Ballet

Development of Soviet Ballet and Opera

Before the socialist revolution, ballet was the favorite art form of the royal family. After 1917, amid famine and civil war, the genre faced the threat of extinction. Many considered it a relic of the past. It is said that Lenin proposed to get rid of ballet, but the People's Commissar of Education Anatoly Lunacharsky insisted on preserving the best traditions. Stars of the imperial stage Anna Pavlova and Vaslav Nijinsky emigrated, while those who remained survived as best they could.

A period of bold experimentation began. Drama theater directors entered the conservative world of ballet. Kasyan Goleizovsky, a graduate of the imperial school, worked with his own studio, staging avant-garde ballets ("Joseph the Beautiful", 1925) that surpassed even the innovations of Diaghilev. Later, his choreography in the films "Circus" and "Spring" challenged Hollywood. In 1927, Gliere's "The Red Poppy" was staged at the Bolshoi Theatre with a class-conscious emphasis. Khachaturian's ballet "Gayane" became a famous synthesis of classical and folk dance, winning the Stalin Prize. The "Sabre Dance" is recognizable worldwide.

In 1931, Agrippina Vaganova became the artistic director of the Leningrad ballet. Among her students was Marina Semyonova. In 1930, Semyonova moved to the Bolshoi Theatre, where her debut in "La Bayadere" caused a sensation. She danced in "Swan Lake" for 25 years. She performed at the Paris Opera (1935–36). From 1953, she became a teacher, training Plisetskaya, Bessmertnova, Ananiashvili and other prima ballerinas. Together with her, Alexei Yermolaev came to Moscow, known for his aerial jump ("ballon"). After an injury, he became a teacher, training Vasiliev, Liepa, Lavrovsky, and Godunov.

The flourishing of Galina Ulanova's artistry coincided with the period when Soviet ballet was searching for its own path. She danced in Leningrad and Moscow. During the war, the theater was evacuated to Tashkent, and Ulanova performed in hospitals. In 1944, she was transferred to the Bolshoi Theatre. At 46, she performed Juliet on tour in London (1956), which brought her worldwide fame. Ulanova is the only ballerina with two monuments erected during her lifetime (Stockholm, St. Petersburg). Her partner was Mikhail Gabovich, whose student Vladimir Vasiliev continued the dynasty.

Other stars included Sergei Koren (character dance) and Olga Lepeshinskaya (technique, later teaching in Europe). In 1964, Yuri Grigorovich was appointed ballet master of the Bolshoi (leading until 1995). Under his direction, the company made about 100 triumphant tours. In 1969, the ballet "Spartacus" was staged, becoming a triumph. The role of Crassus was performed by Maris Liepa. Liepa, starting in Riga, became the premier of the Bolshoi thanks to his talent and teacher Nikolai Tarasov.

Maya Plisetskaya debuted in 1941, joined the Bolshoi company in 1943, and became prima ballerina in 1960. In 1967, "Carmen Suite" was staged for her (music by Bizet, orchestration by Shchedrin). From 1983, she worked abroad. She created her own distinctive, sharp dance style. The duet of Ekaterina Maximova and Vladimir Vasiliev became a symbol of the Bolshoi Theatre (from 1958). In 1975, Maximova suffered an injury, but in 1976 she triumphantly returned to the stage in "Giselle".

A constellation of masters (Nadezhda Pavlova, Vyacheslav Gordeev, Natalia Bessmertnova, Mikhail Lavrovsky, Nina Sorokina and others) forever remained in the history of world art.

On the opera stage of the Bolshoi Theatre, Ivan Kozlovsky, Sergei Lemeshev, Sergei Streltsov, Alexander Ognivtsev, Vladimir Atlantov, Zurab Sotkilava, Alexander Voroshilo, Mark Reizen, Maxim Mikhailov, Evgeny Nesterenko, Natalya Shpiller, Nadezhda Obukhova, Elena Obraztsova, Irina Arkhipova, Galina Vishnevskaya, and Tamara Sinyavskaya all shone brilliantly. In Leningrad, the outstanding bass Boris Shtokolov and baritone Sergei Leiferkus sang on the stage of the Kirov Theatre