Performance of the flame of Paris. Tickets to the Bolshoi Theater of Russia List of main dance numbers

03.11.2019

Price:
from 3000 rub.

Boris Asafiev

Flame of Paris

Ballet in two acts

The performance has one intermission.

Duration: 2 hours 15 minutes.

Libretto by Alexander Belinsky and Alexei Ratmansky based on and using the original libretto by Nikolai Volkov and Vladimir Dmitriev

Choreography by Alexei Ratmansky using original choreography by Vasily Vainonen

Stage conductor: Pavel Sorokin

Production designers: Ilya Utkin, Evgeny Monakhov

Costume designer: Elena Markovskaya

Lighting designer: Damir Ismagilov

Assistant choreographer - Alexander Petukhov

The concept of musical dramaturgy - Yuri Burlaka

Soviet theater critic and composer Boris Vladimirovich Asafiev in the early 30s of the last century received an offer to participate in the development of a ballet dedicated to the era of the French Revolution. By that time, Asafiev already had seven ballets under his belt. Script for new production wrote the famous playwright and theater critic Nikolai Volkov.

The libretto of “The Flames of Paris” is based on the events of the novel “The Marseilles,” written by F. Gros. In addition to Volkov, theater artist V. Dmitriev and Boris Asafiev himself worked on the script. The composer noted later that he worked on “The Flames of Paris” not only as a composer and playwright, but also as a writer, historian, musicologist... Asafiev defined the genre of this ballet as “musical-historical.” When creating the libretto, the authors focused primarily on historical events, omitting the individual characteristics of the characters. The heroes of the novel represent two warring camps.

In the score, Asafiev used the famous hymns of the Great French Revolution - “Marseillaise”, “Carmagnola”, “Ca ira”, as well as folklore motives and some excerpts from the works of composers of that era. The ballet “Flames of Paris” was staged by V. Vainonen, a young and talented choreographer who had been successfully performing in this capacity since the 1920s. He was faced with a very difficult task - the embodiment of a folk heroic epic through dance. Vainonen recalled that information about folk dances Almost none of them survived from those times, and they had to be restored using just a few engravings from the Hermitage archives. As a result of painstaking work, “Flames of Paris” turned into one of Vainonen’s best creations, declaring itself as a new choreographic achievement. Here the corps de ballet for the first time embodied the effective and multifaceted independent character of the people, the revolutionaries, striking the imagination with large and large-scale genre scenes.

The premiere of the production was timed to coincide with the 15th anniversary October revolution. The ballet “Flames of Paris” was first shown on November 6 (7), 1932 on the stage of the Leningrad Opera and Ballet Theater named after Kirov. The following summer, Vainonen performed the Moscow premiere of “The Flames of Paris.” The performance was in demand among the public, occupied a strong position in the repertoire of both the Moscow and Leningrad theaters, and was successfully demonstrated in other cities and countries. In 1947, Boris Asafiev prepared a new edition of the ballet, somewhat shortening the score and rearranging individual episodes, but in general the dramaturgy was preserved. Currently, you can see the folk heroic ballet “The Flame of Paris” at the State Academic Bolshoi Theater. On the stage of the Bolshoi Theater, the ballet “Flames of Paris” is based on a libretto by Alexei Ratmansky and Alexander Belinsky, developed using texts by Dmitriev and Volkov. The ballet is choreographed by Alexei Ratmansky, also using the famous choreography of Vainonen.

The legendary ballet performance about the events of the Great French Revolution is considered one of the greatest successes of the Soviet musical theater. His first spectators, without making any allowance for theatrical conventions, stood up from their seats in a general impulse and sang the Marseillaise along with the artists at the top of their voices. Recreated on our stage with respect for the style of the “golden age” of Soviet ballet, the bright and spectacular performance not only preserves the choreographic text and mise-en-scène of the original source, but also resurrects its revolutionary fervor. The large-scale historical-romantic fresco employs more than a hundred people - ballet dancers, mimance, choir - and in their very special way of existing on stage, dance and acting are fused into a single whole. A lively and energetic ballet, where the action develops rapidly and does not require additional explanation, continues to be a source of joy and faith in ideals.

Act one

Scene one
Summer 1792. Suburb of Marseille. Forest edge near the castle of the Marquis de Beauregard. Peasant Gaspard and his children emerge from the forest with a cart of brushwood: 18-year-old Zhanna and 9-year-old Jacques. Zhanna plays with Jacques. A boy jumps over bundles of brushwood he has laid out on the grass. The sound of a horn is heard - it is the marquis returning from hunting. Gaspard and the children, having collected their bundles, hurry to leave. But the Marquis de Beauregard and the huntsmen appear from the forest. De Beauregard is angry that the peasants are collecting firewood in his forest. The huntsmen overturn the cart with brushwood, and the Marquis orders the huntsmen to beat Gaspard. Jeanne tries to stand up for her father, then the Marquis takes a swing at her, but, hearing the sounds of a revolutionary song, he hastily hides in the castle.
A Marseille rebel detachment under the command of Philip appears with flags; they head to Paris to help the revolutionary people. The rebels help Gaspard and Jeanne set up the cart and collect the spilled brushwood. Jacques enthusiastically waves the revolutionary flag that one of the Marseilles gave him. At this time, the Marquis manages to escape from the castle through a secret door.
Peasants and peasant women arrive, they greet the soldiers of the Marseilles detachment. Philip encourages them to join the detachment. Gaspar and the children also join the rebels. Everyone is heading to Paris.

Scene two
Celebration in the royal palace. Ladies of the court and officers of the royal guard dance the sarabande.
The dance is over, and the master of ceremonies invites everyone to watch the performance of the court theater. Actress Diana Mireille and actor Antoine Mistral perform a sideshow, representing the heroes wounded by Cupid's arrow.
Enter King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette. The officers make toasts of praise in honor of the king. The Marquis de Beauregard appears, having just arrived from Marseille. He shows and throws at the feet of the king the tricolor flag of the rebels with the inscription “Peace to the huts, war to the palaces!” and tramples him, then kisses the royal banner standing by the throne. The Marquis reads out a message he composed to the Prussians, in which Louis XVI should call on Prussia to send troops to France and end the revolution. Louis is asked to sign a document. The king hesitates, but Marie Antoinette convinces him to sign. The marquis and officers, in a fit of monarchical enthusiasm, swear to fulfill their duty to the king. Drawing their weapons, they enthusiastically salute the royal couple. The Queen expresses confidence in the devotion of those present. Louis is touched, he brings the handkerchief to his eyes.
The royal couple and most of the ladies of the court leave the hall. Lackeys bring in tables and toasts continue in honor of the monarchy. Fans of Diana Mireille invite the actors to take part in the celebration. Mireille is persuaded to dance something, she and Antoine improvise a short dance, which is enthusiastically received by the audience. The Marquis, already having difficulty standing on his feet, persistently invites Mireille to dance, she is forced to agree. She is disgusted by his rudeness, she would like to leave, but she cannot. Diana tries to stay close to Mistral, who is trying to distract de Beauregard, but the Marquis rudely pushes the actor away; several officers take Antoine to the table. The ladies quietly leave the hall. Finally, under a plausible pretext, Mireille also leaves, but the Marquis follows her.
The wine is having an increasing effect; some officers fall asleep right at their tables. Mistral notices the “Address to Prussia” forgotten on the table and at first mechanically, and then reads it with curiosity. The Marquis returns and notices the paper in Antoine's hands: unable to control himself, he grabs a pistol and shoots, mortally wounding the actor. The shot and fall of Mistral awaken several officers, they surround the Marquis and hastily take him away.
Mireille runs into the hall at the sound of a shot. Mistral's lifeless body lies in the middle of the hall, Mireille leans over him: “Is he alive?” - and then you need to call for help... But she is convinced that Antoine is dead. Suddenly she notices the paper clutched in his hand: she takes it and reads it. Outside the windows the approaching sounds of the Marseillaise can be heard. Mireille understands why Mistral was killed, and now she knows what to do. Having hidden the paper, she runs away from the palace.

Act two

Scene one
Night. A square in Paris where crowds of townspeople and armed detachments from the provinces, including Auvergnans and Basques, flock. The Parisians joyfully welcome the Marseille squad. A group of Basques stands out for their fierce readiness to fight, among them Teresa, an active participant in street protests and sans-culottes demonstrations in the capital. The appearance of Diana Mireille interrupts the dancing. She gives the crowd a scroll with the king’s address to the Prussians, and the people are convinced of the betrayal of the aristocracy.
“Carmagnola” sounds and the crowd dances. They hand out weapons. Philip calls for an assault on the Tuileries. With the revolutionary song “Ça ira” and unfurled tricolor banners, the crowd marches towards the royal palace.

Scene two
Crowds of armed people rush to storm the palace.
Tuileries Palace. The Marquis de Beauregard introduces soldiers of the Swiss Guard. At his command, the Swiss take their assigned positions. The gentlemen take the frightened ladies away. Suddenly the doors fly open and people rush into the inner chambers of the palace. Philippe encounters the Marquis de Beauregard. After a fierce fight, Philip knocks out the sword from the Marquis, who tries to shoot Philip with a pistol, but the crowd attacks him.
The Swiss, the last defenders of the king, are swept away. Basque Teresa runs in with a banner in her hands and falls, pierced by a bullet from one of the officers. The fight is over. The palace has been taken. The Basques, Philippe and Gaspard raise Teresa's body above their heads, the people bow their flags.

Act three
On the square near the former royal palace there is a celebration in honor of the capture of the Tuileries. The dances of the merry people are replaced by performances by actors from Parisian theaters. Diana Mireille, surrounded by girls in antique costumes, performs a dance with a tricolor flag, personifying the victory of the Revolution and Freedom. Dances-allegories of Equality and Brotherhood are performed. People shower the dancing Jeanne and Philip with flowers: it is also their wedding day.
“Carmagnola” sounds... As a symbol of freedom, the people carry Diana Mireille in their arms.

The drums of revolution are beating again in St. Petersburg in Mikhail Messerer’s absolutely perfect version of the ballet “The Flames of Paris,” created in 1932 by Vasily Vainonen, restored for Mikhailovsky. Recreating this ballet became the main and favorite concern of Mikhail Messerer, who is today the famous “defender” of the rich choreographic heritage of the USSR, who saved as much as possible of the original choreography. But this is not a dry, academic act; what emerges is an impressive piece of work, remarkable in its energy and execution.

...“Flames of Paris” - an active and energetic look Soviet man on the French Revolution - was created in 1932 by Vasily Vainonen, and last year it was edited by Mikhail Messerer. The story is clearly told and lushly staged. Gorgeous sets and costumes by Vladimir Dmitriev create pictures that look like color illustrations from a history textbook. An artful blend of old school classicism and savory character dance highlights impressive stylistic diversity. The pantomime is clear, but not at all affected, and the climactic accents are staged with convincing pathos.

Jeffrey Taylor, Sunday Express

Choreographer Mikhail Messerer, who incredibly accurately and skillfully recreated Vainonen's original production, managed to turn this unique Museum exhibit into a true masterpiece of theatrical art.

This is a modern blockbuster, regardless of your political leanings. But, nevertheless, it is not at all simple, it is deep in terms of the actual choreography, and it is crystal clear in the moments of the show classical dance. Graceful and proud nobles in tall gray wigs perform the minuet in a lazy aristocratic manner. Then - crowds of people twist and turn in rebellious folk dances, including an infectious dance in clogs and a dance with stamped - until the heart stops - steps. The allegorical dance “Freedom” was staged in a completely different style, as a monument to great Soviet artists.<...>In palace scenes - sharpened classic style XIX century. The corps de ballet girls delicately arched their waists and lined up their arms, reminiscent of figures on Wedgwood china.

While Ratmansky divided his ballet into two acts, Messerer returns to the original structure of three shorter acts, and this gives the performance a lively, energetically moving action forward. Sometimes “Flames of Paris” even seems like “Don Quixote” on amphetamines. Each act has several memorable dances and each act ends with some memorable scene. Moreover, this is a rare ballet in which the action does not need explanation. “The Flames of Paris” is a source of joy and an incredible victory for the Mikhailovsky Theater. It can be added that this is also a double triumph for Mikhail Messerer: the remarkable quality of execution is reflected in the material itself and we must say a special “thank you” to Messerer as an unsurpassed teacher. His teaching talent is visible in the dance of all performers, but it is especially worth noting the coherence of the dance of the corps de ballet and male soloists.

Igor Stupnikov, Dancing Times

Mikhail Messerer's version of "The Flames of Paris" is a masterpiece of jewelry craftsmanship: all the surviving fragments of the ballet are welded together so closely that it is impossible to guess the existence of seams. New ballet- a rare pleasure for both the public and the dancers: all 140 people involved in the performance had their own role.

First of all, this is a triumph of the troupe as a whole, everyone and everything here is brilliant.<...>Court Baroque Revue<...>with a subtle sense of historical style contrapposto- softened elbows everywhere and a slightly tilted head - not to mention the elegant filigree of the feet.

The huge, colossal merit of Mikhail Messerer is that he pulled this ballet out of the mud of times (in last time it was danced at the Bolshoi in the sixties) as lively, cheerful and combative as it was invented by the author. Five years ago, when Alexei Ratmansky staged his play with the same name at the main theater of the country, he took only a few fragments of Vainonen’s choreography - and most importantly, changed the intonation of the performance. That ballet was about the inevitable loss (not of the revolution, but of a person - a noblewoman, newly invented by the choreographer, who sympathized with the revolutionaries, was awaiting the guillotine) and about how uncomfortable an individual is even in a festive crowd. It is not surprising that in that “Flame” the seams between dance and music were catastrophically diverged: Boris Asafiev composed his own score (albeit a very small one) for one story, Ratmansky told another.

For ballet practitioners, the value of “Flames of Paris” lies primarily in the choreography of Vasily Vainonen, the most talented of the choreographers of the era of socialist realism. And there is a pattern in the fact that the first attempt to resurrect the defunct ballet was made by the most talented choreographer of post-Soviet Russia, Alexei Ratmansky<...>However, due to the scarcity of material available to him, he was unable to reconstruct the historical performance, staging his own ballet instead, in which he installed 18 minutes of Vainonen’s choreography, preserved on film from 1953. And, I must admit, in the resulting counter-revolutionary ballet (the intellectual Ratmansky could not hide his horror at the terror of the rioting crowd), these were the best fragments. At the Mikhailovsky Theater, Mikhail Messerer took a different path, trying to reconstruct the historical original as completely as possible<...>Having taken on an openly propaganda ballet in which cowardly and vile aristocrats are plotting against the French people, calling on the Prussian army to defend the rotten monarchy, the experienced Messerer, of course, understood that many of the scenes today would look, to put it mildly, unconvincing. Therefore, he excluded the most odious scenes, such as the capture of the Marquis’s castle by rebel peasants, and at the same time condensed the pantomime episodes.<...>Actually, the dances (classical and characteristic) are the main merit of the choreographer: he managed to restore “Auvergne” and “Farandole”, and replaced the lost choreography with his own, so similar in style to the original that it is difficult to say with certainty what belongs to whom . For example, publicly available sources are silent about the safety of Winona's duet-allegory from the third act, performed by actress Diana Mireille with an unnamed partner. Meanwhile, in the St. Petersburg performance, this excellent duet, replete with incredibly risky series of upper lifts in the spirit of the desperate 1930s, looks completely authentic.

Restoring a real antique is more expensive than a remake, but in fact it is clear that it is difficult to remember a three-act ballet in detail for half a century. Of course, some of the text was composed anew. At the same time, there are no seams between the new and the preserved (the same pas de deux, Basque dance, the textbook march of the rebel sans-culottes towards the audience). The feeling of complete authenticity is because the style is perfectly maintained.<...>Moreover, the spectacle turned out to be completely alive. And quality: the characters are worked out in detail, in detail. Both peasants in clogs and aristocrats in paniers and powdered wigs managed to make organic the pathos of this story about the Great French Revolution (the romantic elation is greatly contributed by the lush hand-drawn scenery based on sketches by Vladimir Dmitriev).

Not only the textbook pas de deux and Basque dance, but also the Marseille, Auvergne, flag dance and the court ballet scene - they have been brilliantly restored. The extensive pantomime, which in the early 1930s had not yet been killed in accordance with fashion, is reduced to a minimum by Messerer: the modern viewer needs dynamism, and sacrificing even one dance from the kaleidoscope of Winona’s fantasy seems like a crime. The three-act ballet, although it retains its structure, is compressed to two and a half hours, the movement does not stop for a minute<...>The timeliness of the resumption does not raise questions - in the finale the hall is so furious that, it seems, only the rapid closing of the curtain does not allow the audience to rush to the square, where the two main heroines of the ballet rise in towering supports.

Aristocrats - what to take from them! - stupid and arrogant to the end. They look with horror at the revolutionary banner with the inscription in Russian: “Peace to the huts - war to the palaces” and beat the peaceful peasant with a whip, angering the people at the apogee of the uprising, while easily forgetting in the royal palace important document, which compromises them, the nobles. You can spend a lot of time trying to be witty about this, but Vainonen didn’t care about such absurdities. He thought in theatrical rather than historical categories and in no way intended to stylize anything. One should look for the logic of history and its accuracy here no more than one should study ancient Egypt from the ballet “Pharaoh’s Daughter.”

The romance of the revolutionary struggle with its calls for freedom, equality and brotherhood turned out to be close to today's viewers. The public is probably tired of solving puzzles in the works artistic director ballet troupe Nacho Duato responded vividly to the events clearly and logically presented in the plot of “The Flames of Paris.” The play has beautiful scenery and costumes. The 140 participants on stage have the opportunity to show their talents in performing the most difficult dance technique and in acting. “Dance in Character” has not become outdated at all, and has not ceased to be highly valued by the audience. That’s why the premiere of “The Flames of Paris” at the Mikhailovsky Theater was greeted by St. Petersburg audiences with genuine enthusiasm.

Based on a few surviving plastic phrases, Messerer Jr. is able to restore the farandola and carmagnola, and from the descriptions - the dance of Cupid, and you would not think that this is not a Winona text. Messerer, in love with “The Flames of Paris,” recreates the performance in a colorful and extremely expressive way. Vyacheslav Okunev worked on the historical scenery and luxurious costumes, relying on the primary sources of the artist Vladimir Dmitriev.

From the perspective of an esthete, a performance is like a well-made thing: well-cut and tightly sewn. With the exception of overly drawn-out video projections, where the banners of the opponents - royal and revolutionary - are fluttered in turn, there are no dramatic flaws in the ballet. The action briefly and clearly pronounces pantomime moments and, to the delight of the viewer, moves on to deliciously executed dances, intelligently alternating between court, folklore and classic designs. Even the repeatedly condemned musical “cut” by Boris Asafiev, where the academician, without further ado, layered quotes from Grétry and Lully with his own simple themes, looks like a completely solid work - thanks to competent notes and thoughtful tempo rhythm, Mikhail Messerer and conductor Pavel Ovsyannikov manage to solve this difficult task.

Mike Dixon, Dance Europe

The superb production of Mikhail Messerer's The Flames of Paris at the Mikhailovsky Theater is an example of an excellent synthesis of narrative clarity and choreographic pace. This story remains vibrant and captivating throughout the three acts, which take place in the suburbs of Marseille, in Versailles and in the square in front of the Tuileries Palace.

The current hot summer has probably not yet reached its climax: a real fire is being prepared at the St. Petersburg Mikhailovsky Theater. Restored "Flames of Paris", a legendary performance Soviet era about the Great French Revolution, will be the last premiere of the Russian ballet season.

Anna Galaida, RBC daily
18.07.2013

The choreographer tells Belcanto.ru about the features of the Moscow “Don Quixote”, family legends and traditions of the Messerers, as well as production ideas for “The Flames of Paris”.

... "The Flames of Paris" - an active and energetic view of the Soviet man on the French revolution - was created in 1932 by Vasily Vainonen, and last year it was edited by Mikhail Messerer. The story is clearly told and lushly staged. Gorgeous sets and costumes by Vladimir Dmitriev create pictures that look like color illustrations from a history textbook. An artful blend of old-school classicism and savory character dance highlights the impressive range of styles. The pantomime is clear, but not at all affected, and the climactic accents are staged with convincing pathos.

Jeffrey Taylor, Sunday Express

Choreographer Mikhail Messerer, who incredibly accurately and skillfully recreated Vainonen's original production, managed to turn this unique museum piece into a true masterpiece of theatrical art.

This is a modern blockbuster, regardless of your political leanings. But, nevertheless, it is not at all simple, it is deep in terms of the actual choreography, and it is crystal clear in the moments of showing classical dance. Graceful and proud nobles in tall gray wigs perform the minuet in a lazy aristocratic manner. Then - crowds of people twist and turn in rebellious folk dances, including an infectious dance in clogs and a dance with stamped - until the heart stops - steps. The allegorical dance “Freedom” was staged in a completely different style, as a monument to great Soviet artists.<...>In palace scenes - polished classic XIX style century. The corps de ballet girls delicately arched their waists and lined up their arms, reminiscent of figures on Wedgwood china.

Igor Stupnikov, Dancing Times

Mikhail Messerer's version of "The Flames of Paris" is a masterpiece of jewelry craftsmanship: all the surviving fragments of the ballet are welded together so closely that it is impossible to guess the existence of seams. The new ballet is a rare treat for both the public and the dancers: all 140 people involved in the performance had their own role.

The huge, colossal merit of Mikhail Messerer is that he pulled this ballet out of the mud of times (it was last danced at the Bolshoi in the sixties) as lively, cheerful and combative as it was invented by the author. Five years ago, when Alexei Ratmansky staged his play with the same name at the main theater of the country, he took only a few fragments of Vainonen’s choreography - and most importantly, changed the intonation of the performance. That ballet was about the inevitable loss (not of the revolution, but of a person - a noblewoman, newly invented by the choreographer, who sympathized with the revolutionaries, was awaiting the guillotine) and about how uncomfortable an individual is even in a festive crowd. It is not surprising that in that “Flame” the seams between dance and music were catastrophically diverged: Boris Asafiev composed his own score (albeit a very small one) for one story, Ratmansky told another.

Aristocrats - what to take from them! - stupid and arrogant to the end. They look with horror at the revolutionary banner with the inscription in Russian: “Peace to the huts - war to the palaces” and beat the peaceful peasant with a whip, angering the people at the apogee of the uprising, while easily forgetting in the royal palace an important document that compromises them, the nobles. You can spend a lot of time trying to be witty about this, but Vainonen didn’t care about such absurdities. He thought in theatrical rather than historical categories and in no way intended to stylize anything. One should look for the logic of history and its accuracy here no more than one should study ancient Egypt from the ballet “Pharaoh’s Daughter.”

The romance of the revolutionary struggle with its calls for freedom, equality and brotherhood turned out to be close to today's viewers. The audience, probably tired of solving puzzles in the works of the artistic director of the ballet troupe Nacho Duato, responded vividly to the events clearly and logically presented in the plot of “The Flames of Paris”. The play has beautiful scenery and costumes. The 140 participants on stage have the opportunity to show their talents in performing complex dance techniques and acting. “Dance in Character” has not become outdated at all, and has not ceased to be highly valued by the audience. That’s why the premiere of “The Flames of Paris” at the Mikhailovsky Theater was greeted by St. Petersburg audiences with genuine enthusiasm.

From the perspective of an esthete, a performance is like a well-made thing: well-cut and tightly sewn. With the exception of overly drawn-out video projections, where the banners of the opponents - royal and revolutionary - are fluttered in turn, there are no dramatic flaws in the ballet. The action briefly and clearly pronounces pantomime moments and, to the delight of the viewer, moves on to deliciously executed dances, wisely alternating their courtly, folklore and classical examples. Even the repeatedly condemned musical “cut” by Boris Asafiev, where the academician, without further ado, layered quotes from Grétry and Lully with his own simple themes, looks like a completely solid work - thanks to competent notes and thoughtful tempo rhythm, Mikhail Messerer and conductor Pavel Ovsyannikov manage to solve this difficult task.

Mike Dixon, Dance Europe

The current hot summer has probably not yet reached its climax: a real fire is being prepared at the St. Petersburg Mikhailovsky Theater. The restored Flames of Paris, the legendary Soviet-era production about the Great French Revolution, will be the last premiere of the Russian ballet season.

Anna Galaida, RBC daily
18.07.2013

The choreographer tells Belcanto.ru about the features of the Moscow “Don Quixote”, family legends and traditions of the Messerers, as well as production ideas for “The Flames of Paris”.

Gaspard, peasant
Jeanne and Pierre, his children
Philippe and Jerome, Marseilles
Gilbert
Marquis of Costa de Beauregard
Count Geoffroy, his son
Marquis's Estate Manager
Mireille de Poitiers, actress
Antoine Mistral, actor
Cupid, court theater actress
King Louis XVI
Queen Marie Antoinette
Master of Ceremonies
Theresa
Jacobin orator
National Guard Sergeant
Marseilles, Parisians, courtiers, ladies, officers of the royal guard, Swiss, huntsmen

Libretto

Musical and stage development according to acts. The action takes place in France in 1791.

Prologue

The first act opens with a picture of the Marseille forest, where the peasant Gaspard and his children Jeanne and Pierre are collecting brushwood. Count Geoffroy, the son of the owner of local lands, appears to the sound of hunting horns. Seeing Jeanne, the count leaves his gun on the ground and rushes to hug the girl; the father comes running to the cry of his alarmed daughter. He grabs the abandoned gun and points it at the count. The count's servants and the huntsman grab the innocent peasant and take him away with them.

First act

The next day, guards lead Gaspard through the city square to prison. Jeanne tells the townspeople that her father is innocent, and the Marquis's family fled to Paris. The crowd's outrage is growing. The people are indignant at the actions of the aristocrats and storm the prison. Having dealt with the guards, the crowd breaks down the doors of the casemates and releases the prisoners of the Marquis de Beauregard. The prisoners joyfully run out into freedom, Gaspard puts the Phrygian cap (symbol of freedom) on a pike and sticks it in the middle of the square - the farandola dance begins. Philippe, Jerome and Jeanne dance together, trying to outdo each other in the difficulty and ingenuity of the steps they improvise. The general dance is interrupted by the sounds of the alarm bell. Pierre, Jeanne and Jerome announce to the people that they will now enroll in a volunteer detachment to help the rebellious Paris. The detachment sets off to the sounds of the Marseillaise.

Second act

At Versailles, the Marquis de Beauregard tells the officers about the events in Marseille. Sarabande sounds. At the theatrical evening, the king and queen appear, the officers greet them, tearing off their tricolor armbands and replacing them with cockades with a white lily - the coat of arms of the Bourbons. After the king leaves, they write a letter asking them to resist the rebels. The Marseillaise is playing outside the window. Actor Mistral finds a forgotten document on the table. Fearing the disclosure of the secret, the Marquis kills Mistral, but before his death he manages to hand over the document to Mireille de Poitiers. Having hidden the torn tricolor banner of the revolution, the actress leaves the palace.

Third act

Paris at night, crowds of people, armed detachments from the provinces, including Marseilles, Auvergnans, and Basques, flock to the square. An assault on the palace is being prepared. Mireille de Poitiers runs in and talks about a conspiracy against the revolution. The people carry out the effigies of the royal couple; at the height of this scene, officers and the marquis enter the square. Jeanne slaps the Marquis. "Carmagnola" sounds, speakers speak, people attack the aristocrats.

Act Four

Grand celebration of the “Triumph of the Republic”, the new government is on the podium at the former royal palace. Popular celebration of the capture of the Tuileries.

List of main dance numbers

Adagio of Armida and her retinue
Cupid's dance
exit Rinaldo
duet of Armida and Rinaldo
their variations
general dance

Auvergne dance

Dance of the Marseillais

Characters

Zhanna - Olga Jordan (then Tatyana Vecheslova)
Jerome - Vakhtang Chabukiani (then Pyotr Gusev)
Mireille de Poitiers - Natalia Dudinskaya
Teresa - Nina Anisimova
Mistral - Konstantin Sergeev

Characters

Zhanna - Fairy Balabina
Philip - Nikolai Zubkovsky

Grand Theatre

Characters

Gaspar - Vladimir Ryabtsev (then Alexander Chekrygin)
Zhanna - Anastasia Abramova (then Minna Shmelkina, Shulamith Messerer)
Philip - Vakhtang Chabukiani (then Alexander Rudenko, Asaf Messerer, Alexey Ermolaev)
Jerome - Viktor Tsaplin (then Alexander Tsarman, Pyotr Gusev)
Diana Mirel - Marina Semyonova (then Nina Podgoretskaya, Vera Vasilyeva)
Antoine Mistral - Mikhail Gabovich (then Vladimir Golubin, Alexey Zhukov)
Teresa - Nadezhda Kapustina (then Tamara Tkachenko)
Actor at the festival - Alexey Zhukov (then Vladimir Golubin, Lev Pospekhin)
Cupid - Olga Lepeshinskaya (then Irina Charnotskaya)

The performance was performed 48 times, the last performance was on March 18 of this year.

Ballet in 3 acts

Libretto by Nikolai Volkov and Vladimir Dmitriev, revised by Mikhail Messerer, set design and costumes by Vladimir Dmitriev, reconstructed by Vyacheslav Okunev, choreography by Vasily Vainonen, revised by Mikhail Messerer, choreographer Mikhail Messerer, conductor Valery Ovsyanikov

Characters

Gaspar, peasant - Andrey Bregvadze (then Roman Petukhov)
Zhanna, his daughter - Oksana Bondareva (then Angelina Vorontsova, Anastasia Lomachenkova)
Jacques, his son - Alexandra Baturina (then Ilyusha Blednykh)
Philip, Marseillais - Ivan Vasiliev (then Ivan Zaitsev, Denis Matvienko)
Marquis de Beauregard - Mikhail Venshchikov
Diana Mireille, actress - Angelina Vorontsova (then Ekaterina Borchenko, Sabina Yapparova)
Antoine Mistral, actor - Viktor Lebedev (then Nikolai Korypaev, Leonid Sarafanov)
Teresa, Basque - Mariam Ugrekhelidze (then Kristina Makhviladze)
King Louis XVI - Alexey Malakhov
Queen Marie Antoinette - Zvezdana Martina (then Emilia Makush)
Actor at the festival - Marat Shemiunov
Cupid - Anna Kuligina (then Veronica Ignatieva)

Bibliography

Gershuni E. Actors in the ballet “The Flame of Paris” // Worker and Theater: magazine. - M., 1932. - No. 34.
Krieger V. Heroic in ballet // Theater: magazine. - M., 1937. - No. 7.
Krasovskaya V.“Flame of Paris” // Evening Leningrad: newspaper. - M., 1951. - No. 4 January.
Rybnikova M. Ballets by Asafiev. - M.: MUZGIZ, 1956. - 64 p. - (To help the music listener). - 4000 copies.
Rybnikova M. Ballets by B.V. Asafiev “The Flame of Paris” and “The Bakhchisarai Fountain” // . - M.: State. music publishing house, 1962. - pp. 163-199. - 256 s. - 5500 copies.
Slonimsky Yu.. - M: Art, 1968. - P. 92-94. - 402 s. - 25,000 copies.
Armashevskaya K., Vainonen N.“Flame of Paris” // . - M.: Art, 1971. - P. 74-107. - 278 p. - 10,000 copies.
Oreshnikov S. Marseillet Philip // . - M.: Art, 1974. - P. 177-183. - 296 s. - 25,000 copies.
Chernova N. Ballet of the 1930-40s // . - M: Art, 1976. - P. 111-115. - 376 s. - 20,000 copies.
Messerer A.“The Flame of Paris” by V. I. Vainonen // . - M.: Art, 1979. - P. 117-119. - 240 s. - 30,000 copies.
Kuznetsova T.// Kommersant Weekend: magazine. - M., 2008. - No. 24.
Kuznetsova T.// Kommersant Power: magazine. - M., 2008. - No. 25.
Tarasov B.// Morning.ru: newspaper. - M., 2008. - No. 2 July.
Kuznetsova T.// Kommersant: newspaper. - M., 2008. - No. 5 July.
Gordeeva A.// OpenSpace.ru. - M., 2008. - No. 8 July.
Tarasov B.// Theatrical: magazine. - M., 2008. - No. 10.
Galayda A.. - St. Petersburg. , 2013. - No. July 18.
Fedorenko E.// Culture: newspaper. - M., 2013. - No. 24 July.
Tsilikin D.// Business Petersburg: newspaper. - St. Petersburg. , 2013. - No. July 26.
Galayda A.// Vedomosti: newspaper. - M., 2013. - No. 31 July.
Naborshchikova S.// Izvestia: newspaper. - M., 2013. - No. July 25.
Zvenigorodskaya N.// Nezavisimaya Gazeta: newspaper. - M., 2013. - No. July 25.
Abyzova L.// St. Petersburg Gazette: newspaper. - St. Petersburg. , 2013. - No. July 30.

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Notes

Links

on the Bolshoi Theater website
- ballet "Flames of Paris" at the Bolshoi, costume designs
on the website "Belcanto.ru". Project by Ivan Fedorov
on the website of the Architectural News Agency

An excerpt characterizing the Flame of Paris

Helen laughed.
Among the people who allowed themselves to doubt the legality of the marriage being undertaken was Helen’s mother, Princess Kuragina. She was constantly tormented by envy of her daughter, and now, when the object of envy was closest to the princess’s heart, she could not come to terms with this thought. She consulted with a Russian priest about the extent to which divorce and marriage was possible while her husband was alive, and the priest told her that this was impossible, and, to her joy, pointed her to the Gospel text, which (it seemed to the priest) directly rejected the possibility of marriage from a living husband.
Armed with these arguments, which seemed irrefutable to her, the princess went to see her daughter early in the morning, in order to find her alone.
After listening to her mother's objections, Helen smiled meekly and mockingly.
“But it’s directly said: whoever marries a divorced wife...” said the old princess.
- Ah, maman, ne dites pas de betises. Vous ne comprenez rien. Dans ma position j"ai des devoirs, [Ah, mamma, don’t talk nonsense. You don’t understand anything. My position has responsibilities.] - Helen spoke, translating the conversation into French from Russian, in which she always seemed to have some kind of ambiguity in her case.
- But, my friend...
– Ah, maman, comment est ce que vous ne comprenez pas que le Saint Pere, qui a le droit de donner des dispenses... [Ah, mamma, how don’t you understand that the Holy Father, who has the power of absolution...]
At this time, the lady companion who lived with Helen came in to report to her that His Highness was in the hall and wanted to see her.
- Non, dites lui que je ne veux pas le voir, que je suis furieuse contre lui, parce qu"il m"a manque parole. [No, tell him that I don’t want to see him, that I’m furious against him because he didn’t keep his word to me.]
“Comtesse a tout peche misericorde, [Countess, mercy for every sin.],” said a young blond man with long face and nose.
The old princess stood up respectfully and sat down. The young man who entered did not pay attention to her. The princess nodded her head to her daughter and floated towards the door.
“No, she’s right,” thought the old princess, all her convictions were destroyed before the appearance of His Highness. - She is right; but how is it that we didn’t know this in our irrevocable youth? And it was so simple,” the old princess thought as she got into the carriage.

At the beginning of August, Helen's matter was completely determined, and she wrote a letter to her husband (who loved her very much, as she thought) in which she informed him of her intention to marry NN and that she had joined the one true religion and that she asks him to complete all the formalities necessary for divorce, which the bearer of this letter will convey to him.
“Sur ce je prie Dieu, mon ami, de vous avoir sous sa sainte et puissante garde. Votre amie Helene.”
[“Then I pray to God that you, my friend, will be under his holy, strong protection. Your friend Elena"]
This letter was brought to Pierre's house while he was on the Borodino field.

The second time, already at the end of the Battle of Borodino, having escaped from Raevsky’s battery, Pierre with crowds of soldiers headed along the ravine to Knyazkov, reached the dressing station and, seeing blood and hearing screams and groans, hastily moved on, getting mixed up in the crowds of soldiers.
One thing that Pierre now wanted with all the strength of his soul was to quickly get out of those terrible impressions in which he lived that day, return to normal living conditions and fall asleep peacefully in his room on his bed. Only under ordinary conditions of life did he feel that he would be able to understand himself and all that he had seen and experienced. But these ordinary living conditions were nowhere to be found.
Although cannonballs and bullets did not whistle here along the road along which he walked, on all sides there was the same thing that was there on the battlefield. There were the same suffering, exhausted and sometimes strangely indifferent faces, the same blood, the same soldiers' greatcoats, the same sounds of shooting, although distant, but still terrifying; In addition, it was stuffy and dusty.
Having walked about three miles along the big Mozhaisk road, Pierre sat down on the edge of it.
Dusk fell on the ground, and the roar of the guns died down. Pierre, leaning on his arm, lay down and lay there for a long time, looking at the shadows moving past him in the darkness. It constantly seemed to him that a cannonball was flying at him with a terrible whistle; he shuddered and stood up. He didn't remember how long he had been here. In the middle of the night, three soldiers, having brought branches, placed themselves next to him and began to make a fire.
The soldiers, looking sideways at Pierre, lit a fire, put a pot on it, crumbled crackers into it and put lard in it. The pleasant smell of edible and fatty food merged with the smell of smoke. Pierre stood up and sighed. The soldiers (there were three of them) ate, not paying attention to Pierre, and talked among themselves.
- What kind of person will you be? - one of the soldiers suddenly turned to Pierre, obviously, by this question meaning what Pierre was thinking, namely: if you want something, we will give it to you, just tell me, are you an honest person?
- I? me?.. - said Pierre, feeling the need to belittle his social position as much as possible in order to be closer and more understandable to the soldiers. “I am truly a militia officer, only my squad is not here; I came to the battle and lost my own.
- Look! - said one of the soldiers.
The other soldier shook his head.
- Well, eat the mess if you want! - said the first and gave Pierre, licking it, a wooden spoon.
Pierre sat down by the fire and began to eat the mess, the food that was in the pot and which seemed to him the most delicious of all the foods that he had ever eaten. While he greedily bent over the pot, picking up large spoons, chewing one after another and his face was visible in the light of the fire, the soldiers silently looked at him.
-Where do you want it? You tell me! – one of them asked again.
- I’m going to Mozhaisk.
- Are you now a master?
- Yes.
- What’s your name?
- Pyotr Kirillovich.
- Well, Pyotr Kirillovich, let’s go, we’ll take you. In complete darkness, the soldiers, together with Pierre, went to Mozhaisk.
The roosters were already crowing when they reached Mozhaisk and began to climb the steep city mountain. Pierre walked along with the soldiers, completely forgetting that his inn was below the mountain and that he had already passed it. He would not have remembered this (he was in such a state of loss) if his guard, who went to look for him around the city and returned back to his inn, had not encountered him halfway up the mountain. The bereitor recognized Pierre by his hat, which was turning white in the darkness.
“Your Excellency,” he said, “we are already desperate.” Why are you walking? Where are you going, please!
“Oh yes,” said Pierre.
The soldiers paused.
- Well, have you found yours? - said one of them.
- Well, goodbye! Pyotr Kirillovich, I think? Goodbye, Pyotr Kirillovich! - said other voices.
“Goodbye,” said Pierre and headed with his bereytor to the inn.
“We have to give it to them!” - Pierre thought, taking his pocket. “No, don’t,” a voice told him.
There was no room in the upper rooms of the inn: everyone was occupied. Pierre went into the yard and, covering his head, lay down in his carriage.

As soon as Pierre laid his head on the pillow, he felt that he was falling asleep; but suddenly, with the clarity of almost reality, a boom, boom, boom of shots was heard, groans, screams, the splashing of shells were heard, the smell of blood and gunpowder, and a feeling of horror, the fear of death, overwhelmed him. He opened his eyes in fear and raised his head from under his overcoat. Everything was quiet in the yard. Only at the gate, talking to the janitor and splashing through the mud, was some orderly walking. Above Pierre's head, under the dark underside of the plank canopy, doves fluttered from the movement he made while rising. Throughout the yard there was a peaceful, joyful for Pierre at that moment, strong smell of an inn, the smell of hay, manure and tar. Between two black canopies a clear starry sky was visible.
“Thank God this isn’t happening anymore,” thought Pierre, covering his head again. - Oh, how terrible fear is and how shamefully I surrendered to it! And they... they were firm and calm all the time, until the end... - he thought. In Pierre's concept, they were soldiers - those who were at the battery, and those who fed him, and those who prayed to the icon. They - these strange ones, hitherto unknown to him, were clearly and sharply separated in his thoughts from all other people.
“To be a soldier, just a soldier! - thought Pierre, falling asleep. - Login to this common life with their whole being, to become imbued with what makes them so. But how to throw off all this unnecessary, devilish, all the burden of this outer man? At one time I could have been this. I could run away from my father as much as I wanted. Even after the duel with Dolokhov, I could have been sent as a soldier.” And in Pierre’s imagination flashed a dinner at a club, at which he called Dolokhov, and a benefactor in Torzhok. And now Pierre is presented with a ceremonial dining box. This lodge takes place in the English Club. And someone familiar, close, dear, sits at the end of the table. Yes it is! This is a benefactor. “But he died? - thought Pierre. - Yes, he died; but I didn't know he was alive. And how sorry I am that he died, and how glad I am that he is alive again!” On one side of the table sat Anatole, Dolokhov, Nesvitsky, Denisov and others like him (the category of these people was as clearly defined in Pierre’s soul in the dream as the category of those people whom he called them), and these people, Anatole, Dolokhov they shouted and sang loudly; but from behind their shout the voice of the benefactor could be heard, speaking incessantly, and the sound of his words was as significant and continuous as the roar of the battlefield, but it was pleasant and comforting. Pierre did not understand what the benefactor was saying, but he knew (the category of thoughts was just as clear in the dream) that the benefactor was talking about goodness, about the possibility of being what they were. And they surrounded the benefactor from all sides, with their simple, kind, firm faces. But although they were kind, they did not look at Pierre, did not know him. Pierre wanted to attract their attention and say. He stood up, but at the same moment his legs became cold and exposed.
He felt ashamed, and he covered his legs with his hand, from which the greatcoat actually fell off. For a moment, Pierre, straightening his overcoat, opened his eyes and saw the same awnings, pillars, courtyard, but all of it was now bluish, light and covered with sparkles of dew or frost.
“It’s dawning,” thought Pierre. - But that’s not it. I need to listen to the end and understand the words of the benefactor.” He covered himself with his overcoat again, but neither the dining box nor the benefactor were there. There were only thoughts clearly expressed in words, thoughts that someone said or Pierre himself thought about.
Pierre, later recalling these thoughts, despite the fact that they were caused by the impressions of that day, was convinced that someone outside himself was telling them to him. Never, it seemed to him, had he been able to think and express his thoughts like that in reality.
“War is the most difficult task of subordinating human freedom to the laws of God,” said the voice. – Simplicity is submission to God; you can't escape him. And they are simple. They don't say it, but they do it. The spoken word is silver, and the unspoken word is golden. A person cannot own anything while he is afraid of death. And whoever is not afraid of her belongs to him everything. If there were no suffering, a person would not know his own boundaries, would not know himself. The most difficult thing (Pierre continued to think or hear in his sleep) is to be able to unite in his soul the meaning of everything. Connect everything? - Pierre said to himself. - No, don't connect. You can’t connect thoughts, but connecting all these thoughts is what you need! Yes, we need to pair, we need to pair! - Pierre repeated to himself with inner delight, feeling that with these words, and only with these words, is expressed what he wants to express, and the whole question tormenting him is resolved.
- Yes, we need to mate, it’s time to mate.
- We need to harness, it’s time to harness, your Excellency! Your Excellency,” a voice repeated, “we need to harness, it’s time to harness...
It was the voice of the bereitor waking Pierre. The sun hit Pierre's face directly. He looked at the dirty inn, in the middle of which, near a well, soldiers were watering thin horses, from which carts were driving through the gate. Pierre turned away in disgust and, closing his eyes, hastily fell back onto the seat of the carriage. “No, I don’t want this, I don’t want to see and understand this, I want to understand what was revealed to me during my sleep. One more second and I would have understood everything. So what should I do? Pair, but how to combine everything?” And Pierre felt with horror that the entire meaning of what he saw and thought in his dream was destroyed.
The driver, the coachman and the janitor told Pierre that an officer had arrived with the news that the French had moved towards Mozhaisk and that ours were leaving.
Pierre got up and, ordering them to lay down and catch up with him, went on foot through the city.
The troops left and left about ten thousand wounded. These wounded were visible in the courtyards and windows of houses and crowded in the streets. On the streets near the carts that were supposed to take away the wounded, screams, curses and blows were heard. Pierre gave the carriage that had overtaken him to a wounded general he knew and went with him to Moscow. Dear Pierre learned about the death of his brother-in-law and about the death of Prince Andrei.

X
On the 30th, Pierre returned to Moscow. Almost at the outpost he met Count Rastopchin's adjutant.
“And we are looking for you everywhere,” said the adjutant. “The Count definitely needs to see you.” He asks you to come to him now on a very important matter.
Pierre, without stopping home, took a cab and went to the commander-in-chief.
Count Rastopchin had just arrived in the city this morning from his country dacha in Sokolniki. The hallway and reception room in the count's house were full of officials who appeared at his request or for orders. Vasilchikov and Platov had already met with the count and explained to him that it was impossible to defend Moscow and that it would be surrendered. Although this news was hidden from the residents, officials and heads of various departments knew that Moscow would be in the hands of the enemy, just as Count Rostopchin knew it; and all of them, in order to relinquish responsibility, came to the commander-in-chief with questions about how to deal with the units entrusted to them.
While Pierre was entering the reception room, a courier coming from the army was leaving the count.
The courier hopelessly waved his hand at the questions addressed to him and walked through the hall.
While waiting in the reception area, Pierre looked with tired eyes at the various officials, old and young, military and civilian, important and unimportant, who were in the room. Everyone seemed unhappy and restless. Pierre approached one group of officials, in which one was his acquaintance. After greeting Pierre, they continued their conversation.
- How to deport and return again, there will be no trouble; and in such a situation one cannot be held accountable for anything.
“Why, here he is writing,” said another, pointing to the printed paper he was holding in his hand.
- That's another matter. This is necessary for the people,” said the first.
- What is this? asked Pierre.
- Here's a new poster.
Pierre took it in his hands and began to read:
“The Most Serene Prince, in order to quickly unite with the troops that were coming to him, crossed Mozhaisk and stood in a strong place where the enemy would not suddenly attack him. Forty-eight cannons with shells were sent to him from here, and His Serene Highness says that he will defend Moscow to the last drop of blood and is ready to fight even in the streets. You, brothers, don’t look at the fact that public offices have been closed: things need to be tidied up, and we will deal with the villain in our court! When it comes down to it, I need young people from both towns and villages. I’ll call the cry in two days, but now there’s no need, I’m silent. Good with an axe, not bad with a spear, but best of all is a three-piece pitchfork: a Frenchman is not heavier than a sheaf of rye. Tomorrow, after lunch, I’m taking Iverskaya to the Catherine Hospital, to see the wounded. We will consecrate the water there: they will recover sooner; and now I’m healthy: my eye hurt, but now I can see both.”
“And the military people told me,” said Pierre, “that there is no way to fight in the city and that the position...
“Well, yes, that’s what we’re talking about,” said the first official.
– What does this mean: my eye hurt, and now I’m looking at both? - said Pierre.
“The count had barley,” said the adjutant, smiling, “and he was very worried when I told him that people had come to ask what was wrong with him.” “And what, count,” the adjutant suddenly said, turning to Pierre with a smile, “we heard that you have family worries?” It’s as if the Countess, your wife...
“I didn’t hear anything,” Pierre said indifferently. -What did you hear?
- No, you know, they often make things up. I say I heard.
-What did you hear?
“Yes, they say,” the adjutant said again with the same smile, “that the countess, your wife, is going abroad.” Probably nonsense...
“Maybe,” said Pierre, looking around absentmindedly. - And who is this? - he asked, pointing to a short old man in a pure blue coat, with a large beard as white as snow, the same eyebrows and a ruddy face.
- This? This is one merchant, that is, he is an innkeeper, Vereshchagin. Have you heard perhaps this story about the proclamation?
- Oh, so this is Vereshchagin! - said Pierre, peering into the firm and calm face of the old merchant and looking for an expression of treason in it.
- This is not him. This is the father of the one who wrote the proclamation,” said the adjutant. “He’s young, he’s sitting in a hole, and he seems to be in trouble.”
One old man, wearing a star, and another, a German official, with a cross on his neck, approached the people talking.
“You see,” said the adjutant, “this is complicated story. Then, two months ago, this proclamation appeared. They informed the Count. He ordered an investigation. So Gavrilo Ivanovich was looking for him, this proclamation was in exactly sixty-three hands. He will come to one thing: from whom do you get it? - That’s why. He goes to that one: who are you from? etc. we got to Vereshchagin... a half-educated merchant, you know, a little darling merchant,” the adjutant said, smiling. - They ask him: who do you get it from? And the main thing is that we know from whom it comes. He has no one else to rely on other than the postal director. But apparently there was a strike between them. He says: not from anyone, I composed it myself. And they threatened and begged, so he settled on it: he composed it himself. So they reported to the count. The count ordered to call him. “Who is your proclamation from?” - “I composed it myself.” Well, you know the Count! – the adjutant said with a proud and cheerful smile. “He flared up terribly, and just think: such impudence, lies and stubbornness!..
- A! The Count needed him to point to Klyucharyov, I understand! - said Pierre.
“It’s not necessary at all,” the adjutant said fearfully. – Klyucharyov had sins even without this, for which he was exiled. But the fact is that the count was very indignant. “How could you compose? - says the count. I took this “Hamburg newspaper” from the table. - Here she is. You didn’t compose it, but translated it, and you translated it badly, because you don’t even know French, you fool.” What do you think? “No,” he says, “I didn’t read any newspapers, I made them up.” - “And if so, then you are a traitor, and I will bring you to trial, and you will be hanged. Tell me, from whom did you receive it? - “I haven’t seen any newspapers, but I made them up.” It remains that way. The Count also called on his father: stand his ground. And they put him on trial and, it seems, sentenced him to hard labor. Now his father came to ask for him. But he's a crappy boy! You know, such a merchant's son, a dandy, a seducer, listened to lectures somewhere and already thinks that the devil is not his brother. After all, what a young man he is! His father has a tavern here near the Stone Bridge, so in the tavern, you know, there is a large image of the Almighty God and a scepter is presented in one hand, and an orb in the other; so he took this image home for several days and what did he do! I found a bastard painter...

In the middle of this new story, Pierre was called to the commander-in-chief.
Pierre entered Count Rastopchin's office. Rastopchin, wincing, rubbed his forehead and eyes with his hand, while Pierre entered. The short man was saying something and, as soon as Pierre entered, he fell silent and left.
- A! “Hello, great warrior,” said Rostopchin as soon as this man came out. – We’ve heard about your prouesses [glorious exploits]! But that's not the point. Mon cher, entre nous, [Between us, my dear,] are you a Freemason? - said Count Rastopchin in a stern tone, as if there was something bad in this, but that he intended to forgive. Pierre was silent. - Mon cher, je suis bien informe, [I, my dear, know everything well,] but I know that there are Freemasons and Freemasons, and I hope that you do not belong to those who, under the guise of saving the human race, want to destroy Russia.

Libretto

Act I
Scene 1
A suburb of Marseille, the city after which the great anthem of France is named.
A large group of people is moving through the forest. This is a battalion of Marseilles heading to Paris. Their intentions can be judged by the cannon they carry with them. Among the Marseilles is Philippe.

It is near the cannon that Philip meets the peasant woman Zhanna. He kisses her goodbye. Jeanne's brother Jerome is full of desire to join the Marseilles.

In the distance you can see the castle of the ruler of the Marquis of Costa de Beauregard. Hunters return to the castle, including the Marquis and his daughter Adeline.

The “noble” Marquis harasses the pretty peasant woman Jeanne. She tries to free herself from his rude advances, but this succeeds only with the help of Jerome, who came to his sister’s defense.

Jerome is beaten by hunters from the Marquis's retinue and thrown into the basement of the prison. Adeline, who observed this scene, frees Jerome. A mutual feeling arises in their hearts. The sinister old woman Jarcas, assigned by the Marquis to watch over her daughter, reports Jerome’s escape to her adored master. He slaps his daughter and orders her to get into the carriage, accompanied by Zharkas. They are going to Paris.

Jerome says goodbye to his parents. He cannot stay on the Marquis's estate. He and Zhanna leave with a detachment of Marseilles. The parents are inconsolable.
Registration for the volunteer squad is underway. Together with the people, the people of Marseille dance the farandola. People change their hats to Phrygian caps. Jerome receives a weapon from the hands of the rebel leader Gilbert. Jerome and Philippe are harnessed to the cannon. The detachment moves towards Paris to the sounds of "La Marseillaise".

Scene 2
"La Marseillaise" is replaced by an exquisite minuet. Royal Palace. Marquis and Adeline arrived here. The master of ceremonies announces the beginning of the ballet.

Court ballet "Rinaldo and Armida" with the participation of Parisian stars Mireille de Poitiers and Antoine Mistral:
Saraband of Armida and her friends. Armida's troops return from the campaign. They are leading prisoners. Among them is Prince Rinaldo.
Cupid wounds the hearts of Rinaldo and Armida. Variation of Cupid. Armida frees Rinaldo.

Pas de de Rinaldo and Armida.
Appearance of the ghost of Rinaldo's bride. Rinaldo abandons Armida and sails on a ship after the ghost. Armida summons a storm with spells. The waves throw Rinaldo ashore, and he is surrounded by furies.
Dance of the Furies. Rinaldo falls dead at Armida's feet.

King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette appear. Greetings, oaths of allegiance and toasts to the prosperity of the monarchy follow.
The tipsy Marquis chooses the Actress as his next “victim”, whom he “courts” in the same way as the peasant woman Zhanna. The sounds of the Marseillaise can be heard from the street. The courtiers and officers are in confusion. Adeline, taking advantage of this, runs away from the palace.

Act II
Scene 3
A square in Paris where Marseillais arrive, including Philippe, Jerome and Jeanne. The shot of the Marseillais cannon should give the signal for the beginning of the assault on the Tuileries.

Suddenly, on the square, Jerome sees Adeline. He rushes towards her. Their meeting is watched by the sinister old woman Zharkas.

Meanwhile, in honor of the arrival of a detachment of Marseilles, barrels of wine were rolled out onto the square. The dancing begins: Auvergne gives way to Marseille, followed by the temperamental dance of the Basques, in which all the heroes take part - Jeanne, Philippe, Adeline, Jerome and Marseille captain Gilbert.

In the crowd, inflamed by wine, senseless fights break out here and there. Dolls depicting Louis and Marie Antoinette are torn to pieces. Jeanne dances Carmagnola with a spear in her hands while the crowd sings. Drunken Philip lights the fuse - a cannon salvo thunders, after which the entire crowd rushes to storm.

Against the background of gunshots and drumming, Adeline and Jerome declare their love. They don't see anyone around, only each other.
The Marseilles burst into the palace. Ahead is Zhanna with a banner in her hands. The battle. The palace has been taken.

Scene 4
People fill the square, decorated with lights. Members of the Convention and the new government rise to the podium.

The people are rejoicing. Famous artists Antoine Mistral Mireille de Poitiers, who used to entertain the king and courtiers, now dance the Dance of Liberty for the people. New dance not much different from the old one, only now the actress holds the banner of the Republic in her hands. The artist David sketches the celebration.

Near the cannon from which the first salvo was fired, the President of the Convention joins the hands of Jeanne and Philip. These are the first newlyweds of the new Republic.

Sounds wedding dance Jeanne and Philippe are replaced by the dull blows of the falling guillotine knife. The condemned Marquis is brought out. Seeing her father, Adeline rushes to him, but Jerome, Jeanne and Philippe beg her not to give herself away.

To avenge the Marquis, Jarcas betrays Adelina, revealing her true origin. An angry crowd demands her death. Beside himself with despair, Jerome tries to save Adeline, but this is impossible. She is being led to execution. Fearing for their lives, Jeanne and Philippe hold Jerome, who is tearing out of their hands.

And the holiday continues. To the sounds of "Ca ira" the victorious people move forward.