Bolshoi’s history

In 1776 the first permanent theatre in Moscow was established by the theatre-loving Peter Urussov and an Englishman Michael Maddox. Four years later, the company acquired its own theatre down Petrovsky Street and commenced performing plays, ballet and opera. However 25 years later, the building was razed to the ground in one of the fires that was common in Moscow of the period. Performances were taking place at variety of venues throughout the city until January 1825 when the magnificent Bolshoi Petrovsky Theatre was opened. Classically designed, the building was fronted by eight Doric columns and its portico surmounted by a bronze Apollo driving his four-horse chariot.

Anastasia Volochora as the Swan Princess and Kostantine Ivanov as the Prince in Swan Lake. A Bolshoi production

Around this time, the drama company broke away to the newly constructed Maly Theatre while ballet and opera were retained in the Bolshoi Petrovsky. Again the fire broke out. This time, destroying the interior of the theatre but was restored by the Venetian architect. Alberto Cavos, the son of the great composer, Caterino Cavos.

The Bolshoi Theatre staged its first performance in 1840s, the first productions of Glinka’s opera, Ivan Susanin and Ruslin and Ludmila. Yet the importance given to ballet was overwhelming combining with the legacy of Tchaikosky whose works received the first performance at the theatre. These included Euginy Onegin, The Queen of Spades and Swan Lake.

A contrast became apparent between dance styles favoured by the two principal cities of Moscow and St. Petersburg in the second half of the nineteenth century. For example Marius Petipa’s new ballet Don Quizote that received its premier in Moscow in December 1869 in a boldly conceived and colourful production which when it was mounted in St. Petersburg two years later, was transformed into a much more classically treated ballet. Petipa’s assistant Choreographer and pupil, Alexander Gorsky was appointed to the Bolshoi Theatre in 1900. He was its choreographer until his death in 1924. Gorsky was responsible in staging the company’s stagings of the basic repertoire, making them more dramatic and realistic. He laid the foundations for the company’s greatest ballets and his impact over productions at the Bolshoi continued into Soviet period. Many great choreographers including the recent-George Balanchine admitted they were all influenced by him.

Opera also had its rise with the Bolshoi at the turn of the century and top singers made their debut at the theatre including the virtuostic Lenoid considered the finest interpreter of the role of Lensky from Evgeny Onegin. Other greats were suprano Antonina Nezhdanova, contralto Evgenia Zbruyev and the legendary bass, Fedor Chaliapin who joined the company in 1899 and remained until 1920. At his debut, garlands and flowers rained upon him and bouquets were laid at his feet at the end of each act. Chaliapin too, thirty curtain calls and thereafter, opera lovers would queue for two days and two nights to hear him.

Such was his remarkable influence and popularity and the Bolshoi’s repertoire to be performed chosen especially to show his unique talent. The theatre proceeded to revive Boris Godunov and Serov’s Judith along with Rimky-Koraskov’s The Maid of Pskov and Mozart and Salieri at Chaliapin’s insistence which resulted in number of contemporary Russian operas being staged. Some of the other operas revived were the performances of Anton Arensky and that of his illustrious pupil, Sergei Rachmaninov who also appeared in the theatre as the conductor.

The talented and fabulous Nina Ananiasville as Nikaya in the spectacular Bolshoi production of La Bayadere choreographed by Yuri Grigorovich

As opera gathered momentum, it reached its peak in the 1920s and the Bolshoi theatre came under the direction of Music Director, Nikolai Golovanov who with his fabulous concerts dedicated to workers and soldiers, became immensely popular. At the 10th anniversary of the Revolution in 1927, he was succeeded by Gorsky as the director of the Bolshoi ballet. Gorsky was responsible in the development of the Bolshoi style during the next two decades. Classical ballet became the rage of Moscow during which period brilliant ballerinas like Olga Lepeshinskaya and Marina Semyonova enjoyed great successes in Moscow. But sadly, these great dancers seldom or never seen around the country or outside the USSR.

When the Germans invaded Russia in 1941. The Bolshoi Ballet and Opera were evacuated to Kuibyshev on the Volga where they remained unto 1943. Presently, Ballet was in the hands of Lenoid Lavrovsky who created Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet and was faced with the monumental task of re-establishing the company during the post war years that were of deprivation and reconstruction. Prokofiev’s new ballet Cinderella with Olga Lepeshinkaya in the title role was mounted in November, 1945.

Nine years later, Prokofiev wrote the music for Stone Flower and had its world premier. To administer the Bolshoi was one of Lavrovsky’s great achievements when it first appeared in the West at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in 1956. Fifty five years later, I saw this same thing repeated at the same venue, last year.

British audiences were stunned to witness the virtuosity and dramatic intensity of Soviet choreography and the particular triumph enjoyed by legendary ballerina, Galina Ulanova. Later, she was succeeded as the prime-ballerina by yet another legend Maya Plisetskaya for whom choreographers such as maestros, Petit, Bejart and Alberto Alomo, created iconic roles. It is believed that the role of the Dying Swan was danced with so much virtuosity and brilliance that some of the audience stood up to see whether she was really dead.

Lenoid Levrovsky continued as Director of the Ballet until 1964 when he was succeeded as Chief choreographer and Artistic director by the 37 year old Yuri Grigorivich who was trained at the Kirov Ballet.

..................................

<< Artscope Main Page