Romance of Russian classical ballet and its dancers
The World of Arts by Gwen Herat
BALLET: Russian classical ballet for most part the atmosphere is
potent and heady with the music of Russian composers, its sweetness and
sensuous cadences seduce the senses like drugs that one cannot avoid.
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UNIQUE: None could match the Russian version of Cinderella. |
The richness of Glazunev's luscious texture of sound that he gave to
Raymonda, created an enchanted world. In this ballet, the mercurial
Gabriella Komleva exercised her wizadry and the chemistry of her
personality allied to her techniques. Her absolute freedom and
effortlessness reflected the traditional glory of Russian ballet. She
had a contemporary style that was evident in The Path of Thunder.
Obviously, these ballets in the repertoire have outlived their time.
They are the ballets that creak with time. Yet, the concoctions of
Minkus, Pugni and Drigo on ballets such as Paquita, Bayedere, Harlequin,
etc. that are so much loved and cherished, can be seen over and over
again with old and new ballerinas.
They are accepted in presentation despite the quaint ambiguous
musical and literay adaptation. The incredible Faust Bacchanalia of
Gounod with its particular brand of Russian essence with long satyrs of
mocking profanity and whose sensual exploits teased and thrilled in a
fascinating diversity.
Then, there is the archaic Fountain of Backchiserlia. It was poetic
and crude, spiritual and primitive. And there was Zakharov's
melodramatic epic of Pushkin's immortal tale set to Asafiev's lurid
melodies. But it brought from obscurity the Elvin Alla Sizova which was
the symbol of purity to be wooed by the tirless Gennady Seylyutsky.
Then there was the dauntless Ninel Kurgapikina who was ageless, prim,
firm and as silken wire and sparkled with the cold brilliance of a
diamond. They were the countless Maria's but always the mind goes back
to Ulanova who was the original Maria who made this tale as sad and
moving as Pushkin's romantic tragedy.
The production of Giselle was so meticulously thought of that all the
unnecessary distractions had been omitted. This was the tragic romantic
story wrought with simplicity and beauty.
Unobtrusively trapped and used to enable the Queen of the Wills to
appear like an apparition out of the ground and in the same manner
Giselle appears from the grave and returns to the Grave. Giselle appears
with haunting music and adds effect to the magic.
The whole production was a monument to inspired teamwork in which
Vladimir Fedotov who conducted his own orchestra, had the chief honours.
Fedotove had almost recomposed Adam's music. His rendering was so
integrated with natural action and was to be synonymous with it.
He was a genius who handled 'rubato' with a thousand shades of which
the effect in the mad scene was spell binding. It was total musicality,
a marriage of music and movement that rendered the Leningrad Ballet
homogeneous and perfect. So was Cinderalle that followed in the same
manner.
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