About the big theater. History of the building of the State Academic Bolshoi Theater (Gabt)

In continuation of the series of stories about opera houses around the world, I want to talk about the Bolshoi Opera Theater in Moscow. State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater of Russia, or simply Grand Theatre- one of the largest opera and ballet theaters in Russia and one of the largest in the world. Located in the center of Moscow, on Teatralnaya Square. The Bolshoi Theater is one of the main assets of the city of Moscow

The origin of the theater dates back to March 1776. This year, Groti ceded his rights and obligations to Prince Urusov, who undertook to build a stone public theater in Moscow. With the assistance of the famous M.E. Medox, a place was chosen on Petrovskaya Street, in the parish of the Church of the Savior, in Kopje. By tireless labor Medoxa was built in five months Grand Theatre, according to the plan of the architect Rosberg, cost 130,000 rubles. Petrovsky Theater of Medox stood for 25 years - on October 8, 1805, during the next Moscow fire, the theater building burned down. The new building was built by K.I. Rossi on Arbat Square. But it, being wooden, burned down in 1812, during Napoleon’s invasion. In 1821, construction of the theater began on the original site according to the design of O. Bove and A. Mikhailov.

The theater opened on January 6, 1825 with the performance “The Triumph of the Muses.” But on March 11, 1853, the theater burned down for the fourth time; The fire preserved only the stone outer walls and the colonnade of the main entrance. In three years, the Bolshoi Theater was restored under the leadership of architect A.K. Kavos. To replace the alabaster sculpture of Apollo that was lost in the fire, a bronze quadriga by Pyotr Klodt was installed above the entrance portico. The theater was reopened on August 20, 1856.

In 1895 it was held major renovation theater buildings, after which the theater staged many wonderful operas, such as “Boris Godunov” by M. Mussorgsky, “The Woman of Pskov” by Rimsky-Korsakov with Chaliapin in the role of Ivan the Terrible and many others. In 1921-1923, another reconstruction of the theater building took place, and the building was also reconstructed in the 40s and 60s

Above the pediment of the Bolshoi Theater is a sculpture of Apollo, patron of the arts, in a chariot drawn by four horses. All figures of the composition are hollow, made of sheet copper. The composition was made by Russian craftsmen in the 18th century according to the model of the sculptor Stepan Pimenov

The theater includes a ballet and opera troupe, the Bolshoi Theater Orchestra and the Stage Brass Band. At the time of the theater's creation, the troupe included only thirteen musicians and about thirty artists. At the same time, the troupe initially had no specialization: dramatic actors took part in operas, and singers and dancers - in dramatic performances. So, the troupe in different time included Mikhail Shchepkin and Pavel Mochalov, who sang in operas by Cherubini, Verstovsky and other composers

Throughout the history of the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, its artists, in addition to admiration and gratitude from the public, have repeatedly received various signs of recognition from the state. During the Soviet period, more than 80 of them received the title of People's Artists of the USSR, Stalin and Lenin Prizes, eight were awarded the title of Heroes Socialist Labor. Among the theater soloists are such outstanding Russian singers as Sandunova, Zhemchugova, E. Semyonova, Khokhlov, Korsov, Deisha-Sionitskaya, Salina, Nezhdanova, Chaliapin, Sobinov, Zbrueva, Alchevsky, E. Stepanova, V. Petrov, the Pirogov brothers, Katulskaya, Obukhova, Derzhinskaya, Barsova, L. Savransky, Ozerov, Lemeshev, Kozlovsky, Reizen, Maksakova, Khanaev, M. D. Mikhailov, Shpiller, A. P. Ivanov, Krivchenya, P. Lisitsian, I. Petrov, Ognivtsev, Arkhipova, Andzhaparidze, Oleinichenko, Mazurok, Vedernikov, Eizen, E. Kibkalo, Vishnevskaya, Milashkina, Sinyavskaya, Kasrashvili, Atlantov, Nesterenko, Obraztsova and others.
Of the singers more younger generation who came forward in the 80-90s, it is necessary to note I. Morozov, P. Gluboky, Kalinina, Matorin, Shemchuk, Rautio, Tarashchenko, N. Terentyeva. Major conductors Altani, Suk, Cooper, Samosud, Pazovsky, Golovanov, Melik-Pashaev, Nebolsin, Khaikin, Kondrashin, Svetlanov, Rozhdestvensky, Rostropovich worked at the Bolshoi Theater. Rachmaninov (1904-06) performed here as a conductor. Among the best directors theater Bartsal, Smolich, Baratov, B. Mordvinov, Pokrovsky. The Bolshoi Theater hosted tours of the world's leading opera houses: La Scala (1964, 1974, 1989), the Vienna State Opera (1971), the Berlin Komische Oper (1965)

Bolshoi Theater repertoire

During the theater's existence, more than 800 works were staged here. The Bolshoi Theater's repertoire includes such operas as "Robert the Devil" by Meyerbeer (1834), "The Pirate" by Bellini (1837), "Hans Geiling" by Marschner, "The Postman from Longjumeau" by Adam (1839), "The Favorite" by Donizetti (1841), "The Mute of Portici" by Auber (1849), "La Traviata" by Verdi (1858), "Il Trovatore", "Rigoletto" by Verdi (1859), "Faust" by Gounod (1866), "Mignon" by Thomas (1879), "Un ballo in maschera" "Verdi (1880), "Siegfried" by Wagner (1894), "The Trojans in Carthage" by Berlioz (1899), "The Flying Dutchman" by Wagner (1902), "Don Carlos" by Verdi (1917), "A Midsummer Night's Dream" by Britten ( 1964), "The Castle of Duke Bluebeard" by Bartok, "The Spanish Hour" by Ravel (1978), "Iphigenia in Aulis" by Gluck (1983) and others.

The Bolshoi Theater hosted world premieres of Tchaikovsky's operas "The Voevoda" (1869), "Mazeppa" (1884), and "Cherevichki" (1887); Rachmaninov's operas "Aleko" (1893), "Francesca da Rimini" and " The Stingy Knight" (1906), Prokofiev's "The Gambler" (1974), a number of operas by Cui, Arensky and many others.

On turn of the 19th century and the 20th century the theater reaches its peak. Many St. Petersburg artists are seeking the opportunity to participate in Bolshoi Theater performances. The names of F. Chaliapin, L. Sobinov, A. Nezhdanova are becoming widely known throughout the world. In 1912 Fyodor Chaliapin staged M. Mussorgsky’s opera “Khovanshchina” at the Bolshoi Theater.

In the photo Fyodor Chaliapin

During this period, Sergei Rachmaninov collaborated with the theater, who proved himself not only as a composer, but also as an outstanding opera conductor, attentive to the peculiarities of the style of the work being performed and achieving a combination of ardent temperament with subtle orchestral finishing in the performance of operas. Rachmaninov improves the organization of the conductor's work - thus, thanks to Rachmaninov, the conductor's stand, previously located behind the orchestra (facing the stage), is moved to its modern place.

In the photo Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninov

The first years after the 1917 revolution are characterized by the struggle to preserve the Bolshoi Theater as such and, secondly, to preserve part of its repertoire. Operas such as The Snow Maiden, Aida, La Traviata and Verdi in general were attacked for ideological reasons. There were also proposals to destroy ballet, as “a relic of the bourgeois past.” However, despite this, both opera and ballet continued to develop in Moscow. The opera is dominated by works by Glinka, Tchaikovsky, Borodin, Rimsky-Korsakov, and Mussorgsky. In 1927, director V. Lossky created a new edition of “Boris Godunov”. Operas are staged Soviet composers- “Trilby” by A. Yurasovsky (1924), “Love for Three Oranges” by S. Prokofiev (1927).

In the 1930s, Joseph Stalin’s demand for the creation of “Soviet opera classics” appeared in the press. Works by I. Dzerzhinsky, B. Asafiev, R. Gliere are staged. At the same time, a strict ban on works by foreign composers is introduced. In 1935, the premiere of D. Shostakovich’s opera “Lady Macbeth” took place with great success among the public. Mtsensk district" However, this work, highly appreciated throughout the world, causes sharp discontent at the top. The well-known article “Confusion Instead of Music,” authored by Stalin, became the reason for the disappearance of Shostakovich’s opera from the repertoire of the Bolshoi Theater

During the Great Patriotic War The Bolshoi Theater is being evacuated in Kuibyshev. The theater celebrates the end of the war bright premieres S. Prokofiev’s ballets “Cinderella” and “Romeo and Juliet”, where Galina Ulanova shone. In subsequent years, the Bolshoi Theater turns to the work of composers of the “fraternal countries” - Czechoslovakia, Poland and Hungary, and also revises productions of classical Russian operas (new productions of Eugene Onegin, Sadko, Boris Godunov, Khovanshchina and many other). Most of these productions were carried out by opera director Boris Pokrovsky, who came to the Bolshoi Theater in 1943. His performances in these years and the next few decades served as the “face” of the Bolshoi Theater opera

The Bolshoi Theater troupe often tours, having success in Italy, Great Britain, the USA and many other countries


Currently, the Bolshoi Theater's repertoire retains many classical productions opera and ballet performances, but at the same time the theater strives for new experiments. Directors who have already gained fame as film directors are involved in working on operas. Among them are A. Sokurov, T. Chkheidze, E. Nyakrosius and others. Some new productions of the Bolshoi Theater aroused the disapproval of part of the public and the honored masters of the Bolshoi. Thus, a scandal accompanied the production of L. Desyatnikov’s opera “Children of Rosenthal” (2005), due to the reputation of the author of the libretto, writer V. Sorokin. The famous singer Galina Vishnevskaya expressed her indignation and rejection of the new play “Eugene Onegin” (2006, director D. Chernyakov), refusing to celebrate her anniversary on the Bolshoi stage, where similar productions are staged. At the same time, the mentioned performances, no matter what, have their fans

The theater began with a small private troupe of Prince Pyotr Urusov. The performances of the talented group often delighted Empress Catherine II, who thanked the prince with the right to direct all entertainment events in the capital. The founding date of the theater is considered to be March 17, 1776 - the day when Urusov received this privilege. Just six months after the empress’s will, the prince erected the wooden building of the Petrovsky Theater on the banks of the Neglinka. But before it could open, the theater burned down. The new building required large financial investments, and Urusov had a partner - the Russified Englishman Medox, a successful entrepreneur and ballet dancer. The construction of the theater cost the Briton 130,000 silver rubles. The new three-story brick theater opened its doors to the public in December 1780. A few years later, due to financial troubles, the Englishman had to transfer management of the theater to the state, after which the temple of Melpomene began to be called the Imperial. In 1805, the building built by Medox burned down.

For several years, the theater troupe performed on the home stages of the Moscow nobility. The new building, which appeared on Arbat in 1808, was designed by the architect Karl Ivanovich Rossi. But this theater was also destroyed by fire in 1812.

Ten years later, the restoration of the theater began, ending in 1825. But, according to sad tradition, this building could not escape the fire that occurred in 1853 and left behind only the outer walls. The Bolshoi revival lasted three years. The chief architect of the Imperial Theaters, Albert Kavos, who supervised the restoration of the building, increased its height, added columns in front of the entrance and a portico, above which stood a bronze quadriga of Apollo by Pyotr Klodt. The pediment was decorated with a double-headed eagle - the coat of arms of Russia.

In the early 60s of the 19th century, the Bolshoi was rented by an Italian opera company. The Italians performed several times a week, while only one day remained for Russian productions. The competition between the two theater groups benefited Russian vocalists, who were forced to hone and improve their skills, but the administration’s inattention to the national repertoire prevented Russian art from gaining popularity among audiences. A few years later, the management had to listen to the demands of the public and resume the operas “Ruslan and Lyudmila” and “Rusalka”. The year 1969 was marked by the production of The Voevoda, the first opera by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, for whom the Bolshoi became the main professional platform. In 1981, the theater's repertoire was enriched with the opera "Eugene Onegin".

In 1895, the theater underwent a major renovation, the end of which was marked by such productions as “Boris Godunov” by Mussorgsky and “The Woman of Pskov” by Rimsky-Korsakov with Fyodor Chaliapin in the role of Ivan the Terrible.

At the end of the 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th century, the Bolshoi became one of the leading centers of theatrical and musical world culture. The theater’s repertoire includes the best world works (“Walkyrie”, “Tannhäuser”, “Pagliacci”, “La Boheme”) and outstanding Russian operas (“Sadko”, “The Golden Cockerel”, “The Stone Guest”, “The Tale of the Invisible City of Kitezh” ). On the theater stage, great Russian singers and singers shine with their talent: Chaliapin, Sobinov, Gryzunov, Savransky, Nezhdanova, Balanovskaya, Azerskaya; The famous Russian artists Vasnetsov, Korovin and Golovin are working on the decorations.

The Bolshoi managed to completely preserve his troupe during the revolutionary events and Civil War. During the 1917-1918 season, the public saw 170 opera and ballet performances. And in 1919 the theater was awarded the title “Academic”.

The 20s and 30s of the last century became the time of the emergence and development of the Soviet opera art. “The Love for Three Oranges”, “Trilby”, “Ivan the Soldier”, “Katerina Izmailova” by Shostakovich, “ Quiet Don", "Battleship Potemkin".

During the Great Patriotic War, part of the Bolshoi troupe was evacuated to Kuibyshev, where new performances continued to be created. Many theater artists went to the front with concerts. The post-war years were marked by talented productions by the outstanding choreographer Yuri Grigorovich, each performance of which was a notable event in cultural life countries.

From 2005 to 2011, a grandiose reconstruction was carried out in the theater, thanks to which a new foundation appeared under the Bolshoi building, the legendary historical interiors were recreated, and the technical equipment theater, the rehearsal base has increased.

More than 800 performances were staged on the Bolshoi stage; the theater hosted premieres of operas by Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev, Arensky, and Tchaikovsky. The ballet troupe has always been and remains a welcome guest in any country. Artists, directors, artists and conductors of the Bolshoi have been awarded the most prestigious state and international awards many times.

Description

The Bolshoi Theater has three auditoriums open to the public:

• Historical (main) stage, seating 2,500 people;
• New stage, opened in 2002 and designed for 1000 spectators;
• Beethoven Hall with 320 seats, famous for its unique acoustics.

The historical scene appears before visitors as it was in the second half of the century before last and is a semicircular hall with four tiers, decorated with gold and red velvet. Above the heads of the audience is the legendary chandelier with 26,000 crystals, which appeared in the theater in 1863 and illuminates the hall with 120 lamps.

The new stage was opened at the address: Bolshaya Dimitrovka street, building 4, building 2. During large-scale reconstruction All Bolshoi repertoire performances were staged here, and currently the New Stage hosts tours of foreign and Russian theaters.

The Beethoven Hall was opened in 1921. Viewers are delighted by its interior in the style of Louis XV: walls upholstered in silk, magnificent crystal chandeliers, Italian stucco, walnut floors. The hall is designed for chamber and solo concerts.

Every spring, two varieties of tulips bloom in front of the theater building - the deep pink “Galina Ulanova” and the bright red “Bolshoi Theater”, bred by the Dutch breeder Lefeber. At the beginning of the last century, a florist saw Ulanova on the stage of the Bolshoi. Lefeber was so impressed by the talent of the Russian ballerina that he developed new varieties of tulips especially in honor of her and the theater in which she shone. The image of the Bolshoi Theater building can be seen on many postage stamps and on hundred-ruble banknotes.

Information for visitors

Theater address: theatre square, 1. You can get to the Bolshoi by walking along Teatralny Proezd from the “Teatralnaya” and “Teatralnaya” metro stations. Okhotny Ryad" From the Ploshchad Revolyutsii station you can reach the Bolshoi by crossing the square of the same name. From the Kuznetsky Most station you need to walk along Kuznetsky Most Street, and then turn to Teatralnaya Square.

You can purchase tickets for Bolshoi productions both on the theater’s website - www.bolshoi.ru, and at the box office open in the Administration building (daily from 11.00 to 19.00, break from 15.00 to 16.00); in the building of the Historical Stage (daily from 12.00 to 20.00, break from 16.00 to 18.00); in the New Stage building (daily from 11.00 to 19.00, break from 14.00 to 15.00).

Ticket prices vary from 100 to 10,000 rubles, depending on the performance, performance time and place in the auditorium.

The Bolshoi Theater has a comprehensive security system, including video surveillance and mandatory passage of all visitors through a metal detector. Do not take piercing or sharp objects with you - you will not be allowed into the theater building with them.

Children are allowed to attend evening performances from the age of 10. Until this age, a child can attend morning performances with a separate ticket. Children under 5 years old are not allowed into the theater.

Tours are held in the Historic Theater Building on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, telling about the architecture of the Bolshoi and its past.

For those wishing to purchase something to remember the Bolshoi Theater, a souvenir shop is open daily from 11.00 to 17.00. To get into it, you need to enter the theater through entrance No. 9A. Visitors who come to the performance can enter the store directly from the Bolshoi building before or after the performance. Landmark: left wing of the theater, ground floor, next to the Beethoven Hall.

Photo and video shooting in the theater is not permitted.

When going to the Bolshoi Theater, plan your time - after the third bell you will not be able to enter the hall!

The full name is “State Academic Bolshoi Theater of Russia” (SABT).

Opera history

One of the oldest Russian musical theaters, the leading Russian opera and ballet theater. The Bolshoi Theater played an outstanding role in establishing the national realistic traditions of opera and ballet art and in the formation of the Russian musical and stage performing school. The Bolshoi Theater traces its history back to 1776, when the Moscow provincial prosecutor, Prince P. V. Urusov, received the government privilege “to be the owner of all theatrical performances in Moscow...”. Since 1776, performances were staged in the house of Count R.I. Vorontsov on Znamenka. Urusov, together with the entrepreneur M.E. Medox, built a special theater building (on the corner of Petrovka Street) - the “Petrovsky Theater”, or “Opera House”, where opera, drama and ballet performances were held in 1780-1805. It was the first in Moscow permanent theater(burnt down in 1805). In 1812, a fire destroyed another theater building - on Arbat (architect K. I. Rossi) and the troupe performed in temporary premises. On January 6 (18), 1825, the Bolshoi Theater (design by A. A. Mikhailov, architect O. I. Bove), built on the site of the former Petrovsky, opened with the prologue “The Triumph of the Muses” with music by A. N. Verstovsky and A. A. Alyabyev. The room - the second largest in Europe after Milan's La Scala theater - after the fire of 1853 it was significantly rebuilt (architect A.K. Kavos), acoustic and optical deficiencies were corrected, the auditorium was divided into 5 tiers. The opening took place on August 20, 1856.

The first Russian folk plays were staged in the theater. musical comedies- “The Miller - a sorcerer, a deceiver and a matchmaker” by Sokolovsky (1779), “The St. Petersburg Gostiny Dvor” by Pashkevich (1783) and others. The first pantomime ballet, The Magic Shop, was shown in 1780 on the opening day of the Petrovsky Theater. Among the ballet performances, conventional fantastic-mythological spectacular performances predominated, but performances were also staged that included Russian folk dances, which had big success from the public (“Village Festival”, “Village Picture”, “The Taking of Ochakov”, etc.). The repertoire also included the most significant operas by foreign composers of the 18th century (G. Pergolesi, D. Cimarosa, A. Salieri, A. Grétry, N. Daleirac, etc.).

In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, opera singers performed in dramatic performances, and dramatic actors performed in operas. The troupe of the Petrovsky Theater was often replenished by talented serf actors and actresses, and sometimes by entire groups of serf theaters, which the theater management bought from landowners.

The theater troupe included serf actors from Urusov, actors from the theater troupes of N. S. Titov and the Moscow University. Among the first actors were V. P. Pomerantsev, P. V. Zlov, G. V. Bazilevich, A. G. Ozhogin, M. S. Sinyavskaya, I. M. Sokolovskaya, later E. S. Sandunova and others. The first ballet artists - students of the Orphanage (where a ballet school was founded in 1773 under the direction of choreographer I. Walberch) and serf dancers of the troupes of Urusov and E. A. Golovkina (including: A. Sobakina, D. Tukmanova, G. Raikov, S. Lopukhin and others).

In 1806, many serf actors of the theater received their freedom, the troupe was transferred to the disposal of the Directorate of Moscow imperial theaters and turned into a court theater, which was directly subordinate to the Ministry of the Court. This determined the difficulties in the development of advanced Russian musical art. The domestic repertoire was initially dominated by vaudevilles, which were very popular: “The Village Philosopher” by Alyabyev (1823), “Teacher and Student” (1824), “Humpster” and “Fun of the Caliph” (1825) by Alyabyev and Verstovsky, etc. From the end of the 20th century In the 1980s, the Bolshoi Theater staged operas by A. N. Verstovsky (inspector of music for Moscow theaters since 1825), marked by national-romantic tendencies: “Pan Tvardovsky” (1828), “Vadim, or the Twelve Sleeping Virgins” (1832), “Askold’s Grave” "(1835), which remained in the theater's repertoire for a long time, "Longing for the Motherland" (1839), "Churova Dolina" (1841), "Thunderbreaker" (1858). Verstovsky and the composer A. E. Varlamov, who worked in the theater in 1832-44, contributed to the education of Russian singers (N. V. Repina, A. O. Bantyshev, P. A. Bulakhov, N. V. Lavrov, etc.). The theater also staged operas by German, French and Italian composers, including Mozart's Don Giovanni and The Marriage of Figaro, Beethoven's Fidelio, Weber's The Magic Shooter, Fra Diavolo, Fenella and The Bronze Horse" by Auber, "Robert the Devil" by Meyerbeer, "The Barber of Seville" by Rossini, "Anne Boleyn" by Donizetti, etc. In 1842, the Moscow Theater Administration became subordinate to the St. Petersburg Directorate. Glinka’s opera “A Life for the Tsar” (“Ivan Susanin”), staged in 1842, turned into a magnificent performance that was staged on solemn court holidays. Thanks to the efforts of the artists of the St. Petersburg Russian Opera Troupe (transferred to Moscow in 1845-50), this opera was performed on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater in an incomparably better production. In the same performance, Glinka's opera Ruslan and Lyudmila was staged in 1846, and Dargomyzhsky's Esmeralda in 1847. In 1859, the Bolshoi Theater staged "The Mermaid". The appearance of operas by Glinka and Dargomyzhsky on the stage of the theater marked a new stage in its development and had great value in the formation realistic principles vocal and stage art.

In 1861, the Directorate of Imperial Theaters leased the Bolshoi Theater to an Italian opera troupe, which performed 4-5 days a week, essentially leaving Russian opera 1 day. The competition between the two groups brought a certain benefit to Russian singers, forcing them to persistently improve their skills and borrow some principles of the Italian vocal school, but the neglect of the Directorate of Imperial Theaters to approve the national repertoire and the privileged position of the Italians made it difficult for the Russian troupe to work and prevented Russian opera from winning public recognition. New Russian Opera theatre could only have been born in the fight against Italian mania and entertainment trends for the affirmation of the national identity of art. Already in the 60-70s, the theater was forced to listen to the voices of progressive figures in Russian musical culture, to the demands of the new democratic audience. The operas “Rusalka” (1863) and “Ruslan and Lyudmila” (1868), which had become established in the theater’s repertoire, were resumed. In 1869, the Bolshoi Theater staged P. I. Tchaikovsky’s first opera, “The Voevoda,” and in 1875, “The Oprichnik.” In 1881, “Eugene Onegin” was staged (the second production, 1883, became established in the theater’s repertoire).

Since the mid-80s of the 19th century, there has been a turning point in the attitude of the theater management towards Russian opera; productions of outstanding works by Russian composers were carried out: “Mazepa” (1884), “Cherevichki” (1887), “ Queen of Spades"(1891) and "Iolanta" (1893) by Tchaikovsky, first appeared on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater of Opera Composers " Mighty bunch" - "Boris Godunov" by Mussorgsky (1888), "The Snow Maiden" by Rimsky-Korsakov (1893), "Prince Igor" by Borodin (1898).

But the main attention in the repertoire of the Bolshoi Theater in these years was still paid to French operas (J. Meyerbeer, F. Aubert, F. Halévy, A. Thomas, C. Gounod) and Italian (G. Rossini, V. Bellini, G. Donizetti, G. Verdi) composers. In 1898, Bizet’s “Carmen” was staged for the first time in Russian, and in 1899, Berlioz’s “The Trojans in Carthage” was staged. German opera is represented by the works of F. Flotow, Weber's The Magic Shooter, and single productions of Wagner's Tannhäuser and Lohengrin.

Among the Russian singers of the mid and 2nd half of the 19th century are E. A. Semyonova (the first Moscow performer of the parts of Antonida, Lyudmila and Natasha), A. D. Alexandrova-Kochetova, E. A. Lavrovskaya, P. A. Khokhlov (who created images of Onegin and the Demon), B. B. Korsov, M. M. Koryakin, L. D. Donskoy, M. A. Deisha-Sionitskaya, N. V. Salina, N. A. Preobrazhensky, etc. There is a shift not only in the repertoire, but also in the quality of productions and musical interpretations of operas. In 1882-1906 the chief conductor of the Bolshoi Theater was I.K. Altani, in 1882-1937 the chief choirmaster was U.I. Avranek. P. I. Tchaikovsky and A. G. Rubinstein conducted their operas. More serious attention is paid to the decorative design and staging culture of performances. (In 1861-1929, K. F. Waltz worked as a decorator and mechanic at the Bolshoi Theater).

By the end of the 19th century, a reform of the Russian theater was brewing, its decisive turn towards the depth of life and historical truth, towards the realism of images and feelings. The Bolshoi Theater is entering its heyday, gaining fame as one of the largest centers of musical and theatrical culture. The theater's repertoire includes best works world art, at the same time Russian opera occupies central place on his stage. For the first time, the Bolshoi Theater staged productions of Rimsky-Korsakov’s operas “The Pskov Woman” (1901), “Pan-voevoda” (1905), “Sadko” (1906), “The Tale of the Invisible City of Kitezh” (1908), “The Golden Cockerel” (1909) , as well as “The Stone Guest” by Dargomyzhsky (1906). At the same time, the theater stages such significant works by foreign composers as “Die Walküre”, “The Flying Dutchman”, “Tannhäuser” by Wagner, “The Trojans in Carthage” by Berlioz, “Pagliacci” by Leoncavallo, “Honor Rusticana” by Mascagni, “La Bohème” by Puccini, etc.

The flourishing of the performing school of Russian art came after a long and intense struggle for Russian opera classics and is directly related to the deep mastery of the domestic repertoire. At the beginning of the 20th century, a constellation of great singers appeared on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater - F. I. Chaliapin, L. V. Sobinov, A. V. Nezhdanova. Outstanding singers performed with them: E. G. Azerskaya, L. N. Balanovskaya, M. G. Gukova, K. G. Derzhinskaya, E. N. Zbrueva, E. A. Stepanova, I. A. Alchevsky, A V. Bogdanovich, A. P. Bonachich, G. A. Baklanov, I. V. Gryzunov, V. R. Petrov, G. S. Pirogov, L. F. Savransky. In 1904-06, S. V. Rachmaninov conducted at the Bolshoi Theater, giving a new realistic interpretation of Russian opera classics. Since 1906, V. I. Suk became the conductor. The choir under the direction of U. I. Avranek achieves honed skills. Prominent artists are involved in the design of performances - A. M. Vasnetsov, A. Ya. Golovin, K. A. Korovin.

Great October socialist revolution opened new era in the development of the Bolshoi Theater. During the difficult years of the Civil War, the theater troupe was completely preserved. The first season began on November 21 (December 4), 1917 with the opera “Aida”. A special program was prepared for the first anniversary of the October Revolution, which included the ballet “Stepan Razin” to the music of Glazunov’s symphonic poem, the “Veche” scene from the opera “Pskovite” by Rimsky-Korsakov and the choreographic picture “Prometheus” to the music of A. N. Scriabin. During the 1917/1918 season, the theater gave 170 opera and ballet performances. Since 1918, the Bolshoi Theater Orchestra has given cycles symphony concerts with the participation of soloists-singers. At the same time, chamber instrumental concerts and concerts of singers were held. In 1919, the Bolshoi Theater was awarded the title of academic. In 1924, a branch of the Bolshoi Theater opened in the premises of the former private opera Zimina. Performances were performed on this stage until 1959.

In the 20s, operas by Soviet composers appeared on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater - “Trilby” by Yurasovsky (1924, 2nd production 1929), “Decembrists” by Zolotarev and “Stepan Razin” by Triodin (both in 1925), “The Love for Three Oranges” Prokofiev (1927), “Ivan the Soldier” by Korchmarev (1927), “Son of the Sun” by Vasilenko (1928), “Zagmuk” by Crane and “Breakthrough” by Pototsky (both in 1930), etc. At the same time, a lot of work is being done on opera classics. New productions of R. Wagner's operas took place: “Das Rheingold” (1918), “Lohengrin” (1923), “Die Meistersinger of Nuremberg” (1929). In 1921, G. Berlioz’s oratorio “The Damnation of Faust” was performed. The production of M. P. Mussorgsky’s opera “Boris Godunov” (1927), performed for the first time in its entirety with scenes, became fundamentally important. Under Kromy And At St. Basil's(the latter, orchestrated by M. M. Ippolitov-Ivanov, has since been included in all productions of this opera). In 1925, the premiere of Mussorgsky's opera “Sorochinskaya Fair” took place. Among the significant works of the Bolshoi Theater of this period: “The Tale of the Invisible City of Kitezh” (1926); “The Marriage of Figaro” by Mozart (1926), as well as the operas “Salome” by R. Strauss (1925), “Cio-Cio-san” by Puccini (1925), etc., staged for the first time in Moscow.

Significant events in creative history The Bolshoi Theater of the 30s are associated with the development of Soviet opera. In 1935, D. D. Shostakovich’s opera “Katerina Izmailova” (based on N. S. Leskov’s story “Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk”) was staged, then “Quiet Don” (1936) and Dzerzhinsky’s “Virgin Soil Upturned” (1937), “Battleship "Potemkin" by Chishko (1939), "Mother" by Zhelobinsky (after M. Gorky, 1939), etc. Works by composers of the Soviet republics are staged - "Almast" by Spendiarov (1930), "Abesalom and Eteri" by Z. Paliashvili (1939). In 1939, the Bolshoi Theater revived the opera Ivan Susanin. The new production (libretto by S. M. Gorodetsky) revealed the folk-heroic essence of this work; Mass choir scenes acquired special significance.

In 1937, the Bolshoi Theater was awarded the Order of Lenin, and its greatest masters were awarded the title People's Artist THE USSR.

In the 20-30s, outstanding singers performed on the stage of the theater - V. R. Petrov, L. V. Sobinov, A. V. Nezhdanova, N. A. Obukhova, K. G. Derzhinskaya, E. A. Stepanova, E. K. Katulskaya, V. V. Barsova, I. S. Kozlovsky, S. Ya. Lemeshev, A. S. Pirogov, M. D. Mikhailov, M. O. Reizen, N. S. Khanaev, E. D. Kruglikova, N. D. Shpiller, M. P. Maksakova, V. A. Davydova, A. I. Baturin, S. I. Migai, L. F. Savransky, N. N. Ozerov, V. R. Slivinsky and others. Among the conductors of the theater are V. I. Suk, M. M. Ippolitov-Ivanov, N. S. Golovanov, A. M. Pazovsky, S. A. Samosud, Yu. F. Fayer, L. P. Steinberg, V.V. Nebolsin. Bolshoi Theater opera and ballet performances were staged by directors V. A. Lossky, N. V. Smolich; choreographer R.V. Zakharov; choirmasters U. O. Avranek, M. G. Shorin; artist P. W. Williams.

During the Great Patriotic War (1941-45), part of the Bolshoi Theater troupe was evacuated to Kuibyshev, where in 1942 the premiere of Rossini's opera William Tell took place. On the stage of the branch (the main building of the theater was damaged by a bomb) in 1943 the opera “On Fire” by Kabalevsky was staged. In the post-war years, the opera troupe turned to the classical heritage of the peoples of socialist countries; the operas “The Bartered Bride” by Smetana (1948) and “Pebble” by Moniuszko (1949) were staged. The performances “Boris Godunov” (1948), “Sadko” (1949), “Khovanshchina” (1950) are noted for the depth and integrity of the musical and stage ensemble. Vivid examples of Soviet ballet classics were the ballets “Cinderella” (1945) and “Romeo and Juliet” (1946) by Prokofiev.

Since the mid-40s, the role of directing in revealing ideological content and the embodiment of the author’s intention of the work, in the education of an actor (singer and ballet dancer) capable of creating deeply meaningful, psychologically truthful images. The role of the ensemble in solving the ideological and artistic problems of the performance becomes more significant, which is achieved thanks to the high skill of the orchestra, choir and other theater groups. All this determined the performing style of the modern Bolshoi Theater and brought it worldwide fame.

In the 50-60s, the theater's work on operas by Soviet composers intensified. In 1953, the monumental epic opera “Decembrists” by Shaporin was staged. Prokofiev's opera War and Peace (1959) was included in the golden fund of the Soviet musical theater. The productions were “Nikita Vershinin” by Kabalevsky (1955), “The Taming of the Shrew” by Shebalin (1957), “Mother” by Khrennikov (1957), “Jalil” by Zhiganov (1959), “The Tale of a Real Man” by Prokofiev (1960), “Fate” person" by Dzerzhinsky (1961), "Not Only Love" by Shchedrin (1962), "October" by Muradeli (1964), "The Unknown Soldier" by Molchanov (1967), "Optimistic Tragedy" by Kholminov (1967), "Semyon Kotko" by Prokofiev (1970 ).

Since the mid-50s, the Bolshoi Theater's repertoire has been replenished with modern foreign operas. For the first time, works by composers L. Janacek (Her Stepdaughter, 1958), F. Erkel (Bank-Ban, 1959), F. Poulenc (The Human Voice, 1965), B. Britten (A Midsummer's Dream) were staged night", 1965). The classical Russian and European repertoire has expanded. Among the outstanding works of the opera group is Beethoven's Fidelio (1954). Operas were also staged: “Falstaff” (1962), “Don Carlos” (1963) by Verdi, “The Flying Dutchman” by Wagner (1963), “The Tale of the Invisible City of Kitezh” (1966), “Tosca” (1971), “Ruslan” and Lyudmila" (1972), "Troubadour" (1972); ballets - “The Nutcracker” (1966), “Swan Lake” (1970). The opera troupe of this time included singers I. I. and L. I. Maslennikov, E. V. Shumskaya, Z. I. Andzhaparidze, G. P. Bolshakov, A. P. Ivanov, A. F. Krivchenya, P. G. Lisitsian, G. M. Nelepp, I. I. Petrov and others. Conductors worked on the musical and stage embodiment of the performances - A. Sh. Melik-Pashaev, M. N. Zhukov, G. N. Rozhdestvensky, E. F. Svetlanov; directors - L. B. Baratov, B. A. Pokrovsky; choreographer L. M. Lavrovsky; artists - P. P. Fedorovsky, V. F. Ryndin, S. B. Virsaladze.

Leading masters of the Bolshoi Theater opera and ballet troupes have performed in many countries around the world. The opera troupe toured in Italy (1964), Canada, Poland (1967), East Germany (1969), France (1970), Japan (1970), Austria, Hungary (1971).

In 1924-59 the Bolshoi Theater had two stages - the main stage and a branch stage. The main stage of the theater is a five-tier auditorium with 2,155 seats. The length of the hall, including the orchestra shell, is 29.8 m, width - 31 m, height - 19.6 m. Depth of the stage - 22.8 m, width - 39.3 m, size of the stage portal - 21.5 × 17.2 m. In 1961, the Bolshoi Theater received a new stage - Kremlin Palace conventions (auditorium for 6,000 seats; stage size in plan - 40x23 m and height to the grate - 28.8 m, stage portal - 32x14 m; stage plank is equipped with sixteen lifting and lowering platforms). The Bolshoi Theater and the Palace of Congresses host ceremonial meetings, congresses, decades of art, etc.

Literature: The Bolshoi Moscow Theater and a review of the events that preceded the founding of the proper Russian theater, M., 1857; Kashkin N.D., Opera stage of the Moscow Imperial Theater, M., 1897 (in the region: Dmitriev N., Imperial Opera stage in Moscow, M., 1898); Chayanova O., “Triumph of the Muses”, Memo of historical memories for the centennial anniversary of the Moscow Bolshoi Theater (1825-1925), M., 1925; hers, Medox Theater in Moscow 1776-1805, M., 1927; Moscow Bolshoi Theater. 1825-1925, M., 1925 (collection of articles and materials); Borisoglebsky M., Materials on the history of Russian ballet, vol. 1, L., 1938; Glushkovsky A.P., Memoirs of a choreographer, M. - L., 1940; State Academic Bolshoi Theater of the USSR, M., 1947 (collection of articles); S. V. Rachmaninov and Russian opera, collection. articles edited by I. F. Belzy, M., 1947; “Theater”, 1951, No. 5 (dedicated to the 175th anniversary of the Bolshoi Theater); Shaverdyan A.I., Bolshoi Theater of the USSR, M., 1952; Polyakova L. V., Youth opera stage Bolshoi Theater, M., 1952; Khripunov Yu. D., Architecture of the Bolshoi Theater, M., 1955; Bolshoi Theater of the USSR (collection of articles), M., 1958; Grosheva E. A., Bolshoi Theater of the USSR in the past and present, M., 1962; Gozenpud A. A., Musical theater in Russia. From the origins to Glinka, L., 1959; his, Russian Soviet Opera Theater (1917-1941), L., 1963; his, Russian Opera theater XIX century, vol. 1-2, L., 1969-71.

L. V. Polyakova
Musical Encyclopedia, ed. Yu.V.Keldysh, 1973-1982

History of ballet

Leading Russian Musical Theatre, who played an outstanding role in the formation and development of national traditions of ballet art. Its emergence is associated with the flourishing of Russian culture in the 2nd half of the 18th century, with the emergence and development professional theater.

The troupe began to form in 1776, when the Moscow philanthropist Prince P. V. Urusov and the entrepreneur M. Medox received a government privilege to develop the theater business. The performances were given in the house of R.I. Vorontsov on Znamenka. In 1780 Medox built in Moscow on the corner of the street. Petrovka theater building, which became known as the Petrovsky Theater. Drama, opera and ballet performances took place here. It was the first permanent professional theater in Moscow. His ballet troupe was soon replenished with students of the ballet school of the Moscow Orphanage (existed since 1773), and then with serf actors from E. A. Golovkina’s troupe. The first ballet performance was “The Magic Shop” (1780, choreographer L. Paradise). It was followed by: “The Triumph of the Pleasures of the Female Sex,” “The Feigned Death of Harlequin, or the Deceived Pantalon,” “The Deaf Mistress” and “The Feigned Anger of Love” - all productions by choreographer F. Morelli (1782); “Village morning entertainment when the sun awakens” (1796) and “The Miller” (1797) - choreographer P. Pinucci; “Medea and Jason” (1800, after J. Nover), “The Toilet of Venus” (1802) and “Revenge for the Death of Agamemnon” (1805) - choreographer D. Solomoni, etc. These performances were based on the principles of classicism, in comic ballets (“The Deceived Miller,” 1793; “Cupid’s Deceptions,” 1795) features of sentimentalism began to appear. Among the dancers of the troupe, G. I. Raikov, A. M. Sobakina and others stood out.

In 1805, the building of the Petrovsky Theater burned down. In 1806 the troupe came under the jurisdiction of the Directorate of Imperial Theaters and played in various venues. Its composition was replenished, new ballets were staged: “Gishpan Evenings” (1809), “Pierrot’s School”, “Algerians, or the Defeated Sea Robbers”, “Zephyr, or the Anemone, who became permanent” (all - 1812), “Semik, or Festivities in Maryina Roshcha" (to music by S. I. Davydov, 1815) - all staged by I. M. Abletz; " New heroine, or the Cossack Woman" (1811), "Celebration in the camp of the allied armies in Montmartre" (1814) - both to the music of Kavos, choreographer I. I. Walberkh; "Party on Sparrow Hills"(1815), "The Triumph of the Russians, or Bivouac near Krasny" (1816) - both to the music of Davydov, choreographer A. P. Glushkovsky; “Cossacks on the Rhine” (1817), “Neva Walk” (1818), “Ancient Games, or Yule Evening” (1823) - all to the music of Scholz, the choreographer is the same; “Russian Swing on the Banks of the Rhine” (1818), “Gypsy Camp” (1819), “Festival in Petrovsky” (1824) - all choreographed by I. K. Lobanov, etc. Most of these performances were divertissements with extensive use folk rituals and characteristic dance. Performances were especially important dedicated to events Patriotic War of 1812 - the first ballets on a modern theme in the history of the Moscow stage. In 1821, Glushkovsky created the first ballet based on the work of A. S. Pushkin (“Ruslan and Lyudmila” to the music of Scholz).

In 1825, with the prologue “The Triumph of the Muses,” staged by F. Gyullen-Sor, performances began in the new building of the Bolshoi Theater (architect O. I. Bove). She also staged the ballets “Fenella” to the music of Ober’s opera of the same name (1836), “Tom Thumb” (“The Cunning Boy and the Cannibal”) by Varlamov and Guryanov (1837), etc. T. N. stood out in the ballet troupe of this time Glushkovskaya, D. S. Lopukhina, A. I. Voronina-Ivanova, T. S. Karpakova, K. F. Bogdanov and others. In the 1840s. The Bolshoi Theater ballet was decisively influenced by the principles of romanticism (the activities of F. Taglioni and J. Perrot in St. Petersburg, the tours of M. Taglioni, F. Elsler, etc.). Outstanding dancers of this direction are E. A. Sankovskaya, I. N. Nikitin.

Of great importance for the formation of realistic principles of stage art were the productions at the Bolshoi Theater of the operas “Ivan Susanin” (1842) and “Ruslan and Lyudmila” (1846) by Glinka, which contained detailed choreographic scenes that played an important dramatic role. These ideological and artistic principles were continued in Dargomyzhsky’s “Rusalka” (1859, 1865), Serov’s “Judith” (1865), and then in productions of operas by P. I. Tchaikovsky and the composers of “The Mighty Handful.” In most cases, dances in operas were choreographed by F. N. Manokhin.

In 1853, a fire destroyed all the interior of the Bolshoi Theater. The building was restored in 1856 by the architect A.K. Kavos.

In the 2nd half of the 19th century, the Bolshoi Theater ballet was significantly inferior to the St. Petersburg ballet (there was neither such a talented director as M. I. Petipa, nor the same favorable material conditions for development). The Little Humpbacked Horse by Pugni, staged by A. Saint-Leon in St. Petersburg and transferred to the Bolshoi Theater in 1866, enjoyed enormous success; This revealed the long-standing tendency of Moscow ballet towards genre, comedy, everyday and national characteristics. But few original performances were created. A number of productions by K. Blazis (“Pygmalion”, “Two Days in Venice”) and S. P. Sokolov (“Fern, or Night under Ivan Kupala”, 1867) indicated some decline creative principles theater The only significant event was the play “Don Quixote” (1869), staged on the Moscow stage by M. I. Petipa. The deepening of the crisis was associated with the activities of choreographers V. Reisinger (The Magic Slipper, 1871; Kashchei, 1873; Stella, 1875) and J. Hansen (The Virgin of Hell, 1879) invited from abroad. The production of “Swan Lake” by Reisinger (1877) and Hansen (1880) was also unsuccessful, as they failed to understand the innovative essence of Tchaikovsky’s music. During this period, the troupe had strong performers: P. P. Lebedeva, O. N. Nikolaeva, A. I. Sobeshchanskaya, P. M. Karpakova, S. P. Sokolov, V. F. Geltser, and later L. N. Gaten, L. A. Roslavleva, A. A. Dzhuri, A. N. Bogdanov, V. E. Polivanov, I. N. Khlustin and others; talented mimic actors worked - F. A. Reishausen and V. Vanner, passed on from generation to generation best traditions in the families of Manokhin, Domashov, Ermolov. The reform carried out in 1882 by the Directorate of Imperial Theaters led to a reduction in the ballet troupe and aggravated the crisis (especially manifested in the eclectic productions of the choreographer J. Mendes invited from abroad - “India”, 1890; “Daita”, 1896, etc.).

Stagnation and routine were overcome only with the arrival of choreographer A. A. Gorsky, whose activities (1899-1924) marked an entire era in the development of the Bolshoi Theater ballet. Gorsky sought to free ballet from bad conventions and cliches. Enriching ballet with the achievements of modern dramatic theater and visual arts, he carried out new productions of “Don Quixote” (1900), “Swan Lake” (1901, 1912) and other ballets by Petipa, created the mime drama “Gudula’s Daughter” by Simon (based on “The Cathedral Notre Dame of Paris"V. Hugo, 1902), ballet "Salammbo" by Arends (after novel of the same name G. Flaubert, 1910), etc. In his pursuit of the dramatic fullness of a ballet performance, Gorsky sometimes exaggerated the role of the script and pantomime, and sometimes underestimated music and effective symphonic dance. At the same time, Gorsky was one of the first ballet directors at symphonic music, not intended for dance: “Love is fast!” to the music of Grieg, "Schubertian" to the music of Schubert, the divertissement "Carnival" to the music of various composers - all 1913, "The Fifth Symphony" (1916) and "Stenka Razin" (1918) to the music of Glazunov. In Gorsky’s performances, the talent of E. V. Geltser, S. V. Fedorova, A. M. Balashova, V. A. Coralli, M. R. Reisen, V. V. Krieger, V. D. Tikhomirova, M. M. Mordkina, V. A. Ryabtseva, A. E. Volinina, L. A. Zhukova, I. E. Sidorova and others.

At the end of 19 - beginning. 20th centuries Ballet performances of the Bolshoi Theater were conducted by I. K. Altani, V. I. Suk, A. F. Arends, E. A. Cooper, theater decorator K. F. Waltz, artists K. A. Korovin, A. took part in the design of the performances. Ya. Golovin et al.

The Great October Socialist Revolution opened up new paths for the Bolshoi Theater and determined its blossoming as the leading opera and ballet company in the artistic life of the country. During the Civil War, the theater troupe, thanks to the attention of the Soviet state, was preserved. In 1919 the Bolshoi Theater joined the group academic theaters. In 1921-22, performances at the Bolshoi Theater were also given at the New Theater. A branch of the Bolshoi Theater opened in 1924 (operated until 1959).

In front of the ballet troupe from the early years Soviet power one of the most important creative tasks arose - to preserve the classical heritage and bring it to a new audience. In 1919, “The Nutcracker” was staged for the first time in Moscow (choreographer Gorsky), then new productions of “Swan Lake” (Gorsky, with the participation of V. I. Nemirovich-Danchenko, 1920), “Giselle” (Gorsky, 1922), “Esmeralda” "(V.D. Tikhomirov, 1926), "The Sleeping Beauty" (A.M. Messerer and A.I. Chekrygin, 1936), etc. Along with this, the Bolshoi Theater sought to create new ballets - one-act works were staged to symphonic music (“Spanish Capriccio” and “Scheherazade”, choreographer L. A. Zhukov, 1923, etc.), the first experiments were made to implement modern theme(children's ballet extravaganza “Eternally Living Flowers” ​​to the music of Asafiev and others, choreographer Gorsky, 1922; allegorical ballet “Smerch” by Bera, choreographer K. Ya. Goleizovsky, 1927), development of choreographic language (“Joseph the Beautiful” Vasilenko, ballet Goleizovsky, 1925; “Footballer” by Oransky, ballet by L. A. Lashchilin and I. A. Moiseev, 1930, etc.). The play “The Red Poppy” (choreographer Tikhomirov and L.A. Lashchilin, 1927) acquired landmark significance, in which the realistic presentation of a modern theme was based on the implementation and renewal of classical traditions. The creative search for the theater was inseparable from the activities of artists - E. V. Geltser, M. P. Kandaurova, V. V. Krieger, M. R. Reizen, A. I. Abramova, V. V. Kudryavtseva, N. B. Podgoretskaya , L. M. Bank, E. M. Ilyushenko, V. D. Tikhomirova, V. A. Ryabtseva, V. V. Smoltsova, N. I. Tarasova, V. I. Tsaplina, L. A. Zhukova and others .

1930s in the development of the Bolshoi Theater ballet were marked by major successes in the embodiment of the historical and revolutionary theme (The Flame of Paris, ballet by V. I. Vainonen, 1933) and images of literary classics (The Bakhchisarai Fountain, ballet by R. V. Zakharov, 1936) . A direction that brought it closer to literature and literature has triumphed in ballet. drama theater. The importance of directing has increased and acting skills. The performances were distinguished by the dramatic integrity of the development of action and the psychological development of characters. In 1936-39, the ballet troupe was headed by R.V. Zakharov, who worked at the Bolshoi Theater as a choreographer and opera director until 1956. Performances on a modern theme were created - “The Little Stork” (1937) and “Svetlana” (1939) by Klebanova (both - ballet by A. I. Radunsky, N. M. Popko and L. A. Pospekhin), as well as “Prisoner of the Caucasus” by Asafiev (after A. S. Pushkin, 1938) and “Taras Bulba” by Solovyov-Sedoy (after N. V. Gogol, 1941, both by ballet. Zakharov), “Three Fat Men” by Oransky (after Yu. K. Olesha, 1935, ballet by I. A. Moiseev), etc. During these years, the art of M. T. flourished at the Bolshoi Theater Semenova, O.V. Lepeshinskaya, A.N. Ermolaev, M.M. Gabovich, A.M. Messerer, the activities of S.N. Golovkina, M.S. Bogolyubskaya, I.V. . Preobrazhensky, Yu. G. Kondratov, S. G. Koren and others. Artists V. V. Dmitriev, P. V. Williams participated in the design of ballet performances, Yu. F. Fayer achieved high conducting skills in ballet.

During the Great Patriotic War, the Bolshoi Theater was evacuated to Kuibyshev, but part of the troupe that remained in Moscow (headed by M. M. Gabovich) soon resumed performances in a branch of the theater. Along with showing the old repertoire, a new performance « Scarlet Sails"Yurovsky (ballet choreographer A. I. Radunsky, N. M. Popko, L. A. Pospekhin), staged in 1942 in Kuibyshev, in 1943 transferred to the stage of the Bolshoi Theater. Brigades of artists repeatedly went to the front.

In 1944-64 (with interruptions) the ballet troupe was headed by L. M. Lavrovsky. The following were staged (the names of the choreographers in brackets): “Cinderella” (R.V. Zakharov, 1945), “Romeo and Juliet” (L.M. Lavrovsky, 1946), “Mirandolina” (V.I. Vainonen, 1949), “The Bronze Horseman” (Zakharov, 1949), “Red Poppy” (Lavrovsky, 1949), “Shurale” (L. V. Yakobson, 1955), “Laurencia” (V. M. Chabukiani, 1956), etc. Repeatedly contacted Bolshoi Theater and to the revivals of the classics - “Giselle” (1944) and “Raymonda” (1945) staged by Lavrovsky, etc. In the post-war years, the pride of the Bolshoi Theater stage was the art of G. S. Ulanova, whose dance images captivated with their lyrical and psychological expressiveness. A new generation of artists has grown up; among them M. M. Plisetskaya, R. S. Struchkova, M. V. Kondratyeva, L. I. Bogomolova, R. K. Karelskaya, N. V. Timofeeva, Yu. T. Zhdanov, G. K. Farmanyants, V. A. Levashov, N. B. Fadeechev, Ya. D. Sekh and others.

In the mid-1950s. In the Bolshoi Theater productions, the negative consequences of choreographers’ passion for one-sided dramatization of a ballet performance (everydayism, the predominance of pantomime, underestimation of the role of effective dance) began to be felt, which was especially reflected in the performances “The Tale of the Stone Flower” by Prokofiev (Lavrovsky, 1954), “Gayane” (Vainonen, 1957), “Spartak” (I. A. Moiseev, 1958).

A new period began in the late 50s. The repertoire included landmark performances for Soviet ballet by Yu. N. Grigorovich - “The Stone Flower” (1959) and “The Legend of Love” (1965). In Bolshoi Theater productions, the range of images and ideological and moral problems expanded, the role of the dance element increased, the forms of drama became more diverse, the choreographic vocabulary was enriched, and interesting searches began to be carried out in the embodiment of modern themes. This was manifested in the productions of choreographers: N. D. Kasatkina and V. Yu. Vasilyov - “Vanina Vanini” (1962) and “Geologists” (“Heroic Poem”, 1964) by Karetnikov; O. G. Tarasova and A. A. Lapauri - “Second Lieutenant Kizhe” to the music of Prokofiev (1963); K. Ya. Goleizovsky - “Leyli and Majnun” by Balasanyan (1964); Lavrovsky - “Paganini” to the music of Rachmaninov (1960) and “ Night city"to the music of Bartók's The Marvelous Mandarin (1961).

In 1961, the Bolshoi Theater received a new stage - the Kremlin Palace of Congresses, which contributed to the wider activities of the ballet troupe. Along with mature masters- Plisetskaya, Struchkova, Timofeeva, Fadeechev and others - the leading position was taken by talented young people who came to the Bolshoi Theater at the turn of the 50-60s: E. S. Maksimova, N. I. Bessmertnova, N. I. Sorokina, E. L. Ryabinkina, S. D. Adyrkhaeva, V. V. Vasiliev, M. E. Liepa, M. L. Lavrovsky, Yu. V. Vladimirov, V. P. Tikhonov and others.

Since 1964 chief choreographer Bolshoi Theater - Yu. N. Grigorovich, who consolidated and developed progressive trends in the activities of the ballet troupe. Almost every new performance at the Bolshoi Theater is marked by interesting creative explorations. They appeared in “The Rite of Spring” (ballet by Kasatkina and Vasilev, 1965), “Carmen Suite” by Bizet - Shchedrin (Alberto Alonso, 1967), “Aseli” by Vlasov (O. M. Vinogradov, 1967), “Icare” by Slonimsky (V.V. Vasiliev, 1971), “Anna Karenina” by Shchedrin (M.M. Plisetskaya, N.I. Ryzhenko, V.V. Smirnov-Golovanov, 1972), “Love for Love” by Khrennikov (V. Boccadoro, 1976), “Chippolino” by K. Khachaturyan (G. Mayorov, 1977), “These enchanting sounds...” to the music of Corelli, Torelli, Rameau, Mozart (V.V. Vasiliev, 1978), “Hussar Ballad” by Khrennikov ( O. M. Vinogradov and D. A. Bryantsev), “The Seagull” by Shchedrin (M. M. Plisetskaya, 1980), “Macbeth” by Molchanov (V. V. Vasiliev, 1980), etc. It acquired outstanding significance in the development of Soviet ballet play “Spartacus” (Grigorovich, 1968; Lenin Prize 1970). Grigorovich staged ballets on the themes of Russian history (“Ivan the Terrible” to the music of Prokofiev, arranged by M. I. Chulaki, 1975) and modernity (“Angara” by Eshpai, 1976), which synthesized and generalized the creative searches of previous periods in the development of Soviet ballet. Grigorovich's performances are characterized by ideological and philosophical depth, a wealth of choreographic forms and vocabulary, dramatic integrity, and a wide development of effective symphonic dance. In the light of new creative principles, Grigorovich also staged productions of the classical heritage: “The Sleeping Beauty” (1963 and 1973), “The Nutcracker” (1966), “Swan Lake” (1969). They achieved a deeper reading of the ideological and figurative concepts of Tchaikovsky’s music (“The Nutcracker” was staged entirely anew, in other performances the main choreography of M. I. Petipa and L. I. Ivanov was preserved and the artistic whole was decided in accordance with it).

Ballet performances of the Bolshoi Theater were conducted by G. N. Rozhdestvensky, A. M. Zhiuraitis, A. A. Kopylov, F. Sh. Mansurov and others. V. F. Ryndin, E. G. Stenberg, A. D. participated in the design. Goncharov, B. A. Messerer, V. Ya. Levental and others. The designer of all performances staged by Grigorovich is S. B. Virsaladze.

The Bolshoi Theater ballet troupe toured the Soviet Union and abroad: in Australia (1959, 1970, 1976), Austria (1959. 1973), Argentina (1978), Egypt (1958, 1961). Great Britain (1956, 1960, 1963, 1965, 1969, 1974), Belgium (1958, 1977), Bulgaria (1964), Brazil (1978), Hungary (1961, 1965, 1979), East Germany (1954, 1955, 1956, 1958 ), Greece (1963, 1977, 1979), Denmark (1960), Italy (1970, 1977), Canada (1959, 1972, 1979), China (1959), Cuba (1966), Lebanon (1971), Mexico (1961 , 1973, 1974, 1976), Mongolia (1959), Poland (1949, 1960, 1980), Romania (1964), Syria (1971), USA (1959, 1962, 1963, 1966, 1968, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1979), Tunisia (1976), Turkey (1960), Philippines (1976), Finland (1957, 1958), France. (1954, 1958, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1977, 1979), Germany (1964, 1973), Czechoslovakia (1959, 1975), Switzerland (1964), Yugoslavia (1965, 1979), Japan (1957, 1961, 1970, 1973, 1975, 1978, 1980).

Encyclopedia "Ballet" ed. Yu.N.Grigorovich, 1981

On November 29, 2002, the New Stage of the Bolshoi Theater opened with the premiere of Rimsky-Korsakov’s opera “The Snow Maiden”. On July 1, 2005, the main stage of the Bolshoi Theater was closed for reconstruction, which lasted more than six years. On October 28, 2011, the grand opening of the Historical Stage of the Bolshoi Theater took place.

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It is generally accepted that the Bolshoi Theater was founded in March 1776, when famous philanthropist, the Moscow prosecutor Prince Pyotr Urusov received the highest permission to “contain ... theatrical performances of all kinds.” Urusov and his companion Mikhail Medox created the first permanent troupe in Moscow.

Initially, the theater did not have its own building and most often gave performances in Vorontsov’s house on Znamenka. But already in 1780, according to the design of H. Rosberg, at the expense of Medox, a special stone building was built on the site of the modern Bolshoi Theater. Based on the name of the street on which the theater was located, it became known as “Petrovsky”.

The repertoire of this first professional theater in Moscow included drama, opera and ballet performances. Operas received special attention, so the Petrovsky Theater was more often called the “Opera House”.

In 1805, the building burned down, and until 1825, performances were again staged at different venues.

In the 1820s, the square in front of the former Petrovsky Theater was reconstructed. According to the architect's plan, a whole classical ensemble appeared here, the dominant feature of which was the building of the Bolshoi Theater (1824). It partially included the walls of the burnt Petrovsky Theater.

An eight-column building in a classical style with the chariot of the god Apollo above the portico, decorated inside in red and gold tones, according to contemporaries, it was the best theater in Europe and in scale was second only to Milan's La Scala. It opened on January 6 (18), 1825.

But this theater also suffered the same fate as its predecessor: on March 11, 1853, for an unknown reason, a fire started in the theater. The costumes, scenery, archives of the troupe, part of the music library, rare musical instruments, the building itself was damaged.

Its restoration was led by Albert Kavos. He took the volumetric-spatial structure of Beauvais as a basis, but increased the height of the building, changed the proportions and redesigned the decor; Cast iron galleries with lamps appeared on the sides. Kavos changed the shape and size of the main auditorium, which began to accommodate up to 3 thousand people. The alabaster group of Apollo, which decorated the Beauvais Theater, was destroyed in a fire. To create a new one, Kavos invited the famous Russian sculptor Pyotr Klodt, the author of the famous equestrian groups on the Anichkov Bridge over the Fontanka River in St. Petersburg. Klodt created the now world-famous sculptural group with Apollo.

The new Bolshoi Theater was built in 16 months and opened on August 20, 1856 for the coronation of Alexander II.

The theater existed in this form until the end of the twentieth century. In 2005, the largest and most controversial restoration and reconstruction of the Bolshoi Theater began. The deadline for its completion was repeatedly pushed back, during the work the owner of the general contractor changed, a criminal case was opened for embezzlement, the restoration project was revised, and the costs exceeded the original estimate many times over. The renovated Bolshoi Theater opened on October 11, 2011.