Firebird ballet description. Igor Stravinsky's ballet "The Firebird"

I. Stravinsky. Firebird

Suite from the ballet

The ballet suite is created by the author based on previously written music. Mostly applied numbers (purely dance numbers) are reduced, but the musical dramaturgy and plot are preserved. Thus, we hear music as if in a compressed form.

The idea for the ballet “The Firebird,” as is known, did not belong to Stravinsky himself. The ballet was commissioned from him when the libretto was already ready. The idea of creating a stage work on such a theme arose among artists, theater and literary figures involved in one of the most influential aesthetic circles of the early twentieth century, the World of Art. One way or another, they were all connected with the enterprise of Sergei Diaghilev, the outstanding organizer of the Russian Seasons.

According to Benoit, in addition to himself, choreographer M.M. took part in the search for the plot and development of the plot of “The Firebird”. Fokin, writer P.P. Potemkin, a famous expert on ancient Russian literature, writer A.M. Remizov, artists A.Ya. Golovin and N.F. Stelletsky.

M. Fokin in his “Memoirs” talks about the emergence of the idea for the ballet as follows: “There was not enough ballet from Russian life or on a theme from a Russian fairy tale. We (Diaghilev, a group of artists and I) began to look for subjects. The best literary adaptations of the Russian fairy tale have already been used for the stage (mainly by Rimsky-Korsakov in his operas).

All the images of folk fantasy have already entered the stage. Only the image of the Firebird remained unused, and yet the Firebird is the most fantastic creation of a folk tale and at the same time the most suitable for dance embodiment. But there is no such fairy tale about the Firebird that would fit entirely into the ballet. I undertook to combine various folk tales and composed a libretto based on them.”

In addition to the well-known tales about Ivan Tsarevich, the Firebird and the Gray Wolf, about Kashchei the Immortal and the Princess Beloved Beauty, Fokine borrowed the motif of night games and round dances of enchanted princesses from the fairy tale “Night Dances”, in which the twelve daughters of a widowed king go away every night to the kingdom of the sworn king and dance until the morning in the grove where golden flowers grow. But although the libretto includes the traditional image of Ivan the Tsarevich, who, hunting for the Firebird, penetrates the Enchanted Garden, meets the beautiful Princess, courageously resists the evil spell of Kashchei, and with the help of the Firebird finds Kashcheyev’s death - all this is just a background, a plot outline , in order to artistically justify the long contemplation of the magical possessions of Kashchei with all its wonders, over which the image of a dazzlingly beautiful bird reigns supreme. A certain picture quality and pictorial contemplation are embedded in the libretto itself, and this had an undoubted impact on the nature of musical dramaturgy.

In the anthology of fairy tales by Afanasyev, the Firebird is a passing, fleeting image. In none of the fairy tales does she act independently. It is only known that she lives in a gilded cage in the domain of some overseas king and, flying in freedom, loves to peck golden apples. “The Firebird’s feathers shine with silver and gold (...), her eyes glow like crystal, and she sits in a golden cage. At deep midnight she flies into the garden and illuminates it with herself as brightly as a thousand lit lights”; one feather from her tail can replace the richest lighting; such a feather, says the fairy tale, has a price neither less nor more - more than a whole kingdom, but the bird itself has no price!”

For Russian musical theater, the Firebird has become a new fantastic image that has nothing in common with the images of Rimsky-Korsakov’s operas. The Firebird is a symbol of priceless, unattainable, absolute beauty. She is not consciously endowed with any human character traits. The relationship between the Firebird and Ivan Tsarevich is devoid of the psychological nuances that are present, for example, in the relationship between Sadko and Volkhova, or even Tsarevich and Kashcheevna. The ideological and artistic concept of “The Firebird” does not imply active listening or spectator empathy. The main task of the ballet authors is to create an image that can become an object of long-term contemplation. All the musical means selected by Stravinsky are subordinated to this task.

I. Vershinin “Early ballets of Stravinsky”

Publishing house "Science", Moscow, 1967

1. Introduction. The Enchanted Garden of Kashchei and the Dance of the Firebird

On the mountain, among the rocks, stands the castle of the evil king Kashchei the Immortal. So that no one penetrates Kashchei, kidnaps captive beautiful princesses from the castle, or steals golden fruits from the magic garden, the castle is surrounded by a golden carved lattice, and the garden is surrounded by a high stone wall. The Horseman of the Night slowly appears on a black horse, wearing black clothes. As he moves away, it gets dark; only the golden apples on the tree glow. But immediately the garden is illuminated by a bright light from the Firebird. She flies around the garden. Ivan Tsarevich, in pursuit of a bird, enters the garden through a high stone fence. Everywhere he comes across petrified people in the form of monsters. It was Kashchei who turned all his enemies into stone. In the depths of the garden, Ivan sees a whole fence of petrified knights. These are young men who entered the terrible kingdom in order to free and save their brides, kidnapped by the evil Kashchei. They all died, they all stand motionless stones, overgrown with moss. Tsarevich Ivan involuntarily forgets about these horrors, blinded by the Firebird. He wants to shoot her, and then decides to catch her alive. When the Firebird flies up to a tree with golden apples and begins to peck at them, the prince catches her. The bird trembles and beats in his hands, begging to be released. The prince holds tightly and does not let go. But the maiden bird asks so pitifully, moans so much that kind Ivan feels sorry for her. He releases the bird into the wild, and for this she gives him a fiery feather. “You will need it,” says the Firebird and flies away.

2. Game of princesses with golden apples

The prince hides the feather in his bosom and is about to climb over the fence, but the doors to the castle open and twelve beautiful princesses appear, and behind them the most beautiful one is Princess Beloved Beauty. Secretly from the evil king, in the light of the moon they run out into the garden at night to frolic and play with apples. The girls don’t see the prince, they throw apples and burst into laughter. The apple of Princess Beloved Beauty flew into the bushes. She is behind him.

3. Round dance of the princesses

And the prince comes out from behind the bush, bows, and hands him an apple. The girls got scared and ran away. But the prince is very handsome, and courteous, and modest. Girls fell in love with him, especially Beloved Beauty. And they take him into their round dance games. They don’t notice how dawn comes. The Rider of the morning gallops quickly on a white horse, himself in white. It's getting brighter.

The girls were alarmed and ran into the castle. The prince is behind them. Beloved Beauty stops him, warns him that he will die if he passes through the golden gate; closes them and runs away. But the prince fell in love with the Beloved Beauty so much that he is not afraid of anything and decides to follow her. As soon as he cuts the gate with his saber, the whole kingdom wakes up and magical chimes are heard. From the castle, along the mountain, all sorts of monsters, Kashchei’s servants, are rolling. They grab the prince. Ivan is strong, shakes off the reptiles, but the untold power of the filthy kingdom overcomes him.

4. The nasty dance of the Kashcheev kingdom

Kashchei appears, old and scary. Calls Ivan for interrogation. The prince humbles himself and takes off his hat, but when he saw the sorcerer’s disgusting face, he couldn’t stand it and spat. The whole filthy kingdom squealed and roared. They put Ivan against the wall. The princess runs out and asks the king to forgive Ivan, but Kashchei is already beginning to turn him into stone. Ivan would have died, but he remembered the fire. He grabbed a pen and waved it. The Firebird flies to his aid, she blinds everyone, spins everyone around, and makes everyone dance. The freaks are dancing, they can’t resist. Kashchei himself dances. The Firebird killed everyone until they dropped, slapped them to the ground, and then smoothly swayed over them as they lay in a lullaby. The filthy ones waddle from side to side, and everyone and their king fall asleep.

6. Disappearance of the Kashcheev kingdom. Reviving petrified warriors. General rejoicing

In its place, a Christian city grows, the castle turns into a temple. The stone knights come to life. Each of them finds his own bride, the one for whom he entered the terrible Kashchei, for whom he accepted a fierce spell. Ivan Tsarevich also finds his beloved, Princess Beloved Beauty. He declares her his wife - the queen of the liberated kingdom. Peace, love and universal joy reign in the fairy-tale city.

......................................................

Performer: Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Moscow State Philharmonic. Conductor - D. Kitaenko, 1978.

Works by artists: Victor Korolkov, I. Bilibin, Andrey Klimenko, Lyudmila Vasilyeva

http://school-collection.edu.ru/catalog/res/

http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firebird_(ballet)

Firebird

Ballet in one act

Characters

Firebird. Ivan Tsarevich. Princess Beloved Beauty. Koschei the Immortal. Horseman of the night. Rider of the morning. Servants of the Kashcheev kingdom. Girls, boys, knights.

The Horseman of the Night slowly appears on a black horse, wearing black clothes. As he moves away, it gets dark; only the golden apples on the tree glow. But immediately the garden is illuminated with a bright light from the Firebird. She flies around the garden.

Ivan Tsarevich, in pursuit of a bird, enters the garden through a high stone fence. Everywhere he comes across petrified people in the form of monsters. It was Kashchei who turned all his enemies into stone.

In the depths of the garden, Ivan sees a whole fence of petrified knights. These are young men who entered the terrible kingdom in order to free and save their brides, kidnapped by the evil Kashchei. They all died, they all stand motionless stones, overgrown with moss. Tsarevich Ivan involuntarily forgets about these horrors, blinded by the Firebird. He wants to shoot her, and then decides to catch her alive.

When the Firebird flies up to a tree with golden apples and begins to peck at them, the prince catches her. The bird trembles and beats in his hands, begging to be released. The prince holds tightly and does not let go. But the maiden bird asks so pitifully, moans so much that kind Ivan feels sorry for her.

He releases the bird into the wild, and for this she gives him a fiery feather. “You will need it,” says the Firebird and flies away.

Secretly from the evil king, in the light of the moon they run out into the garden at night to frolic and play with apples. The girls don’t see the prince, they throw apples and burst into laughter.

The apple of Princess Beloved Beauty flew into the bushes. She is behind him. And the prince comes out from behind the bush, bows, and hands him an apple.

The girls got scared and ran away. But the Tsarevich is very handsome, and courteous, and modest. Girls fell in love with him, especially Beloved Beauty. And they take him into their round dance games. They don’t notice how dawn comes.

The Rider of the morning gallops quickly on a white horse, himself in white. It's getting brighter. The girls were alarmed and ran into the castle. The prince is behind them. Beloved Beauty stops him, warns him that he will die if he passes through the golden gate; closes them and runs away. But the prince fell in love with the Beloved Beauty so much that he is not afraid of anything and decides to follow her.

As soon as he cuts the gate with his saber, the whole kingdom wakes up and magical chimes are heard. From the castle, along the mountain, all sorts of monsters, Kashchei’s servants, are rolling. They grab the prince. Ivan is strong, shakes off the reptiles, but the untold power of the filthy kingdom overcomes him.

They put Ivan against the wall. The princess runs out and asks the king to forgive Ivan, but Kashchei is already beginning to turn him into stone. Ivan would have died, but he remembered the fire. He grabbed a pen and waved it. The Firebird flies to his aid, she blinds everyone, spins everyone around, and makes everyone dance. The freaks are dancing, they can’t resist. Kashchei himself dances.

The Firebird killed everyone until they dropped, slapped them to the ground, and then smoothly swayed over them as they lay in a lullaby. The filthy ones waddle from side to side, and everyone and their king fall asleep.

Ivan Tsarevich is looking for the Beloved Beauty, takes her sleeping in his arms and wants to carry her away, but the Firebird stops him. She leads the prince to the hollow. In the hollow there is a casket, in the casket there is an egg, in the egg there is the death of Kashchei.

The prince takes out an egg, squeezes it - Kashchei mutilates it; throws from hand to hand - Kashchei flies from side to side; breaks an egg on the ground - Kashchei crumbles.

The filthy kingdom is disappearing. In its place, a Christian city grows, the castle turns into a temple. The stone knights come to life. Each of them finds his own bride, the one for whom he entered the terrible Kashchei, for whom he accepted a fierce spell. Ivan Tsarevich also finds his beloved, Princess Beloved Beauty. He declares her his wife - the queen of the liberated kingdom.

Scene one
On the eve of the Festival of Love, girls weave flower wreaths for their chosen ones. Their activity is interrupted by the appearance of a group of carefree and cheerful young men, among whom Ivan stands out for his poetic character. His lyrical mood is conveyed to his friends, and soon everything around is saturated with an atmosphere of love and tenderness. Boys and girls pair up and dance. When night falls, at the end of the holiday, they disperse. Ivan is left alone.

Scene two
Seized by an incomprehensible anxiety and a premonition of meeting something unknown, Ivan goes deeper into the forest. Suddenly the young man is blinded by a fiery wonder. Having rushed after him, Ivan finds himself in a beautiful magical garden. The Firebird turned out to be a fabulous creature of unearthly beauty.

Scene three
Ivan secretly watches the Firebird, and at the moment when she wants to pick the golden apple, he captivates her. Hoping to gain trust, the young man picks the fruit himself and hands it to the miracle bird, but the fiery miracle snatches it from his hands and disappears in the blink of an eye. In desperation, Ivan again rushes in pursuit.

Scene four
The pursuit of the Firebird leads Ivan to the kingdom of Kashchei the Immortal. The extraordinary sight that presented itself to his eyes reveals to him the secret of terrible witchcraft. Kashchei, in love with the Princess, kidnapped her and made her his captive. Every night the girl turns into the Firebird and flies away to a magical garden to get a golden apple for the villain. Greedily eating the coveted fruit, Kashchei is filled with vital energy and strength, returns the Firebird to the appearance of a princess and tries to win her favor. This magical action is repeated every night and will continue until the girl agrees to accept Kashchei’s love - that’s when he will remove his spell from her. Having waited for the Kashcheevo kingdom to fall into sleep, Ivan comes out of hiding and invites the Princess to escape with him. But the girl does not agree: after all, according to the spell, at midnight she will again turn into the Firebird, and if she does not return, she will remain in this form forever!

The young man is ready to fight the villain, but the Princess warns him, since she knows the secret of Kashchei’s immortality: he can only be defeated by a magic sword hidden at the head of his throne. Ivan, despite mortal danger, climbs to the throne, takes possession of the sword and defeats the villain with it!

The spell is broken! Good triumphs! From now on the Princess is free!

Scene five
The princess and Ivan are surrounded by loving couples. They feel the happiest in the world.

About the performance

"The Firebird" opened the historical triad of Stravinsky's Russian ballets and glorified him as a composer. The libretto of “The Firebird” combined motifs from various fairy tales, and choreographer Eldar Aliyev followed the same path. In his version, the Firebird takes on the features of fantastic heroines of Russian operas, and most closely echoes the image of the Swan Princess from “The Tale of Tsar Saltan” by Stravinsky’s teacher, Rimsky-Korsakov. She turns out to be an enchanted girl who helps Ivan Tsarevich defeat the evil wizard Kashchei and his vile retinue. After the death of Kashchei and the destruction of his kingdom, the wonderful bird turns into a beautiful princess, who becomes Ivan’s bride.

In his choreography, Eldar Aliyev preserved the traditional contrast between the world of good earthly characters (princess friends, prince’s retinue) and the broken, grotesque plasticity of dark forces. And he set a double creative task for the soloist: she needed to show the transformation from a magical creature, personifying the element of flame, into a Russian lyrical heroine.

Nadezhda Kulygina

I. Stravinsky. Firebird

Suite from the ballet

Libretto of the ballet by M. Fokine. Staged by M. Fokin. Artists A. Golovin, L. Bakst.

M. Fokin in his “Memoirs” talks about the emergence of the idea for the ballet as follows: “There was not enough ballet from Russian life or on a theme from a Russian fairy tale. We (Diaghilev, a group of artists and I) began to look for subjects. The best literary adaptations of Russian fairy tales have already been used for the stage (mainly in his operas).

I. Vershinin “Early ballets of Stravinsky”

Publishing house "Science", Moscow, 1967

Ballet characters:

Firebird. Ivan Tsarevich. Princess Beloved Beauty. Koschei the Immortal. Horseman of the Night. Servants of the Kashcheev kingdom. Girls. Young men. Knights.

Brief summary of the ballet:

Tsarevich Ivan is trying to penetrate into the ominous Kashcheevo kingdom, hidden high in the mountains and surrounded by rocks, in pursuit of the beautiful Firebird. But high are the carved golden trellises and the stone wall surrounding the garden with golden apples.

The Horseman of the Night, riding on a black horse, covers the kingdom in darkness, but light suddenly flashes among the golden apples - the Firebird flies over the garden. Having overcome all the obstacles and finding himself in the garden, Ivan Tsarevich wants to catch her, but he keeps running into boulders of stone. Having looked closely, he realizes that these are knights who, trying to free the princesses once captured by Kashchei, died, turned into stones by an evil sorcerer.

The mysterious Firebird flies around the garden, and as soon as it sits on a tree and begins to peck golden apples, Ivan Tsarevich catches it. The complaints and requests of the fabulous wonder touch the heart of the young man, and he releases his captive. In gratitude, the Firebird gives Ivan Tsarevich a fiery feather and flies away.

Having hidden the pen, the prince is trying to get out of the garden, when suddenly he sees twelve beautiful princesses running out to play with golden apples and the most beautiful of them, the Princess Beloved Beauty. The girls throw apples, and one of them falls into the bushes where Ivan Tsarevich is hiding.

Coming out of his hiding place and giving the apple to the Princess Beloved Beauty, he asks the girls to take him into their games and round dances.

The sky imperceptibly brightens, and a Horseman on a white horse rushes past, heralding the onset of morning. The prince rushes after the girls running away into the castle, but Princess Beloved Beauty stops him: after all, if he passes the Golden Gate, death awaits him. However, the Tsarevich’s courage knows no bounds - he cuts the garden’s lattice with his saber, magical bells are heard, and Kashchei’s terrifying-looking servants run out into the garden. The prince enters into a fight with them, but cannot defeat the crowd of enemies.

Kashchei the Immortal himself appears. Seeing him, Ivan Tsarevich spits in the face of the hated old man. Enraged Kashchei, not listening to the pleas of the Princess Beloved Beauty who came running, begins his execution - turning the prince into stone. But he doesn’t give up - remembering the Firebird’s feather, he raises it high and waves a magical fire flag. The Firebird flies in and, performing miracles, helps all the captives of the Kashcheev kingdom. First, she engages Kashchei and his servants in a fast, mesmerizing dance, and then forces them to fall into a deep sleep.

Ivan Tsarevich and Beloved Beauty are ready to escape from terrible captivity, but the Firebird stops them: they must get and break the egg in which the cunning old man hid his death, declaring himself immortal. The Firebird leads Ivan Tsarevich to a hollow tree, from which the young man takes out a casket, and from the casket an egg. Ivan Tsarevich presses him - and Kashchei begins to rush about; throws it from hand to hand - and Kashchei flies from side to side; breaks the egg - and Kashchei falls dead, and then disappears.

The filthy kingdom disappears along with it. In its place there arises a beautiful city with a temple on a hill. The stone knights come to life and find their brides. Ivan Tsarevich declares Princess Beloved Beauty his wife. Peace, love and universal joy reign in the fairy-tale city.

Ed. "Music", Moscow, 2002

Ballet to music by Igor Stravinsky in one act. Libretto by M. Fokin.

Characters

· Ivan Tsarevich

· Koschei the Immortal

· Black Rider, Night

· White Rider, Day

· Tsarevich

· Knights, werewolf faces, sorcerers, witnesses, servants of Kashchei

The action takes place in the fairy-tale kingdom of Kashchei in fairy-tale times.

History of creation

At the end of the summer of 1909, Stravinsky, after a summer holiday at the estate of his wife Ustilug, arrived in St. Petersburg.” There he unexpectedly received a telegram from Diaghilev. The famous entrepreneur of the Russian Ballets in Paris invited the young and still little-known composer to write the music for the ballet “The Firebird” for production in the spring of 1910. Stravinsky was presented with a finished libretto created by the outstanding choreographer of the early 20th century, who then worked in Diaghilev’s troupe, M. Fokin (1880-1942). The artists A. Benois, Y. Golovin and N. Stelletsky, the writer P. Potemkin and the writer and expert on ancient Russian literature A. Remizov were involved in the work. Fairy tales about Ivan the Tsarevich, the Firebird and the Gray Wolf, Kashchei the Immortal and the Princess Beloved Beauty were used. In addition, Fokin introduced into the libretto night games and round dances of enchanted princesses from the fairy tale “Night Dances” by F. Sologub, staged at the St. Petersburg “Theater on Liteiny” in the spring of 1909 with his dances. the image of the fabulous Firebird as a symbol of absolute, unattainable beauty, provided the opportunity for a similar admiration of dance and music. Stravinsky enthusiastically set to work in close contact with Fokine. Diaghilev and the troupe were in St. Petersburg at that time, and the composer gave him the music in parts, to which Fokin immediately choreographed dances. Three different ranges of expressive means were used in the choreography. The Firebird danced on pointe shoes; her dance included many jumps, creating the impression of flight. The Firebird's part was based on classical dance, but it was used to a limited extent, in accordance with the objectives of the image. The princesses danced barefoot. Thus, the plasticity of the fantastic Firebird was contrasted with the plasticity of the princesses. The ballet was completed on time, and the troupe went to Paris, where Stravinsky also arrived after a short rest from hard work. The Firebird premiered on June 25, 1910 at the Grand Opera in Paris. The success was colossal. One day, a previously unknown Russian composer became famous.

Music

The music of the ballet is brightly colorful, filled with orchestral effects, although written in the traditions of Rimsky-Korsakov, it already bears the imprint of the author’s unique personality. The gloomy “crawling” sounds of the Introduction depict Kashchei’s enchanted garden, his ominous kingdom. “Dance of the Firebird” is fantastic, whimsical, with inventively varied colorful orchestration. In the slow, feminine “Round Dance of the Princesses,” Stravinsky uses the Russian folk song “Po Sadik.” The musical color here is reminiscent of Lyadov’s “Magic Lake” with its exquisite sound recording. “The Filthy Dance of the Kashcheev Kingdom” is ominous, like a lifeless dance, colorful, full of sharp rhythmic interruptions, full of wild elemental force and pulsating throughout almost the entire number.

Igor Stravinsky. Ballet "The Rite of Spring"

Ballet to music by Igor Stravinsky in one act. Pictures of pagan Rus' in two parts. Script by I. Stravinsky and N. Roerich.

Characters

· Chosen One

· Oldest-wisest

· Possessed

· Elders, youths, girls

The action takes place in prehistoric Rus'.

History of creation

The concept of “The Rite of Spring” dates back to the beginning of 1910. Subsequent events were the creation and production of Stravinsky's second ballet. Only after the premiere of “Petrushka” in June 1911, returning from Paris to the Ustilug estate, did he begin work. He met with N. Roerich, with whom in the spring of 1910 he sketched out the initial plan for the ballet. The work went quickly and enthusiastically. The choreography was discussed in detail with Vaslav Nijinsky, whom Diaghilev recommended to Stravinsky as a director. Nijinsky, a truly brilliant dancer and actor who graduated from the St. Petersburg Ballet School in 1907 and began his career at the Mariinsky Theater, was the leading dancer of Diaghilev's Russian seasons in Paris from 1909. It was he who embodied the main roles in Fokine’s ballets “The Vision of a Rose”, “Petrushka”, “Carnival”, “Scheherazade”, “Narcissus and Echo”, “Daphnis and Chloe”. “The Rite of Spring” became one of his first productions, in which he boldly swept away all the canons, including those established in Fokine’s ballets.

On September 17, 1912, the score was completed. As is clear from the correspondence, the composer attached decisive importance to the rhythmic side. It formed the basis of an innovative composition that broke old stereotypes both in music and in choreography. Nijinsky managed to create choreography that fully corresponded to the innovative music, expressing the feeling as much as possible. The usual symmetry of the ballet was broken; asymmetry, and surprisingly skillful one at that, dominated the composition.

The premiere of The Rite of Spring, held on May 29, 1913 at the Champs-Elysees Theater under the direction of Pierre Monte, shocked the audience. The audience whistled, laughed and made noise. The performance was interrupted. However, not everyone reacted this way to the new ballet. The most sensitive music lovers understood its value. The performance was performed only six times. In 1920, it was re-staged by L. Massine (1895-1979). However, it was Nijinsky's choreography that made a true revolution in the art of ballet.

Music

Rhythm became the dominant element of the ballet - hypnotic, subjugating everything. It reigns in unusual music, full of elemental power, and controls the movement of people bent, as if pressed to the ground. The introduction creates a picture of the gradual awakening of nature, from the first timid streams to the raging joy of spring. A trampling rhythm constantly sounds, against which various melodies flash in the background. It is dominated by a spontaneous, powerful rhythm and extreme dynamic tension.

Igor Stravinsky. Ballet "Apollo Musagete"

Ballet to music by Igor Stravinsky in two scenes. Libretto by I. Stravinsky.

Characters

· Apollo

Calliope

· Polyhymnia

· Terpsichore

· Two goddesses

The action takes place on the Greek island of Delos during mythological times.

History of creation

After finishing The Rite of Spring in 1912, Stravinsky returned to the ballet genre more than once, but not in its “pure” form, but continuously experimenting. And only four years after this, the composer returned to a purely orchestral solution for the ballet. However, this is also a new stage in his work. Following the so-called “Russian period,” when Stravinsky relied on the richest layers of Russian national folklore, after various genre experiments, he came to strict constructivism: the desire to embody ancient classical forms in a new way. Apollo Musagete was the last of Stravinsky's ballets staged by Diaghilev's troupe.

The premiere took place at the Sarah Bernhardt Theater in Paris on June 12, 1928 in the choreography of J. Balanchine (Georgiy Melitonovich Balanchivadze, 1904-1983), one of the most famous choreographers of the 20th century, who was educated at the St. Petersburg Theater School and Conservatory and since 1925 linked his fate with Diaghilev's troupe Even before the Paris premiere, the ballet was shown in Washington, at the chamber music festival in the Library of Congress, staged by choreographer A. Bolm (1884-1951), also a native of Russia. Subsequently, “Apollo Musaget” was performed on many stages around the world.

In two scenes of the ballet (the first, in fact, is a prologue to the main one, the second), which are divided into ten episodes, the myth of Apollo, the patron of the arts, is embodied. Of the nine muses, daughters of the supreme god of the Greek pantheon Zeus and the goddess of memory Mnemosyne, three muses act in the ballet - Calliope, the “beautiful voice,” the muse of epic poetry and science, Polyhymnia, the muse of hymn poetry and music, and Terpsichore, the muse of dance. To convey ancient images, Balanchine talentedly used updated and enriched classical dance.

Music

The ballet is based on a modernized scheme of dance forms from the era of Lully (1632-1687). The composer pays main attention to melody: “A return to the study and development of melody from a purely musical point of view seemed to me timely and even urgently necessary,” writes Stravinsky in “Chronicle of My Life.” “That’s why the idea of writing music where everything would gravitate toward the melodic principle irresistibly attracted me.” The music is almost entirely diatonic. It uses variable meters and linearity as opposed to traditional harmonies. The refinement, fragility and grace of the work are emphasized by the use of exclusively string instruments.

Maurice Ravel. Ballet "Bolero"

Ballet to the music of Maurice Ravel in one scene.

Characters

· Dancer

The action takes place in one of the pubs in Barcelona today (20s of the XX century).

History of creation

Ravel, already a world-famous composer, spent the beginning of 1928 on a tour of the United States. Even before leaving, he received an order from Ida Rubinstein (1885-1960), a wealthy, talented and very original amateur dancer who sometimes performed with Diaghilev's Russian Ballet. Although she did not possess classical technique, she was distinguished by her artistry and amazing appearance, which allowed her to shine in roles such as Scheherazade or Cleopatra. According to the artist V. Serov, who painted her portrait, “Egypt and Assyria themselves were somehow miraculously resurrected in this extraordinary woman.” Ida Rubinstein wanted the composer to write a ballet specifically for her unique characteristics.

Returning from America at the end of April, Ravel set to work, and quite quickly the score of the ballet, called Bolero, was completed. Ravel imagined an action in the open air, near a factory, where men and women leaving work would join in the dance. He also wanted there to be some hint of a bullfight and a love tragedy in the spirit of Bizet’s “Carmen”: the ballet heroine Marilena, who was carried away by a bullfighter, was to be stabbed with a dagger by a jealous man. This plan reflected the composer’s passion for both his beloved Spain and industrial landscapes. The plant he was referring to actually existed. He showed it more than once while walking with friends along the road to Vezina. However, Ida Rubinstein, as well as Bronislava Nijinska (1890-1972), who was invited by her as a choreographer, the sister of the famous Vaslav Nijinsky, known as a dancer, director and choreographer, and the performance designer Alexandre Benois chose a different script (the name of the author is unknown). On November 22, 1928, the premiere took place at the Grand Opera Theater and was a huge success. Subsequently, the ballet was staged with Ravel's script and was staged with other scripts. Throughout the 20th century, it was staged several times, both in the version by Nijinska and by M. Fokin, S. Lifar, M. Bejart.

Music

"Bolero" has a unique unity. The composer wrote: “This is a dance at a very moderate tempo, completely unchanged both melodically, harmoniously and rhythmically, and the rhythm is continuously beaten by a drum. The only element of variety is introduced by the orchestral crescendo.” “Bolero” is an orchestral variation based on a short folk dance melody. A clear rhythmic figure, beaten by a snare drum with sparse accompaniment of violas and pizzicato cellos, opens the piece. It will sound continuously throughout the ballet. The sinuous, elastic melody is clearly divided into two, with its second part acquiring a passionate and suffering character. This melody, moving from instrument to instrument, becomes increasingly powerful. A steady orchestral crescendo leads to a grand climax at the end. At the highest point of climax, everything ends abruptly.