In what year was the first theater building built? Theater buildings are architectural monuments

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On January 18, 1825, the grand opening of the new building of the Petrovsky Theater in Moscow took place. The rebuilt theater, designed by the architect Beauvais, turned out to be many times larger than the previous one, so the term “Big” was immediately attached to it.

The opening of the Bolshoi Theater in 1825 was accompanied by the performance “The Triumph of the Muses,” the plot of which told how the Genius of Russia, uniting with the muses, created a new theater on the ruins of the old one.

The history of the triumphant development of the Bolshoi Theater ballet

28 years later, the theater burned down, but was soon restored and reopened in 1856. This time Vincenzo Bellini's opera "The Puritans" was chosen for the opening ceremony.

Ceremonial performance at the Bolshoi Theater on the occasion of the coronation of Emperor Alexander III and Empress Maria Feodorovna in May 1883

Interiors of the Bolshoi Theater after completion of reconstruction. 2011

Tulips in honor of the Bolshoi

Two varieties of tulips are planted in front of the theater - “Galina Ulanova” and “Bolshoi Theater”. They were bred by the Dutch breeder Derek Willem Lefeber at the beginning of the 20th century.

The florist lived for some time in Russia and was impressed by the beauty of the building and the dance of the ballerina. And when he returned home, he developed two new varieties. When Lefeber next came to Moscow, more than 20 years later, he brought 30,000 tulips as a gift.

The theater began with a small private troupe of Prince Pyotr Urusov. The performances of the talented group often delighted Empress Catherine II, who thanked the prince with the right to direct all entertainment events in the capital. The founding date of the theater is considered to be March 17, 1776 - the day when Urusov received this privilege. Just six months after the empress’s will, the prince erected the wooden building of the Petrovsky Theater on the banks of the Neglinka. But before it could open, the theater burned down. The new building required large financial investments, and Urusov had a partner - the Russified Englishman Medox, a successful entrepreneur and ballet dancer. The construction of the theater cost the Briton 130,000 silver rubles. The new three-story brick theater opened its doors to the public in December 1780. A few years later, due to financial troubles, the Englishman had to transfer management of the theater to the state, after which the temple of Melpomene began to be called the Imperial. In 1805, the building built by Medox burned down.

For several years, the theater troupe performed on the home stages of the Moscow nobility. The new building, which appeared on Arbat in 1808, was designed by the architect Karl Ivanovich Rossi. But this theater was also destroyed by fire in 1812.

Ten years later, the restoration of the theater began, ending in 1825. But, according to sad tradition, this building could not escape the fire that occurred in 1853 and left behind only the outer walls. The Bolshoi revival lasted three years. The chief architect of the Imperial Theaters, Albert Kavos, who supervised the restoration of the building, increased its height, added columns in front of the entrance and a portico, above which stood a bronze quadriga of Apollo by Pyotr Klodt. The pediment was decorated with a double-headed eagle - the coat of arms of Russia.

In the early 60s of the 19th century, the Bolshoi was rented by an Italian opera company. The Italians performed several times a week, while only one day remained for Russian productions. The competition between the two theater groups benefited Russian vocalists, who were forced to hone and improve their skills, but the administration’s inattention to the national repertoire prevented Russian art from gaining popularity among audiences. A few years later, the management had to listen to the demands of the public and resume the operas “Ruslan and Lyudmila” and “Rusalka”. The year 1969 was marked by the production of The Voevoda, the first opera by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, for whom the Bolshoi became the main professional platform. In 1981, the theater's repertoire was enriched with the opera "Eugene Onegin".

In 1895, the theater underwent a major renovation, the end of which was marked by such productions as “Boris Godunov” by Mussorgsky and “The Woman of Pskov” by Rimsky-Korsakov with Fyodor Chaliapin in the role of Ivan the Terrible.

At the end of the 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th century, the Bolshoi became one of the leading centers of theatrical and musical world culture. The theater’s repertoire includes the best world works (“Walkyrie”, “Tannhäuser”, “Pagliacci”, “La Boheme”) and outstanding Russian operas (“Sadko”, “The Golden Cockerel”, “The Stone Guest”, “The Tale of the Invisible City of Kitezh” ). On the theater stage, great Russian singers and singers shine with their talent: Chaliapin, Sobinov, Gryzunov, Savransky, Nezhdanova, Balanovskaya, Azerskaya; The famous Russian artists Vasnetsov, Korovin and Golovin are working on the decorations.

Bolshoi managed to completely preserve his troupe during the revolutionary events and the Civil War. During the 1917-1918 season, the public saw 170 opera and ballet performances. And in 1919 the theater was awarded the title “Academic”.

The 20s and 30s of the last century became the time of the emergence and development of Soviet opera art. “The Love for Three Oranges”, “Trilby”, “Ivan the Soldier”, “Katerina Izmailova” by Shostakovich, “Quiet Don”, “Battleship Potemkin” are being staged on the Bolshoi stage for the first time.

During the Great Patriotic War, part of the Bolshoi troupe was evacuated to Kuibyshev, where new performances continued to be created. Many theater artists went to the front with concerts. The post-war years were marked by talented productions by the outstanding choreographer Yuri Grigorovich, each performance of which was a notable event in the cultural life of the country.

From 2005 to 2011, a grandiose reconstruction was carried out at the theater, thanks to which a new foundation appeared under the Bolshoi building, the legendary historical interiors were recreated, the technical equipment of the theater was significantly improved, and the rehearsal base was increased.

More than 800 performances were staged on the Bolshoi stage; the theater hosted premieres of operas by Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev, Arensky, and Tchaikovsky. The ballet troupe has always been and remains a welcome guest in any country. Artists, directors, artists and conductors of the Bolshoi have been awarded the most prestigious state and international awards many times.

Description

The Bolshoi Theater has three auditoriums open to the public:

• Historical (main) stage, seating 2,500 people;
• New stage, opened in 2002 and designed for 1000 spectators;
• Beethoven Hall with 320 seats, famous for its unique acoustics.

The historical scene appears before visitors as it was in the second half of the century before last and is a semicircular hall with four tiers, decorated with gold and red velvet. Above the heads of the audience is the legendary chandelier with 26,000 crystals, which appeared in the theater in 1863 and illuminates the hall with 120 lamps.

The new stage was opened at the address: Bolshaya Dimitrovka Street, building 4, building 2. During the large-scale reconstruction, all Bolshoi repertoire performances were staged here, and currently the New Stage hosts tours of foreign and Russian theaters.

The Beethoven Hall opened in 1921. Viewers are delighted by its interior in the style of Louis XV: walls upholstered in silk, magnificent crystal chandeliers, Italian stucco, walnut floors. The hall is designed for chamber and solo concerts.

Every spring, two varieties of tulips bloom in front of the theater building - the deep pink “Galina Ulanova” and the bright red “Bolshoi Theater”, bred by the Dutch breeder Lefeber. At the beginning of the last century, a florist saw Ulanova on the stage of the Bolshoi. Lefeber was so impressed by the talent of the Russian ballerina that he developed new varieties of tulips especially in honor of her and the theater in which she shone. The image of the Bolshoi Theater building can be seen on many postage stamps and on hundred-ruble banknotes.

Information for visitors

The theater address: Teatralnaya Square, 1. You can get to the Bolshoi by walking along Teatralny Proezd from the Teatralnaya and Okhotny Ryad metro stations. From the Ploshchad Revolyutsii station you can reach the Bolshoi by crossing the square of the same name. From the Kuznetsky Most station you need to walk along Kuznetsky Most Street, and then turn to Teatralnaya Square.

You can purchase tickets for Bolshoi productions both on the theater’s website - www.bolshoi.ru, and at the box office open in the Administration building (daily from 11.00 to 19.00, break from 15.00 to 16.00); in the building of the Historical Stage (daily from 12.00 to 20.00, break from 16.00 to 18.00); in the New Stage building (daily from 11.00 to 19.00, break from 14.00 to 15.00).

Ticket prices vary from 100 to 10,000 rubles, depending on the performance, performance time and place in the auditorium.

The Bolshoi Theater has a comprehensive security system, including video surveillance and mandatory passage of all visitors through a metal detector. Do not take piercing or sharp objects with you - you will not be allowed into the theater building with them.

Children are allowed to attend evening performances from the age of 10. Until this age, a child can attend morning performances with a separate ticket. Children under 5 years old are not allowed into the theater.

Tours are held in the Historic Theater Building on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, telling about the architecture of the Bolshoi and its past.

For those wishing to purchase something to remember the Bolshoi Theater, a souvenir shop is open daily from 11.00 to 17.00. To get into it, you need to enter the theater through entrance No. 9A. Visitors who come to the performance can enter the store directly from the Bolshoi building before or after the performance. Landmark: left wing of the theater, ground floor, next to the Beethoven Hall.

Photo and video shooting in the theater is not permitted.

When going to the Bolshoi Theater, plan your time - after the third bell you will not be able to enter the hall!

Story

The Bolshoi Theater began as a private theater for the provincial prosecutor, Prince Pyotr Urusov. On March 28, 1776, Empress Catherine II signed a “privilege” for the prince to maintain performances, masquerades, balls and other entertainment for a period of ten years. This date is considered the founding day of the Moscow Bolshoi Theater. At the first stage of the Bolshoi Theater's existence, the opera and drama troupes formed a single whole. The composition was very diverse: from serf artists to stars invited from abroad.

Moscow University and the gymnasiums established under it, which provided good musical education, played a large role in the formation of the opera and drama troupe. Theater classes were established at the Moscow Orphanage, which also supplied personnel to the new troupe.

The first theater building was built on the right bank of the Neglinka River. It faced Petrovka Street, hence the theater got its name - Petrovsky (later it will be called the Old Petrovsky Theater). Its opening took place on December 30, 1780. They gave a ceremonial prologue “Wanderers”, written by A. Ablesimov, and a large pantomimic ballet “The Magic School”, staged by L. Paradise to the music of J. Startzer. Then the repertoire was formed mainly from Russian and Italian comic operas with ballets and individual ballets.

The Petrovsky Theater, erected in record time - less than six months, became the first public theater building of such size, beauty and convenience to be built in Moscow. By the time of its opening, Prince Urusov, however, had already been forced to cede his rights to his partner, and subsequently the “privilege” was extended only to Medox.

However, disappointment awaited him too. Forced to constantly ask for loans from the Board of Trustees, Medox did not get out of debt. In addition, the authorities' opinion - previously very high - about the quality of his entrepreneurial activities has changed radically. In 1796, Madox's personal privilege expired, so both the theater and its debts were transferred to the jurisdiction of the Board of Trustees.

In 1802-03. The theater was handed over to Prince M. Volkonsky, the owner of one of the best Moscow home theater troupes. And in 1804, when the theater again came under the jurisdiction of the Board of Trustees, Volkonsky was actually appointed its director “on salary.”

Already in 1805, a project arose to create a theater directorate in Moscow “in the image and likeness” of the St. Petersburg one. In 1806 it was implemented - and the Moscow theater acquired the status of an imperial theater, coming under the jurisdiction of a single Directorate of Imperial Theaters.

In 1806, the school that the Petrovsky Theater had was reorganized into the Imperial Moscow Theater School to train opera, ballet, drama artists and musicians of theater orchestras (in 1911 it became a choreographic school).

In the fall of 1805, the building of the Petrovsky Theater burned down. The troupe began performing on private stages. And since 1808 - on the stage of the new Arbat Theater, built according to the design of K. Rossi. This wooden building also died in a fire - during the Patriotic War of 1812.

In 1819, a competition was announced for the design of a new theater building. The winner was the project of Academy of Arts professor Andrei Mikhailov, who, however, was recognized as too expensive. As a result, the Moscow governor, Prince Dmitry Golitsyn, ordered the architect Osip Bova to correct it, which he did, and significantly improved it.

In July 1820, construction began on a new theater building, which was to become the center of the urban composition of the square and adjacent streets. The facade, decorated with a powerful portico on eight columns with a large sculptural group - Apollo on a chariot with three horses, “looked” at the Theater Square under construction, which contributed greatly to its decoration.

In 1822–23 Moscow theaters were separated from the general Directorate of Imperial Theaters and transferred to the authority of the Moscow Governor-General, who received the authority to appoint Moscow directors of the Imperial Theaters.

“Even closer, on a wide square, rises the Petrovsky Theater, a work of modern art, a huge building, made according to all the rules of taste, with a flat roof and a majestic portico, on which stands an alabaster Apollo, standing on one leg in an alabaster chariot, motionless driving three alabaster horses and looking with annoyance at the Kremlin wall, which jealously separates him from the ancient shrines of Russia!
M. Lermontov, youth essay “Panorama of Moscow”

On January 6, 1825, the grand opening of the new Petrovsky Theater took place - much larger than the lost old one, and therefore called the Bolshoi Petrovsky Theater. They performed the prologue “The Triumph of the Muses” written specially for the occasion in verse (M. Dmitrieva), with choirs and dances to the music of A. Alyabyev, A. Verstovsky and F. Scholz, as well as the ballet “Cendrillon” staged by a dancer and choreographer F. invited from France .IN. Güllen-Sor to the music of her husband F. Sor. The muses triumphed over the fire that destroyed the old theater building, and, led by the Genius of Russia, played by twenty-five-year-old Pavel Mochalov, they revived a new temple of art from the ashes. And although the theater was indeed very large, it could not accommodate everyone. Emphasizing the importance of the moment and condescending to the feelings of those suffering, the triumphal performance was repeated in its entirety the next day.

The new theater, surpassing even the capital's Bolshoi Stone Theater in St. Petersburg in size, was distinguished by its monumental grandeur, symmetry of proportions, harmony of architectural forms and richness of interior decoration. It turned out to be very convenient: the building had galleries for the passage of spectators, stairs leading to tiers, corner and side lounges for relaxation and spacious dressing rooms. The huge auditorium accommodated over two thousand people. The orchestra pit was deepened. During masquerades, the floor of the stalls was raised to the level of the proscenium, the orchestra pit was covered with special shields, and a wonderful “dance floor” was created.

In 1842, Moscow theaters were again placed under the control of the general Directorate of Imperial Theaters. The director at that time was A. Gedeonov, and the famous composer A. Verstovsky was appointed manager of the Moscow theater office. The years when he was “in power” (1842–59) were called the “Verstovsky era.”

And although dramatic performances continued to be staged on the stage of the Bolshoi Petrovsky Theater, operas and ballets began to occupy an increasing place in its repertoire. Works by Donizetti, Rossini, Meyerbeer, young Verdi, and Russian composers such as Verstovsky and Glinka were staged (the Moscow premiere of A Life for the Tsar took place in 1842, and the opera Ruslan and Lyudmila in 1846).

The building of the Bolshoi Petrovsky Theater existed for almost 30 years. But he too suffered the same sad fate: on March 11, 1853, a fire broke out in the theater, which lasted three days and destroyed everything it could. Theater machines, costumes, musical instruments, sheet music, scenery were burned... The building itself was almost completely destroyed, of which only charred stone walls and columns of the portico remained.

Three prominent Russian architects took part in the competition to restore the theater. It was won by Albert Kavos, a professor at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts and the chief architect of the imperial theaters. He specialized mainly in theatrical buildings, was well versed in theater technology and in the design of multi-tiered theaters with a box stage and Italian and French types of boxes.

Restoration work progressed rapidly. In May 1855, the dismantling of the ruins was completed and the reconstruction of the building began. And in August 1856 it already opened its doors to the public. This speed was explained by the fact that the construction had to be completed in time for the celebrations of the coronation of Emperor Alexander II. The Bolshoi Theater, practically rebuilt and with very significant changes compared to the previous building, opened on August 20, 1856 with the opera “The Puritans” by V. Bellini.

The total height of the building has increased by almost four meters. Despite the fact that the porticoes with Beauvais columns have been preserved, the appearance of the main facade has changed quite a lot. A second pediment appeared. Apollo's horse troika was replaced by a quadriga cast in bronze. An alabaster bas-relief appeared on the inner field of the pediment, representing flying geniuses with a lyre. The frieze and capitals of the columns have changed. Sloping canopies on cast iron pillars were installed above the entrances of the side facades.

But the theater architect, of course, paid the main attention to the auditorium and stage part. In the second half of the 19th century, the Bolshoi Theater was considered one of the best in the world for its acoustic properties. And he owed this to the skill of Albert Kavos, who designed the auditorium as a huge musical instrument. Wooden panels from resonant spruce were used to decorate the walls, instead of an iron ceiling, a wooden one was made, and a picturesque ceiling was made of wooden panels - everything in this room worked for acoustics. Even the decor of the boxes is made of papier-mâché. In order to improve the acoustics of the hall, Kavos also filled up the rooms under the amphitheater, where the wardrobe was located, and moved the hangers to the stall level.

The space of the auditorium was significantly expanded, which made it possible to create antechambers - small living rooms furnished to receive visitors from the stalls or boxes located next door. The six-tier hall accommodated almost 2,300 spectators. On both sides near the stage there were lettered boxes intended for the royal family, the Ministry of the Court and the theater directorate. The ceremonial royal box, slightly protruding into the hall, became its center, opposite the stage. The barrier of the Royal Box was supported by consoles in the form of bent atlases. The crimson and gold splendor amazed everyone who entered this hall - both in the first years of the Bolshoi Theater's existence and decades later.

“I tried to decorate the auditorium as luxuriously and at the same time as lightly as possible, in the taste of the Renaissance mixed with Byzantine style. The white color studded with gold, the bright crimson draperies of the interior boxes, the different plaster arabesques on each floor and the main effect of the auditorium - a large chandelier of three rows of lamps and candelabra decorated with crystal - all this deserved general approval.
Albert Kavos

The auditorium chandelier was originally illuminated by 300 oil lamps. To light oil lamps, it was lifted through a hole in the lampshade into a special room. Around this hole a circular composition of the ceiling was built, on which Academician A. Titov painted “Apollo and the Muses”. This painting “has a secret”, revealed only to a very attentive eye, which, in addition to everything, should belong to an expert in ancient Greek mythology: instead of one of the canonical muses - the muse of the sacred hymns of Polyhymnia, Titov depicted a muse of painting invented by him - with a palette and brush in his hands.

The front curtain was created by the Italian artist, professor at the St. Petersburg Imperial Academy of Fine Arts, Casroe Dusi. Of the three sketches, the one that depicted “The Entry of Minin and Pozharsky into Moscow” was chosen. In 1896, it was replaced by a new one - “View of Moscow from the Sparrow Hills” (made by P. Lambin based on a drawing by M. Bocharov), which was used at the beginning and end of the performance. And for intermissions, another curtain was made - “The Triumph of the Muses” based on a sketch by P. Lambin (the only curtain of the 19th century preserved in the theater today).

After the revolution of 1917, the curtains of the imperial theater were sent into exile. In 1920, theater artist F. Fedorovsky, while working on a production of the opera “Lohengrin,” created a sliding curtain made of bronze-painted canvas, which was then used as the main curtain. In 1935, according to a sketch by F. Fedorovsky, a new curtain was made, on which revolutionary dates were woven - “1871, 1905, 1917”. In 1955, F. Fedorovsky’s famous golden “Soviet” curtain, with woven state symbols of the USSR, reigned in the theater for half a century.

Like most buildings on Teatralnaya Square, the Bolshoi Theater was built on stilts. Gradually the building deteriorated. Drainage work has lowered the groundwater level. The top part of the piles rotted and this caused a large settlement of the building. In 1895 and 1898 The foundations were repaired, which temporarily helped to stop the ongoing destruction.

The last performance of the Imperial Bolshoi Theater took place on February 28, 1917. And on March 13, the State Bolshoi Theater opened.

After the October Revolution, not only the foundations, but also the very existence of the theater was under threat. It took several years for the power of the victorious proletariat to forever abandon the idea of ​​closing the Bolshoi Theater and destroying its building. In 1919, she awarded it the title of academic, which at that time did not even provide a guarantee of safety, since within a few days the issue of its closure was again hotly debated.

However, in 1922, the Bolshevik government still found the closure of the theater economically inexpedient. By that time, it was already in full swing “adapting” the building to its needs. The Bolshoi Theater hosted the All-Russian Congresses of Soviets, meetings of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, and congresses of the Comintern. And the formation of a new country - the USSR - was also proclaimed from the stage of the Bolshoi Theater.

Back in 1921, a special government commission examined the theater building and found its condition catastrophic. It was decided to launch emergency response work, the head of which was appointed architect I. Rerberg. Then the foundations under the ring walls of the auditorium were strengthened, the wardrobe rooms were restored, the staircases were redesigned, new rehearsal rooms and artistic restrooms were created. In 1938, a major reconstruction of the stage was carried out.

Master plan for the reconstruction of Moscow 1940-41. provided for the demolition of all houses behind the Bolshoi Theater up to the Kuznetsky Bridge. On the vacated territory it was planned to build the premises necessary for the theater's operation. And in the theater itself, fire safety and ventilation had to be established. In April 1941, the Bolshoi Theater was closed for necessary repairs. And two months later the Great Patriotic War began.

Part of the Bolshoi Theater staff evacuated to Kuibyshev, while others remained in Moscow and continued to perform performances on the stage of the branch. Many artists performed as part of front-line brigades, others went to the front themselves.

On October 22, 1941, at four o'clock in the afternoon, a bomb hit the Bolshoi Theater building. The blast wave passed obliquely between the columns of the portico, pierced the facade wall and caused significant damage to the vestibule. Despite the hardships of wartime and the terrible cold, restoration work began in the theater in the winter of 1942.

And already in the fall of 1943, the Bolshoi Theater resumed its activities with the production of M. Glinka’s opera “A Life for the Tsar”, from which the stigma of being monarchical was removed and recognized as patriotic and folk, however, for this it was necessary to revise its libretto and give a new reliable name - “Ivan Susanin” "

Cosmetic renovations to the theater were carried out annually. More large-scale work was also undertaken regularly. But there was still a catastrophic lack of rehearsal space.

In 1960, a large rehearsal hall was built and opened in the theater building - right under the roof, in the former set room.

In 1975, to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the theater, some restoration work was carried out in the auditorium and Beethoven hall. However, the main problems - the instability of the foundations and the lack of space inside the theater - were not resolved.

Finally, in 1987, by decree of the Government of the country, a decision was made on the need for urgent reconstruction of the Bolshoi Theater. But it was clear to everyone that in order to preserve the troupe, the theater should not stop its creative activities. We needed a branch. However, eight years passed before the first stone of its foundation was laid. And seven more before the New Stage building was built.

November 29, 2002 The new stage opened with the premiere of the opera “The Snow Maiden” by N. Rimsky-Korsakov, a production quite consistent with the spirit and purpose of the new building, that is, innovative, experimental.

In 2005, the Bolshoi Theater closed for restoration and reconstruction. But this is a separate chapter in the chronicle of the Bolshoi Theater.

To be continued...

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BIG THEATER

The oldest opera and ballet theater in Russia. The official name is the State Academic Bolshoi Theater of Russia. In colloquial speech the theater is simply called Big.

Bolshoi Theater Hall:

Russia. Large linguistic and cultural dictionary. - M.: State Institute of Russian Language named after. A.S. Pushkin. AST-Press. T.N. Chernyavskaya, K.S. Miloslavskaya, E.G. Rostova, O.E. Frolova, V.I. Borisenko, Yu.A. Vyunov, V.P. Chudnov. 2007 .

See what "BIG THEATER" is in other dictionaries:

Big theater- Building of the Main Stage of the Bolshoi Theater Location Moscow, Coordinates 55.760278, 37.618611 ... Wikipedia

Grand Theatre- Big theater. Moscow. Bolshoi Theater (State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater of Russia) (, 2), the largest center of Russian and world musical culture. The history of the Bolshoi Theater dates back to 1776 (see). The original name was Petrovsky... Moscow (encyclopedia)

Grand Theatre- State Academic Bolshoi Theater of the USSR (SABT), the leading Soviet opera and ballet theater, the largest center of Russian, Soviet and world musical theater culture. The modern theater building was built in 1820 24... ... Art encyclopedia

Grand Theatre- Big theater. Theater Square on the opening day of the Bolshoi Theater on August 20, 1856. Painting by A. Sadovnikov. BOLSHOY THEATER State academic (SABT), opera and ballet theater. One of the centers of Russian and world musical theater... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

BIG THEATER- State Academic (SABT), Opera and Ballet Theater. One of the centers of Russian and world musical theater culture. Founded in 1776 in Moscow. Modern building from 1824 (architect O. I. Bove; reconstructed in 1856, architect A. K. ... ... Russian history

BIG THEATER- State Academic (SABT), Opera and Ballet Theater. One of the centers of Russian and world musical theater culture. Founded in 1776 in Moscow. Modern building from 1824 (architect O.I. Bove; reconstructed in 1856, architect A.K.... ... Modern encyclopedia

BIG THEATER- State Academic Theater (SABT), Founded in 1776 in Moscow. Modern building from 1825 (architect O. I. Bove; reconstructed in 1856, architect A. K. Kavos). Foreign and first Russian operas and ballets by M. I. Glinka, A. S. were staged... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

Grand Theatre- This term has other meanings, see Bolshoi Theater (meanings). Bolshoi Theater ... Wikipedia

Grand Theatre- BOLSHOY THEATER, State Order of Lenin Academic Bolshoi Theater of the USSR (SABT), leading Soviet musical theater. tr, who played an outstanding role in the formation and development of the national. traditions of ballet art. Its emergence is associated with the rise of Russian... ... Ballet. Encyclopedia

BIG THEATER- State Order of Lenin Academic Bolshoi Theater of the USSR, the oldest Russian. music theater, the largest center of music. theatrical culture, the building was also a venue for congresses and celebrations. meeting and other societies. events. Main... Soviet historical encyclopedia

Books

• Bolshoi Theater Culture and politics New history, Volkov S.. The Bolshoi Theater is one of the most famous brands in Russia. In the West, the word Bolshoi does not need translation. Now it seems that it has always been this way. Not at all. For many years the main musical…

The history of the Bolshoi Theater, which is celebrating its 225th anniversary, is as majestic as it is complicated. From it you can equally well create an apocrypha and an adventure novel. The theater burned down several times, was restored, rebuilt, its troupe merged and separated.

Twice Born (1776-1856)

The history of the Bolshoi Theater, which is celebrating its 225th anniversary, is as majestic as it is complicated. From it you can equally well create an apocrypha and an adventure novel. The theater burned down several times, was restored, rebuilt, its troupe merged and separated. And even the Bolshoi Theater has two dates of birth. Therefore, his centenary and bicentennial anniversaries will be separated not by a century, but by only 51 years. Why? Initially, the Bolshoi Theater counted its years from the day when a splendid eight-column theater with the chariot of the god Apollo above the portico appeared on Teatralnaya Square - the Bolshoi Petrovsky Theater, the construction of which became a real event for Moscow at the beginning of the 19th century. A beautiful building in a classical style, decorated inside in red and gold tones, according to contemporaries, it was the best theater in Europe and second only to Milan’s La Scala in scale. Its opening took place on January 6 (18), 1825. In honor of this event, the prologue “The Triumph of the Muses” by M. Dmitriev with music by A. Alyabiev and A. Verstovsky was given. It allegorically depicted how the Genius of Russia, with the help of the muses, on the ruins of the Medox Theater creates a new beautiful art - the Bolshoi Petrovsky Theater.

However, the troupe whose forces performed the Triumph of the Muses, which caused universal admiration, had already existed for half a century by that time.

It was started by the provincial prosecutor, Prince Pyotr Vasilyevich Urusov, in 1772. On March 17 (28), 1776, the highest permission followed “to support him with all kinds of theatrical performances, as well as concerts, vauxhalls and masquerades, and besides him, no one should be allowed any such entertainment at all times appointed by privilege, so that he would not be undermined.”

Three years later, he petitioned Empress Catherine II for a ten-year privilege to maintain a Russian theater in Moscow, undertaking to build a permanent theater building for the troupe. Alas, the first Russian theater in Moscow on Bolshaya Petrovskaya Street burned down even before it opened. This led to the decline of the prince's affairs. He handed over the affairs to his companion, the Englishman Mikhail Medox - an active and enterprising man. It was thanks to him that in the wasteland regularly flooded by Neglinka, despite all the fires and wars, the theater grew, which over time lost its geographical prefix Petrovsky and remained in history simply as the Bolshoi.

And yet, the Bolshoi Theater begins its chronology on March 17 (28), 1776. Therefore, in 1951 the 175th anniversary was celebrated, in 1976 - the 200th anniversary, and ahead is the 225th anniversary of the Bolshoi Theater of Russia.

Bolshoi Theater in the mid-19th century

The symbolic name of the performance that opened the Bolshoi Petrovsky Theater in 1825, “The Triumph of the Muses,” predetermined its history over the next quarter of a century. The participation in the first performance of outstanding stage masters - Pavel Mochalov, Nikolai Lavrov and Angelica Catalani - set the highest performing level. The second quarter of the 19th century is the awareness of Russian art, and the Moscow theater in particular, of its national identity. The work of composers Alexei Verstovsky and Alexander Varlamov, who were at the head of the Bolshoi Theater for several decades, contributed to its extraordinary rise. Thanks to their artistic will, a Russian operatic repertoire emerged on the Moscow Imperial stage. It was based on Verstovsky’s operas “Pan Tvardovsky”, “Vadim, or the Twelve Sleeping Maidens”, “Askold’s Grave”, and the ballets “The Magic Drum” by Alyabyev, “The Fun of the Sultan, or the Slave Seller”, “Tom Thumb” by Varlamov.

The ballet repertoire was not inferior to the operatic repertoire in richness and variety. The head of the troupe, Adam Glushkovsky, is a graduate of the St. Petersburg ballet school, a student of C. Didelot, who headed the Moscow ballet even before the Patriotic War of 1812, created original performances: “Ruslan and Lyudmila, or the Overthrow of Chernomor, the Evil Wizard,” “Three Belts, or the Russian Cendrillon” ", "The Black Shawl, or Punished Infidelity", brought Didelot's best performances to the Moscow stage. They showed the excellent training of the corps de ballet, the foundations of which were laid by the choreographer himself, who was also at the head of the ballet school. The main roles in the performances were performed by Glushkovsky himself and his wife Tatyana Ivanovna Glushkovskaya, as well as the Frenchwoman Felicata Gyullen-Sor.

The main event in the activities of the Moscow Bolshoi Theater in the first half of the last century were the premieres of two operas by Mikhail Glinka. Both of them were first staged in St. Petersburg. Despite the fact that it was already possible to get from one Russian capital to another by train, Muscovites had to wait several years for new products. “A Life for the Tsar” was first performed at the Bolshoi Theater on September 7 (19), 1842. “...How can I express the surprise of true music lovers when, from the first act, they were convinced that this opera resolved an issue that was important for art in general and for Russian art in particular, namely: the existence of Russian opera, Russian music... With Glinka’s opera is something that has long been sought and not found in Europe, a new element in art, and a new period begins in its history - the period of Russian music. Such a feat, let’s say, hand on heart, is a matter not only of talent, but of genius!” - exclaimed the outstanding writer, one of the founders of Russian musicology V. Odoevsky.

Four years later, the first performance of “Ruslan and Lyudmila” took place. But both of Glinka’s operas, despite favorable reviews from critics, did not last long in the repertoire. Even the participation in the performances of guest performers - Osip Petrov and Ekaterina Semenova, who were temporarily forced out of St. Petersburg by Italian singers, did not save them. But decades later, it was “A Life for the Tsar” and “Ruslan and Lyudmila” that became the favorite performances of the Russian public; they were destined to defeat the Italian opera mania that arose in the middle of the century. And according to tradition, the Bolshoi Theater opened each theater season with one of Glinka’s operas.

On the ballet stage, by the middle of the century, performances on Russian themes, created by Isaac Abletz and Adam Glushkovsky, were also supplanted. Western romanticism ruled the roost. “La Sylphide,” “Giselle,” and “Esmeralda” appeared in Moscow almost immediately after their European premieres. Taglioni and Elsler drove Muscovites crazy. But the Russian spirit continued to live in the Moscow ballet. Not a single guest performer could outshine Ekaterina Bankskaya, who performed in the same performances as visiting celebrities.

In order to accumulate strength before the next upsurge, the Bolshoi Theater had to endure many shocks. And the first of these was the fire that destroyed the Osip Bove Theater in 1853. All that was left of the building was a charred shell. The scenery, costumes, rare instruments, and music library were destroyed.

Architect Albert Kavos won the competition for the best project for restoring the theater. In May 1855, construction work began, which was completed after 16 (!) months. In August 1856, the new theater opened with V. Bellini’s opera “The Puritans”. And there was something symbolic in the fact that it opened with Italian opera. The actual tenant of the Bolshoi Theater soon after its opening was the Italian Merelli, who brought a very strong Italian troupe to Moscow. The public, with the delight of converts, preferred Italian opera to Russian. All of Moscow flocked to listen to Desiree Artaud, Pauline Viardot, Adeline Patti and other Italian opera idols. The auditorium at these performances was always crowded.

The Russian troupe had only three days a week left - two for ballet and one for opera. Russian opera, which had no material support and was abandoned by the public, was a sad sight.

And yet, despite any difficulties, the Russian operatic repertoire is steadily expanding: in 1858 “Rusalka” by A. Dargomyzhsky was presented, two operas by A. Serov - “Judith” (1865) and “Rogneda” (1868) - were staged for the first time. , “Ruslan and Lyudmila” by M. Glinka is resumed. A year later, P. Tchaikovsky made his debut on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater with the opera “The Voevoda”.

A turning point in public tastes occurred in the 1870s. Russian operas appear one after another in the Bolshoi Theater: “The Demon” by A. Rubinstein (1879), “Eugene Onegin” by P. Tchaikovsky (1881), “Boris Godunov” by M. Mussorgsky (1888), “The Queen of Spades” (1891) and “Iolanta” (1893) by P. Tchaikovsky, “The Snow Maiden” by N. Rimsky-Korsakov (1893), “Prince Igor” by A. Borodin (1898). Following the only Russian prima donna Ekaterina Semenova, a whole galaxy of outstanding singers appear on the Moscow stage. These are Alexandra Alexandrova-Kochetova, and Emilia Pavlovskaya, and Pavel Khokhlov. And it is they, and not the Italian singers, who become the favorites of the Moscow public. In the 70s, the owner of the most beautiful contralto, Eulalia Kadmina, enjoyed special affection from the audience. “Perhaps the Russian public has never known, either earlier or later, such a unique performer, full of real tragic power,” they wrote about her. M. Eikhenwald was called the unsurpassed Snow Maiden, the idol of the public was the baritone P. Khokhlov, whom Tchaikovsky highly valued.

In the middle of the century, the Bolshoi Theater ballet featured Marfa Muravyova, Praskovya Lebedeva, Nadezhda Bogdanova, Anna Sobeshchanskaya, and in their articles about Bogdanova, journalists emphasized “the superiority of the Russian ballerina over European celebrities.”

However, after their departure from the stage, the Bolshoi Theater ballet found itself in a difficult situation. Unlike St. Petersburg, where the single artistic will of the choreographer dominated, ballet Moscow in the second half of the century was left without a talented leader. The visits of A. Saint-Leon and M. Petipa (who staged Don Quixote at the Bolshoi Theater in 1869, and debuted in Moscow before the fire, in 1848) were short-lived. The repertoire was filled with random one-day performances (the exception was Sergei Sokolov’s Fernnik, or Midsummer Night, which lasted a long time in the repertoire). Even the production of “Swan Lake” (choreographer Wenzel Reisinger) by P. Tchaikovsky, who created his first ballet specifically for the Bolshoi Theater, ended in failure. Each new premiere only irritated the public and the press. The auditorium at ballet performances, which in the middle of the century provided a substantial income, began to be empty. In the 1880s, the question of liquidating the troupe was seriously raised.

And yet, thanks to such outstanding masters as Lydia Gaten and Vasily Geltser, the Bolshoi Theater ballet was preserved.

On the eve of the new century XX

Approaching the turn of the century, the Bolshoi Theater lived a turbulent life. At this time, Russian art was approaching one of the peaks of its heyday. Moscow was at the center of a vibrant artistic life. A stone's throw from Theater Square, the Moscow Public Art Theater opened, the whole city was eager to see performances of the Mamontov Russian Private Opera and symphonic meetings of the Russian Musical Society. Not wanting to lag behind and lose viewers, the Bolshoi Theater quickly made up for lost time in previous decades, ambitiously wanting to fit into the Russian cultural process.

This was facilitated by two experienced musicians who came to the theater at that time. Hippolyte Altani led the orchestra, Ulrich Avranek led the choir. The professionalism of these groups, which had grown significantly not only quantitatively (each had about 120 musicians), but also qualitatively, invariably aroused admiration. Outstanding masters shone in the Bolshoi Theater opera troupe: Pavel Khokhlov, Elizaveta Lavrovskaya, Bogomir Korsov continued their careers, Maria Deisha-Sionitskaya came from St. Petersburg, Lavrenty Donskoy, a native of Kostroma peasants, became the leading tenor, Margarita Eikhenwald was just beginning her career.

This made it possible to include virtually all the world classics in the repertoire - operas by G. Verdi, V. Bellini, G. Donizetti, C. Gounod, J. Meyerbeer, L. Delibes, R. Wagner. New works by P. Tchaikovsky regularly appeared on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater. With difficulty, but still, the composers of the New Russian School made their way: in 1888 the premiere of “Boris Godunov” by M. Mussorgsky took place, in 1892 - “The Snow Maiden”, in 1898 - “The Night Before Christmas” by N. Rimsky - Korsakov.

In the same year, A. Borodin’s “Prince Igor” appeared on the Moscow Imperial stage. This revived interest in the Bolshoi Theater and contributed to no small extent to the fact that by the end of the century singers joined the troupe, thanks to whom the Bolshoi Theater opera reached enormous heights in the next century. The Bolshoi Theater ballet also reached the end of the 19th century in excellent professional form. The Moscow Theater School worked without interruption, producing well-trained dancers. Caustic feuilleton reviews, such as the one posted in 1867: “What are the corps de ballet sylphs like now?.. all so plump, as if they deigned to eat pancakes, and their legs are dragging as they please” - have become irrelevant. The brilliant Lydia Gaten, who had no rivals for two decades and carried the entire ballerina repertoire on her shoulders, was replaced by several world-class ballerinas. One after another, Adelina Jury, Lyubov Roslavleva, and Ekaterina Geltser made their debuts. Vasily Tikhomirov was transferred from St. Petersburg to Moscow, becoming the premier of the Moscow ballet for many years. True, unlike the masters of the opera troupe, so far there was no worthy application for their talents: the secondary, meaningless extravaganza ballets of Jose Mendes reigned on the stage.

It is symbolic that in 1899, with the transfer of Marius Petipa’s ballet “The Sleeping Beauty”, choreographer Alexander Gorsky, whose name is associated with the heyday of Moscow ballet in the first quarter of the 20th century, made his debut on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater.

In 1899, Fyodor Chaliapin joined the troupe.

A new era was beginning at the Bolshoi Theater, which coincided with the advent of a new XX century

It's 1917

By the beginning of 1917, nothing foreshadowed revolutionary events at the Bolshoi Theater. True, there were already some self-government bodies, for example, the corporation of orchestra artists, headed by the accompanist of the 2-violin group, Y. K. Korolev. Thanks to the active actions of the corporation, the orchestra received the right to organize symphony concerts at the Bolshoi Theater. The last of them took place on January 7, 1917 and was dedicated to the work of S. Rachmaninov. The author conducted. "The Cliff", "Island of the Dead" and "Bells" were performed. The Bolshoi Theater choir and soloists - E. Stepanova, A. Labinsky and S. Migai - took part in the concert.

On February 10, the theater showed the premiere of “Don Carlos” by G. Verdi, which became the first production of this opera on the Russian stage.

After the February Revolution and the overthrow of the autocracy, the management of the St. Petersburg and Moscow theaters remained common and was concentrated in the hands of their former director V. A. Telyakovsky. On March 6, by order of the commissioner of the temporary committee of the State Duma N. N. Lvov, A. I. Yuzhin was appointed authorized commissioner for the management of Moscow theaters (Bolshoi and Maly). On March 8, at a meeting of all employees of the former imperial theaters - musicians, opera soloists, ballet dancers, stage workers - L.V. Sobinov was unanimously elected manager of the Bolshoi Theater, and this election was approved by the Ministry of the Provisional Government. On March 12, the search arrived; artistic part from the economic and service parts, and L. V. Sobinov headed the actual artistic part of the Bolshoi Theater.

It must be said that “Soloist of His Majesty”, “Soloist of the Imperial Theaters” L. Sobinov, back in 1915, broke the contract with the Imperial Theaters, unable to fulfill all the whims of the management, and performed either in performances of the Musical Drama Theater in Petrograd, or in Zimin Theater in Moscow. When the February Revolution took place, Sobinov returned to the Bolshoi Theater.

On March 13, the first “free gala performance” took place at the Bolshoi Theater. Before it began, L. V. Sobinov made a speech:

Citizens and citizens! With today's performance, our pride, the Bolshoi Theater, opens the first page of its new free life. Bright minds and pure, warm hearts united under the banner of art. Art sometimes inspired fighters of ideas and gave them wings! The same art, when the storm that made the whole world tremble subsides, will glorify and sing the praises of national heroes. From their immortal feat it will draw bright inspiration and endless strength. And then the two best gifts of the human spirit - art and freedom - will merge into a single powerful stream. And our Bolshoi Theater, this marvelous temple of art, will become a temple of freedom in its new life.

March 31 L. Sobinov is appointed commissioner of the Bolshoi Theater and Theater School. His activities are aimed at combating the tendencies of the former management of the Imperial Theaters to interfere with the work of the Bolshoi. It comes to a strike. As a sign of protest against the encroachments on the autonomy of the theater, the troupe suspended the performance of the play “Prince Igor” and asked the Moscow Council of Workers’ and Soldiers’ Deputies to support the demands of the theater staff. The next day, a delegation was sent from the Moscow Soviet to the theater, welcoming the Bolshoi Theater in the fight for its rights. There is a document confirming the respect of the theater staff for L. Sobinov: “The Corporation of Artists, having elected you as director, as the best and staunch defender and exponent of the interests of art, convincingly asks you to accept this election and notify you of your consent.”

In order No. 1 of April 6, L. Sobinov addressed the team with the following appeal: “I make a special request to my comrades, opera, ballet, orchestra and choir artists, to all production, artistic, technical and service personnel, artistic, pedagogical the staff and members of the Theater School to make every effort to successfully complete the theater season and academic year of the school and to prepare, on the basis of mutual trust and comradely unity, for the upcoming work in the next theater year.”

In the same season, on April 29, the 20th anniversary of L. Sobinov’s debut at the Bolshoi Theater was celebrated. The opera “The Pearl Fishers” by J. Bizet was performed. The comrades on stage warmly welcomed the hero of the day. Without taking off his make-up, in Nadir’s costume, Leonid Vitalievich delivered a response speech.

“Citizens, citizens, soldiers! I thank you with all my heart for your greeting and I thank you not on my own behalf, but on behalf of the entire Bolshoi Theater, to which you provided such moral support in difficult times.

On the difficult days of the birth of Russian freedom, our theater, which until then had represented an unorganized collection of people who “served” at the Bolshoi Theater, merged into a single whole and based its future on an elective basis as a self-governing unit.

This elective principle saved us from destruction and breathed into us the breath of new life.

It would seem to live and be happy. The representative of the Provisional Government, appointed to liquidate the affairs of the Ministry of the Court and Appanages, met us halfway - he welcomed our work and, at the request of the entire troupe, gave me, the elected manager, the rights of a commissar and director of the theater.

Our autonomy did not interfere with the idea of ​​uniting all state theaters in the interests of the state. For this, a person with authority and close to the theater was needed. Such a person was found. It was Vladimir Ivanovich Nemirovich-Danchenko.

This name is familiar and dear to Moscow: it would have united everyone, but... he refused.

Other people came, very respectable, respected, but alien to the theater. They came with the confidence that it would be people outside the theater who would give reforms and new beginnings.

Less than three days have passed since attempts to end our self-government began.

Our elected offices have been postponed, and we are promised one of these days a new regulation on the management of theaters. We still don’t know who and when it was developed.

The telegram vaguely says that it meets the wishes of theater workers, which ones we do not know. We did not participate, were not invited, but we know that the recently released chains of command are again trying to confuse us, again the discretion of the command argues with the will of the organized whole, and the quieted command rank raises its voice, accustomed to shouts.

I could not take responsibility for such reforms and resigned as director.

But as an elected theater manager, I protest against the capture of the fate of our theater in irresponsible hands.

And we, our entire community, are now appealing to representatives of public organizations and the Soviets of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies to support the Bolshoi Theater and not give it to Petrograd reformers for administrative experiments.

Let them take care of the stable department, the appanage winemaking, and the card factory, but they will leave the theater alone.”

Some provisions of this speech require clarification.

A new regulation on the management of theaters was issued on May 7, 1917 and provided for separate management of the Maly and Bolshoi theaters, and Sobinov was called a commissioner for the Bolshoi Theater and the Theater School, and not a commissioner, i.e., in fact, a director, according to the order of March 31.

When mentioning the telegram, Sobinov means the telegram he received from the Commissioner of the Provisional Government for the department of the former. courtyard and estates (this included the stable department, winemaking, and card factory) of F.A. Golovin.

And here is the text of the telegram itself: “I am very sorry that due to a misunderstanding you resigned. I urge you to continue working until the matter is clarified. One of these days a new general regulation on the management of theaters will be published, known to Yuzhin, which will meet the wishes of theater workers. Commissioner Golovin."

However, L.V. Sobinov does not cease to direct the Bolshoi Theater and works in contact with the Moscow Council of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies. On May 1, 1917, he himself took part in a performance in favor of the Moscow Council at the Bolshoi Theater and performed excerpts from Eugene Onegin.

Already on the eve of the October Revolution, October 9, 1917, the Political Directorate of the War Ministry sent the following letter: “To the Commissioner of the Moscow Bolshoi Theater L.V. Sobinov.

According to the petition of the Moscow Council of Workers' Deputies, you are appointed commissar over the theater of the Moscow Council of Workers' Deputies (formerly the Zimin Theater)."

After the October Revolution, E.K. Malinovskaya was placed at the head of all Moscow theaters, who was considered the commissar of all theaters. L. Sobinov remained as director of the Bolshoi Theater, and an (elected) council was created to help him.