Аннотация: Russian Ballets of de Diaghilev. 1906-1914 A note on chapters 8-15 of the book "Diaghilev: outrunning the time"
Russian Ballets of de Diaghilev. 1906-1914 A note on chapters 8-15 of the book "Diaghilev: outrunning the time"
Diaghilev's activities started in 1906 with an exhibition (in Paris), 'Two Centuries of Russian Painting and Sculpture'.
The experience and knowledge gained by Sergei Diaghilev during previous exhibitions, including the 1905 exhibition in the Tauride Palace, were used.
Financially and organizationally, the Paris exhibition was supported by Emperor Nicholas II.
Diaghilev secured the support of many art lovers - citizens of France.
One of the philanthropists who supported Diaghilev was Countess de Greffulhe.
The exhibition was successful, although it did not give an obvious positive financial result.
What did Diaghilev look like in 1901 [allegedly] and in 1906?
We have two descriptions: from Andrei Bely [Russian novelist, poet, theorist, and literary critic] and from Countess de Greffulhe.
"This is how Andrei Bely [presumably in 1901] saw the ever-changing Diaghilev:"I was amazed, I was wondering to find [combination] a footman with the minister; according to [portrait - 1893 - by] Somov [Konstantin Andreyevich Somov, a Russian artist], folded lips - like a little heart; suddenly - sharp movements [as if the cards are pulled out of the deck in several attempts], cooling: damn it - some kind of Caracalla, if not the outraged Jezebel... he threw the white strand of hair by a movement of the head; a slipping steps, as in a minuet [dance], with a boots, silent, noiseless, of a lacquer surface. What a vest! What a knit and a puncture of a sophisticated tie [tie pin]! What a dazzling, like an alabaster, the barely prominent cuff!
A look of cattle, refined by K. Somov's brush, may be, a type of an artist, a prober, who sees through the skin of today's tastes, and tomorrow's ones, and the day after tomorrow ones, so that at any moment, castrating own today's taste, he can to appear in own tomorrow!' (The quote from the book: Natalya Chernyshova-Melnik "Diaghilev: outrunning the time").
'By the way, she herself told Serge Lifar about the first visit of Diaghilev to Countess de Greffulhe. Here is how he describes his conversation with [this woman] a French aristocrat: 'When I came to her magnificent mansion and was entered into a huge salon decorated with statues and paintings, the Countess de Greffulhe came out and with some almost sacred reverence she began talking about Sergei Pavlovich:' here Diaghilev was sitting in this chair ... Diaghilev looked at this statue a lot ... Diaghilev was playing on this piano ... 'I asked the countess what first impression Diaghilev made on her and was it true that Diaghilev was so handsome in his youth? Countess de Greffulhe replied that Diaghilev did not impressed her at all and seemed to her at first or a some young snob, or a some kind of adventurer who knows everything and who can judge everything: "I did not understand why he came and what he actually wanted. He sits, looks at this statue for a long time, then suddenly jumps up, begins to look at the paintings and talk about them - true, things are very wonderful... Soon I became convinced that he really knows everything and that he is a person of exceptionally great artistic culture, and this reconciled me with him. But when he sat down at the piano, opened the notes and played the works of Russian composers, the pieces, which I had never known before, only then I understood why he had come and I understood him. He played beautifully, and what he played was so new and so amazingly wonderful that when he began to say that he wanted to organize a festival of Russian music next year, I immediately, without any hesitation and doubt, promised to do it everything, that is only in my power, to make his wonderful plan conceived by him succeed in Paris ''. (The quote from the book: Natalya Chernyshova-Melnik "Diaghilev: outrunning the time").
1907 - 'Russian Historical Concerts' (classical music, opera art ...). ("An excellent addition to the concerts was their printed program, which facilitated the acquaintance of listeners with Russian music: it presented not only the biographical data of the best Russian composers, but also their portraits painted by Ilya Repin, Léon Bakst, Valentin Serov. Right there, explanations were given ..., portraits of artists, sketches of the scenery of Russian opera productions ... "- Natalya Chernyshova-Melnik "Diaghilev: outrunning the time").
In 1907, in the 'Russian Historical Concerts' the European, world fame of Feodor Chaliapin began.
Again success and again the lack of an obvious positive financial result.
1908 - opera "Boris Godunov". Since the Russian season of 1908, a separate, very entertaining, series of a relatively independent stories about critical situations in which Sergei Diaghilev fell, and from which he successfully came out, began. This person combined the ability to take risks and a very high level of luck.
Note that in an obvious, clear form, the positive financial result of Diaghilev's activity is mentioned in the book of Natalya Chernyshova-Melnik only in the description of 1926. Although between 1906 and 1926, as can be seen by indirect signs, there were financially prosperous periods ('Richard Strauss himself conducted the orchestra [May 14, 1914]. Diaghilev paid to Strauss a huge money (for those times) - 100 thousand gold francs! - for the music to to this ballet ').
Sergei Diaghilev decides to focus on ballet. His ideas: firstly, a short (one-act) ballet, and secondly, the combination in the ballet production of a music, a drawing (painting) and a choreography (dance).
'Russian Ballets of de Diaghilev' - under such a brand Diaghilev acts until the outbreak of the First World War (in 1914).
1909 - Paris, Théâtre du Châtelet, ballets and operas. A tremendous success.
'An unprecedented, all-conquering holiday of Russian art lasted six weeks, during which the ballet performances alternated with opera. (Natalya Chernyshova-Melnik "Diaghilev: outrunning the time").
'In memory of the first performance of the Russian Ballet, which took place on May 19, 1909 at the stage of Théâtre du Châtelet, the theater administration installed a memorial plaque ...'. (Natalya Chernyshova-Melnik "Diaghilev: outrunning the time").
('The box office, given even the tangible help of Russian and Western patrons, could not cover the costs.' - Natalya Chernyshova-Melnik "Diaghilev: outrunning the time")..
1910 - Sergei Diaghilev focuses more and more on ballet.
We will express our personal opinion. Russian ballet traditions combined with Sergei Diaghilev's unique business qualities and luck enabled him to create Les Ballets Russes de Diaghilev (Russian Ballets of de Diaghilev) and to hold a monopoly.
In Russia there was a ballet school (in the broad sense) and ballet traditions, but there was no Sergei Diaghilev (who moved to Western Europe). Diaghilev and other artists acted in Western Europe, but outside of Russia there was no (unique) ballet school and those ballet traditions that existed in Russia.
Sergei Diaghilev, with his abilities, business skills, experience of a government official who dealt with ballet (during his state service), with contacts, knowledge of the conditions of Russian and Western life, Russian and other European languages, the psychology of ballet dancers, found himself in a unique, exclusive position.
The decision to create the "Russian Ballets of de Diaghilev" with a permanent residence in Monte Carlo (Principality of Monaco) is taken in December 1910.
1911, 1912, 1913, 1914 (before the start of the 1st World War on July 28, 1914) - the advanced ballet performances of Sergei Diaghilev in Monaco, Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Great Britain were organized...
1913 - the troupe created by Diaghilev gained such fame that he asks the director of the new Théâtre des Champs-Élysées 25 thousand francs for each performance. The director of the new theater agrees and, in the end, goes broke.
1914. In London, 'during the premiere, Diaghilev was given a strange telegram. Its sender, Harry Graf Kessler, expressed his wish for success to the Russian ballet and expressed regret that he could not personally attend the performances, and further wrote that the tour scheduled for the fall in Germany was unlikely to take place. Sergei Pavlovich, after reading the telegram, shrugged and told the staff: 'Dear Harry Graf Kessler, he must be sick. I would like to know why a well-planned event does not take place. ' Immersed, as always, in his new ideas and current affairs of the Russian ballet, Diaghilev did not pay attention to the numerous signs of growing tension between France and Germany. He, like many from his entourage, did not attach any importance to rumors of an imminent war. But Kessler, close to the court circles of Berlin, in fact, sent the Maestro a warning that the world was on the verge of a big change. ' (Natalya Chernyshova-Melnik "Diaghilev: outrunning the time")..
'Overnight, the world was blown up by the war, which went down in history as the First World War. Diaghilev, who remained in Italy in first months of war, literally lost everything. People in Europe did not have a time for art, hardships and hardships made them forget about the light-winged Terpsichore for a long time. And the homeless troupe of the "Russian Ballets", driven by a want [by a troubles], was scattered around the world. It was very difficult to assemble troupe, to revive it to a new life. ' (Natalya Chernyshova-Melnik "Diaghilev: outrunning the time")..
In the period from 1906 to 1914, the main thing in the life of Diaghilev was the "Ballets Russes" group.
1915 was the year, when Sergei Diaghilev made the efforts to revive the "Ballets Russes" group ...
June 19, 2020 12:58
Translation from Russian into English: June 21, 2020 12:49.
Владимир Владимирович Залесский 'Русский балет Дягилева. 1906-1914 годы. Заметка о главах 8-15 книги Н.Д. Чернышовой-Мельник 'Дягилев: опередивший время''.