Ballet "Жар-птица" - "чудо delightful balance between movements, sounds and forms"

25 June 1910 at the Paris Grand-опера
premiere of Igor Stravinsky"s ballet" Жар-птица"

BALLET - 110 YEARS!

the history of the ballet and performances.

Ballet" Жар-птица" is one of the early works of Igor Stravinsky and the first ballet on a Russian theme in the entreprise prominent organizer" Русских seasons" in Paris by Sergei Diaghilev.

the Idea of creating works for the stage such subjects arose among artists, theatrical and literary figures associated with the entreprise Sergei Diaghilev, who believed that to raise the prestige of Russian ballet, you need to create and show in Paris the Russian ballet tale.

Choreographer Mikhail Fokin in their" Мемуарах" tells of the emergence of the idea of the ballet:" Не enough ballet from Russian life or on the theme of Russian fairy tales. We (Diaghilev, the group of artists and I) began to look for themes. The best literary treatment of the Russian tales had already been used for the scene (mainly Roman-Корсаковым in his operas).

Miami city Ballet-это exciting new staging of a beloved classic. Inspired by Russian folklore, this unique perspective reveals the drama and the magic that underlies one of the greatest stories of the world.

All the images of popular imagination were already on the scene. Only way Heat-птицы remained unused, and yet the Heat-птица is the most fantastic creation of folk tale and however is most appropriate for the dance of the incarnation. But there is no such tale about Heat-птице, which entirely went to the ballet. I started to connect various folk tales and composed by him либретто".

Diaghilev invited the composer Anatoly This to write music to a libretto by Mikhail Fokin at the story" Жар-птицы" that was created in turn on the motives of Russian fairy tales. He agreed, but soon lost the interest, and as a result failed its customers. Time was very little. And then, Diaghilev decided to take a chance and trust the work of the young composer Igor Stravinsky, who are interested in even before hearing it" Фантастическое скерцо".

Nina Ananiashvili, Andris Liepa
(the Bolshoi Ballet, Andrey Chistyakov, 1997)

Stravinsky was afraid that will not cope with the work and will not meet the expectations of Diaghilev. That, in turn, did not doubt the success. Soon the young composer created a ballet in two scenes.

Premiere of the ballet called L"Oiseau de feu was held on June 25, 1910 during the Russian seasons in Paris on stage at the Grand-опера. In preparing the Paris premiere of the ballet was attended by Mikhail Fokine, Vaslav Nijinsky, Leon Bakst, Alexander Benois. The costumes of the Firebird and Princess Beloved beauty was created by artist Lev Bakst, scenery and the rest of the costumes by Alexander Golovin. Making Golovin, stylized in the spirit of aesthetic ideas" серебряного century", fascinated the Paris audience.

Fever-птицу danced by Tamara Karsavina, Ivan-царевича Fokine himself, the Princess Beloved beauty – Vera Fokina, Kashchei the Immortal – Alexey Bulgakov.

members of the Royal Danish ballet,
choreography Glen Tetley,
Royal Danish orchestra, conductor: Paul Jorgensen

Fokin clearly divided images Heat-птицы, princesses and Filthy Kingdom. Heat-птица danced on Pointe, her dance was based on the movements of classical dance; the earth"s plasticity was endowed with Princess ‑ they danced barefoot, and for the Suite at the" Поганом placey" choreographer used ugly, unnatural plastic surgery. Dances of the various groups was accompanied by various musical instruments. New means of expression via-новому opened images. For example, Heat-птица did not humanize, but rather opposed to people – the Queens, and approached the fantastic, fabulous creatures from Russian folk poetry.

orchestra conducted by French composer and conductor Henri constant Gabriel Pierne.

the success of the performance exceeded all expectations. Exoticism, colorfulness, mystery" Жар-птица" stunned and bewitched Paris, who applauded the Russian ballet. The Paris journalists in the most enthusiastic words described the play, emphasizing the organic connection of music, art and choreography.

Maurice béjart (ballet of the Paris Opera)

Ballet recognized" чудом delightful balance between movements, sounds and forms", the beginning of a new era in the music and choreography of ballet. In the same vein worked here as the composer and choreographer. This has affected the musical-пластическом performance solution: images of dance and music complement it each other.

To the show going to the highest artistic society. Were writers Marcel Proust, Jean Giraudoux, actress Sarah Bernhardt, composers Claude Debussy, Richard Strauss.

Despite the fact that this work is still very large influence of music Roman-Корсакова, the Paris audience was conquered just the brightness and brilliance of an original style of Igor Stravinsky.

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