The history of the Bolshoi Theater, which is celebrating its 225th anniversary, is as majestic as it is complicated. From it you can equally well create an apocrypha and an adventure novel. The theater burned down several times, was restored, rebuilt, its troupe merged and separated.
Twice Born (1776-1856)
The history of the Bolshoi Theater, which is celebrating its 225th anniversary, is as majestic as it is complicated. From it you can equally well create an apocrypha and an adventure novel. The theater burned down several times, was restored, rebuilt, its troupe merged and separated. And even the Bolshoi Theater has two dates of birth. Therefore, his centenary and bicentennial anniversaries will be separated not by a century, but by only 51 years. Why? Initially your years Bolshoi Theater counted from the day when a magnificent eight-column theater with the chariot of the god Apollo above the portico appeared on Theater Square - the Bolshoi Petrovsky Theater, the construction of which was a real event for Moscow at the beginning of the 19th century. A beautiful building in a classical style, decorated inside in red and gold tones, according to contemporaries, it was the best theater in Europe and second only to Milan’s La Scala in scale. Its opening took place on January 6 (18), 1825. In honor of this event, the prologue “The Triumph of the Muses” by M. Dmitriev with music by A. Alyabiev and A. Verstovsky was given. It allegorically depicted how the Genius of Russia, with the help of the muses, on the ruins of the Medox Theater creates a new beautiful art - the Bolshoi Petrovsky Theater.
However, the troupe, whose forces performed the Triumph of the Muses, which caused universal admiration, had already existed for half a century by that time.
It was started by the provincial prosecutor, Prince Pyotr Vasilyevich Urusov, in 1772. On March 17 (28), 1776, the highest permission followed “to support him with all kinds of theatrical performances, as well as concerts, vauxhalls and masquerades, and besides him, no one should be allowed any such entertainment at all times appointed by privilege, so that he would not be undermined.”
Three years later, he petitioned Empress Catherine II for a ten-year privilege to maintain a Russian theater in Moscow, accepting the obligation to build a permanent theater for the troupe. theater building. Alas, the first Russian theater in Moscow on Bolshaya Petrovskaya Street burned down even before it opened. This led to the decline of the prince's affairs. He handed over the affairs to his companion, the Englishman Mikhail Medox - an active and enterprising man. It was thanks to him that in the wasteland regularly flooded by Neglinka, despite all the fires and wars, the theater grew, which over time lost its geographical prefix Petrovsky and remained in history simply as the Bolshoi.
And yet, the Bolshoi Theater begins its chronology on March 17 (28), 1776. Therefore, in 1951 the 175th anniversary was celebrated, in 1976 - the 200th anniversary, and ahead is the 225th anniversary of the Bolshoi Theater of Russia.
Bolshoi Theater in the mid-19th century
The symbolic name of the performance that opened the Bolshoi Petrovsky Theater in 1825, “The Triumph of the Muses,” predetermined its history over the next quarter of a century. The participation in the first performance of outstanding stage masters - Pavel Mochalov, Nikolai Lavrov and Angelica Catalani - set the highest performing level. Second quarter XIX century is the awareness of Russian art, and the Moscow theater in particular, of its national identity. The work of composers Alexei Verstovsky and Alexander Varlamov, who were at the head of the Bolshoi Theater for several decades, contributed to its extraordinary rise. Thanks to their artistic will, a Russian operatic repertoire emerged on the Moscow Imperial stage. It was based on Verstovsky’s operas “Pan Tvardovsky”, “Vadim, or the Twelve Sleeping Maidens”, “Askold’s Grave”, and the ballets “The Magic Drum” by Alyabyev, “The Fun of the Sultan, or the Slave Seller”, “Tom Thumb” by Varlamov.
The ballet repertoire was not inferior to the operatic repertoire in richness and variety. The head of the troupe, Adam Glushkovsky, a graduate of the St. Petersburg ballet school, a student of C. Didelot, who headed the Moscow ballet even before the Patriotic War of 1812, created original performances: “Ruslan and Lyudmila, or the Overthrow of Chernomor, evil wizard", "Three Belts, or the Russian Cendrillon", "The Black Shawl, or Punished Infidelity", brought Didelot's best performances to the Moscow stage. They showed the excellent training of the corps de ballet, the foundations of which were laid by the choreographer himself, who was also at the head of the ballet school. The main roles in the performances were performed by Glushkovsky himself and his wife Tatyana Ivanovna Glushkovskaya, as well as the Frenchwoman Felicata Gyullen-Sor.
The main event in the activities of the Moscow Bolshoi Theater in the first half of the last century were the premieres of two operas by Mikhail Glinka. Both of them were first staged in St. Petersburg. Despite the fact that it was already possible to get from one Russian capital to another by train, Muscovites had to wait several years for new products. “A Life for the Tsar” was first performed at the Bolshoi Theater on September 7 (19), 1842. “...How can I express the surprise of true music lovers when, from the first act, they were convinced that this opera resolved an issue that was important for art in general and for Russian art in particular, namely: the existence of Russian opera, Russian music... With Glinka’s opera is something that has long been sought and not found in Europe, a new element in art, and a new period begins in its history - the period of Russian music. Such a feat, let’s say, hand on heart, is a matter not only of talent, but of genius!” - exclaimed the outstanding writer, one of the founders of Russian musicology V. Odoevsky.
Four years later, the first performance of “Ruslan and Lyudmila” took place. But both of Glinka’s operas, despite favorable reviews from critics, did not last long in the repertoire. Even the participation in the performances of guest performers - Osip Petrov and Ekaterina Semenova, who were temporarily forced out of St. Petersburg by Italian singers, did not save them. But decades later, it was “A Life for the Tsar” and “Ruslan and Lyudmila” that became the favorite performances of the Russian public; they were destined to defeat the Italian opera mania that arose in the middle of the century. And according to tradition, the Bolshoi Theater opened each theater season with one of Glinka’s operas.
On ballet stage By the middle of the century, performances on Russian themes, created by Isaac Abletz and Adam Glushkovsky, were also supplanted. Western romanticism ruled the roost. “La Sylphide,” “Giselle,” and “Esmeralda” appeared in Moscow almost immediately after their European premieres. Taglioni and Elsler drove Muscovites crazy. But the Russian spirit continued to live in the Moscow ballet. Not a single guest performer could outshine Ekaterina Bankskaya, who performed in the same performances as visiting celebrities.
In order to accumulate strength before the next upsurge, the Bolshoi Theater had to endure many shocks. And the first of these was the fire that destroyed the Osip Bove Theater in 1853. All that was left of the building was a charred shell. The scenery, costumes, rare instruments, and music library were destroyed.
In the competition for best project The restoration of the theater was won by the architect Albert Kavos. In May 1855, construction work began, which was completed after 16 (!) months. In August 1856, the new theater opened with V. Bellini’s opera “The Puritans”. And there was something symbolic in the fact that it opened with Italian opera. The actual tenant of the Bolshoi Theater soon after its opening was the Italian Merelli, who brought a very strong Italian troupe to Moscow. The public, with the delight of converts, preferred Italian opera to Russian. All of Moscow flocked to listen to Desiree Artaud, Pauline Viardot, Adeline Patti and other Italian opera idols. The auditorium at these performances was always crowded.
The Russian troupe had only three days a week left - two for ballet and one for opera. Russian opera, which had no material support and was abandoned by the public, was a sad sight.
And yet, despite any difficulties, the Russian operatic repertoire is steadily expanding: in 1858 “Rusalka” by A. Dargomyzhsky was presented, two operas by A. Serov - “Judith” (1865) and “Rogneda” (1868) - were staged for the first time. , “Ruslan and Lyudmila” by M. Glinka is resumed. A year later, P. Tchaikovsky made his debut on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater with the opera “The Voevoda”.
A turning point in public tastes occurred in the 1870s. Russian operas appear one after another in the Bolshoi Theater: “The Demon” by A. Rubinstein (1879), “Eugene Onegin” by P. Tchaikovsky (1881), “Boris Godunov” by M. Mussorgsky (1888), “ Queen of Spades"(1891) and "Iolanta" (1893) by P. Tchaikovsky, "The Snow Maiden" by N. Rimsky-Korsakov (1893), "Prince Igor" by A. Borodin (1898). Following the only Russian prima donna Ekaterina Semenova, a whole galaxy of outstanding singers appear on the Moscow stage. These are Alexandra Alexandrova-Kochetova, and Emilia Pavlovskaya, and Pavel Khokhlov. And it is they, and not the Italian singers, who become the favorites of the Moscow public. In the 70s, the owner of the most beautiful contralto, Eulalia Kadmina, enjoyed special affection from the audience. “Perhaps the Russian public has never known, either earlier or later, such a unique performer, full of real tragic power,” they wrote about her. M. Eikhenwald was called the unsurpassed Snow Maiden, the idol of the public was the baritone P. Khokhlov, whom Tchaikovsky highly valued.
In the middle of the century, the Bolshoi Theater ballet featured Marfa Muravyova, Praskovya Lebedeva, Nadezhda Bogdanova, Anna Sobeshchanskaya, and in their articles about Bogdanova, journalists emphasized “the superiority of the Russian ballerina over European celebrities.”
However, after their departure from the stage, the Bolshoi Ballet found itself in a difficult situation. Unlike St. Petersburg, where the single artistic will of the choreographer dominated, ballet Moscow in the second half of the century was left without a talented leader. The visits of A. Saint-Leon and M. Petipa (who staged Don Quixote at the Bolshoi Theater in 1869, and debuted in Moscow before the fire, in 1848) were short-lived. The repertoire was filled with random one-day performances (the exception was Sergei Sokolov’s Fernnik, or Midsummer Night, which lasted a long time in the repertoire). Even the production of “Swan Lake” (choreographer Wenzel Reisinger) by P. Tchaikovsky, who created his first ballet specifically for the Bolshoi Theater, ended in failure. Each new premiere only irritated the public and the press. The auditorium at ballet performances, which in the middle of the century provided a substantial income, began to be empty. In the 1880s, the question of liquidating the troupe was seriously raised.
And yet, thanks to such outstanding masters as Lydia Gaten and Vasily Geltser, the Bolshoi Theater ballet was preserved.
On the eve of the new century XX
Approaching the turn of the century, the Bolshoi Theater lived a turbulent life. At this time, Russian art was approaching one of the peaks of its heyday. Moscow was at the center of a vibrant artistic life. A stone's throw from Theater Square, the Moscow Public Art Theater opened, the whole city was eager to see performances of the Mamontov Russian Private Opera and symphonic meetings of the Russian Musical Society. Not wanting to lag behind and lose viewers, the Bolshoi Theater quickly made up for lost time in previous decades, ambitiously wanting to fit into the Russian cultural process.
This was facilitated by two experienced musicians who came to the theater at that time. Hippolyte Altani led the orchestra, Ulrich Avranek led the choir. The professionalism of these groups, which had grown significantly not only quantitatively (each had about 120 musicians), but also qualitatively, invariably aroused admiration. They shone in the Bolshoi Theater opera troupe outstanding masters: Pavel Khokhlov, Elizaveta Lavrovskaya, Bogomir Korsov continued their careers, Maria Deisha-Sionitskaya came from St. Petersburg, Lavrenty Donskoy, a native of Kostroma peasants, became the leading tenor, Margarita Eikhenwald was just starting her career.
This made it possible to include virtually all the world classics in the repertoire - operas by G. Verdi, V. Bellini, G. Donizetti, C. Gounod, J. Meyerbeer, L. Delibes, R. Wagner. New works by P. Tchaikovsky regularly appeared on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater. With difficulty, but still, the composers of the New Russian School made their way: in 1888 the premiere of “Boris Godunov” by M. Mussorgsky took place, in 1892 - “The Snow Maiden”, in 1898 - “The Night Before Christmas” by N. Rimsky - Korsakov.
In the same year, A. Borodin’s “Prince Igor” appeared on the Moscow Imperial stage. This revived interest in the Bolshoi Theater and contributed to no small extent to the fact that by the end of the century singers joined the troupe, thanks to whom the Bolshoi Theater opera reached enormous heights in the next century. The Bolshoi Theater ballet also reached the end of the 19th century in excellent professional form. The Moscow Theater School worked without interruption, producing well-trained dancers. Caustic feuilleton reviews, such as the one posted in 1867: “What are the corps de ballet sylphs like now?.. all so plump, as if they deigned to eat pancakes, and their legs are dragging as they please” - have become irrelevant. The brilliant Lydia Gaten, who had no rivals for two decades and carried the entire ballerina repertoire on her shoulders, was replaced by several world-class ballerinas. One after another, Adelina Jury, Lyubov Roslavleva, and Ekaterina Geltser made their debuts. Vasily Tikhomirov was transferred from St. Petersburg to Moscow, becoming the premier of the Moscow ballet for many years. True, unlike the masters opera troupe, until their talents had no worthy application: the secondary, meaningless extravaganza ballets of Jose Mendes reigned on the stage.
It is symbolic that in 1899, with the transfer of Marius Petipa’s ballet “The Sleeping Beauty”, choreographer Alexander Gorsky, whose name is associated with the flourishing of Moscow ballet in the first quarter of the 20th century, made his debut on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater.
In 1899, Fyodor Chaliapin joined the troupe.
A new era was beginning at the Bolshoi Theater, which coincided with the advent of a new XX century
It's 1917
By the beginning of 1917, nothing foreshadowed revolutionary events at the Bolshoi Theater. True, there were already some self-government bodies, for example, the corporation of orchestra artists, headed by the accompanist of the 2-violin group, Y. K. Korolev. Thanks to the active actions of the corporation, the orchestra received the right to organize symphony concerts at the Bolshoi Theater. The last of them took place on January 7, 1917 and was dedicated to the work of S. Rachmaninov. The author conducted. "The Cliff", "Island of the Dead" and "Bells" were performed. The Bolshoi Theater choir and soloists - E. Stepanova, A. Labinsky and S. Migai - took part in the concert.
On February 10, the theater showed the premiere of “Don Carlos” by G. Verdi, which became the first production of this opera on the Russian stage.
After the February Revolution and the overthrow of the autocracy, the management of the St. Petersburg and Moscow theaters remained common and was concentrated in the hands of their former director V. A. Telyakovsky. On March 6, by order of the commissioner of the temporary committee of the State Duma N. N. Lvov, A. I. Yuzhin was appointed authorized commissioner for the management of Moscow theaters (Bolshoi and Maly). On March 8, at a meeting of all employees of the former imperial theaters - musicians, opera soloists, ballet dancers, stage workers - L.V. Sobinov was unanimously elected manager of the Bolshoi Theater, and this election was approved by the Ministry of the Provisional Government. On March 12, the search arrived; artistic part from the economic and service parts, and L. V. Sobinov headed the actual artistic part of the Bolshoi Theater.
It must be said that “Soloist of His Majesty”, “Soloist of the Imperial Theaters” L. Sobinov back in 1915 broke the contract with the Imperial Theaters, unable to fulfill all the whims of the management, and performed either in performances of the Musical Drama Theater in Petrograd, or in Zimin Theater in Moscow. When the February Revolution took place, Sobinov returned to the Bolshoi Theater.
On March 13, the first “free gala performance” took place at the Bolshoi Theater. Before it began, L.V. Sobinov made a speech:
Citizens and citizens! With today's performance, our pride, the Bolshoi Theater, opens the first page of its new free life. Bright minds and pure, warm hearts united under the banner of art. Art sometimes inspired fighters of ideas and gave them wings! The same art, when the storm that made the whole world tremble subsides, will glorify and sing folk heroes. From their immortal feat it will draw bright inspiration and endless strength. And then the two best gifts of the human spirit - art and freedom - will merge into a single powerful stream. And our Bolshoi Theater, this marvelous temple of art, will become a temple of freedom in its new life.
March 31 L. Sobinov is appointed commissioner of the Bolshoi Theater and Theater School. His activities are aimed at combating the tendencies of the former management of the Imperial Theaters to interfere with the work of the Bolshoi. It comes to a strike. In protest against the encroachments on the theater's autonomy, the troupe suspended the performance of the play "Prince Igor" and asked the Moscow Council of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies to support the demands of the theater staff. The next day, a delegation was sent from the Moscow Soviet to the theater, welcoming the Bolshoi Theater in the fight for its rights. There is a document confirming the respect of the theater staff for L. Sobinov: “The Corporation of Artists, having elected you as director, as the best and staunch defender and exponent of the interests of art, convincingly asks you to accept this election and notify you of your consent.”
In order No. 1 of April 6, L. Sobinov addressed the team with the following appeal: “I make a special request to my comrades, opera, ballet, orchestra and choir artists, to all production, artistic, technical and service personnel, artistic, pedagogical the staff and members of the Theater School to make every effort to successfully complete the theater season and academic year of the school and to prepare, on the basis of mutual trust and comradely unity, for the upcoming work in the next theater year.”
In the same season, on April 29, the 20th anniversary of L. Sobinov’s debut at the Bolshoi Theater was celebrated. The opera “The Pearl Fishers” by J. Bizet was performed. The comrades on stage warmly welcomed the hero of the day. Without taking off his make-up, in Nadir’s costume, Leonid Vitalievich delivered a response speech.
“Citizens, citizens, soldiers! I thank you with all my heart for your greeting and I thank you not on my own behalf, but on behalf of the entire Bolshoi Theater, to which you provided such moral support in difficult times.
In the difficult days of the birth of Russian freedom, our theater, which until then had represented an unorganized collection of people who “served” at the Bolshoi Theater, merged into a single whole and based its future on an elective basis as a self-governing unit.
This elective principle saved us from destruction and breathed into us the breath of new life.
It would seem to live and be happy. The representative of the Provisional Government, appointed to liquidate the affairs of the Ministry of the Court and Appanages, met us halfway - he welcomed our work and, at the request of the entire troupe, gave me, the elected manager, the rights of a commissar and director of the theater.
Our autonomy did not interfere with the idea of uniting all state theaters in the interests of the state. For this, a person of authority was needed and close to the theater. Such a person was found. It was Vladimir Ivanovich Nemirovich-Danchenko.
This name is familiar and dear to Moscow: it would have united everyone, but... he refused.
Other people came, very respectable, respected, but alien to the theater. They came with the confidence that it would be people outside the theater who would give reforms and new beginnings.
Less than three days passed before attempts to end our self-government began.
Our elected offices have been postponed, and we are promised one of these days a new regulation on the management of theaters. We still don’t know who and when it was developed.
The telegram vaguely says that it meets the wishes of theater workers, which ones we do not know. We did not participate, were not invited, but we know that the recently thrown off orders are again trying to confuse us, again the discretion of the order argues with the will of the organized whole, and the quieted orderly rank raises its voice, accustomed to shouts.
I could not take responsibility for such reforms and resigned as director.
But as an elected theater manager, I protest against the capture of the fate of our theater in irresponsible hands.
And we, our entire community, are now turning to representatives public organizations and the Soviets of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies to support the Bolshoi Theater and not give it to Petrograd reformers for administrative experiments.
Let them take care of the stable department, the appanage winemaking, and the card factory, but they will leave the theater alone.”
Some provisions of this speech require clarification.
A new regulation on the management of theaters was issued on May 7, 1917 and provided for separate management of the Maly and Bolshoi theaters, and Sobinov was called a commissioner for the Bolshoi Theater and the Theater School, and not a commissioner, i.e., in fact, a director, according to the order of March 31.
When mentioning the telegram, Sobinov means the telegram he received from the Commissioner of the Provisional Government for the department of the former. courtyard and estates (this included the stable department, winemaking, and card factory) of F.A. Golovin.
And here is the text of the telegram itself: “I am very sorry that due to a misunderstanding you resigned. I urge you to continue working until the matter is clarified. One of these days there will be a new one general position about the management of theaters, known to Yuzhin, meeting the wishes of theater workers. Commissioner Golovin."
However, L.V. Sobinov does not cease to direct the Bolshoi Theater and works in contact with the Moscow Council of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies. On May 1, 1917, he himself took part in a performance in favor of the Moscow Council at the Bolshoi Theater and performed excerpts from Eugene Onegin.
Already on the eve of the October Revolution, October 9, 1917, the Political Directorate of the War Ministry sent the following letter: “To the Commissioner of the Moscow Bolshoi Theater L.V. Sobinov.
According to the petition of the Moscow Council of Workers' Deputies, you are appointed commissar over the theater of the Moscow Council of Workers' Deputies ( former theater Zimina)".
After the October Revolution, E.K. Malinovskaya was placed at the head of all Moscow theaters, who was considered the commissar of all theaters. L. Sobinov remained as director of the Bolshoi Theater, and an (elected) council was created to help him.
It is generally accepted that the Bolshoi Theater was founded in March 1776, when famous philanthropist, the Moscow prosecutor Prince Pyotr Urusov received the highest permission to “contain ... theatrical performances of all kinds.” Urusov and his companion Mikhail Medox created the first permanent troupe in Moscow.
Initially, the theater did not have its own building and most often gave performances in Vorontsov’s house on Znamenka. But already in 1780, according to the design of H. Rosberg, at the expense of Medox, a special stone building was built on the site of the modern Bolshoi Theater. Based on the name of the street on which the theater was located, it became known as “Petrovsky”.
The repertoire of this first professional theater in Moscow included drama, opera and ballet performances. Operas received special attention, so the Petrovsky Theater was more often called the “Opera House”.
In 1805, the building burned down, and until 1825, performances were again staged at different venues.
In the 1820s, the square in front of the former Petrovsky Theater was reconstructed. According to the architect's plan, a whole classical ensemble appeared here, the dominant feature of which was the building of the Bolshoi Theater (1824). It partially included the walls of the burnt Petrovsky Theater.
An eight-column building in a classical style with the chariot of the god Apollo above the portico, decorated inside in red and gold tones, according to contemporaries, was the best theater in Europe and in scale was second only to La Scala in Milan. It opened on January 6 (18), 1825.
But this theater also suffered the same fate as its predecessor: on March 11, 1853, for an unknown reason, a fire started in the theater. Costumes, scenery, the troupe's archive, part of the music library, rare musical instruments were destroyed, and the building itself was damaged.
Its restoration was led by Albert Kavos. He took the volumetric-spatial structure of Beauvais as a basis, but increased the height of the building, changed the proportions and redesigned the decor; cast-iron galleries with lamps appeared on the sides. Kavos changed the shape and size of the main auditorium, which began to accommodate up to 3 thousand people. The alabaster group of Apollo, which decorated the Beauvais Theater, was destroyed in a fire. To create a new one, Kavos invited the famous Russian sculptor Pyotr Klodt, the author of the famous equestrian groups on the Anichkov Bridge over the Fontanka River in St. Petersburg. Klodt created the now world-famous sculptural group with Apollo.
The new Bolshoi Theater was built in 16 months and opened on August 20, 1856 for the coronation of Alexander II.
The theater existed in this form until the end of the twentieth century. In 2005, the largest and most controversial restoration and reconstruction of the Bolshoi Theater began. The deadline for its completion was repeatedly shifted, during the work the owner of the general contractor changed, a criminal case was opened for embezzlement, the restoration project was revised, and the costs exceeded the original estimate many times over. The renovated Bolshoi Theater opened on October 11, 2011.
One of the most famous and great theaters with a rich history. Even its name speaks for itself. There are several deep meanings hidden here. First of all, the Bolshoi Theater is a collection of famous names, a whole constellation of magnificent composers, performers, dancers, artists, directors, a vast gallery of brilliant performances. And also by the word “Big” we mean “significant” and “colossal”, a grandiose phenomenon in the history of art, not only domestic, but also world. Not only for years and decades, but for centuries, invaluable experience has been accumulated here, passed on from generation to generation.
There is practically not a single evening when the huge hall of the Bolshoi Theater is not filled with hundreds of spectators, the stage lights are not on, and the curtain is not flying up. What makes fans and connoisseurs musical art strive here from all over the country and all over the earth? Of course, the spirit of originality of the Russian theater, its strength, brightness and depth, which are felt by every person who has at least once crossed the famous threshold of the Bolshoi Theater. Spectators come here to admire the luxurious, elegant and noble interior, to enjoy the great repertoire that gained fame centuries ago and managed to carry and preserve it through the centuries. World-famous artists shone on this stage; this building has seen many Great (that’s right, with a capital G) People.
The Bolshoi Theater has always been famous for the continuity of its traditions. Past and future are closely intertwined within these walls. Modern artists adopt the experience of the classical heritage, rich in aesthetic values and imbued with high spirituality. In turn, famous productions of past years come to life and are filled with new colors thanks to the efforts of new generations of artists and directors, each of whom makes their own contribution to the development of the theater. Thus, the Bolshoi Theater does not stop for a minute in its creative growth and keeps pace with the times, without forgetting about preserving and enhancing the great creative heritage.
Over 700 opera and ballet performances were staged on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater - from 1825 to the present - performances written by both domestic and foreign composers. In total there are more than 80 names. Let's list just a few of them. These are Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov, Dargomyzhsky and Prokofiev, Shchedrin and Khrennikov; these are Verdi, Berlioz, Wagner, Beethoven, Britten and many, many others. And what can we say about the performances! One can only admire, because the repertoire history of the Bolshoi Theater contains over 140 operas, including “Rigoletto” and “La Traviata”, “Mazeppa” and “Eugene Onegin”, “Faust”... Many of these productions were born at the Bolshoi Theater and continue to this day remain in the repertoire, enjoying enormous success.
Did you know, for example, that great composer Did P.I. Tchaikovsky make his debut as the creator of music for opera and ballet at the Bolshoi Theater? His first opera was the play “The Voevoda” in 1869, and his first ballet was “ Swan Lake"in 1877. It was on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater that Tchaikovsky first picked up the baton and conducted the premiere production of the opera Cherevichki in 1887. The most famous operas Giuseppe Verdi's first show in Russia was also at the Bolshoi Theater - these were such performances as "Don Carlos", "Rigoletto" and "La Traviata", "Un ballo in maschera" and "Il Trovatore". It was here that the operatic works of Grechaninov, Cui, Arensky, Rubinstein, Verstovsky, Flotov, Thom, Beethoven and Wagner celebrated their “Russian” birth.
Opera performances of the Bolshoi Theater have always been, are and remain the focus of the most talented performers. Here such artists as the “Moscow Nightingale” Alexander Bantyshev, the first performer of the main repertoire roles Nadezhda Repina, the magnificent Nikolai Lavrov, distinguished by his unique gift of stage impersonation and extraordinary in a beautiful voice, Pavel Khokhlov, who went down in history opera art as the first Eugene Onegin of the professional opera stage, as well as best performer the role of the Demon in the history of the Russian opera theater. The soloists of the Bolshoi Theater were Fyodor Chaliapin, Antonina Nezhdanova and Leonid Sobinov, Ksenia Derzhinskaya and Nadezhda Obukhova, Elena Stepanova, Sergei Lemeshev, Valeria Barsova and Maria Maksakova... A whole galaxy of unique Russian basses (Petrov, Mikhailov, Pirogov, Reisen, Krivchenya), baritones ( Lisitsian, Ivanov), tenors (Kozlovsky, Khanaev, Nelepp) ... Yes, the Bolshoi Theater has something to be proud of, these great names are forever inscribed in history, and largely thanks to them our famous theater has become famous throughout the world.
Since ancient times, a genre such as opera was intended to be embodied in musical theaters, representing an example of the synthesis of dramatic and musical art. P.I. Tchaikovsky argued that opera has no meaning outside the stage. The creative process always represents the birth of something new. For musical art this means working in two directions. First of all, the theater takes part in the development of the art of opera, working on the creation and stage implementation of new works. On the other hand, the theater tirelessly resumes productions of operas - both classical and modern. A new opera performance is not just another reproduction of the score and text, it is a different reading, a different view of the opera, which depends on many factors. Such factors include the director’s worldview, his lifestyle, and the era in which the production will take place. An operatic work is characterized by both artistic and ideological reading. This reading dictates the specific style of performance. Giuseppe Verdi, the famous opera reformer, wrote that without a meaningful interpretation, the success of an opera is impossible; without a confident and “reverent” interpretation, even beautiful music cannot save an opera.
Why can the same opera be staged several times? different theaters, completely different directors? Because this is a classic that does not lose its relevance in any era, which for each new generation can turn out to be fruitful and rich creative material. The Bolshoi Theater, in turn, is famous for its interest in modern works opera art, reflecting the trends of the postmodern era. Modern composers are enriching the Bolshoi Theater's repertoire with new operas, many of which occupy a place of honor in the repertoire and deserve the love and respect of the public.
The stage embodiment of modern opera is not an easy job for the theater. After all, an opera performance, as we noted above, is a complex dramatic complex. There must be a strong and organic relationship between theater and music, unique for each interpretation. Opera houses often work with composers to help them complete and improve their works. An example for demonstrating the successful result of this kind of cooperation can be I. Dzerzhinsky’s opera “The Fate of Man,” staged at the Bolshoi Theater in 1961.
First, the composer brought his work for listening, and then he was asked to create new music for the images of the main characters - for example, for Zinka. The score, improved and finalized on the theater's recommendation, helped make this image more lively, vibrant, and deeper in meaning.
Often works modern composers encounter a wall of misunderstanding and prejudiced attitude on the part of musical theater workers. It should be noted that sometimes truly extravagant experiments do not benefit art. But there is not and cannot be a uniquely correct view of the process of opera development. For example, back in 1913, Sergei Prokofiev received advice from S. Diaghilev - not to write music for opera, but to turn exclusively to ballet. Diaghilev argued this by saying that opera is dying, but ballet, on the contrary, is blossoming. And what do we see almost a century later? That many of Prokofiev’s opera scores can compete in richness, melody, and beauty with the best classical works of this genre.
Not only the composer and librettist take part in the creation of an opera performance, but also the theater itself in which the performance will be staged. After all, it is on stage that opera receives its rebirth, acquires stage embodiment, and is filled with audience perception. The traditions of stage performance replace each other, constantly enriching themselves with each new era.
The main character of musical theater is an actor and singer. He creates a stage image, and depending on the interpretation of a particular performer, the viewer will perceive certain characters, learning the art of opera. Drama and music are closely related, the interpretation of the performer and the hero of the opera exist inextricably, the musical solution and stage action are inseparable from each other. Every opera artist is a creator, a creator.
Old performances are being replaced by new ones; the repertoire of the Bolshoi Theater is regularly replenished with new names of artists and new productions. And each such production embodies the next serious step of the great theater on its significant historical path. This path is filled with endless searches and grandiose achievements and victories. The Bolshoi Theater combines the greatness of the past, the progress of the present, and the achievements of the future. Modern generations of directors, actors, composers and librettists invariably help the Bolshoi Theater achieve new heights in art.
The history of the Bolshoi Theater is no less interesting and majestic than the productions that live on its stage. The theater building, the pride of our culture, is located not far from the Kremlin walls, in the very center of the capital. It is made in a classical style, its features and lines are striking in their monumentality and solemnity. Here you can see the white colonnade, as well as the famous quadriga decorating the pediment of the building. Everything here is large-scale and grandiose - from the forms of the architectural ensemble to the size of the team. The hall is made in a luxurious red color and decorated with gold, has five tiers, and is illuminated by a magnificent huge crystal chandelier. More than 2,000 spectators can watch the performance here at the same time! The stage is also impressive in size - 22 meters deep and 18 meters wide. During operas on an epic scale, the stage can accommodate up to 400 people without feeling cramped. The Bolshoi Theater staff consists of more than 2,000 employees - administration, technical staff, artistic workers and many other qualified specialists. Many opera and ballet performances appeared on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater, and since then, from the birth of the Bolshoi to the present day, over 1000 premieres have been shown here. And now you will find out how it all began...
So, let's go back to 1776. On May 17, the capital's provincial prosecutor P. Urusov was granted government privilege. It allowed the prosecutor to organize theatrical performances, masquerades and other entertainment events. Urusov needed a companion for work, and this companion was the Englishman M. Medox, passionately in love with theatrical art, an enterprising and intelligent person. May 17, 1776 is considered to be the birthday of the Moscow professional theater. Initially, the theater troupe consisted of only 13 actors, 9 actresses, 13 musicians, 4 dancers, 3 dancers and a choreographer. The group did not have its own premises; it was necessary to rent the house of Count Vorontsov, located on Znamenka, for performances.
The premiere performance took place in 1777 - it was D. Zorin’s opera “Rebirth”. Subsequently, the historian P. Arapov spoke about this production as follows: “On January 8, it was decided to give the first opera, an original one... it was composed of Russian songs. It's called "Rebirth". The management was very worried about the performance of the opera, and deliberately called the audience before the premiere to ask their permission. Despite excessive concerns, the performance was a great success."
Two years later, a new production was presented - comic opera“The miller is a sorcerer, a deceiver and a matchmaker.” A. Ablesimov acted as librettist, the music was composed by M. Sokolovsky. Contemporaries testified that the play was popular among the public and was “performed” many times and always to full houses. And not only the Russian public came with pleasure to watch and listen to this opera, but foreigners also paid attention. Perhaps this is the first Russian opera performance to gain such worldwide fame.
In the newspaper “Moskovskie Vedomosti” in 1780, on February 26, one could read an advertisement announcing the construction of its own building for the theater. For this purpose, a spacious stone house was chosen, located on Bolshaya Petrovskaya Street, near the Kuznetsky Bridge. The announcement also mentioned that the environment inside the theater was expected to be "the best of its kind." The partners purchased land for construction on the right bank of the Neglinka. It is quite difficult to imagine now that on the site of the Bolshoi Theater there was once a practically deserted area, periodically flooded by the river. Along the right bank of the river there was a road leading to the Kremlin from the Novopetrovsky Monastery. Gradually the road disappeared, and Petrovskaya Street with shopping arcades was built in its place. Wooden Moscow often burned, fires destroyed buildings, and new ones were built in place of burned houses. And even after the trading shops were replaced by stone buildings, fires continued to break out in these places from time to time... The theater building was erected very quickly - made of stone, three floors, plank roof. The construction took five months - and this is instead of the five years allotted in accordance with the government privilege. 130 thousand silver rubles were spent on construction. The building was erected by the German architect Christian Rosberg. This building could not be called beautiful, but its size truly amazed the imagination. The facade of the building faced Petrovskaya Street, and the theater received the name Petrovsky.
The theater's repertoire included ballet, opera, and dramatic performances, but most of all the public liked operas. Thanks to this, the Petrovsky Theater soon acquired a second, unofficial name: “Opera House”. In those days, the theater group was not yet divided into drama and opera artists - the same people appeared in ballet, opera, and drama. Interesting fact - Mikhail Shchepkin, accepted into the troupe of the Petrovsky Theater, started out as opera artist, took part in the productions “A Rare Thing” and “Misfortune from the Coach”. In 1822, he performed the role of Vodovoz in the opera of the same name by L. Cherubini - this role forever became one of the artist’s most favorite roles. Pavel Mochalov, the famous tragedian, embodied Hamlet and at the same time led the spoken part of Vadim in A. Verstovsky's opera. And subsequently, when the Maly Theater was already built, the stage of the Bolshoi Theater continued to be replete with dramatic performances, as well as productions with the participation of diverse actors.
History does not have complete information about the first repertoire of the Petrovsky Theater, but there is evidence that the operas “Misfortune from the Coach” by V. Pashkevich, “The St. Petersburg Gostiny Dvor”, as well as “Roseanne and Love” by I. Kercelli were performed on the stage of the theater. The repertoire at the beginning of the 19th century was varied, but the public especially welcomed the operas of K. Kavos - “The Imaginary Invisible Man”, “Love Mail” and “Cossack Poet”. As for “Cossack” - it has not disappeared from the theatrical repertoire for more than forty years!
Performances were not performed every day, but mostly two or three times a week. In winter, performances were shown more often. During the year the theater gave about 80 performances. In 1806, the Petrovsky Theater received state status. The fire of 1805 destroyed the building we described above. As a result, the team was forced to give performances at a variety of Moscow venues - this is the New Arbat Theater, and Pashkov's house on Mokhovaya, and Apraksin's house on Znamenka.
Professor A. Mikhailov, meanwhile, was developing a new project for the theater. Emperor Alexander the First approved the project in 1821. The construction was entrusted to the architect O. Bova. As a result, a new building grew up on the site of the burnt building - huge and majestic, the largest in Europe, it was recognized as the second largest after the La Scala theater in Milan. The facade of the theater, which was called Bolshoi for its scale, overlooked Teatralnaya Square.
In January 1825, namely on January 17, an issue of the Moskovskie Vedomosti newspaper was published, which talked about the construction of a new theater building. In the article about the theater, it was noted that this event appears to posterity as a kind of miracle, and to contemporaries as something absolutely amazing. This event brings Russia closer to Europe - just one glance at the Bolshoi Theater is enough... The opening of the Bolshoi Theater was accompanied by the prologue of Alyabyev and Verstovsky “The Triumph of the Muses”, as well as the ballet F. Sora “Cendrillon”. The patron of the muses, Apollo, read from the stage solemn poetic lines, in which the beginning of new, happy times in the milking of Russia was passionately proclaimed. “The proud stranger... will envy the abundant fruits of the world... looking with envy at our banners.” There were so many people who wanted to see the first production at the Bolshoi Theater with their own eyes that the management had to sell tickets in advance, thus avoiding crowds on the day of the premiere. Despite its impressive size, the theater auditorium could not accommodate even half the audience. In order to satisfy the requests of the audience and not offend anyone, the next day the performance was completely repeated.
A. Verstovsky, a famous Russian composer, held the position of music inspector in those years. His personal contribution to the development of the national opera theater is very great. Subsequently, Verstovsky became an inspector of the repertoire, and then a manager at the Moscow theater office. Russian musical dramaturgy received its development under Verstovsky - it all started with small vaudeville operas, and then grew into large operatic works of a romantic nature. The pinnacle of the repertoire was the opera “Askold’s Grave,” written by Verstovsky himself.
M. Glinka's operas became not just a colossal phenomenon in the history of classical music in general, but also a significant stage in the development of the Bolshoi Theater. Glinka is rightfully considered the founder of Russian classics. In 1842, his “heroic-tragic” opera “Ivan Susanin” (“Life for the Tsar”) was staged on the new stage, and in 1845 the opera “Ruslan and Lyudmila” was staged. Both of these works played an important role in the formation of musical traditions. epic genre, as well as in laying the foundations of his own, Russian operatic repertoire.
Composers A. Serov and A. Dargomyzhsky became worthy successors to M. Glinka’s endeavors. The public became acquainted with Dargomyzhsky’s opera “Rusalka” in 1859, and in 1865 Serov’s opera “Judith” saw the light of day. In the 40s, there was a tendency towards the disappearance of foreign performances from the Bolshoi Theater's repertoire, which were predominantly entertaining and lacking in substance. They are being replaced by serious opera productions by Ober, Mozart, Donizetti, Bellini and Rossini.
About the fire in the theater - it happened in 1853, on March 11. It was a frosty and cloudy early spring morning. The fire in the building broke out instantly; the cause could not be determined. In a matter of seconds, the fire engulfed all areas of the theater, including the auditorium and stage. In a few hours, all the wooden structures burned to the ground, except for the lower floor with the buffet, office and cash register, as well as the side halls. They tried to extinguish the flame within two days, and on the third day only charred columns and ruins of walls remained on the site of the theater. Many valuable things were lost in the fire - beautiful costumes, rare scenery, expensive musical instruments, part of the music library collected by Verstovsky, the archives of the theater troupe. The damage caused to the theater was estimated at approximately 10 million silver rubles. But the material losses were not so terrible as the mental pain. Eyewitnesses recalled that it was scary and painful to look at the giant engulfed in flames. There was a feeling that it was not the building that was dying, but a close and beloved person...
Restoration work began quite quickly. It was decided to erect a new building on the site of the burned one. Meanwhile, the Bolshoi Theater troupe gave performances at the Maly Theater. On May 14, 1855, the design of the new building was approved and scaffolding filled the area. Albert Kavos was appointed as the architect. It took a year and four months to restore the Bolshoi Theater. Remember when we said that part of the façade and outer walls were preserved at the fire? Kavos used them during construction, and also did not change the layout of the theater, only slightly increasing the height, slightly modifying the proportions and recreating the decorative elements. Kavos was well acquainted with the architectural features of the best European theaters and was well versed in the technical aspects of the stage and auditorium structure. All this knowledge helped him create excellent lighting, as well as optimize the optics and acoustics of the hall as much as possible. So, the new building was even more grandiose in size. The height of the theater was already 40 meters, not 36; the height of the portico increased by a meter. But the columns shrank a little, but only slightly, by only a fraction of a meter. As a result, the renovated Bolshoi Theater broke the most daring Italian records. For example, the San Carlo Theater in Naples could boast a curtain width of 24 arshins, the famous Milanese La Scala - 23 arshins, Fenice in Venice - 20 arshins. And at the Bolshoi Theater the width of the curtain was 30 arshins! (1 arshin is a little more than 71 centimeters).
Unfortunately, the pride of the Bolshoi Theater's architectural composition, the alabaster group headed by Apollo, perished in the fire. To create a new architectural group, Kavos turned to the Russian sculptor Pyotr Klodt. It is Pyotr Klodt who is the author of the famous equestrian groups that decorate the bridge over the Fontanka in St. Petersburg. The result of the sculptor’s work was a quadriga with Apollo, which became famous throughout the world. The quadriga was cast from a metal alloy and plated with red copper using galvanization. The new architectural group surpassed the old one in size by one and a half meters, its height was now 6.5 meters! The ensemble was marked along the ridge of the portico roof on a pedestal and moved forward a little. The sculpture represents four horses arranged in one row, galloping and harnessed to a quadriga, in which the god Apollo stands and controls them with a lyre and a laurel wreath.
Why was Apollo chosen as the symbol of the theater? As is known from Greek mythology, Apollo is the patron of the arts - poetry, singing, music. Ancient buildings were often decorated with quadrigas with similar deities. On the pediments of majestic buildings, both in Russia and Europe, one could often see such quadrigas.
The auditorium was decorated no less elegantly and luxuriously. The notes of the architect Albert Kavos have been preserved, in which he mentioned his work specifically on auditorium Bolshoi Theater. Kavos wrote that he tried to decorate the hall luxuriously, but not too pretentiously, mixing Byzantine style and light Renaissance. The main pride of the hall was the magnificent chandelier - candelabra decorated with crystal and lamps in three rows. The interior decoration itself deserves no less enthusiastic reviews - draperies in the boxes of a rich crimson color, decorated with gold patterns; prevailing white everywhere, exquisite arabesques on all floors. The stucco molding and carving of the barriers was done by master Akht and his brothers, the sculptural work was carried out by Schwartz, the painting on the walls was created by the hand of Academician Titov. The ceiling in the auditorium was also painted by Titov. This design is unique, it occupies about 1000 square meters and is made in the theme “Apollo and the muses - patroness of the arts.”
According to ancient Greek legend, the god Apollo in the spring and summer went out to high Parnassus and the wooded slopes of Helicon to dance in a circle with the muses, of which, as is known, there were nine. The Muses are the daughters of Mnemosyne and the supreme god Zeus. They are young and beautiful. Apollo plays the golden cithara, and the muses sing in a harmonious choir. Each muse patronizes a certain type of art, and each of them has its own object that symbolizes this type of art. Calliope is responsible for epic poetry, plays the flute; Euterpe also plays the flute, but also reads a book - she is the patron of lyrical poetry. Another patroness of poetry, Erato, is responsible for love poems, and she holds a lyre in her hands. Melpomene carries a sword, she is the muse of tragedy. Thalia is in charge of comedy and holds an elegant mask, Terpsichore, the muse of dance, carries the tympanum. Clio is the muse of history, her eternal companion is papyrus. The muse responsible for astronomy, Urania, does not part with the globe. The ninth sister and muse, Polyhymnia, is called upon to patronize sacred hymns, but artists depict her as a muse of painting, with paints and a brush. When Apollo and the nine muses appear on Olympus, a blissful silence reigns, Zeus stops throwing menacing lightning and the gods dance to the magical melodies of Apollo's cithara.
The curtain is another attraction of the Bolshoi Theater. This is a real work of art that was created by Cosroe-Duzi, a professor of painting from Venice. In Italian theaters, it was customary to depict some episode from the life of the city on the curtain, and for the Bolshoi Theater, according to the same tradition, they chose the year 1612 - namely, the episode when Muscovites greeted liberators, soldiers led by Minin and Pozharsky. For forty years the curtain with this picture adorned the famous stage. Subsequently, the curtains at the Bolshoi Theater were changed more than once. In the 30s of the last century, the artist F. Fedorovsky developed a curtain project depicting three historical dates - 1871, 1905 and 1917 (the first date is the Paris Commune, the second date is the first revolution in Russia, the third date is the October Revolution). This topical design was maintained for fifteen years. Then, due to the general deterioration of the curtain, it was decided to keep the general style, but at the same time strengthen the political theme. The task of reconstructing the curtain was entrusted to the artist M. Petrovsky, the year was 1955. Petrovsky in his work was guided by Fedorovsky’s initial sketches.
The theater's renewed curtain was decorated with complex patterns. The design used an image of a scarlet banner and the inscription “USSR”, and the phrase “Glory, glory, native land!”, as well as an image of a lyre, a golden star; Of course, the famous Soviet emblem of the hammer and sickle, symbolizing fertility and labor, could not be avoided. The material chosen for the curtain was silk with a gold thread running through it. The area of the curtain was approximately 500 square meters, and its mass exceeded a ton.
But let's return to the 19th century, during the period of restoration work led by the architect Kavos. This work was completed in 1856, and on August 20, in the presence of royalty, the grand opening of the Bolshoi Theater took place. The Italian troupe performed the opera “The Puritans” by V. Bellini.
The external and internal appearance that the Bolshoi Theater acquired in 1856 has been preserved to this day, with some changes. The building in which the Bolshoi Theater is located is rightfully considered a masterpiece of Russian classical architecture, a historical and cultural landmark, an example classical architecture, one of the most beautiful theater buildings in the world.
Composer Sergei Rachmaninov wrote: “Have you ever seen the Moscow Bolshoi Theater in photographs? This building is magnificent and grandiose. The Bolshoi Theater is located on the square, which was formerly called Teatralnaya, since there was also another theater here, the Imperial, famous for its dramatic performances. The last theater is inferior in size to the first. According to their size, the theaters were named Bolshoi and Maly, respectively.”
For quite a long time, the Bolshoi Theater was a cultural institution subordinate to the Directorate of Imperial Theaters. The orchestra was led by random people who had little interest musical content productions These “leaders” mercilessly deleted entire episodes from the scores, bass and baritone parts were redone for tenors, and tenor parts for basses, etc. For example, in K. Weber's opera The Magic Shooter, Kaspar's part was so disfigured and shortened that it turned into a dramatic one. To gain success with the audience, old popular productions were revived. F. Kokoshkin, director of the Moscow Imperial Theaters, compiled a report in 1827 in which he mentioned the following - he had to stage “attractive” performances in the repertoire of the Bolshoi Theater in order to eliminate the “shortage in income”; and he succeeded - the opera “The Invisible Man” provided impressive receipts.
The budget of Russian opera of that period was very limited. New costumes were not sewn, new sets were not built, being satisfied with old supplies. Even Glinka’s ceremonial opera “A Life for the Tsar” (“Ivan Susanin”) was performed in old sets and costumes until they completely turned into rags. The paucity of the stage environment was striking, especially in comparison with the St. Petersburg Theater. In St. Petersburg in the 1860s, decorative principles were completely updated and performances began to be designed on an unprecedented scale.
The second half of the 19th century brought with it some changes for the better. Changes began with the arrival of two talented musicians- I. Altani, who took the post of chief conductor and U. Avranek, who received the post of second conductor and chief choirmaster. The size of the orchestra reached 100 people, the choir - 120 people. These years are characterized by the flourishing of musical art in Russia as a whole, which was inextricably linked with the impressive rise public life. This rise led to progress in all areas of culture, not only in music. The best classical operatic works were created in that era; they later formed the basis of the national operatic repertoire, its heritage and pride.
Musical and stage art reached an unprecedented rise at the beginning of the twentieth century. The opera group of the Bolshoi Theater was enriched with brilliant singers, who later glorified the theater throughout the world - these are Fyodor Chaliapin, Leonid Sobinov, Antonina Nezhdanova. Sobinov’s debut took place in 1897 in A. Rubinstein’s opera “The Demon”, where the future great singer performed the role of Synodal. The name of Fyodor Chaliapin began to sound in 1899, when the public first saw him on opera stage in the role of Mephistopheles, in the play "Faust". In 1902, Antonina Nezhdanova, while still a student at the Moscow Conservatory, performed brilliantly in M. Glinka’s opera “A Life for the Tsar” in the role of Antonida. Chaliapin, Sobinov and Nezhdanova are real diamonds in opera history Bolshoi Theater. They found a wonderful performer, Pavel Khokhlov, the best in the role of the Demon and the creator of the stage image of Eugene Onegin.
In addition to enriching the ensemble with talented performers, the theater’s repertoire was also enriched at the beginning of the twentieth century. It includes grandiose and significant artistic sense performances. In 1901, on October 10, Rimsky-Korsakov’s opera “The Woman of Pskov” was released, in which Fyodor Chaliapin leads the role of Ivan the Terrible. In the same year, 1901, the opera “Mozart and Salieri” saw the light of the stage, in 1905 - “Pan-voevoda”. In 1904, a new version of the famous opera “A Life for the Tsar” was presented to the public at the Bolshoi Theater, in which the young “stars” of the troupe took part - Chaliapin and Nezhdanova. Domestic opera classics were also replenished with works by M. Mussorgsky “Khovanshchina”, Rimsky-Korsakov “The Tale of Tsar Saltan” (1913) and “The Tsar’s Bride” (1916). The Bolshoi Theater did not forget about the productions of remarkable foreign composers; operas by D. Puccini, P. Mascagni, R. Leoncavallo, as well as the opera cycle of R. Wagner were staged on its stage in those years.
Sergei Rachmaninov collaborated fruitfully and successfully with the Bolshoi Theater, showing himself not only as a brilliant composer, but also as a talented conductor. In his work, high professionalism and mastery in cutting execution were combined with a powerful temperament and the ability to have a subtle sense of style. Rachmaninov's works significantly improved the quality of Russian opera music. We also note that the name of this composer is associated with a change in the location of the conductor's console on the stage. Previously, the conductor had to position himself with his back to the orchestra, facing the stage, near the footlights; Now he stood so that he could see both the stage and the orchestra.
The magnificent and highly professional orchestra of the Bolshoi Theater, as well as its equally professional choir, deserve special attention. For 25 years, the orchestra was led by Vyacheslav Suk, and the choral group was led by Ulrich Avranek, conductor and choirmaster. The theater's performances were designed by artists Vasily Polenov, Alexander Golovin, Konstantin Korovin and Apollinary Vasnetsov. It was thanks to their creativity that the productions acquired a colorful, imaginative, majestic look.
The turn of the century brought with it not only achievements, but also problems. In particular, the contradictions between the policies pursued by the Directorate of Imperial Theaters and the artistic plans of the creative theatrical forces intensified. The activities of the Directorate were technically backward and routine, and were still guided by the staging experience of imperial scenes. This conflict led to the fact that the Bolshoi Theater periodically fell out of cultural life capital, yielding the palm to the Opera House of S. Zimin and the Private Opera of S. Mamontov.
But the collapse of the imperial theaters was not far off. Last performance old format at the Bolshoi Theater took place in 1917, on February 28. And already on March 2, the following entry could be seen in the theater’s schedule: “Bloodless Revolution. There is no performance." On March 13, the official opening of the State Bolshoi Theater took place.
The activities of the Bolshoi Theater resumed, but not for long. The October events forced the performances to be interrupted. The last performance of the peace period was A. Delibes's opera "Lakmé" - was given on October 27. And then armed uprisings began...
The first season after the October Revolution was opened on November 8, 1917 by a general decision of the Bolshoi Theater staff. And on November 21, a performance took place on the stage of the theater - the opera “Aida” by D. Verdi under the direction of Vyacheslav Suk. The role of Aida was performed by Ksenia Derzhinskaya. On December 3, C. Saint-Saëns’ opera “Samson and Delilah” was published, which became the premiere of the season. Nadezhda Obukhova and Ignaci Dygas took part in it.
On December 7, 1919, A. Lunacharsky issued an order, people's commissar enlightenment, according to which the Mariinsky, Mikhailovsky and Aleksandrovsky theaters in Petrograd, as well as the Bolshoi and Maly theaters in Moscow were to henceforth be called “State Academic”. Over the next few years, the fate of the Bolshoi Theater remained the subject of heated debate and intense debate. Some were confident that the theater would turn into the center of the musical forces of socialist art. Others argued that the Bolshoi Theater had no prospects for development and could not be transformed in accordance with the coming era. And it was a difficult time for the country - famine, fuel crisis, devastation and civil war. Periodically, the question of closing the Bolshoi Theater was raised, the necessity of its existence was questioned, and it was proposed to destroy the theater as a citadel of “inert” academicism.
After the October Revolution, theories of the “withering away of opera genres”, which arose at the beginning of the twentieth century, also became actively widespread.
Proletkult members zealously argued that opera is an art form with “negative baggage” and is not needed to the Soviet man. In particular, it was proposed to remove the production of “The Snow Maiden” from the Bolshoi Theater’s repertoire, since one of its central characters is a half-monarch, half-god (Berendey), and this was unacceptable. In general, all the operas of the composer Rimsky-Korsakov did not suit the Proletkultists. They also vehemently attacked Giuseppe Verdi's La Traviata and Aida, and his other works. Opera in those years was defended by progressive intellectuals, led by A. Lunacharsky. The intelligentsia actively and selflessly fought to preserve the classical opera repertoire and to prevent nihilistic proletcult performances from being staged. Lunacharsky boldly criticized vulgarizing ideas, opposed attacks on Aida and La Traviata, and argued that many party members loved these operas. Soon after the revolution, Lunacharsky, on behalf of Lenin, turned to the theater management with a request to develop interesting events to attract the creative intelligentsia to education. The Bolshoi Theater responded to this request with a cycle of symphony orchestras that did not leave the stage for no less than five years. These concerts consisted of classical works, both Russian and foreign. Each performance was accompanied by an explanatory lecture. Lunacharsky himself took part in these concerts as a lecturer, calling them “the best phenomenon in the musical life of the capital of the 20s of the 20th century.” These events were held in the auditorium. They removed the barrier that separated the hall from the orchestra pit, placing the string group on specially adapted machines. The first concert of the cycle took place in 1919, on May 4. The hall was crowded. Works by Wagner, Beethoven and Bach were performed, and the orchestra was conducted by S. Koussevitzky.
Symphony concerts at the Bolshoi Theater were held on Sundays in the morning. Subsequently, the program included works by Liszt and Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Scriabin and Rachmaninov, and the orchestra was conducted by Emil Cooper, Vyacheslav Suk, Oscar Fried and Bruno Walter. And composer Alexander Glazunov conducted the orchestra independently during the performance of his works.
In the early 1920s, a concert hall was opened to the public at the Bolshoi Theater, which was subsequently recognized as one of the most acoustically well-built, elegant and sophisticated halls in Moscow. Nowadays this hall is called the Beethoven Hall. The former imperial foyer was inaccessible to the general public in pre-revolutionary years. Only a lucky few were able to see its luxurious walls, decorated with silk and handmade embroidery; its stunningly beautiful ceiling with stucco in the style of Old Italy; its rich bronze chandeliers. In 1895, this hall was created as a work of art, and in this unchanged form it has survived to this day. In 1920, the soloist of the Bolshoi Theater V. Kubatsky proposed placing several hundred chairs in the hall and building a compact stage on which instrumental evenings and chamber concerts began to be held.
In 1921, namely on February 18, the opening ceremony of a new concert hall at the Bolshoi Theater took place. The ceremony was timed to coincide with the 150th anniversary of the birth of genius composer, Ludwig van Beethoven. Lunacharsky spoke at the opening of the hall and gave a speech in which he noted that Beethoven was very dear to the “people's” Russia, “striving for communism” and especially needed... after that the hall began to be called Beethovensky. Many years later, in 1965, a bust of Beethoven by sculptor P. Shapiro will be installed here.
So, the Beethoven Hall became the venue for chamber music concerts. Famous instrumentalists and performers performed here - Nadezhda Obukhova, Konstantin Igumnov, Svyatoslav Knushevitsky, Vera Dulova, Antonina Nezhdanova, Egon Petri, Isai Dobrovein, Ksenia Erdeli and many others. Musical Moscow became inextricably linked with the Beethoven Hall of the Bolshoi Theater... this continued until the period of the Second World War. The hall was closed and was inaccessible to the public for almost two decades. The second opening took place in 1978, on March 25. The doors of the famous hall opened, and the public was again able to attend Saturday afternoon concerts, almost each of which became a real event in the capital's musical life.
It should be noted that in the 1920s, a unique belfry was installed in the Bolshoi Theater, which has no analogues in the whole world. It was collected by bell ringer A. Kusakin throughout Russia; By the way, it was Kusakin who for many years was the only performer of bell ringing in theatrical productions. The bells were selected based on tonal characteristics; their number reaches forty. The weight of the largest bell exceeds five tons with a diameter of almost three meters; The diameter of the smallest bell is 20 centimeters. We can hear real bell ringing at opera performances “Prince Igor”, “Ivan Susanin”, “Boris Godunov” and others.
The second stage has been actively involved in Bolshoi Theater productions since the end of the 19th century. In the fall of 1898, the opening of the Imperial New Theater took place on the premises of the Shelaputinsky Theater (now known as the Central Children's Theater). Here, until the autumn of 1907, young artists of the Bolshoi and Maly Theaters gave performances. In 1922, on January 8, the New Theater was reopened with the opera “The Barber of Seville” by D. Rossini. In the summer of 1924, the Bolshoi Theater troupe performed on this stage for the last time. In September of the same year, the Experimental Theater was opened - it was located in the former Opera House of S. Zimin (now we know it as the Moscow Operetta Theater). The opera “Trilby” by A. Yurasovsky was performed at the opening. September turned out to be a rich month for discoveries - in 1928, performances of the Second GATOB began this month. Between June 1930 and December 1959, a branch of the Bolshoi Theater operated here. During this period, 19 ballet and 57 opera productions saw the stage light.
In 1961, the Bolshoi Theater troupe received premises that belonged to the Kremlin Palace of Congresses. Every evening more than six thousand spectators filled the hall, and over 200 performances were performed per season. The work of the Bolshoi Theater in this building was completed in 1989, on May 2, with the opera “Il Trovatore” by Giuseppe Verdi.
Let's go back to the 20s - although the time was difficult and the conditions for creative work were extremely harsh, serious works by Rimsky-Korsakov, Glinka, Mussorgsky, Dargomyzhsky, Tchaikovsky and Borodin did not leave the Bolshoi Theater's repertoire. The theater management did its best to introduce the public to famous operas by foreign composers. Here, for the first time, the Russian public saw Salome, Cio-Cio-San (1925), Floria Tosca (1930), and The Marriage of Figaro (1926). The stage embodiment of modern operas has occupied the Bolshoi Theater staff since the 1920s. The premiere of Yurasovsky's opera Trilby took place in 1924, and in 1927 the curtain rose on Prokofiev's opera The Love for Three Oranges. Over the course of five years (until 1930), the Bolshoi Theater produced 14 ballets and operas by contemporary composers. These works were destined for different stage fates - some were performed only a couple of times, others lasted for several seasons, and some operas continue to delight audiences to this day. The modern repertoire, however, was characterized by fluidity due to the complexity of the creative searches of young composers. These experiments were not always successful. In the 1930s, the situation changed - operas by Gliere, Asafiev, and Shostakovich began to appear one after another. The skills of performers and authors were mutually and fruitfully enriched. The updated repertoire brought up new artists. The rich opportunities of young performers allowed composers and playwrights to expand the range of creative searches. It is impossible not to mention in this regard the opera “Lady Macbeth” Mtsensk district", written by the great composer Dmitry Shostakovich. It was staged at the Bolshoi Theater in 1935. Also of no small importance were the so-called “song” operas of the famous author I. Dzerzhinsky - these are “ Quiet Don"(1936) and "Virgin Soil Upturned" (1937).
The Great Patriotic War began, and the work of the theater in the hospital had to be suspended. The troupe was evacuated to Kuibyshev (Samara) by government order of October 14, 1941. The building remained empty... The Bolshoi Theater operated under evacuation for almost two years. At first, spectators who came to the Kuibyshev Palace of Culture saw only individual concert programs performed by orchestra artists, ballets and operas, but in the winter of 1941 full-fledged performances began - Verdi's La Traviata, Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake. The repertoire of the Bolshoi Theater in 1943 in Kuibyshev included nine operas and five ballet productions. And in 1942, on March 5, Shostakovich’s Seventh Symphony was performed here for the first time in the country by the Bolshoi Theater Orchestra under the direction of S. Samosud. This musical event became significant in the culture of both Russia and the whole world.
However, it should be mentioned that not all artists went to the rear; some remained in Moscow. Part of the troupe continued to perform in the branch premises. The action was often interrupted by air attacks, the audience had to go down to the bomb shelter, but the performance invariably continued after the all-clear signal. In 1941, on October 28, a bomb was dropped on the Bolshoi Theater building. It destroyed the façade wall and exploded in the foyer. For a long time, the theater, closed with a camouflage net, seemed abandoned forever. But in fact, restoration and repair work was actively going on inside it. In the winter of 1942, a group of artists headed by P. Korin began to restore the interior design of the theater, and in 1943, on September 26, work on the main stage was resumed with one of the favorite operas - “Ivan Susanin” by M. Glinka.
As the years passed, the theater continued to develop and improve. In the 1960s, a new rehearsal hall was opened here, which was located on the top floor, almost under the roof. The shape and size of the new site were not inferior to the playing stage. In the adjacent hall there was space for an orchestra pit and a vast amphitheater, which traditionally houses musicians, actors, choreographers, artists and, of course, directors.
In 1975, they were preparing for a large-scale celebration in honor of the 200th anniversary of the founding of the theater. The restorers did a great job - they updated the gilding, carvings and stucco in the auditorium, and restored the previous white and gold design, hidden under layers of paint. 60,000 sheets of gold leaf were required to return the barriers of the boxes to their regal shine. The stocks were also decorated with dark red fabric. We removed the luxurious chandelier, thoroughly cleaned the crystal and repaired minor damage. The chandelier returned to the ceiling of the Bolshoi Theater auditorium in an even more magnificent form, shining with all 288 lamps.
After restoration, the auditorium of the country's most important theater again began to resemble a golden tent woven from gold, snow, fiery rays and purple.
The post-war period for the Bolshoi Theater was marked by the appearance of new productions of operas domestic composers- this is “Eugene Onegin” (1944) and “Boris Godunov” (1948) and “Khovanshchina” (1950), “(1949), “The Tale of the City of Kitezh”, “Mlada”, “The Golden Cockerel”, “Ruslan and Lyudmila", "The Night Before Christmas". Paying tribute to the creative heritage of Czech, Polish, Slovak and Hungarian composers, the Bolshoi Theater added to its repertoire the operatic works “The Bartered Bride” (1948), “Pebble” (1949), “Her Stepdaughter” (1958), “Bank Ban” (1959) . The Bolshoi Theater did not forget about productions of foreign operas; Aida, Othello and Falstaff, Tosca, Fidelio and Fra Diavolo reappeared on the stage. Subsequently, the repertoire of the Bolshoi Theater was enriched with such rare works as “Iphigenia in Aulis” (1983, K. Gluck), “Julius Caesar” (1979, G. Handel), “The Beautiful Miller’s Wife” (1986, D. Paisiello), “The Spanish Hour” "(1978, M. Ravel).
The stage performance of operas by contemporary authors at the Bolshoi Theater was marked by major successes. The premiere of the opera “Decembrists” by Yu. Shaporin in 1953 was sold out - a magnificent piece of music historical themes. Also, the theater’s poster was full of wonderful operas by Sergei Prokofiev - “War and Peace”, “The Gambler”, “Semyon Kotko”, “Betrothal in a Monastery”.
The Bolshoi Theater staff carried out continuous and fruitful cooperation with musical figures of foreign theaters. For example, in 1957, the orchestra at the opera “The Taming of the Shrew” at the Bolshoi Theater was conducted by the Czech maestro Zdenek Halabala, and the conductor from Bulgaria, Asen Naydenov, took part in the production of the opera “Don Carlos”. German directors were invited, Erhard Fischer, Joachim Herz, who prepared for the productions of the opera “Il Trovatore” by Giuseppe Verdi and “The Flying Dutchman” by Richard Wagner. The opera "Duke Bluebeard's Castle" was staged at the Bolshoi Theater in 1978 by the Hungarian director András Miko. Nikolai Benois, an artist from the famous La Scala, designed the performances of A Midsummer Night's Dream (1965), Un ballo in maschera (1979), and Mazeppa (1986) at the Bolshoi Theater.
The Bolshoi Theater staff is larger in number than many theater groups in the world, numbering over 900 orchestra, choir, ballet, opera, and mime ensemble artists. One of the main principles of the Bolshoi Theater's activities was the right of each artist not to be an isolated, separate unit, but to be part of a single whole as its important and integral part. Here, stage action and music are closely interconnected, they reinforce each other, acquiring special psychological and emotional properties that can have a strong influence on listeners and spectators.
The Bolshoi Theater Orchestra is also a reason to be proud. He is distinguished by the highest professionalism, an impeccable sense of style, perfect teamwork and musical culture. 250 artists are part of the orchestra, which performs a rich repertoire, rich in works of foreign and Russian opera drama. The Bolshoi Theater Choir consists of 130 performers. This essential component every opera production. The ensemble is characterized by high skill, which was noted during the French tour of the Bolshoi Theater by the Parisian press. They wrote in the newspaper - not a single world opera house I have never known such a thing where the audience called for an encore of the choir. But this happened during the premiere performance of “Khovanshchina”, performed by the Bolshoi Theater in Paris. The audience applauded with delight and did not calm down until the choir artists repeated their magnificent number for an encore.
The Bolshoi Theater can also be proud of its talented mime ensemble, created back in the 1920s. The main purpose of the ensemble was to participate in crowd scenes, as well as to perform individual playing parts. 70 artists work in this ensemble, taking part in every production of the Bolshoi Theater, both ballet and opera.
The performances of the Bolshoi Theater have long been included in the golden fund of world opera art. The Bolshoi Theater largely dictates to the whole world the future paths of stage development and reading of classical works, and also successfully masters the modern forms of opera and ballet.
One of the symbols of theatrical art is rightfully the Bolshoi Theater. The theater is located on Teatralnaya Square - in the very heart of the capital. The most talented theater performers are known all over the world: ballet artists and vocalists, choreographers and composers who have left a noticeable mark on the world theater arts. Throughout its history, over 800 works have been staged on its stage. From the first Russian operas to the works of such titans as Verdi and Wagner, Berlioz and Ravel, Donizetti and Bellini. The theater stage hosted world premieres of operas and, Arensky and.
The theater dates back to March 1736, when Prince Pyotr Vasilyevich Urusov ordered the construction of a theater building on the corner of Petrovka. It was then that he received his first name - Petrovsky. But Pyotr Urusov was not destined to complete the construction, since the theater building burned down in a fire. This glorious work was completed by the English entrepreneur and companion of the prince, Michael Medox. The Petrovsky Theater opened its doors to the Moscow public on December 30, 1780. In fact, from this moment the first professional theater in Russia began. That day the production of “I” took place. Paradise ballet-pantomime “The Magic Shop”. Ballets with a national flavor, including “The Taking of Ochakov” and “Village Simplicity,” were also especially popular. The theater troupe consisted mainly of students of the Moscow ballet school and serf actors of E. Golovkina’s troupe. The Petrovsky Theater existed for only 25 years. The building was destroyed in a fire in 1805.
In the period from 1821 - 1825. a new theater is being built in the same place, according to the design of A. Mikhailov. The construction manager was the famous architect O. Bove. It was significantly increased in size, which is why it received the name Bolshoi Theater. The first production was “The Triumph of the Muses,” which launched the new building on a fascinating theatrical journey that has continued for more than 185 years. A new fire befell the theater in 1853, after which its building was restored for about three years under the leadership of the architect A. Kavos.
During the restoration of the Bolshoi Theater in 1856. the building was thoroughly remodeled and it was decorated with a white stone portico with eight columns, which is still its symbol. Also, in addition to the external appearance, the interior decoration of the theater has changed significantly. Known throughout the world is, of course, the bronze chariot of Apollo, which crowned the theater building and became its eternal symbol. Thanks to the creative talent of Albert Kavos, the Bolshoi Theater building fit perfectly into the surrounding architectural ensemble of the center of Moscow.
Since 2005, a global reconstruction of the theater began, and after 6 years of painstaking and time-consuming work, on October 28, 2011, the long-awaited opening of the country’s main stage took place.
Along with the State Tretyakov Gallery, the State Historical Museum, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the Moscow Kremlin, the Bolshoi Theater is an object cultural heritage and one of the outstanding attractions of the city of Moscow. The history of the creation of the Bolshoi Theater has seen both light and dark periods, periods of prosperity and decline. Since its foundation in 1776, the theater has undergone numerous restorations: fires were merciless to the house of art.
The beginning of formation. Maddox Theater
The starting point in the history of the theater’s formation is considered to be 1776, when Empress Catherine II allowed Prince P. V. Urusov to engage in the content and development of theatrical performances. A small theater was built on Petrovka Street, named after the street Petrovsky. However, it was destroyed by fire even before its official opening.
P.V. Urusov transfers ownership of the theater to his friend, an entrepreneur from England, Michael Maddox. Six months of construction under the leadership of the Bolshoi Theater architect Christian Rosberg and 130 thousand silver rubles made it possible by 1780 to create a theater with a capacity of one thousand people. More than 400 performances were staged between 1780 and 1794. In 1805, Maddox's theater burned down, and the acting troupe was forced to give performances in private theaters until 1808. From 1808 to 1812, the wooden theater, designed by K. I. Rossi, was located in the Moscow fire. It burned down during the Patriotic War, in the Moscow fire.
Period from 1812 to 1853
After the fire of 1812, the Moscow authorities returned to the issue of restoring the theater only in 1816. The most prominent architects of the time took part in the organized competition, among whom A. A. Mikhailov became the winner. However, his project turned out to be quite expensive, so the matter was entrusted to O.I. Bove, a specialist who was part of the Commission on the Structure of Moscow. The architect of the Bolshoi Theater, Beauvais, took Mikhailov’s plan as a basis, slightly modifying it. The estimated height of the theater was reduced by 4 meters to 37 meters, and the interior decoration was also revised.
The project was approved by the authorities in 1821, and 4 years later, the work “Creativity of the Muses,” which tells the story of the revival of the Bolshoi Theater from the ashes, was solemnly presented on the stage of the theater. In the period from 1825 to 1853, the Bolshoi Theater posters invited connoisseurs of high art to comedic plays - vaudeville ("The Village Philosopher", "Fun of the Caliph"). It was especially popular at that time operatic creativity: works by A. N. Verstovsky (“Pan Tvardovsky”, “Askold’s Grave”), M. I. Glinka (famous operas “A Life for the Tsar”, “Ruslan and Lyudmila”), as well as works by Mozart, Beethoven, Rossini. In 1853, the theater was again engulfed in flames and almost completely burned out.
Reconstructions of the second half of the 20th century
The building of the Bolshoi Theater was severely damaged after the fire of 1853. The competition for its reconstruction was won by Albert Katerinovich Kavos, an outstanding architect under whose care the Imperial Theaters were located. He increased the building's height and width, redesigned the interior and exterior decoration, diluting the classical architectural style with elements of early eclecticism. The sculpture of Apollo above the entrance to the theater was replaced with a bronze quadriga (chariot) created by Pyotr Klodt. At the moment, the architectural style of the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow is considered to be neoclassicism.
In 1890 The theater building was again in need of repair: it turned out that its foundation was on barely holding wooden piles. The theater was also in dire need of electrification. According to the project of the architects of the Bolshoi Theater - I. I. Rerberg and K. V. Tersky, the half-rotten wooden piles were replaced with new ones by 1898. This temporarily slowed down the building's settlement.
From 1919 to 1922, there were debates in Moscow about the possibility of closing the Bolshoi Theater. This, however, did not happen. In 1921, a large-scale inspection of the structures and the entire theater building was carried out. She identified major problems along one of the walls of the auditorium. In the same year, restoration work began under the leadership of the architect of the Bolshoi Theater of that time, I. I. Rerberg. The foundation of the building was strengthened, which made it possible to stop its settlement.
During the Great Patriotic War, from 1941 to 1943, the Bolshoi Theater building was empty and covered with protective camouflage. The entire acting troupe was transferred to Kuibyshev (modern Samara), where a residential building located on Nekrasovskaya Street was allocated for the theater premises. After the end of the war, the theater building in Moscow was reconstructed: the interior was replenished with a luxurious and extremely expensive curtain made of brocade. It has long served as the main highlight of the historical scene.
Reconstructions of the 2000s
The beginning of the 2000s was marked for the Bolshoi Theater historical event: a new scene has appeared in the building, created by last word technology, with comfortable seating and thoughtful acoustics. The entire repertoire of the Bolshoi Theater was staged there. The new stage began operating in 2002, its opening was accompanied by the opera “The Snow Maiden” by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov.
In 2005, a grandiose reconstruction of the Historical Stage began, which lasted until 2011, despite initial plans to complete the work back in 2008. The last performance on the Historical Stage before its closure was M. P. Mussorgsky’s opera “Boris Godunov”. During the restoration, technicians managed to computerize all processes in the theater building, and the restoration of the interior decoration required about 5 kg of gold and the painstaking work of hundreds of the best restorers in Russia. However, the main features and characteristic features of the external and internal decoration by the architects of the Bolshoi Theater were preserved. The building's area was doubled, which ultimately amounted to 80 thousand m2.
New stage of the Bolshoi Theater
In 2002, on November 29, after 7 years of construction, the New Stage was inaugurated. It is less luxurious and pompous than the Historical Stage, but most of the repertoire is still performed on it. On the posters of the Bolshoi Theater, inviting spectators to the New Stage, you can see excerpts from various ballets and operas. Particularly popular ballet performances D. Shostakovich: “Bright Stream” and “Bolt”. Opera productions are represented by the works of P. Tchaikovsky (Eugene Onegin, The Queen of Spades) and N. Rimsky-Korsakov (The Golden Cockerel, The Snow Maiden). The price of tickets for the New Stage, in contrast to the Historical Stage, is usually lower - from 750 to 4000 rubles.
Historical stage of the Bolshoi Theater
The historical stage is rightfully considered the pride of the Bolshoi Theater. The auditorium, which includes 5 tiers, seats about 2,100 people. The stage area is about 360 m2. The most famous opera and ballet productions are held on the Historical Stage: “Boris Godunov”, “Swan Lake”, “Don Quixote”, “Candide” and others. However, not everyone can afford to buy a ticket. Typically, the minimum price for a ticket is 4,000 rubles, while the maximum can reach 35,000 rubles and above.
General conclusion
The Bolshoi Theater in Moscow is a treasure and one of the main attractions not only of the city, but of all of Russia. The history of its formation since 1776 is dotted with both bright and sad moments. Severe fires destroyed several predecessors of the Bolshoi Theater. Some historians date the history of the theater back to 1853, with the theater revived by the architect A.K. Kavos. Its history has seen wars: the Patriotic War, the Great Patriotic War, but the theater was able to survive. Therefore, even now, connoisseurs of high art can see the best opera and ballet productions on the New and Historical stages.