Ballet in two acts, eleven scenes.
Production and choreography: N. Kasatkina, V. Vasilyov.
Libretto based on historical materials, motifs from the novel by R. Giovagnoli and the own fantasies of Natalia Kasatkina and Vladimir Vasilyov.
Scenography: People's Artist of the USSR, Laureate of State Prizes of the USSR I. Sumbatashvili.
Costumes: E. Dvorkina.
Stunt coordinator: Vice-President of the Freestyle Combat Federation, Vice-President of the Russian Combat Federation, Major General, Prince Alexander Malyshev.
The premiere took place in 2002.
The version of the libretto and choreography of “Spartacus” by N. Kasatkina and V. Vasilyov focuses on the heroic story of the leader of the legendary slave uprising.
“Spartacus” by Kasatkina and Vasiliev is, of course, a classical ballet, but truly modern. The directors wanted to convey the style, mood, tragic and sensual, rather even erotic atmosphere of that era, the era of the brilliant decline of Rome. “Only the dog remained innocent in this performance,” wrote a now unknown critic in 2002 after the premiere of the ballet “Spartacus.” The criticism raged as furiously as the audience did at the end of the performance.
“Spartacus” by Kasatkina and Vasilyev will forever remain in the art of ballet the most beautiful scandal of the beginning of the century. 300 stunningly luxurious costumes by Elizaveta Dvorkina, 6 tons of unique decorations based on sketches by Joseph Sumbatashvili (they take more than eight hours to assemble!), game weapons made at the most famous jewelry factory - all to show the sensual, passionate style of the era of the brilliant decline of Rome.
The body is subordinated to passion, passion is subordinated to freedom, frank scenes give way to battles, and when the passionate and joyful Spartak bursts onto the stage, one believes that all the battles are his, and all the women are his, and he only needs intoxicating freedom, which means he is doomed ...
By the way, the artists were taught the techniques of real Roman combat by professional stuntman Alexander Malyshev. But who taught other techniques to the artists performing the “Dance of the Gaditan Virgins”? If you haven’t seen this dance, you know nothing about eroticism, but they, these ancient Romans, knew... Maybe that’s why they completely decomposed?..
And this whole passionate world is accompanied and inexorably subordinated to the great music of Aram Khachaturian. For the first time, music was used in the production of Spartacus, although it was written by the composer for this ballet, but had never been included in performances by other choreographers before. The score of these fragments was exclusively provided to Kasatkina and Vasilyev by the composer’s heirs.
The result was a fascinating, vibrant spectacle, completely in the Roman tradition.
The performance is accompanied by a symphony orchestra. Conductor - Sergei Kondrashev.
Duration: up to 3 hours (with intermission).
Classical Ballet Theater by N. Kasatkina and V. Vasilyov
“Moscow Classical Ballet” is the name by which the group, which is now called the State Academic Theater of Classical Ballet, is known all over the world. The ballet troupe was formed in 1966 under the name of the USSR Choreographic Concert Ensemble “Young Ballet”, with the assistance of the USSR Ministry of Culture, and was headed by the famous Igor Moiseev. The repertoire then included fragments from classical ballets and choreographic miniatures staged by Goleizovsky, Messerer and Moiseev himself. In 1977, Igor Moiseev handed over the artistic direction to Vladimir Vasilyev, a student of Asaf Messerer, and Natalia Kasatkina, a student of Marina Semyonova, became the main choreographer. The arrival of new leaders fundamentally changed the creative direction of the troupe, which turned from a concert group into a ballet theater.
The Classical Ballet Theater under the direction of Natalia Kasatkina and Vladimir Vasilyov celebrated its 45th anniversary in 2011. 2012 marked the 35th anniversary of the artistic direction of the theater by Natalia Kasatkina and Vladimir Vasilyov - directors of modern performances and restorers of classics - creators of the only author's ballet theater in Moscow.
People's Artists of Russia, State Prize laureates - Natalia Kasatkina and Vladimir Vasilyov created 3 ballets and 1 opera at the Bolshoi Theater, 2 ballets and 2 operas at the Mariinsky and 23 ballets at their State Academic Theatre, not counting productions on other Russian and foreign stages. The ballet “The Creation of the World,” created at the Mariinsky Theater for M. Baryshnikov, was staged in more than 60 theaters around the world. The last two premieres took place in the USA. The original ballet of choreographers Natalia Kasatkina and Vladimir Vasilyov made a significant contribution to the development of such a direction as “Classic to day” - a classic in a modern interpretation - in world ballet art. Today, many theaters stage performances with great success with their choreography, direction and libretto.
“All genres except boring!” - this is the motto of the Classical Ballet Theater, therefore, a feature of the production of each work in the theater is the desire to make any story understandable and interesting to people of all ages, nationalities and confessions, to modern people.
The company's repertoire includes all ballets by P. I. Tchaikovsky, "Cinderella" and "Romeo and Juliet" by S. Prokofiev, "Don Quixote" by L. Minkus, "Giselle" by A. Adam, "The Rite of Spring", "The Fairy's Kiss" and “The Firebird” by I. Stravinsky, “The Wonderful Mandarin” by B. Bartok, “Spartacus” by A. Khachaturian, “The Creation of the World” and “Pushkin” by A. Petrov and others, - about 30 ballets in total, - classical and modern, various styles and trends. Among the Theater’s promising projects are Olga Petrova’s ballet “Lysistrata” based on the comedy of the same name by Aristophanes, “The Corsair” by A. Adam and “The Legend of Swan Lake and the Ugly Duckling” to the music of E. Grieg. Premiered in 2008, the ballet “Mowgli” to the music of Alex Pryer, a 14-year-old composer from London, is intended for family viewing.
Spectators in more than 200 cities in Russia and neighboring countries became acquainted with the work of the theatre, the originality of whose repertoire would be the envy of any ballet troupe; its tours took place in more than 30 countries on 5 continents. 75 ballet dancers, 30 tons of scenery and 4,000 costumes made for repertoire performances roam the planet all year round.
The “factory of ballet stars” is often called the Classical Ballet Theater. It was here that the discovery and formation of artists who received worldwide recognition took place. Among them are Irek Mukhamedov (now a soloist of the Covent Garden Theater), Galina Stepanenko (principal dancer of the Bolshoi Theater), Vladimir Malakhov (artistic director and leading dancer of the ballet troupe of the German State Opera in Berlin, leading dancer of the American Ballet Theater, leading guest performer in Vienna State Opera), Ilgiz Galimullin (leading soloist and teacher of our theater and the National Theater of Tokyo, Japan). Kasatkina and Vasiliev have a special vision of the original talent of the artists, and under their leadership the theater has raised a new galaxy of world-class classical ballet stars. Among the soloists who have been trained by the theater are 2 Grand Prix winners and 19 gold medalists of international competitions, 5 laureates and 2 Grand Prix winners of the Paris Academy of Dance, as well as holders of many other titles and awards at prestigious ballet competitions.
Today the theater is worthily represented by Ekaterina Berezina, Ilgiz Galimullin, Marina Rzhannikova, Nikolai Chevychelov, Natalya Ogneva, Artem Khoroshilov, Alexey Orlov, Alena Podavalova, Diana Kosyreva - People's and Honored Artists of Russia and laureates of International competitions.
The Kasatkina and Vasiliev Theater can be called the Paradox Theater. He survives in impossible conditions: 45 years without his own stage - and world recognition! Inhuman working conditions - and... laureates of the highest ballet awards. A level is constantly maintained that allows it to compete with colleagues from the world's best ballet companies. World-class stars emerged from the imaginary walls of the theater. There is no place to rehearse with scenery and lighting, and the theater’s repertoire includes about 30 “live” ballets. And new performances are constantly being born.
Natalia Kasatkina and Vladimir Vasilyev lead one of the most famous ballet companies in the world and continue to create new performances and open new names to the world.
People's Artists of Russia Natalya Dmitrievna Kasatkina (b. 1934) and Vladimir Yudich Vasilyov (b. 1931) both graduated from the Moscow Choreographic School, both worked at the Bolshoi Theater for over twenty years, where they performed characteristic (N. D. Kasatkina’s also classical) roles, both began choreographing activities in the early 1960s, and since 1977 have headed the ballet theater, which is now called the State Academic Theater of Classical Ballet.
When characterizing their activities, it is necessary to apply the word “for the first time” to a number of their undertakings. They were the first in many things that happened in the artistic life of our ballet in the second half of the 20th century.
It is known that at the turn of the 1950-1960s, a radical change occurred in all types of domestic art - literature, theater, cinema, music, fine arts. A new talented generation entered life, which later became known as the “sixties”. This generation overcame the ideological dogmas and artistic stagnation of the previous period, expanded the spiritual and figurative horizons of artistic creativity and determined the main achievements of Russian art in the second half of the last century.
The turning point in the development of the entire artistic culture also affected choreography. It took shape at the turn of the 1950s and 1960s, primarily in the productions of Yu. N. Grigorovich and I. D. Belsky, who found new ways in the development of ballet and influenced the entire generation of choreographers. But Yu. N. Grigorovich and I. D. Belsky created in St. Petersburg, although their stunning innovations resonated throughout the country. Yu.N. Grigorovich moved to Moscow and came to the Bolshoi Theater a little later, defining its creative personality until the end of the century. In Moscow, the first young choreographers of the new wave were N. D. Kasatkina and V. Yu. Vasilev. Their performances “Vanina Vanini” (1962) and “Heroic Poem” (1964) with music by N. N. Karetnikov, “The Rite of Spring” by I. F. Stravinsky (1965) and somewhat later the play “The Creation of the World” staged in St. Petersburg by A. P. Petrova (1971) joined the general process of renewal of Russian art and played a significant role in it.
N.D. Kasatkina and V.Yu. Vasilyov were the first in our country (after small, subsequently interrupted experiments by choreographers of the 1920s) to begin staging performances to avant-garde music. They collaborated with the young composer N. N. Karetnikov, who followed the path of avant-garde creativity. This was new; not everyone accepted such music in ballet at that time. Now this has become completely commonplace, but then it was unexpected and fresh, outlining new paths in ballet, stimulating searches in the field of choreographic language and forms.
N. D. Kasatkina and V. Yu. Vasilev were the first to stage in our country the epoch-making ballet I. F. Stravinsky “The Rite of Spring”. It was created in 1913 and shown in Paris in the “Russian Seasons” by S. P. Diaghilev with choreography by V. F. Nijinsky. Then it was staged abroad several times. Now he can be seen on many stages here. But the first to turn to him in our country were N.D. Kasatkina and V.Yu. Vasilev. This was quite bold, because I. F. Stravinsky was then still a semi-banned composer in our country as an emigrant and modernist, and many did not accept his music, innovative and very complex. But N.D. Kasatkina and V.Yu. Vasilyov understood it deeply and adequately, creating a wonderful performance that is still performed on the stage of their theater.
N.D. Kasatkina and V.Yu. Vasilyov were the first in our country to create their own ballet theater, which can be called original and experimental. That is, this is their personal (in the creative sense) theater, which arose as a parallel and addition to the leading theaters of the capital. Now V. M. Gordeev, G. L. Taranda, S. N. Radchenko have their own ballet troupes, there is a chamber ballet “Moscow”, there are several folk dance and modern dance ensembles. But the first original and experimental ballet group was the theater of N. D. Kasatkina and V. Yu. Vasilyov. In 1977, they headed the concert ensemble, created in 1966 (it was led first by I. A. Moiseev, then by Yu. T. Zhdanov), and turned it into a ballet theater. The basis of the repertoire is now not concert numbers and choreographic miniatures, but full-fledged large performances. The theater of N. D. Kasatkina and V. Yu. Vasilyov has gained popularity in their homeland and tours with constant success in many countries around the world.
N.D. Kasatkina and V.Yu. Vasilyov were the first in our country to attract the famous foreign choreographer Pierre Lacotte, who specialized in restoring the lost classical heritage, to restore the ancient performance. Now Pierre Lacotte has restored a number of disappeared ballets abroad, and here - at the Bolshoi (The Pharaoh's Daughter) and the Mariinsky (Ondine) theaters. But the first to call him to our country for this purpose were N.D. Kasatkina and V.Yu. Vasilev, who in 1980 staged in his restoration the ancient ballet “Natalie, or the Swiss Thrush” by composer A. Girovets, created in 1821 by the founder of romantic ballet Philip Taglioni. Nowadays restorations have become fashionable, but to start this business, creative initiative was needed, which was always characteristic of these choreographers.
Finally, N.D. Kasatkina and V.Yu. Vasilyov were the first in our country to experiment in complex and unusual musical and choreographic genres, staging the vocal and choreographic symphony “Pushkin. Reflections on the Poet” by A.P. Petrov, a composer with whom they had a creative friendship for many years. They brought both his ballets and the opera “Peter I” to life on stage, demonstrating the talent of not only choreographers, but also directors. The idea of Pushkin is a complex synthetic genre that combines dramatic action, symphonic music, vocals and choreography.
Already from just the enumeration of choreographic phenomena, where the community of these choreographers is characterized by the word “for the first time,” one can see their inherent creative initiative, the desire for artistic search, finding new ways and forms in art.
Speaking about their ballet theater, which now has a wide variety of performances, it is necessary to note the harmonious combination of classics and modernity, both in the repertoire and in the choreographic language of their productions.
N. D. Kasatkina and V. Yu. Vasilyov staged a number of classical ballets, including “Giselle”, “Don Quixote”, and all three ballets by P. I. Tchaikovsky. At the same time, they approach the implementation of classical works creatively, never mechanically transferring versions of capital theaters, but creating their own. Some viewers may like these versions more, others less, which is quite natural. But the main thing is not this, but the creative interpretation of the material, which is certainly valuable in art.
Of particular importance in the activities of N. D. Kasatkina and V. Yu. Vasilyov is the production of new ballets, collaboration with modern composers, among whom were N. N. Karetnikov, A. P. Petrov, T. N. Khrennikov, A. I. Khachaturian and others, not to mention the fact that they staged ballets by I. F. Stravinsky - “The Rite of Spring”, “The Fairy’s Kiss”, “The Firebird” and S. S. Prokofiev - “Romeo and Juliet”, “ Cinderella". In the production of ballets by contemporary composers, the contribution of these choreographers to art is perhaps the most significant.
The harmonious combination of classical and modern is also characteristic of their plastic language. N.D. Kasatkina and V.Yu. Vasilyov were brought up on classical choreography and are fluent in it. But the language of classical dance cannot be reduced to a set of school movements. It develops, is enriched and can absorb into itself, when necessary to create artistic images, a variety of plastic elements: folk, ballroom, historical dances, modern and jazz dance, everyday and dramatic pantomime, labor, sports, physical education and acrobatic movements and other. Most domestic choreographers of the second half of the 20th century follow this path. And in their original ballets N.D. Kasatkina and V.Yu. Vasilev also follow this path. The dance language of their ballets can be called an updated or modernized classic, that is, classical dance, enriched in accordance with the requirements of figurative content with elements of other plastic systems.
It should be especially said that the theater of N. D. Kasatkina and V. Yu. Vasilyov is a real “star factory”. It has produced as many laureates of international ballet competitions, including world celebrities, as no other theater has produced. Their artists won nineteen gold medals at competitions, not to mention many silver and bronze. Not everyone knows that it was in the theater of N. D. Kasatkina and V. Yu. Vasilyov that such world celebrities as I. D. Mukhamedov, V. A. Malakhov, G. O. Stepanenko, S. V. Isaev began their activities , such great talents as A.V. Gorbatsevich, T.G. Paliy, M. Perkun-Bebezichi and many other laureates. All this speaks to the high level of the troupe and the fact that its leaders know how to nurture creative individuals and raise outstanding actors.
The work of N. D. Kasatkina and V. Yu. Vasilyov was awarded the USSR State Prize (1976) and the first prize of the All-Union Concert Competition (1969). A number of their performances have been filmed.
Their extensive and multifaceted activities deserve special and comprehensive research. In this essay, I wanted to note the main thing, thanks to which these talented people have written a significant page in the development of national culture.
Vasiliev
On August 26, 1958, Vladimir Vasiliev was accepted into the ballet troupe of the Bolshoi Theater. He graduated from the school as a demi-character dancer and did not even think about dancing the classics. And initially in the theater he really had characteristic roles: a gypsy dance in the opera “Rusalka”, a Lezginka in the opera “Demon”, Pan in the choreographic scene “Walpurgis Night” - the first big solo role. However, there was something about the young dancer that attracted the attention of the great Galina Ulanova, and she invited him to be her partner in the classical ballet Chopiniana. Galina Sergeevna will become Vasiliev’s friend, teacher and tutor for many years and will have a huge influence on the artist’s professional and spiritual formation.
Choreographer Yuri Nikolaevich Grigorovich, who had just joined the theater, also believed in his talent. He offered
The 18-year-old college graduate played the central role in his production of the ballet S.S. Prokofiev's "Stone Flower", in which Vasiliev immediately won the love and recognition of viewers and critics. Other main roles of the modern and classical repertoire followed: Prince (Cinderella, 1959), Andrei (Pages of Life, 1961), Basil (Don Quixote, 1962), Paganini (Paganini, 1962), Frondoso ( Laurencia”, 1963), Albert (“Giselle”, 1964), Romeo (“Romeo and Juliet”, 1973).
The choreographers not only offered Vasiliev the main roles, but also choreographed them especially for him. He was the first performer of the solo part in “Dance Suite” (staged by A.A. Varlamov, 1959), the part of Ivanushka in R.K. Shchedrin’s ballet “The Little Humpbacked Horse” (staged by A.I. Radunsky, 1960), Rab in “ Spartak" by A.I. Khachaturian (staged by L.V. Yakobson, 1960, 1962), Lukash in "Forest Song" by G.L. Zhukovsky (staged by O.G. Tarasova and A.A. Lapauri, 1961), Soloist in “Class Concert” (staged by A.M. Messerer, 1963), Petrushka in the ballet by I.F. Stravinsky's "Petrushka" (staged by K.F. Boyarsky after M.M. Fokin, 1964), performed by Batyr in "Shural" by F.Z. Yarullina. In each new work, Vasiliev refuted the established opinion about his capabilities as an artist and dancer, proving that he is truly an “exception to the rule,” a person capable of embodying any image on stage - the classical ballet Prince, the hot Spaniard Basil, the Russian Ivanushka, and a madly in love eastern youth, and a powerful people's leader, and a bloody despot king. Both critics and his artistic colleagues spoke about this repeatedly. The legendary M. Liepa, People's Artist of the USSR, premier of the Bolshoi Theater, made the following statement: “Vasiliev is a brilliant exception to the rule! He has a phenomenal talent in technique and in acting, and in command of a dance phrase, and in musicality, and in the ability to transform, etc.” Here's what F.V. said. Lopukhov, patriarch of Russian ballet: “In terms of diversity, he cannot be compared with anyone... He is a tenor, a baritone, and, if you want, a bass.” The great Russian choreographer Kasyan Yaroslavich Goleizovsky singled out Vasiliev from all the dancers he had ever seen, calling him “a real genius of dance.” Back in 1960, Goleizovsky created especially for him the concert numbers “Narcissus” and “Fantasy” (for Vasiliev and E.S. Maksimova) and in 1964 - the part of Majnun in the ballet by S.A. Balasanyan "Leyla and Majnun".
Almost all the performances of the best period of Yu.N. Grigorovich is also associated with the name of Vladimir Vasiliev, who was the first performer of the central roles in his productions: The Nutcracker (1966), The Blue Bird (1963) and Prince Désiré (1973) in the ballets of P.I. Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker" and "The Sleeping Beauty"; the famous Spartacus in the ballet of the same name by A.I. Khachaturian (1968; for this role Vasiliev was awarded the Lenin Prize and the Lenin Komsomol Prize), Ivan the Terrible in the ballet of the same name to the music of S.S. Prokofiev (1975, second premiere), Sergei in “The Hangar” by A.Ya. Eshpaya (1976; State Prize). However, gradually a serious difference in creative positions emerged between V. Vasiliev and Yu. Grigorovich, which developed into a conflict, as a result of which in 1988 V. Vasiliev, E. Maksimova, as well as a number of other leading soloists, were forced to part with the Bolshoi Theater.
During his creative career, Vasiliev performed abroad a lot and with great success - at the Grand Opera, La Scala, Metropolitan Opera, Covent Garden, Rome Opera, Teatro Colon, etc. d. The phenomenon of Vladimir Vasiliev has always attracted outstanding figures of foreign theater: Maurice Bejart staged his version of I.F.’s ballet especially for him. Stravinsky "Petrushka" (20th Century Ballet, Brussels, 1977). Later, at concerts, Vasiliev, together with Maksimova, repeatedly performed a fragment from his ballet “Romeo and Julia” to the music of G. Berlioz. In 1982, Franco Zeffirelli invited him and Ekaterina Maksimova to participate in the filming of the opera film La Traviata (Spanish dance - production and performance). In 1987, Vasiliev performed as Professor Unrath in Roland Petit's production of The Blue Angel to the music of M. Constant (Marseille Ballet). 1988 was marked by the first performance of the main role of Zorba in Lorca Massine’s production of “Zorba the Greek” to the music of M. Theodorakis (Arena di Verona), as well as the first performance of the main roles of Leonide Massine’s one-act ballets “Pulcinella” by I.F. Stravinsky (Pulcinella) and “Parisian Gay” to the music of J. Offenbach (Baron) in the revival of Lorca Massine at the San Carlo Theater (Naples). In 1989, Beppe Menegatti staged the play “Nijinsky” with Vasiliev in the title role (Teatro San Carlo). Vasiliev’s performances (and later his ballets) always aroused special attention from the public - the French called him “the god of dance”, the Italians carried him in their arms, in Argentina after the premiere of his production to the music of Argentine composers “Fragments of a Biography” he simply became a national hero and an honorary a citizen of Buenos Aires, the Americans named him an honorary citizen of the city of Tucson, etc.
In addition to Ekaterina Maximova, Vladimir Vasiliev’s constant partner, whom he always called his Muse, such famous ballerinas as Galina Ulanova, Maya Plisetskaya, Olga Lepeshinskaya, Raisa Struchkova, Marina Kondratyeva, Nina Timofeeva, Natalya Bessmertnova, Irina Kolpakova, Lyudmila danced with him Semenyaka, Alicia Alonso and Josefina Mendez (Cuba), Dominique Calfuni and Noel Pontois (France), Liliana Cosi and Carla Fracci (Italy), Rita Pulvoord (Belgium), Zsuzsa Kun (Hungary), etc.
The dancer's incredible virtuosity, plastic expressiveness, exceptional musicality, dramatic talent, depth of thought and enormous power of emotional impact have revealed a new type of modern ballet dancer, for whom there are neither technical difficulties nor limitations of role or plot. The standards of performance mastery declared by Vasiliev in many ways remain unattainable to this day - for example, the Grand Prix of the International Ballet Competition, which he won in 1964, was never awarded to anyone else at subsequent competitions. Fyodor Vasilyevich Lopukhov wrote: “... When I say the word “god” in relation to Vasiliev... I mean a miracle in art, perfection.” Vasiliev is rightfully considered a transformer of male dance, an innovator with whom his highest achievements are associated. It is natural that at the end of the 20th century, according to a survey of leading experts in the world, it was Vladimir Vasiliev who was recognized as “Dancer of the 20th century.
Moscow classical ballet- this is the name by which the group, which is now called the State Academic Classical Ballet Theater, is known all over the world. The ballet troupe was formed in 1966 with the assistance of the USSR Ministry of Culture, and was headed by the famous Igor Moiseev. The repertoire then included fragments from classical ballets and choreographic miniatures staged by Goleizovsky, Messerer and Moiseev himself. In 1977, Igor Moiseev handed over the artistic direction to Vladimir Vasilyev, a student of Asaf Messerer, and Natalia Kasatkina, a student of Marina Semyonova, became the main choreographer. The arrival of new leaders fundamentally changed the creative direction of the troupe, which turned from a concert group into a ballet theater.
The Classical Ballet Theater under the direction of Natalia Kasatkina and Vladimir Vasilyov celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2006. 2007 marked the 30th anniversary of the artistic direction of the theater by Natalia Kasatkina and Vladimir Vasilyov - directors of modern performances and restorers of classics - creators of the only author's ballet theater in Moscow.
People's Artists of Russia, State Prize laureates - Natalia Kasatkina and Vladimir Vasilyov created 3 ballets and 1 opera at the Bolshoi Theater, 2 ballets and 2 operas at the Mariinsky Theater and 23 ballets at their State Academic Theatre, not counting productions on other Russian and foreign stages. The ballet “The Creation of the World,” created at the Mariinsky Theater, was staged in more than 60 theaters around the world. The last two premieres took place in the United States in 2003 and 2004. The original ballet of choreographers Natalia Kasatkina and Vladimir Vasilyov made a significant contribution to the development of such a direction as “Classic to day” - a classic in a modern interpretation - in world ballet art. Today, many theaters stage performances with great success with their choreography, direction and libretto.
“All genres except boring!” - this is the motto of the Classical Ballet Theater, therefore, a feature of the production of each work in the theater is the desire to make any story understandable and interesting to people of all ages, nationalities and confessions.
The company's repertoire includes all ballets by P. I. Tchaikovsky, "Cinderella" and "Romeo and Juliet" by S. Prokofiev, "Don Quixote" by L. Minkus, "Giselle" by A. Adam, "The Rite of Spring", "The Fairy's Kiss" and “The Firebird” by I. Stravinsky, “The Wonderful Mandarin” by B. Bartok, “Spartacus” by A. Khachaturian, “The Creation of the World” and “Pushkin” by A. Petrov and others, - in total more than 20 ballets, - classical and modern, various styles and trends. Among the Theater's promising projects for the near future is the production of ballets by Andrei and Olga Petrov - the folk festival "Lysistrata" based on the comedy of the same name by Aristophanes and "The Tempest" based on Shakespeare with music by Jean Sibelius. Premiere in 2008 - the ballet “Mowgli” to the music of Alex Pryer, a 14-year-old composer from London.
The “factory of ballet stars” is often called the Classical Ballet Theater. It was here that the discovery and formation of artists who received worldwide recognition took place. Among them are Irek Mukhamedov (now a soloist of the Covent Garden Theater), Galina Stepanenko (principal dancer of the Bolshoi Theater), Vladimir Malakhov (artistic director and leading dancer of the ballet troupe of the German State Opera in Berlin, leading dancer of the American Ballet Theater, leading guest performer in Vienna State Opera). Kasatkina and Vasiliev have a special vision of the original talent of the artists, and under their leadership the theater has raised a new galaxy of world-class classical ballet stars. Among the soloists who have been trained by the theater are 2 Grand Prix winners and 19 gold medalists of international competitions, 5 laureates and 2 Grand Prix winners of the Paris Academy of Dance, as well as holders of many other titles and awards at prestigious ballet competitions.
For thirty years, Natalia Kasatkina and Vladimir Vasilyov have led one of the most famous ballet companies in the world and continue to create new performances and open new names to the world.
Ballet in 3 acts, 4 scenes.
Libretto by V. Begichev, V. Geltser.
Choreography by M. Petipa, L. Ivanov, A. Gorsky, A. Messerer, N. Kasatkina, V. Vasilyov.
The production was edited by N. Kasatkina and V. Vasilyov.
Artist: T. Goodchild (Great Britain).
The costumes were made under the direction of K. Baker (Great Britain).
The performance premiered in the summer of 1988 during a tour of the State Academic Classical Ballet Theater in Great Britain. This is the first joint Russian-English production in the history of Russian ballet. Choreographic editing and performance were carried out by the Russian side - the State Academic Theater of Classical Ballet.
The stage design, scenery, and costumes were made by the English side. The performance designer is one of the most famous British set designers, Tim Goodchild. Costumes were made under the direction of Kim Baker.
The main roles in the premiere performance were performed by Vera Timashova and the brilliant Vladimir Malakhov.
Tchaikovsky's first ballet “Swan Lake” (op. 1876) tells about the struggle for love and happiness against dark forces, about love as the highest manifestation of humanity. This theme, which runs through all of Tchaikovsky’s work, is developed in all of his ballets.
According to the composer's original plan, the ballet ended with a tragic ending with the death of the main characters. However, this idea was not realized in subsequent productions. The version of “Swan Lake” offered to the public follows exactly this author’s plan.
In the first production of Swan Lake (1877, Moscow Bolshoi Theater, choreographer V. Reisinger), the innovation of music remained undiscovered. The combination of symphonism and effectiveness inherent in it was embodied only in the production of Lev Ivanov and Marius Petipa (1885, Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg), where for the first time the plastic leitmotif of the swans theme (“floating arabesque”), the contrasting opposition of fantasy and everyday life were found, and symphonic dances of swans, a nationally characteristic suite, etc. This production became the basis for all subsequent versions of Swan Lake, including the famous performance by choreographer Alexander Gorsky at the Bolshoi Theater in 1901.
More than thirty years ago, Great Britain applauded the Bolshoi Theater's production of Swan Lake, a play whose version in Russia is called the "old Moscow Swan" (choreography by Marius Petipa, Lev Ivanov, Alexander Gorsky, Asaf Messerer). This, already almost forgotten, version of “Swan Lake” formed the basis for the version that is offered to the public by the State Academic Theater of Classical Ballet. Many wonderful “pieces” of the old version of “Swan Lake” have been carefully restored, and Marius Petipa’s original plans for the first scene of the ballet have also been restored. And those fragments that were composed anew sensitively and carefully convey the style of the famous performance.
When staging the play, Natalia Kasatkina and Vladimir Vasilev consulted with Nikolai Fadeechev, one of the most famous Princes of the Bolshoi Theater, with the famous Marina Semenova, with Asaf Messerer.
Russian ballet critic Elena Lutskaya called this work by the directors “a lesson in modern attitudes towards the classical heritage.”
The play was successfully shown on stages in the USA, Turkey, Japan, France, and Italy.
“The troupe brought an amazing production of Swan Lake,” wrote the American press, “this is a richly designed performance, performed with great freshness. The public saw a ballet of special lightness and delicacy.”
The performance is accompanied by the orchestra of the Novaya Opera Theater. E.V. Kolobova.
Duration: 2 hours (with intermission).