Diaghilev's Russian seasons: exhibition "Vision of Dance". Diaghilev's Russian seasons are more than art
The Russian seasons of Sergei Diaghilev and especially his ballet company not only glorified Russian art abroad, but also had a great influence on world culture. "Kultura.RF" recalls the life and creative path outstanding entrepreneur.
The cult of pure art
Valentin Serov. Portrait of Sergei Diaghilev (fragment). 1904. State Russian Museum
Reviews art criticism turned out to be more than favorable, and for most Parisians Russian painting became a real discovery. The author of the biography of the impresario, writer Natalia Chernyshova-Melnik, in the book “Diaghilev” quotes reviews from the Parisian press: “But could we suspect the existence of a great poet - the unfortunate Vrubel? .. Here are Korovin, Petrovichev, Roerich, Yuon - landscape painters seeking thrills and expressing them with rare harmony Serov and Kustodiev - deep and significant portrait painters; Anisfeld and Rylov are very valuable landscape painters..."
Igor Stravinsky, Sergei Diaghilev, Leon Bakst and Coco Chanel. Switzerland. 1915. Photo: persons-info.com
"Russian Seasons" in Seville. 1916. Photo: diletant.media
Behind the scenes of the Russian Ballets. 1916. Photo: diletant.media
Diaghilev's first European success only stimulated him, and he took up music. In 1907, he organized a series of five “Historical Russian Concerts”, which took place on the stage of the Paris Grand Opera. Diaghilev carefully approached the selection of the repertoire: works by Mikhail Glinka, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Modest Mussorgsky, Alexander Borodin, Alexander Scriabin were heard from the stage. As in the case of the 1906 exhibition, Diaghilev took a responsible approach to the accompanying materials: printed concert programs told short biographies Russian composers. The concerts were as successful as the first Russian exhibition, and it was his performance as Prince Igor in the Historical Russian Concerts that made Fyodor Chaliapin famous. Of the composers, the Parisian public especially warmly received Mussorgsky, for whom from that time on there was great fashion in France.
Convinced that Russian music arouses keen interest among Europeans, Diaghilev chose the opera Boris Godunov by Mussorgsky for the third Russian season in 1908. In preparation for the production, the impresario personally studied the author's score, noting that in the production of the opera edited by Rimsky-Korsakov, two scenes were removed that he considered important for the overall dramaturgy. In Paris, Diaghilev presented the opera in a new version, which has since been used by many modern directors. Diaghilev did not hesitate at all to adapt the source material, adapting to the audience, whose viewing habits he knew very well. Therefore, for example, in his “Godunov” the final scene was the death of Boris - to enhance the dramatic effect. The same applied to the timing of performances: Diaghilev believed that they should not last longer than three and a half hours, and he calculated the change of scenery and the order of mise-en-scenes down to the seconds. The success of the Paris version of Boris Godunov only confirmed Diaghilev’s authority as a director.
Diaghilev's Russian Ballet
Pablo Picasso is working on the design of Sergei Diaghilev's ballet “Parade”. 1917. Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
Covent Garden workshop. Sergei Diaghilev, Vladimir Polunin and Pablo Picasso, author of sketches for the ballet “Cocked Hat”. London. 1919. Photo: stil-gizni.com
At the plane are Lyudmila Shollar, Alicia Nikitina, Serge Lifar, Walter Nouvel, Sergei Grigoriev, Lyubov Chernysheva, Olga Khokhlova, Alexandrina Trusevich, Paulo and Pablo Picasso. 1920s. Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
The idea of bringing ballet abroad came to the impresario in 1907. Then at the Mariinsky Theater he saw Mikhail Fokine's production of Armida's Pavilion, a ballet to the music of Nikolai Tcherepnin with scenery Alexandra Benois. At that time, among young dancers and choreographers there was a certain opposition to the classical traditions, which, as Diaghilev said, were “jealously guarded” by Marius Petipa. “Then I thought about new short ballets, - Diaghilev later wrote in his memoirs, - Which would be self-sufficient phenomena of art and in which the three factors of ballet - music, drawing and choreography - would be merged much more closely than has been observed so far". With these thoughts, he began preparing the fourth Russian season, the tour of which was planned for 1909.
At the end of 1908, the impresario signed contracts with leading ballet dancers from St. Petersburg and Moscow: Anna Pavlova, Tamara Karsavina, Mikhail Fokin, Vaslav Nijinsky, Ida Rubinstein, Vera Caralli and others. In addition to ballet, opera performances appeared in the program of the fourth Russian season: Diaghilev invited Fyodor Chaliapin, Lydia Lipkovskaya, Elizaveta Petrenko and Dmitry Smirnov to perform. At financial support his friend, famous socialite Misi Sert, Diaghilev rented the old Parisian Chatelet theater. The interior of the theater was remodeled especially for the premiere of Russian plays to increase the area of the stage.
Diaghilev's troupe arrived in Paris at the end of April 1909. The repertoire of the new Season included the ballets “Pavilion of Armida”, “Cleopatra” and “La Sylphides”, as well as “Polovtsian Dances” from the opera “Prince Igor” by Alexander Borodin. Rehearsals took place in a tense atmosphere: amid the clatter of hammers and the screeching of saws during the reconstruction of the Chatelet. Mikhail Fokin, the main choreographer of the productions, has repeatedly created scandals about this. The premiere of the fourth Russian season took place on May 19, 1909. Most spectators and critics did not appreciate the innovative choreography of the ballets, but everyone was delighted with the sets and costumes of Lev Bakst, Alexander Benois and Nicholas Roerich, as well as the dancers, especially Anna Pavlova and Tamara Karsavina.
After this, Diaghilev focused entirely on the ballet enterprise and significantly updated the repertoire, including in the Seasons program “Scheherazade” to the music of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and a ballet based on Russian folk tales"Firebird". The entrepreneur asked Anatoly Lyadov to write the music for the latter, but he could not cope - and the order went to the young composer Igor Stravinsky. From that moment his many years of fruitful collaboration with Diaghilev began.
Russian ballet in Cologne during Sergei Diaghilev's European tour. 1924. Photo: diletant.media
Jean Cocteau and Sergei Diaghilev in Paris at the premiere of "The Blue Express". 1924. Photo: diletant.media
The past success of the ballets allowed the impresario to present the new season's performances at the Grand Opera; The premiere of the fifth Russian seasons took place in May 1910. Lev Bakst, who traditionally participated in the creation of costumes and scenery, recalled: “The crazy success of “Scheherazade” (all of Paris dressed up in oriental clothes!)”.
The Firebird premiered on June 25. The artistic elite of Paris gathered in the crowded hall of the Grand Opera, including Marcel Proust (The Russian Seasons are mentioned more than once on the pages of his seven-volume epic In Search of Lost Time). The originality of Diaghilev's vision was manifested in the famous episode with live horses that were supposed to appear on stage during the performance. Igor Stravinsky recalled this incident: “...The poor animals came out, as expected, in turn, but began to neigh and dance, and one of them showed herself to be more of a critic than an actor, leaving a foul-smelling business card... But this episode was later forgotten in the heat of general applause for the new ballet.”. Mikhail Fokin combined pantomime, grotesque and classical dance. All this was harmoniously combined with the scenery by Alexander Golovin and the music of Stravinsky. "Firebird", as noted Parisian critic Henri Geon, was “a miracle of the most delightful balance between movements, sounds and forms...”
In 1911, Sergei Diaghilev secured the permanent location of his Ballets Russes (“Russian Ballet”) in Monte Carlo. In April of that year, at the Teatro Monte Carlo, the new Russian seasons opened with the premiere of the ballet “The Phantom of the Rose” staged by Mikhail Fokin. In it, the audience was amazed by the jumps of Vaslav Nijinsky. Later in Paris, Diaghilev presented Petrushka to the music of Stravinsky, which became the main hit of that season.
The following Russian seasons, in 1912–1917, also due to the war in Europe, were not very successful for Diaghilev. Among the most offensive failures was the premiere of the innovative ballet “The Rite of Spring” to the music of Igor Stravinsky, which the public did not accept. The audience did not appreciate the “barbaric dances” accompanied by unusual pagan stormy music. At the same time, Diaghilev parted ways with Nijinsky and Fokine and invited the young dancer and choreographer Leonid Massine to the troupe.
Pablo Picasso. Later, artists Joan Miro and Max Ernst created the scenery for the ballet Romeo and Juliet.
The years 1918–1919 were marked by successful tours in London - the troupe spent there whole year. In the early 1920s, Diaghilev acquired new dancers, invited by Bronislava Nijinska, Serge Lifar and George Balanchine. Subsequently, after the death of Diaghilev, they both became the founders of national ballet schools: Balanchine is American, and Lifar is French.
Beginning in 1927, Diaghilev was less and less satisfied with his work in ballet; moreover, he became interested in books and became an avid collector. The last great success of the Diaghilev troupe was Leonide Massine's 1928 production of Apollo Musagete, with music by Igor Stravinsky and costumes by Coco Chanel.
The Russian Ballet operated successfully until Diaghilev's death in 1929. In his memoirs, Igor Stravinsky, speaking about new trends in ballet of the twentieth century, noted: “...would these trends have arisen without Diaghilev? Don't think".
“Russian Seasons” - this is the name given to the annual foreign ones (in Paris, London, Berlin, Rome, Monte Carlo, the USA and in South America) tours of Russian artists, organized by the talented entrepreneur Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev, from 1907 to 1929.
in the photo: Leon Bakst's sketch for Ida Rubinstein's costume in the ballet "Cleopatra". 1909
“Russian Seasons” by Sergei Diaghilev. art
Forerunner "Russian Seasons" was an exhibition of Russian artists at the Paris Autumn Salon, brought by Diaghilev in 1906. This was the first step of a 20-year journey of powerful and elegant propaganda of Russian art in Europe. In a few years, famous European ballerinas will take Russian pseudonyms just to dance in "Russian seasons" Sergei Dyagiev.
“Russian Seasons” by Sergei Diaghilev. Music
Further, in 1907, with the support of the imperial court of Russia and influential persons of France, Sergei Diaghilev organized five symphony concerts Russian music - the so-called "Historical Russian Concerts", where N.A. played his works. Rimsky-Korsakov, S.V. Rachmaninov, A.K. Glazunov and others, and Fyodor Chaliapin also sang.
Participants in the “Russian Historical Concerts”, Paris, 1907
“Russian Seasons” by Sergei Diaghilev. Opera
In 1908, as part of "Russian Seasons" The Russian opera Boris Godunov was presented to the Parisian public for the first time. But, despite its success, this genre of art is "Russian seasons" was present only until 1914. Having assessed the preferences of the public, the sensitive entrepreneur Sergei Diaghilev came to the conclusion that it was more profitable to stage a ballet, although he personally was dismissive of ballet due to the lack of an intellectual component in it.
“Russian Seasons” by Sergei Diaghilev. Ballet
In 1909, Sergei Diaghilev begins preparations for the next "Russian season", planning to focus on the performance of Russian ballet. He was helped in this by artists A. Benois and L. Bakst, composer N. Cherepnin and others. Diaghilev and his team sought to achieve harmony of artistic concept and execution. By the way, the ballet troupe was made up of leading dancers of the Bolshoi (Moscow) and Mariinsky (St. Petersburg) theaters: Mikhail Fokin, Anna Pavlova, Tamara Karsavina, Ida Rubinstein, Matilda Kshesinskaya, Vaslav Nijinsky and others. But the preparation of the first ballet seasons was almost derailed due to spontaneous failure Russian government support "Russian Seasons" financially. The situation was saved by Diaghilev’s influential friends, who collected the required amount. Subsequently "Russian Seasons" will exist precisely thanks to the support of the patrons whom Sergei Diaghilev found.
Debut "Russian Seasons" in 1909 it consisted of five ballets: “Pavilion of Artemis”, “Polovtsian Dances”, “Feast”, “La Sylphide” and “Cleopatra”. And it was pure triumph! They were successful with the public as dancers - Nijinsky. Karsavin and Pavlov, as well as exquisite costumes by Bakst, Benois and Roerich, and music by Mussorgsky, Glinka, Borodin, Rimsky-Korsakov and other composers.
Poster "Russian Seasons" in 1909. Depicted ballerina Anna Pavlova
"Russian Seasons" 1910 take place in Paris opera house Grand Opera. The ballets “Orientalia”, “Carnival”, “Giselle”, “Scheherazade” and “Firebird” were added to the repertoire.
L. Bakst. Scenery for the ballet "Scheherazade"
Preparing for "Russian seasons" 1911 takes place in Monte Carlo, where performances will take place, including 5 new ballets by Fokine (“The Underwater Kingdom”), “Narcissus”, “The Phantom of the Rose”, “Petrushka” (to the music of Igor Stravinsky, who also became Diaghilev's discovery). Also in this "Season" Diaghilev staged in London " Swan Lake" All ballets were a success .
Vaslav Nijinsky in the ballet "Scheherazade", 1910
Due to Diaghilev's innovative experiments "Russian Seasons" 1912 were received negatively by the Parisian public. The ballet “The Afternoon of a Faun” staged by V. Nijinsky became especially resonant; the audience booed it for “disgusting movements of erotic animality and gestures of grave shamelessness.” Diaghilev's ballets were received more favorably in London, Vienna, Budapest and Berlin.
The year 1913 was marked for "Russian Seasons" the formation of a permanent ballet troupe called "Russian ballet", which, however, was abandoned by M. Fokin, and later by V. Nijinsky .
Vaslav Nijinsky in the ballet "The Blue God", 1912
In 1914, the young dancer Leonide Massine became Diaghilev's new favorite. To work in "Russian seasons" Fokin returns. A Russian avant-garde artist takes part in preparing the scenery for the ballet “The Golden Cockerel”, and “The Golden Cockerel” becomes the most successful ballet of the season, as a result of which Goncharova was involved in the creation of new ballets more than once .
Anna Pavlova in the ballet "Pavilion of Artemis", 1909
During the First World War "Russian Seasons" Diaghilev perform with varying degrees of success, touring Europe, the USA and even South America. Many of the choreographic and musical innovations of its choreographers and composers frighten the public, but it happens that the same performance is perceived much better by the audience several years after the premiere.
Thus "Russian Seasons" exist until 1929. IN different time Artists such as Andre Derain, Picasso, Henri Matisse, Joan Miro, Max Ernst and other artists, composers Jean Cocteau, Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel and Igor Stravinsky, dancers Serge Lifar, Anton Dolin and Olga Spesivtseva are working on their implementation. And even Coco Chanel created costumes for the ballet Apollo Musagete, where Serge Lifar was the soloist.
Serge Lifar and Alicia Nikitina at a rehearsal of the ballet "Romeo and Juliet", 1926
Since it was Sergei Diaghilev who was driving force "Russian Seasons", then after his death in August 1929 the troupe "Russian ballet" disintegrates. True, Leonid Massine creates the Russian Ballet in Monte Carlo - a troupe that continues the traditions of Diaghilev. And Serge Lifar remains in France, performing as a soloist at the Grand Opera, making an extraordinary contribution to the development of French ballet .
Olga Spesivtseva in the ballet "Kitty", 1927
In 20 years hard work"Russian Seasons" and Diaghilev personally, the traditional attitude of society towards the art of theater and dance changed dramatically, and Russian art became extremely popular in Europe and throughout the Western world, generally influencing the artistic process of the twentieth century.
“Russian Seasons” - tour performances of Russian ballet and opera dancers (1908-29), organized by famous figure culture and entrepreneur abroad (since 1908 in Paris, since 1912 in London, since 1915 in other countries). The main activity of the enterprise was ballet. Operas were staged rarely and mostly before 1914.
The “Russian Seasons” began in 1906, when Diaghilev brought an exhibition of Russian artists to Paris. In 1907, a series of concerts of Russian music (“Historical Russian Concerts”) took place at the Grand Opera. Actually, the “Russian Seasons” began in 1908 in Paris, when the opera “Boris Godunov” was performed here (director Sanin, conductor Blumenfeld; set design by A. Golovin, A. Benois, K. Yuon, E. Lanceray; costumes by I. Bilibin; soloists Chaliapin, Kastorsky, Smirnov, Ermolenko-Yuzhina, etc.).
In 1909, the Parisians were presented with Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Woman of Pskov,” which was performed under the title “Ivan the Terrible” (among the soloists were Chaliapin, Lipkovskaya, and Kastorsky). In 1913, Khovanshchina was staged (directed by Sanin, conducted by Cooper, Chaliapin performed the role of Dosifei). In 1914, the world premiere of Stravinsky's opera The Nightingale (director Sanin, conductor Monteux) took place at the Grand Opera. In 1922, Stravinsky’s “The Mavra” was staged there.
In 1924, three operas by Gounod (The Dove, The Reluctant Doctor, Philemon and Baucis) were staged at the theater in Monte Carlo. Let's also note the world premiere ( concert performance) Stravinsky's opera-oratorio “Oedipus Rex” (1927, Paris).
"Russian Seasons" played huge role in the promotion of Russian art abroad and in the development of world artistic process in 20th century.
E. Tsodokov
“Russian Seasons” abroad, opera and ballet performances organized by S. P. Diaghilev. They were supported by circles of the Russian artistic intelligentsia (“World of Art”, Belyaevsky musical circle, etc.). The “Russian Seasons” began in Paris in 1907 with historical concerts with the participation of N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, S. V. Rachmaninov, A. K. Glazunov, F. I. Chaliapin. In 1908-09 the operas “Boris Godunov” by Mussorgsky, “The Woman of Pskov” by Rimsky-Korsakov, “Prince Igor” by Borodin and others were performed.
In 1909, for the first time, along with opera performances, ballets by M. M. Fokin (previously staged by him in St. Petersburg) were shown: “Pavilion of Armida” (art. A. N. Benois), “Polovtsian Dances” (art. N. K. Roerich ); “La Sylphides” (“Chopiniana”) to the music of Chopin, “Cleopatra” (“Egyptian Nights”) by Arensky (artist L. S. Bakst) and the divertimento “Feast” to the music of Glinka, Tchaikovsky, Glazunov, Mussorgsky.
The ballet troupe consisted of artists from the St. Petersburg Mariinsky and Moscow Bolshoi theaters. Soloists - A. P. Pavlova, V. F. Nijinsky, T. P. Karsavina, E. V. Geltser, S. F. Fedorova, M. M. Mordkin, V. A. Karalli, M. P. Froman and Dr. Choreographer - Fokine.
Since 1910, “Russian Seasons” took place without the participation of opera. In the 2nd season (Paris, Berlin, Brussels) new productions by Fokine were shown - “Carnival” (artist Bakst), “Scheherazade” to the music of Rimsky-Korsakov (same artist, curtain based on sketches by V. A. Serov), “ The Firebird" (artists A. Ya. Golovin and Bakst), as well as "Giselle" (edited by M. I. Petipa, artist Benois) and "Orientalia" (choreographic miniatures, including fragments from "Cleopatra", "Polovtsian Dances" ", numbers to the music of Arensky, Glazunov and others, "Siamese Dance" to the music of Sinding and "Kobold" to the music of Grieg, staged by Fokin for Nijinsky).
In 1911, Diaghilev decided to create a permanent troupe, which was finally formed by 1913 and received the name "".
Asya All "Scheherazade" paper, water, coal; "Petrushka" paper, water, coal; "Vaclav and Romola Nijinsky. Farewell to S.P. Diaghilev at the station" oil, canvas, watercolor, charcoal
IN early XIX century, Paris was captivated by the creations of outstanding Russian artists. Fashionistas and fashionistas ordered clothes from seamstresses with elements of Russian traditional costumes. Paris was swept by the fashion for Russian. And all this was done by an outstanding organizer - Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev.
Diaghilev: from study to the implementation of ideas
S.P. Diaghilev was born in 1872 in the Novgorod province. His father was a military man, and therefore the family moved several times. Sergei Pavlovich graduated from the university in St. Petersburg, becoming a lawyer. But contrary to expectations, he did not choose to work in the field of law. While simultaneously studying music with N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, Diaghilev became interested in the world of art and became one of the greatest organizers of exhibitions and concerts.
Together with the Russian artist Alexandre Benois, Diaghilev founded the World of Art association. The event was marked by the appearance of a magazine of the same name.
Kustodiev B.M. Group portrait of artists from the World of Art society, 1920
Sketch. Canvas, oil.
State Russian Museum
Pictured (from left to right): I.E. Grabar, N.K. Roerich, E.E. Lansere, I.Ya. Bilibin, A.N. Benois, G.I. Narbut, N.D. Milioti, K. A. Somov, M. V. Dobuzhinsky, K. S. Petrov-Vodkin, A. P. Ostroumova-Lebedeva, B. M. Kustodiev.
Cover of the magazine "World of Art", published in Russian Empire from 1898 to 1904
And in 1897, Diaghilev organized his first exhibition, presenting the works of English and German watercolorists. A little later, he held exhibitions of paintings by Scandinavian artists and presented works by Russian and Finnish artists at the Stieglitz Museum.
Russian seasons that conquered Paris
In 1906, Diaghilev brought works by Russians to the Autumn Salon in Paris. Benois artists, Grabar, Repin, Kuznetsov, Yavlensky, Malyavin, Serov and some others. The event was a certain success. And already in next year S.P. Diaghilev brought Russian musicians to the French capital. ON THE. Rimsky-Korsakov, V.S. Rachmaninov, A.K. Glazunov, F.I. Chaliapin and others received a storm of applause, captivating the Parisian public with their talents and skill.
In 1908, Paris was shocked by the spectacle of Modest Mussorgsky's opera Boris Godunov presented by Diaghilev. The plan to conquer Paris with this masterpiece was extremely complex and required titanic efforts. Yes, it has undergone a change musical version opera: the scene of the procession of the boyars and clergy was lengthened, becoming the background for the mournful monologue of Tsar Boris. But what struck the Parisians most of all was the spectacle of the performance. Luxurious costumes, from 300 actors on stage at the same time. And for the first time, the choir conductor was placed on stage, playing small roles, but at the same time clearly directing the choir. In this way, incredible harmony of voices was achieved.
Diaghilev's Russian Ballet
The French canonical ballet brought to Russia had to acquire Russian features in order to conquer Paris in 1909. And after the enchanting “Boris Godunov,” the French expected something no less brilliant from “Russian Seasons.” First, with the support of the imperial court, and then patrons of the arts, Sergei Pavlovich created a masterpiece, combining artistic design and execution. For the first time, choreographers, artists and composers simultaneously participated in the discussion and development of ballets.
The audience enthusiastically greeted the Russian ballet, which became incredibly spectacular thanks to the bright costumes and scenery. The performers of the main roles in the ballets of Nijinsky, Pavlova and Karsavina became idols for many. Until 1929, that is, until the death of the great theatrical, artistic figure and entrepreneur, the “Russian Seasons” continued, now predominantly ballet, in Paris.
"Russian Seasons" - annual theatrical performances Russian opera and ballet at the beginning of the 20th century in Paris (since 1906), London (since 1912) and other cities in Europe and the USA. "Seasons" were organized by Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev (1872-1929).
S.P. Diaghilev - Russian theatrical figure, entrepreneur. In 1896, he graduated from the Faculty of Law of St. Petersburg University, while simultaneously studying at the St. Petersburg Conservatory in the class of Rimsky-Korsakov. Diaghilev knew painting, theater, history very well artistic styles. In 1898, he became one of the organizers of the World of Art group, as well as the editor of the magazine of the same name, which, as in other areas of culture, led the struggle against “academic routine” for new expressive means of the new art of modernism. In 1906-1907, Diaghilev organized exhibitions of Russian artists, as well as performances by Russian artists, in Berlin, Paris, Monte Carlo, and Venice.
In 1906, Diaghilev's first Russian season took place. Western Europe, in Paris. He began working at the Salon d'Automne to organize a Russian exhibition, which was supposed to present Russian painting and sculpture over two centuries. In addition, Diaghilev added a collection of icons to it. Particular attention at this exhibition was paid to a group of artists from the “World of Art” (Benoit, Borisov-Musatov, Vrubel, Bakst, Grabar, Dobuzhinsky, Korovin, Larionov, Malyutin, Roerich, Somov, Serov, Sudeikin) and others. The exhibition opened under the chairmanship of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich, the exhibition committee was headed by Count I. Tolstoy. Diaghilev released, for greater accessibility, a catalog of the Russian art exhibition in Paris with an introductory article by Alexandre Benois on Russian art. The exhibition at the Autumn Salon was an unprecedented success - it was then that Diaghilev began to think about other Russian seasons in Paris. For example, about the season of Russian music. He gave a test concert, and its success determined the plans for the next year, 1907. Returning to St. Petersburg in triumph, Diaghilev began preparing the second Russian season. Its famous Historical concerts. For this purpose, a committee was created under the chairmanship of A.S. Taneyev - chamberlain of the highest court and a well-known composer. The best musical forces were involved in these concerts: Arthur Nikisch (an incomparable interpreter of Tchaikovsky), Rimsky-Korsakov, Rachmaninov, Glazunov and others conducted. It started with these concerts world fame F. Chaliapin. "Historical Russian Concerts" were composed of works by Russian composers and performed by Russian artists and choirs Bolshoi Theater. The program was carefully designed and composed of masterpieces of Russian music: "Seasons" presented the Russian opera "Boris Godunov" with the participation of Chaliapin in Paris. The opera was staged in the edition of Rimsky-Korsakov and in luxurious scenery by the artists Golovin, Benois, Bilibin. The program included the overture and first act of Glinka's Ruslan and Lyudmila, symphonic scenes from Rimsky-Korsakov's The Night Before Christmas and The Snow Maiden, as well as parts from Sadko and Tsar Saltan. Of course, Tchaikovsky, Borodin, Mussorgsky, Taneyev, Scriabin, Balakirev, Cui were represented. After the stunning success of Mussorgsky and Chaliapin, Diaghilev next year is taking “Boris Godunov” with the participation of Chaliapin to Paris. Parisians have discovered something new Russian miracle- Chaliapin's Boris Godunov. Diaghilev said that this performance was simply impossible to describe. Paris was shocked. Public Grand Opera, always prim, this time she screamed, knocked, and cried.
And again Diaghilev returns to St. Petersburg to begin work on preparing the new “Season”. This time he had to show Russian ballet to Paris. At first everything went easily and brilliantly. Diaghilev received a large subsidy, he enjoyed the highest patronage, he received the Hermitage Theater for rehearsals. An informal committee met almost every evening in Diaghilev’s own apartment, where the program for the Paris season was worked out. Among the St. Petersburg dancers, a young, “revolutionary” group was selected - M. Fokin, an excellent dancer who was beginning his career as a choreographer at that time, Anna Pavlova and Tamara Karsavina and, of course, the brilliant Kshesinskaya, Bolm, Monakhov and a very young, but making a statement as the “eighth wonder of the world” Nijinsky. The prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Theater Coralli was invited from Moscow. It seemed that everything was going so well. But... Died Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich, and besides, Diaghilev offended Kshesinskaya, to whom he was primarily obliged to receive the subsidy. He offended her because he wanted to resume Giselle for Anna Pavlova, and offered the magnificent Kshesinskaya a small role in the ballet Armida's Pavilion. There was a stormy explanation, “during which the ‘interlocutors’ threw things at each other...”. Diaghilev lost his subsidies and patronage. But that was not all - the Hermitage, the scenery and costumes of the Mariinsky Theater were taken away from him. Court intrigues began. (Only two years later he would make peace with the ballerina Kshesinskaya and remain with her for the rest of his life a good relationship.) Everyone already believed that there would be no Russian season in 1909. But it was necessary to have Diaghilev’s indestructible energy in order to rise again from the ashes. Help (almost salvation) came from Paris, from the society lady and friend of Diaghilev, Sert - she arranged a subscription in Paris with her friends and collected necessary funds so that the Châtelet theater could be rented. Work began again and the Repertoire was finally approved. These were "Pavilion of Armida" by Cherepnin, "Polovtsian Dances" from "Prince Igor" by Borodin, "Feast" to the music of Rimsky-Korsakov, Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky, Glinka and Glazunov, "Cleopatra" by Arensky, the first act of "Ruslan and Lyudmila" in scenery ARTISTS of the "World of Art" group. Fokine, Nijinsky, Anna Pavlova and T. Karsavina were the main figures of Diaghilev's Russian Ballet project. This is what Karsavina said about Diaghilev:
“As a young man, he already possessed that sense of perfection, which is, undoubtedly, the property of a genius. He knew how to distinguish in art the transitory truth from the eternal truth. For all the time that I knew him, he was never mistaken in his judgments, and the artists had absolute faith in his opinion." Diaghilev's pride was Nijinsky - he only graduated from college in 1908 and entered the Mariinsky Theater, and they immediately started talking about him as a miracle. They talked about his extraordinary jumps and flights, calling him a bird man. “Nijinsky,” recalls Diaghilev’s artist and friend S. Lifar, “gave all of himself to Diaghilev, into his caring and loving hands, into his will - either because he instinctively felt that in no one’s hands he would be so safe and no one unable to form his dancing genius in the same way as Diaghilev, or because, infinitely soft and completely devoid of will, he was not able to resist the will of others. His fate was entirely and exclusively in the hands of Diaghilev, especially after the story with. Mariinsky Theater at the beginning of 1911, when he was forced to resign because of Diaghilev." Nijinsky was a rare dancer, and only a dancer. Diaghilev believed that he could also be a choreographer. However, in this role Nijinsky was unbearable - rehearsals with him ballet dancers perceived and remembered it as terrible torment, because Nijinsky could not clearly express what he wanted. In 1913, Diaghilev released Nijinsky into the world, on an American journey. And there, indeed, poor Nijinsky almost died, completely submitting to someone else’s will. But. it was already a woman, Romola Pulska, who married Nijinsky, and also drew him into the “Tolstoyites” sect. All this accelerated the process of the dancer’s mental illness. But this will still happen until the end of April 1909. barbarians" finally arrive in Paris and frantic work begins before the next "Russian Season". The problems that Diaghilev had to overcome were countless. Firstly, elite Paris, having seen Russian ballet dancers at a dinner in their honor, was greatly disappointed by their external dullness and provincialism, which raised doubts about their art. Secondly, the Chatelet theater itself - official, gray and boring - was completely unsuitable as a “frame” for Russian beautiful performances. Diaghilev even rebuilt the stage, removed five rows of the stalls and replaced them with boxes, covering them with columnar velvet. And amid all this incredible construction noise, Fokin conducted rehearsals, straining his voice to shout above all the noise. And Diaghilev was literally torn between artists and musicians, ballet dancers and workers, between visitors and critic-interviewers, who increasingly published materials about the Russian ballet and Diaghilev himself.
On May 19, 1909, the first ballet performance took place. It was a holiday. It was a miracle. One French grande dame recalled that it was “a sacred fire and a sacred delirium that gripped the whole auditorium". Before the public there was truly something never seen, unlike anything, incomparable to anything. A completely special beautiful world, which none of the Parisian spectators even suspected. This "delirium", this passion lasted six weeks. Ballet performances alternated with opera performances. Diaghilev spoke about this time: “We all live as if enchanted in the gardens of Armida. The very air surrounding Russian ballets is full of dope.” The famous Frenchman Jean Cocteau wrote: “A red curtain rises over the holidays that turned France upside down and which carried the crowd into ecstasy following the chariot of Dionysus.” Russian ballet was accepted by Paris immediately. Accepted as a great artistic revelation that created an entire era in art. Karsavina, Pavlova and Nijinsky sang real hymns. They instantly became the favorites of Paris. Karsavina, the critic said, “looks like a dancing flame, in the light and shadows of which languid bliss dwells.” But the Russian ballet charmed everyone because it was an ensemble, because the corps de ballet played a great role in it. In addition, the painting of the scenery, and the costumes - everything was significant, everything created an artistic ensemble. There was less talk about the choreography of Russian ballet - it was simply difficult to understand right away. But all holidays come to an end. The Parisian one is also over. It was, of course, a worldwide success, since Russian artists received invitations to different countries peace. Karsavina and Pavlova were invited to London and America, Fokine - to Italy and America. Diaghilev, having returned to St. Petersburg, began preparations for the new season, in which it was imperative to consolidate success. And Diaghilev, who has a fantastic sense of talent, knew that the new Russian miracle would be next season Igor Stravinsky, with his ballets, in particular "Firebird". "A man predestined by fate entered his life." And from now on, the fate of the Russian Ballet will be inseparable from this name - with Stravinsky. In the spring of 1910, Paris was again shocked by Diaghilev's ballet and opera. The program was simply amazing. Diaghilev brought five new works, including a ballet by Stravinsky. These were luxurious ballets, this was a new attitude to dance, to music, to the painting of the performance. The French realized that they needed to learn from the Russians. But the triumph of this season also dealt a blow to Diaghilev’s troupe - some artists signed foreign contracts, and Anna Pavlova left Diaghilev back in 1909. Diaghilev decided in 1911 to organize a permanent ballet troupe, which was formed in 1913 and was called the Russian Ballet of Sergei Diaghilev. Over the twenty years of the existence of the Russian Ballet, Diaghilev staged eight ballets by Stravinsky. In 1909, Anna Pavlova left the ballet troupe, followed by others. Constant ballet troupe begins to be replenished with foreign dancers, which is why, naturally, it loses its national character.
The ballet repertoire of the "Seasons" included "Pavilion of Armida" by Cherepnin, "Scheherazade" by Rimsky-Korsakov, "Giselle" by Tchaikovsky, "Petrushka", "Firebird", "The Rite of Spring" by Stravinsky, "Cleopatra" ("Egyptian Nights") by Arensky , “The Vision of the Rose” by Weber, “The Legend of Joseph” by R. Strauss, “The Afternoon of a Faun” by Debussy and others. For this touring troupe, Diaghilev invited M. Fokin as choreographer and a group of leading ballet soloists from the Mariinsky and Bolysh theaters, as well as artists from private opera S.I. Zimin - A. Pavlov, V. Nijinsky, T. Karsavin, E. Geltser, M. Mordkin, V. Coralli and others. In addition to Paris, Diaghilev's ballet troupe toured in London, Rome, Berlin, Monte Carlo, and American cities. These performances have always been a triumph of Russian ballet art. They contributed to the revival of ballet in a number of European countries and had a huge influence on many artists.
Tours were carried out, as a rule, immediately after the end of the winter season. theater season. In Paris, performances took place at the Grand Opera (1908, 1910, 1914), Chatelet (1909, 1911, 1912), and the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées (1913).
No less prestigious theaters hosted the troupe in London. These were the Covent Garden Theater (1912), Drury Lane Theater (1913, 1914).
After the outbreak of the First World War, Diaghilev transferred his enterprise to the USA. Until 1917, his ballet troupe performed in New York. In 1917 the troupe disbanded. Most of dancers remained in the USA. Diaghilev returns to Europe and, together with E. Cecchetti, creates a new troupe in which, along with Russian emigrant actors, foreign dancers perform under fictitious Russian names. The troupe existed until 1929. Diaghilev, with his delicate taste, brilliant erudition, enormous plans, the most interesting projects, all his life he was the soul of his brainchild “Russian Ballet”, he was in artistic search all his life, an eternally seething creator. But in 1927, in addition to ballet, he had a new thing that passionately fascinated him - books. It grew rapidly, acquiring Diaghilev proportions. He intended to create a huge Russian book depository in Europe. He made grandiose plans, but death stopped him. Diaghilev died on August 19, 1929. He and his “Russian Seasons” remained a unique and brightest page in the history of world and Russian culture.
