Mordvinov (1936-40), L. V. Baratov (1944-49) , I. M. Tumanov (1964-70), B. A. Pokrovsky (1952-55, 1956-63, 1970-82). Main choreographers: A. N. Bogdanov (1883-89), A. A. Gorsky (1902-24), L. M. Lavrovsky (1944-56, 1959-64), Yu. N. Grigorovich (1964 -95 years). Main choirmasters: V. P. Stepanov (1926-1936), 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 in 1995-2003). Main artists: M. I. Kurilko (1925-27), F. F. Fedorovsky (1927-29, 1947-53), V. V. Dmitriev (1930-41), P. V. Williams (1941 -47 years), V. F. Ryndin (1953-70), N. N. Zolotarev (1971-88), V. Ya. Levental (1988-1995). In the 1995-2000s, the artistic director of the theater was V.V. Vasiliev, the artistic director, set designer and chief artist was S.M. Barkhin, the musical director was P. Feranets, since 1998 - M.F. Ermler; artistic director of the opera B. A. Rudenko. Manager of the ballet troupe - A. Yu. Bogatyrev (1995-98); artistic directors of the ballet troupe - V. M. Gordeev (1995-97), A. N. Fadeechev (1998-2000), B. B. Akimov (2000-04), since 2004 - A. O. Ratmansky . In 2000-01, the artistic director was G. N. Rozhdestvensky. Since 2001, music director and chief conductor - A. A. Vedernikov.
Opera at the Bolshoi Theater. In 1779, one of the first Russian operas was staged at the Opera House on Znamenka - “The Miller - the Sorcerer, the Deceiver and the Matchmaker” (text by A. O. Ablesimov, music by M. M. Sokolovsky). The Petrovsky Theater staged the allegorical prologue “Wanderers” (text by Ablesimov, music by E. I. Fomin), performed on the opening day of 12/30/1780 (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 Verstovsky - inspector of the Directorate of Imperial Theaters and composer, author of the operas "Pan Tvardovsky" (1828), "Vadim" (1832), "Askold's Grave" (1835), "Longing for homeland" (1839). In the 1840s, the 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. The 1860s were marked by increased Western European influence (the new Directorate of Imperial Theaters favored Italian opera and foreign musicians). Among domestic operas, “Judith” (1865) and “Rogneda” (1868) by A. N. Serov, “Rusalka” by A. S. Dargomyzhsky (1859, 1865) were staged; since 1869, operas by P. I. Tchaikovsky. The rise of Russian musical culture at the Bolshoi Theater is associated with the first production on the big opera stage of “Eugene Onegin” (1881), as well as other works by Tchaikovsky, operas by St. Petersburg composers - N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, M. P. Mussorgsky, with the conductor activities of Tchaikovsky. At the same time, the best works of foreign composers were staged - W. A. Mozart, G. Verdi, C. Gounod, J. Bizet, R. Wagner. Among the singers of the late 19th and early 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 (1904-1906) became a milestone for the Bolshoi 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. I. Nemirovich-Danchenko, K. A. Korovin and A. Ya. Golovin.
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 year) and L.V. Baratov, artist F.F. Fedorovsky. In the 1920-1930s, performances were conducted by N. S. Golovanov, A. Sh. Melik-Pashaev, A. M. Pazovsky, S. A. Samosud, B. E. Khaikin, V. V. Barsova sang on stage, K. G. Derzhinskaya, E. 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. Spendiarova (1930); in 1935, the opera “Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk” by D. D. Shostakovich was staged. At the end of 1940, Wagner's Walküre was staged (directed by S. M. Eisenstein). The last pre-war production was Mussorgsky's Khovanshchina (February 13, 1941). In 1918-22, the 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 1940-50s, Russian and European classical repertoire was staged, as well as operas by composers from Eastern Europe - B. Smetana, S. Moniuszko, L. Janacek, F. Erkel. Since 1943, the name of director B. A. Pokrovsky has been associated with the Bolshoi Theater, who for over 50 years determined the artistic level of 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” are considered standard. » G. Verdi (1978). In general, the opera repertoire of the 1970s - early 1980s is characterized by stylistic diversity: from operas of the 18th century (Julius Caesar by G. F. Handel, 1979; Iphigenia in Aulis by K. V. Gluck, 1983) , opera classics of the 19th century (Das 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 1950-70s, I. K. Arkhipova, G. P. Vishnevskaya, M. F. Kasrashvili, T. A. Milashkina, E. V. Obraztsova, B. A. Rudenko, T. I. sang. 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. Reizen, Z. L. Sotkilava, A. A. Eisen, conducted by E. F. Svetlanov, G. N. Rozhdestvensky, K. A. Simeonov and others. With the exception of the position of chief director (1982) and the departure of Yu. I. Simonov from the theater began a period of instability; Until 1988, only a few opera productions were performed: “The Tale of the Invisible City of Kitezh” (directed by R. I. Tikhomirov) and “The Tale of Tsar Saltan” (directed by G. P. Ansimov) by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, “Werther” J. Massenet (director E. V. Obraztsova), “Mazeppa” by P. I. Tchaikovsky (director S. F. Bondarchuk). Since the late 1980s, the operatic repertoire policy has been determined by a focus on rarely performed works: Tchaikovsky’s “The Maid of Orleans” (1990, for the first time on the Bolshoi Theater stage), “Mlada”, “The Night Before Christmas” and “The Golden Cockerel” by Rimsky-Korsakov, “Aleko” and “The Miserly Knight” by S. V. Rachmaninov. Among the productions is the joint Russian-Italian work “Prince Igor” by A. P. Borodin (1993). 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 the 1995-2000s, the basis of the repertoire was Russian operas of the 19th century, among the productions: “Ivan Susanin” by M. I. Glinka (resumption of the 1945 production by L. V. Baratov, director V. G. Milkov), “Iolanta” by P. . I. Tchaikovsky (director G. P. Ansimov; both 1997), “Francesca da Rimini” by S. V. Rachmaninov (1998, director B. A. Pokrovsky). On the initiative of B. A. Rudenko, Italian operas were performed (“Norma” by V. Bellini; “Lucia di Lammermoor” by G. Donizetti). Other productions: “The Beautiful Miller's Maid” by G. Paisiello; “Nabucco” by G. Verdi (director M. S. Kislyarov), “The Marriage of Figaro” by W. A. Mozart (German director I. Herz), “La Bohème” by G. Puccini (Austrian director F. Mirdita), the most successful of them - “The Love for Three Oranges” by S. S. Prokofiev (English director P. Ustinov). In 2001, under the direction of G. N. Rozhdestvensky, the premiere of the 1st edition of Prokofiev’s opera “The Gambler” took place (directed by A. B. Titel).
Fundamentals of the repertoire and personnel policy (since 2001): the 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” and “Falstaff” by G. Verdi; “Adrienne Lecouvreur” F. Cilea). The number of new opera productions has increased, among them: “Khovanshchina” by M. P. Mussorgsky, “The Snow Maiden” by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, “Turandot” by G. Puccini (all 2002), “Ruslan and Lyudmila” by M. I. Glinka (2003; authentic performance), “The Rake’s Progress” by I. F. Stravinsky (2003; for the first time at the Bolshoi Theater), “Fiery Angel” by S. S. Prokofiev (for the first time at the Bolshoi Theater) and “The Flying Dutchman” by R. Wagner (both 2004), “Children of Rosenthal” by L. A. Desyatnikov (2005).
N. N. Afanasyeva.
Bolshoi Theater Ballet. In 1784, the troupe of the Petrovsky Theater included students of the ballet class 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 transfers of performances by J. J. Noverre. In the development of the ballet art of the Bolshoi Theater in the 1st third of the 19th century, the activity of A.P. Glushkovsky, who headed the ballet troupe in 1812-39, was of greatest importance. He staged performances of various genres, including stories based on stories by A. S. Pushkin (“Ruslan and Lyudmila, or the Overthrow of Chernomor, the Evil Wizard” by F. E. Scholz, 1821). Romanticism established itself on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater thanks to the choreographer F. Gyullen-Sor, who worked at the Bolshoi Theater in 1823-39 and transferred a number of ballets from Paris (“La Sylphide” by F. Taglioni, music by J. Schneizhoffer, 1837, etc.). Among her students and the 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 the 1850s of the Austrian dancer F. Elsler, thanks to whom J. J. Perrault’s ballets (“Esmeralda” by C. Pugny, etc.) were included in the repertoire.
From the mid-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, and in the 1870s - A. I. Sobeshchanskaya. Throughout the 1860s-90s, the Bolshoi Theater changed several choreographers who led the troupe or staged individual performances. In 1861-63, K. Blazis worked, who gained fame only as a teacher. The most popular in the repertoire in the 1860s were the ballets of A. Saint-Leon, who transferred Pugny’s The Little Humpbacked Horse (1866) from St. Petersburg. A significant achievement was Don Quixote by L. Minkus, staged by M. I. Petipa in 1869. In 1867-69, S. P. Sokolov staged several productions (“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. Khlustin. By the end of 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 in crisis: there was even a question of liquidating the troupe , halved in 1882. The reason for this was partly the lack of attention paid to the troupe (which was then considered provincial) by the Directorate of Imperial Theaters, untalented leaders who ignored the traditions of Moscow ballet, the renewal of which became possible in the era of reforms in Russian art of the early 20th century.
In 1902, the ballet troupe of the Bolshoi Theater was headed by A. A. Gorsky. His activities contributed to the revival and flourishing of the Bolshoi Theater ballet. The choreographer strove to saturate the performances with dramatic content, achieving logic and harmony of action, accuracy of national coloring, and historical authenticity. Gorsky's best original productions were “Gudula's Daughter” by A. Yu. Simon (1902), “Salambo” by A. F. Arends (1910), “Love is Fast!” to the music of E. Grieg (1913), adaptations of classical ballets (Don Quixote by L. Minkus, Swan Lake by P. I. Tchaikovsky, Giselle by A. Adam) were also of great importance. Gorsky’s like-minded people were the leading dancers of the theater M. M. Mordkin, V. A. Karalli, A. M. Balashova, S. V. Fedorova, E. V. Geltser and V. D. Tikhomirov, dancers A. E. also worked with him Volinin, L. L. Novikov, pantomime masters V. A. Ryabtsev, I. E. Sidorov.
The 1920s in Russia were a time of searching for new forms in all forms of art, including dance. However, innovative choreographers were rarely allowed into the Bolshoi Theater. In 1925, K. Ya. Goleizovsky staged the ballet “Joseph the Beautiful” by S. N. Vasilenko on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater Branch, which contained many innovations in the selection and combination of dance movements and group formation, with the constructivist design of B. R. Erdman. The production of “The Red Poppy” by V. D. Tikhomirov and L. A. Lashilin to the music of R. M. Gliere (1927) was considered an officially recognized achievement of the Bolshoi Theater, where the topical content was expressed in a traditional form (ballet “dream”, canonical steps -de-de, elements of extravaganza).
Since the late 1920s, the role of the Bolshoi Theater - now the capital's, "main" theater of the country - has been increasing. In the 1930s, choreographers, teachers and artists were transferred here from Leningrad. M. T. Semyonova and A. N. Ermolaev became leading performers along with Muscovites O. V. Lepeshinskaya, A. M. Messerer, M. M. Gabovich. The repertoire included the ballets “Flames of Paris” by V. I. Vainonen and “The Fountain of Bakhchisarai” by R. V. Zakharov (both to music by B. V. Asafiev), “Romeo and Juliet” by S. S. Prokofiev, staged by L. M. Lavrovsky, moved to Moscow in 1946, when G. S. Ulanova moved to the Bolshoi Theater. From the 1930s to the mid-1950s, the main trend in the development of ballet was its rapprochement with realistic dramatic theater. By the mid-1950s, the dramatic ballet genre had become obsolete. A group of young choreographers has emerged, striving for transformation. In the early 1960s, N. D. Kasatkina and V. Yu. Vasilyov staged one-act ballets at the Bolshoi Theater (“Geologists” by N. N. Karetnikov, 1964; “The Rite of Spring” by I. F. Stravinsky, 1965). The performances of Yu. N. Grigorovich became a new word. Among his innovative productions, created in collaboration with S. B. Virsaladze: “The Stone Flower” by Prokofiev (1959), “The Legend of Love” by A. D. Melikov (1965), “The Nutcracker” by Tchaikovsky (1966), “ Spartak" by A. I. Khachaturyan (1968), "Ivan the Terrible" to the music of Prokofiev (1975). These large-scale, highly dramatic performances with large crowd scenes required a special style of performance - expressive, sometimes stilted. In the 1960-1970s, leading artists of the Bolshoi Theater were regular performers in Grigorovich’s ballets: M. M. Plisetskaya, R. S. Struchkova, M. V. Kondratyeva, N. V. Timofeeva, E. S. Maksimova, V. V. Vasiliev, N. I. Bessmertnova, N. B. Fadeechev, M. Liepa, M. L. Lavrovsky, Yu. K. Vladimirov, A. B. Godunov and others. Since the late 1950s, the Bolshoi Theater ballet began regularly performs abroad, where he gained wide popularity. The next two decades were the heyday of the Bolshoi Theater, rich in bright personalities, demonstrating its production and performing style all over the world, which was aimed at a wide and, moreover, international audience. However, the predominance of Grigorovich's productions led to the monotony of the repertoire. 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. The troupe no longer needed character dancers or mimes. In 1982, Grigorovich staged his last original ballet at the Bolshoi Theater - “The Golden Age” by D. D. Shostakovich. Individual performances were staged by V.V. Vasiliev, M.M. Plisetskaya, V. Boccadoro, R. Petit. In 1991, the ballet “Prodigal Son” by Prokofiev, staged by J. Balanchine, entered the repertoire. However, until the mid-1990s the repertoire was almost not enriched. Among the performances staged at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries: “Swan Lake” by Tchaikovsky (1996, staged by V.V. Vasilyev; 2001, staged by Grigorovich), “Giselle” by A. Adam (1997, staged by Vasilyev), “Daughter” pharaoh" by C. Pugni (2000, staged by P. Lacotte based on Petipa), "The Queen of Spades" to the music of Tchaikovsky (2001) and "Notre Dame de Paris" by M. Jarre (2003; both choreographed by Petipa), "Romeo and Juliet" by Prokofiev (2003, choreographer R. Poklitaru, director D. Donnellan), "A Midsummer Night's Dream" to the music of F. Mendelssohn and D. Ligeti (2004, choreographer J. Neumeier), "Bright Stream" (2003 year) and “Bolt” (2005) by Shostakovich (choreographer A. O. Ratmansky), as well as one-act ballets by J. Balanchine, L. F. Myasin and others. Among the leading dancers of the 1990-2000s: N. G. Ananiashvili, M. A. Alexandrova, A. A. Antonicheva, D. V. Belogolovtsev, N. A. Gracheva, S. Yu. Zakharova, D. K. Gudanov, Yu. V. Klevtsov, S. A. Lunkina, M. V. Peretokin, I. A. Petrova, G. O. Stepanenko, A. I. Uvarov, S. Yu. Filin, N. M. Tsiskaridze.
E. Ya. Surits.
Lit.: Pogozhev V.P. 100th anniversary of the organization of imperial Moscow theaters: In 3 books. St. Petersburg, 1906-1908; Pokrovskaya 3. K. Architect O. I. Bove. M., 1964; Zarubin V.I. Bolshoi theater: The first productions of operas on the Russian stage. 1825-1993. M., 1994; aka. Bolshoi theatre: The first ballets on the Russian stage. 1825-1997. M., 1998; "Servant of the Muses..." Pushkin and the Bolshoi Theater. M., ; Fedorov V.V. Repertoire of the Bolshoi Theater of the USSR 1776-1955: In 2 volumes. N.Y., 2001; Berezkin V.I. Artists of the Bolshoi Theater: [In 2 vols.]. M., 2001.
Vasily Sinaisky submitted his resignation, and General Director Vladimir Urin signed it.
Vasily Sinaisky, musical director and chief conductor of the Bolshoi Theater, leaves the theater. Sinaisky’s resignation was announced by Bolshoi General Director Vladimir Urin: according to him, the conductor submitted an application through the personnel department, and his request was granted after a personal conversation with the director.
“Since December 3, 2013, Vasily Serafimovich Sinaisky has not worked at the Bolshoi Theater of Russia,” RIA Novosti quotes Urin as saying.
He noted that Sinaisky was leaving the theater in the middle of the season, and the premiere of one of his performances - Giuseppe Verdi's opera Don Carlos, on which he was the director - is scheduled for December 17.
Urin stated that other plans of the Bolshoi were connected with Sinaisky, but concluded that he was a free person and had the right to make his own decisions.
“The decision is quite unexpected and definitely not the most timely,” a theater source who wished to remain anonymous said in an interview with Gazeta.Ru. He suggested that one of the reasons for Vasily Sinaisky’s departure could be the incessant rumors that they are urgently looking for a replacement for him, despite the fact that more than a year and a half remains until the end of his contract.
The news that Vasily Sinaisky will no longer serve as musical director at the Bolshoi Theater from December 3 was both unexpected and predictable at the same time.
In musical circles, rumors that there are no plans to renew the contract with Vasily Sinaisky at the Bolshoi Theater have been circulating since the moment the general director of the Bolshoi Theater, Anatoly Iksanov, was dismissed. Meanwhile, the name of Vasily Sinaisky appeared on the theater's premiere posters until the end of the current season.
The surprise is that no one dismissed Sinaisky: he submitted his resignation letter himself, and at the most crucial moment - in the midst of rehearsals for the most complex performance - Verdi's Don Carlos, in which not only Russian, but also famous Western opera stars participate. Musical theater experts interviewed by Gazeta.Ru agreed that the premiere of Don Carlos will take place on time and can be held even without Sinaisky. One of the experts pointed out that the “brilliant and young” American conductor Robert Trevino was announced as the second conductor in this performance. “Trevino had to perform two performances, but I think it will not be difficult for him to perform all six,” the expert concluded.
Difficulties, experts say, may arise with another premiere - the opera “The Tsar's Bride” scheduled for February. “This is one of the best operas in Sinaisky’s repertoire,” the expert noted.
There have already been similar cases at the Bolshoi Theater, when Mstislav Rostropovich left the conductor’s stand in the midst of rehearsals for War and Peace (though he was a guest conductor and not the main conductor of the Bolshoi Theater) or when Alexander Vedernikov announced his resignation on the eve of the theater’s tour of the play "Eugene Onegin" in Europe.
The Bolshoi Theater does not comment on what made the theater's music director Vasily Sinaisky commit such an extravagant act. Sinaisky himself said: “My departure from the theater is the result of my observations, my work with Mr. Urin for four months. This is quite a long time. And at some level, work simply becomes uninteresting and unbearable.”
“In fact, although the resignation of Vasily Sinaisky was not an announced event, this situation was quite expected. And there are many reasons for this. If we put the creative aspect of the work of the Bolshoi Theater at the forefront, which lies in the fact that Vasily Serafimovich held the position of musical director, even after “cleaning up” several old repertoire performances, according to Hamburg, he produced only one successful premiere - “Der Rosenkavalier” by Richard Strauss. But even at the same time, he did not become a creative leader, did not unite the team, did not bring to the Bolshoi Theater any intriguing, challenging tasks that challenged the musical community, stimulating artists to self-improvement. He never became a leader. Because conducting does not mean leading.
In addition, the maestro did not become a team man either. It is clear that in any team there are certain camps, certain sides, clans. But he was always a loner. And during all the time he worked at the Bolshoi Theater, he never wanted to establish human relations or did not consider it necessary.
At the beginning of his work, Vasily Sinaisky tried to do something, of course, since he was flattered by the very fact of being appointed to such a prestigious position. But lately his efforts have not been so tangible. In fact, he simply accumulated a huge number of repertoire performances; This is largely seen not as creativity, but as an attempt to make money. And during the short time when he directed the Bolshoi Theater, he set his own personal record: he had never conducted so many operas as during this period in his entire life. However, this did not essentially make him an opera conductor; he remained a symphony conductor, and a “mediocre one,” said the famous music critic Maria Babalova.
And here is the opinion of Dmitry Bertman: “Theater is a structure of extreme relationships, extreme rehearsals, extreme phenomena. Because in the theater there are always possible overlaps. There is always a dependence on everything - on technology, on health, on the condition of the artist’s ligaments, on his psyche. This is the hardest work. The most important thing is that in this work there must be people who, in addition to knowledge, books, experience, must approach the theater business as if it were a temple. And if something arises that interferes with the main calling, then it should fade into the background, and the person should finish his work. And it’s not clear to me how a conductor can leave two weeks before the premiere of a performance? It seems to me that Vasily Sinaisky should have conducted beautifully and left, since he decided this for himself, before or after the production, but not at the time of rehearsal. He's not just a conductor. His competence includes the complete musical management of the theater: this includes the orchestra, rehearsals, singers, etc. In addition, the chief conductor is the person who must take the helm at any moment if something happens to someone else. conductor. He must always take the blow. So this situation is a bad fact for Sinai. As Stanislavsky said: “You must love the arts for yourself, and not yourself in art.” Naturally, in Don Carlos a second conductor will come out and conduct. Naturally, no matter how difficult it is to find a chief conductor at the Bolshoi Theater, they will still find him, because this is the Bolshoi Theater. But the main conductor in the theater should still be a conductor with extensive theatrical experience. Vasily Sinaisky had virtually no such experience. In any case, there was a movement towards something new, and something new is always a desire for the best.”
The former head of the Bolshoi Theater's long-term planning department, producer Mikhail Fikhtengolts noted that “unfortunately, all this was predictable. Someone in the highest echelons of power hoped that with the arrival of a new general director, the situation at the Bolshoi Theater would calm down. But she doesn't calm down. I know Vasily Serafimovich well, and I can say that such a sudden demarche is in his spirit. He is ready to tolerate some kind of neglect towards himself and his wishes for quite a long time, but then he suddenly makes a decision. Whether it is successful for this moment or not is another matter. The timing was unfortunate. One of the reasons for Sinaisky’s departure is that on paper the music director at the Bolshoi Theater has unlimited power, but in practice he is actually a decorative figure who is unable to decide anything. Personnel policy, traditions, and internal foundations of the Bolshoi Theater leave no room for maneuver. And in this sense, Urin has not changed anything. And just as under Anatoly Iksanov there was a rather disdainful attitude towards Alexander Vedernikov, so under Urin there was the same attitude towards Sinaisky. And no matter what the theater management says about long-term plans with Sinaisky, these are mostly words, because in fact, as far as I know, the fate of two productions in which Sinaisky was supposed to be the musical director remained completely unclear - this is Mtsensky’s Lady Macbeth district" and "Manon" Massenet. The premiere performances of this season - "The Flying Dutchman", "Don Carlos", "The Tsar's Bride" - were planned for Sinaisky. The next season we planned five premieres, of which he took two. I think he was annoyed that no one could tell him anything: will these productions happen or not? He loves detailed, unhurried work, but in the structure of repertory theater, which is a non-stop conveyor belt, this approach is not the most optimal. I note that under Sinai there was an interesting period in the life of the theater. Much more distinct in its artistic direction than the previous era. But it turned out that Vasily Serafimovich Sinaisky and the repertoire system of the Bolshoi Theater in the form in which it exists are incompatible things. He would be an excellent guest conductor in any theater that operates according to the “stagione” system, where he would come for a single production, where rehearsals would be scheduled, where he could work concentratedly, closely, with great dedication. But at the time when he was invited to the Bolshoi Theater, Anatoly Iksanov had to quickly fill the gap. According to formal criteria, Sinaisky was ideal for this - age, good reputation in the West and in Russia, an excellent school. Sinaisky came at my invitation to one of the symphony concerts in the theater subscription, then there was a short tour with “Iolanta” in concert performance in Warsaw and Dresden, then this invitation suddenly happened.”
The situation, meanwhile, is acute. General Director Vladimir Urin will have to find a successor to Sinaisky as soon as possible.
Experts found it difficult to name a possible successor to Sinaisky as musical director of the Bolshoi Theater. “The overall list is extremely meager, and, apparently, not a single candidate will be ideal,” complained one of the experts. - Potential candidates are divided into three groups: those who covet the job but are too young and too inexperienced for it, those who would be ideal but would never take a permanent job working in a theater with such a bad reputation, and those who I was already in this position.”
Who can lead the theater? Perhaps one of the two namesakes - Vasily or Kirill Petrenko? They are talented and in great demand today, and their contracts are signed for many years in advance. Or the Bolshoi will have to allocate a fair amount of money and sign a contract with one of the foreign conductors, understanding that this will not be a conductor from the “first line” - as our football or basketball players do. True, his presence will be a plus. Without knowing the peculiarities of the Russian mentality, he can rid the team of some ills: intrigue and snitching that have been plaguing the team lately... The main thing here is not to make mistakes, as was once the case with the appointment of Leonid Desyatnikov.
However, Vladimir Urin is an incredibly far-sighted, very experienced, professional person. And based on this, we can conclude that, when signing Sinaisky’s resignation letter, he may have already compiled a gallery of names from which he will make a choice.
Vasily Sinaisky came to the Bolshoi Theater in August 2010, replacing composer Leonid Desyatnikov in this post. The press service explained this quick replacement (Desyatnikov was the theater's musical director for less than a year) due to previous agreements: the composer agreed to fill the vacancy until a suitable candidate was found. The contract with Sinaisky was concluded for five years and was supposed to end in August 2015.
Conductor Vasily Serafimovich Sinaisky was born on April 20, 1947 in the Komi Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. Until the age of nine, Vasily Sinaisky lived in the North, until the family returned to Leningrad in the 1950s.
In Leningrad, Vasily Sinaisky entered the conservatory in two faculties at once: theoretical and conducting-symphonic. He began conducting in his second year at the conservatory.
In 1970 he graduated from the Leningrad Conservatory in the symphony conducting class of Professor Ilya Musin, then continued his studies in graduate school.
In 1971–1973, Vasily Sinaisky worked as the second conductor of the symphony orchestra in Novosibirsk.
In 1973, after winning the Herbert von Karajan International Youth Orchestra Competition in West Berlin, Kirill Kondrashin invited Vasily Sinaisky to be his assistant in the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra.
In subsequent years (1975–1989), Vasily Sinaisky was the artistic director and chief conductor of the State Symphony Orchestra of the Latvian SSR. Since 1976 he taught at the Latvian Conservatory.
In 1989, Vasily Sinaisky returned to Moscow. For some time he was the chief conductor of the State Small Symphony Orchestra of the USSR, and worked at the Bolshoi Theater.
In 1991–1996 Vasily Sinaisky was the artistic director and chief conductor of the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra. At the same time he was chief conductor of the National Orchestra of Latvia and chief guest conductor of the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra.
In 1995 he became Principal Guest Conductor of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. As conductor of the BBC Orchestra, he regularly participates in the BBC Proms and also performs at Bridgewater Hall in Manchester.
In 2000–2002, he was artistic director and chief conductor of the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Russian Federation (formerly the orchestra of Evgeniy Svetlanov).
At the same time, he conducted active concert activities with leading Western orchestras. In 2002 he was invited to lead the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra at the London Proms and Lucerne Festival.
Since 2007 he has been the chief conductor of the Malmö Symphony Orchestra in Sweden.
Since the 2009/2010 season he has been a permanent guest conductor of the Bolshoi Theater.
Since September 2010 - chief conductor - music director of the Bolshoi Theater.
Vasily Sinaisky collaborated with many domestic and foreign orchestras, including the Academic Symphony Orchestra of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, the Russian National Orchestra, the Rotterdam and Czech Philharmonic Orchestras, the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, the National Orchestra of France, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the Orchestra Finnish Radio, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra, Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra. The conductor has performed with the Montreal and Philadelphia Symphony Orchestras, as well as with the San Diego, St. Louis, Detroit, and Atlanta Symphony Orchestras.
Vasily Sinaisky is a laureate of the International Conducting Competition “Herbert von Karajan Foundation” (Gold Medal in 1973).
In 1981 he was awarded the honorary title "People's Artist of the Latvian SSR".
Since 2002 - Honorary Member of the Philharmonic Society of St. Petersburg.
Nothing is known yet about Vasily Sinaisky’s future employment. However, it can be argued that he will not be left without work. As one of the possible options, one can consider the position of director of the State Academic Symphony Orchestra (SASO) of St. Petersburg - Alexander Titov was recently fired from there and there is now a competition to fill this position; Sinaisky was included in the list of applicants proposed by the orchestra's music council.
Mark Zolotar (for “Heirlooms”).
