Debussy's Afternoon of a Faun contents. Diaghilev's Russian Seasons: The Afternoon Dream of a Faun

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Stories about music: “Prelude to “The Afternoon of a Faun” by Claude Debussy

"topic" "Talking about music"...

Faun Rudolf Nureyev

"Prelude to The Afternoon of a Faun", created in 1894. "Prelude" was written under the "impression" of the poetic eclogue of Stéphane Mallarmé (1842-1898). Initially, Debussy wanted to illustrate the poems with three symphonic miniatures for an actor's reading with dances, but limited himself to a prelude, which generally conveyed the image of the poem, the main characters of which were Faun, the Roman god of fertility, the patron of cattle breeding, fields and forests, corresponding to the Greek Pan, and nymphs - female deities of nature Greek mythology living in mountains, forests and seas. The composer wrote: “The music of this prelude is a free illustration of Mallarmé’s beautiful poem. It does not at all pretend to be a synthesis of the poem. Rather, these are pictures that follow one another, among which the desires and dreams of a faun move in the afternoon heat. Then, tired of chasing the timidly fleeing nymphs, he gives in to a delightful sleep....”

Rudolf Nureyev

Give you eternity, oh nymphs!
It's a sweltering afternoon.
Melted into the thicket of sleep, but pink and airy
Your blush floats above the triumph of foliage.
So have I fallen in love with a dream?

Alas, an unreal forest, a haven of dark doubts, -
Witness that I considered it a sin in the languid murmurs
A false victory over the rose bush.
Come to your senses, Faun!..

When in a thick blaze
Your delight painted two white-skinned women,
Deception flowing from eyes that look like springs,
Glowed with the coldness of innocence, but she
Another, ardent, whose burning lips
Intoxicating, like the breeze trembling in the red fur,

All sighs, all calls! - oh no, when it's getting closer
The lazy faintness of the midday stuffiness,
You can hear the only stream in the sedge,
melodiously splashing over a double-barreled flute,
And if the wind blows willfully,
This is due to the dry artificial impulse,
Whose sounds, opening the high horizon,
They are in a hurry to melt in the incomprehensible heat,
Where earthly inspiration is born!

Come back
Silent soul in the midday heat,
Where tired flesh will resign itself to silence, -
There are intoxicating rays I will drink juice
And, bowing his head on the suffering sand,
I will forget the daring blasphemous speeches.
O nymphs! And in my dreams I long to meet you.

Faun V. Nijinsky

“The Prelude to The Afternoon of a Faun” became one of Debussy’s first impressionistic opuses. Debussy did not like to be called an impressionist, but his work is connected by subtle threads with this direction in painting.

V. Nijinsky

Impressionism in music is characterized by: depiction of instant, random movements and situations, as if striving to convey the first direct impression of a phenomenon;

aesthetics of feelings,

admiring the beauty of the world,

freshness and spontaneity of perception of life,

bright and reverent imagery;

fluid form in conveying subtle moods, psychological nuances, changeable states of the soul;

in melody “the principle of blurred edges”:

unsteadiness,

elusiveness,

blurred drawing,

improvisation;

the rhythm is flexible, capricious;

extended major-minor chords, rejection of obvious functional tendencies;

coloristic role of harmony;

the use of enlarged triads, seventh chords, non-chords; movement parallel triads and seventh chords; the use of “unusual” modes: pentatonic, whole-tone scale, diatonic modes, modal technique; interest in orchestral colorfulness.

“The Prelude to “The Afternoon of a Faun” is a lyrical landscape endowed with a specific plot. But the images of the work are fragile and veiled, full of hints and symbolism. The main task of the composer is to awaken the listener’s imagination, to direct it into the channel of certain impressions and moods, and the transitions of subtle, “fluid” states determine the basic logic of the development of this orchestral miniature.

Strigina E.V.
Music of the 20th century Publishing House"Biya", 2006.

I saw the one-act ballet "Afternoon of a Faun" and Once again I'm convinced that inspiration doesn't come from empty space.
In 1894, Claude Debussy wrote a prelude for large orchestra, “The Afternoon of a Faun,” based on the poem by Stéphane Mallarmé, being captivated by the vivid picturesqueness mythological creature dreaming on a hot day about beautiful nymphs.

The poem by S. Mallarmé, in turn, was written in 1876 under the impression of an allegorical painting by Francois Boucher, which Mallarmé saw in London National Gallery. Thus, the poem was inspired by a work of painting.
It is interesting that later it itself gave rise to several wonderful paintings...
Stéphane Mallarmé is rightfully considered one of the best French poets XIX century;
the peculiarity of the poems he created is included in their practical untranslatability into foreign languages. Mallarmé asserted the primacy of form over content, saying once: “To name an object means to destroy three-quarters of its charm.” He attached great importance to the musicality of the verse and its phonetics. That is why it is so difficult to translate these verses. It is much more natural to translate Mallarmé’s poetry into the language of music or painting, drawing, printmaking, engraving, which Debussy, Edouard Manet, Henri Matisse did so brilliantly and in such different ways...

And yet... here are excerpts from Mallarmé’s poem translated by I. Ehrenburg:

O faun, your dream is like a spring of tears,
From the cold blue eyes arose ashamed.
But look how the summer breeze sighs,
Dissimilar trembles before you, different.
When in languor, the morning wants to turn around
Heat and refresh the languishing flesh,
It only babbles like splashes of a pipe,
Mine! that they sat on the bushes with the dew of harmonies...

But the secret, here it is - airy and light
From the mouth comes the playing reed.
He thinks that we are carried away in vain
With our game, which we call beautiful,
Having decorated, for fun, with the sacrament of love,
Closing my eyes and sobbing in the dark again
Over the dream of hips and over the backs a riddle,
We are these dreams that came to the soul furtively,
For some reason, let’s translate it into one drawn-out sound,
What sounds boring and aimless around...

My greedy eye, drilling the reeds, melting desires,
The movement of the nymphs bathing the sweet burn,
I could see those screaming madly in the water.
But then the delight suddenly disappeared, the body is a miracle,
Amidst your brilliance, O emeralds!
I run and see sleeping maidens, intoxicated
To be languid together, their hands intertwined.
I carry them without opening their hands away from the light,
In the thick shade, where the roses are warmed by the sun,
They are fragrant, preserving the games of the maidens,
Making them like the luminary of the day...

Overcome their first fear with a trembling hand
Unravel their untouched thickets of hair,
Separate stubborn lips for loved ones -
I did it, and my crimson laughter
I hid on the chest of one of them, the other
She lay next to her and caressed her with her hand,
I longed for the sisters' rapidly growing ardor
I would illuminate her innocence with a bright shine...

Thirsty, you, among the whiteness,
Having forgotten your blasphemy, you must sleep.
I will offer my lips to the heavenly body...
Goodbye nymphs! I see you as a dear shadow!
This work served as the basis for the creation of a one-act ballet
“The Afternoon of a Faun” premiered on May 29, 1912 at the Chatelet Theater in Paris as part of the Diaghilev Ballets Russes. The choreographer and main performer was Vaslav Nijinsky, the scenery and costumes were created by Leon Bakst. Used as musical accompaniment symphonic poem Claude Debussy "Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun" The music and ballet are based on Stéphane Mallarmé's eclogue "The Afternoon of a Faun."
It’s interesting that the creation of the ballet took antique theme Nijinsky was probably inspired by Diaghilev. During a trip to Greece in 1910, he was impressed by the images on ancient amphorae and infected Nijinsky with his enthusiasm. The choice of music settled on the prelude to “The Afternoon of a Faun” by Claude Debussy. Nijinsky initially found the music too soft and not sharp enough for the choreography he was presenting, but relented at Diaghilev's insistence. While visiting the Louvre with Leon Bakst, Nijinsky was inspired by Greek pottery made using the red-figure vase painting technique. He was especially struck by Attic craters depicting satyrs pursuing nymphs and scenes from the Iliad. He made several sketches that could provide ideas for choreography. At the end of 1910 in St. Petersburg, Nijinsky and his sister experimented with sketches. Preparatory work continued in Paris until 1911. The first rehearsals took place in Berlin in January 1912.

Leon Bakst. Costume design for the ballet “Afternoon of a Faun”

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"Afternoon of a Faun"- one act ballet, which premiered May 291912 V theater Chatelet V Paris within the framework of shows Russian ballets by Diaghilev. The choreographer and main performer was Vaslav Nijinsky, created the scenery and costumes Leon Bakst. Used as musical accompaniment symphonic poemClaude Debussy« Prelude to Afternoon of a Faun" The music and ballet are based on eclogueStefan Mallarmé« Afternoon of a Faun».

History of creation

Nijinsky was probably inspired to create a ballet on an ancient theme Diaghilev. During a trip to Greece V 1910 he was impressed by the images on the ancient amphorae and infected Nijinsky with his enthusiasm. The choice of music settled on the prelude to "The Afternoon of a Faun" Claude Debussy. Nijinsky initially found the music too soft and not sharp enough for the choreography he was presenting, but relented at Diaghilev's insistence. During your visit Louvre With Leon Bakst, Nijinsky was inspired by Greek ceramics made in the technique red-figure vase painting. He was especially struck Atticcraters depicting satyrs pursuing nymphs and scenes from " Iliad" He made several sketches that could provide ideas for choreography. At the end 1910 V St. Petersburg Nijinsky with sister experimented with sketches . Preparatory work continued in Paris before 1911. The first rehearsals took place in Berlin in January 1912.

Georges Barbier,Nijinsky as a faun 1913

The plot of the ballet is not an adaptation of Mallarmé's eclogue, but a scene preceding the events described in it. Faun wakes up, admires the grapes, plays the flute... Suddenly a group appears nymphs, then the second one which accompanies the main nymph. She dances holding a long scarf in her hands. The faun, attracted by the dancing of the nymphs, rushes towards them, but they run away in fright. Only the main nymph hesitates; after the duet, she runs away, dropping her scarf at the feet of the faun. He picks him up, takes him to his lair on the rock and, sitting on a light cloth, indulges in love languor.

Choreography

A feature of Nijinsky's choreography was its break with classical tradition. He proposed a new vision of dance, based on frontal and profile poses borrowed from the figures of ancient Greek vase painting. Nijinsky performed only one jump in the ballet, which symbolized the crossing of the stream where the nymphs bathe. Characters in Bakst costumes lined up on stage in such a way that it seemed as if it were an ancient Greek frieze. Nymphs dressed in long tunics made of white muslin, they danced barefoot with their toes painted red. Danced the part of the main nymph Lidiya Nelidova. As for Nijinsky, the costume and makeup completely changed the dancer. The artist emphasized the slant of his eyes and made his mouth heavier to show the animal nature of the faun. It was wearing tights cream color with scattered dark brown spots. For the first time, a man appeared on stage so openly naked: no caftans, camisoles or pants. The tights were complemented only by a small ponytail, a vine that wrapped around the waist, and a braided cap of golden hair with two golden horns.

Abstract on the topic:

Afternoon of a Faun (ballet)

Plan:

Introduction

• 1 History of creation
• 2 Plot
• 3 Choreography
• 4 Reaction from the public and critics
Notes
Literature

Introduction

"Afternoon of a Faun"- a one-act ballet, which premiered on May 29, 1912 at the Chatelet Theater in Paris as part of the Diaghilev Ballets Russes. The choreographer and main performer was Vaslav Nijinsky, the scenery and costumes were created by Leon Bakst. The symphonic poem by Claude Debussy “Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun” was used as musical accompaniment. The music and ballet are based on Stéphane Mallarmé's eclogue "The Afternoon of a Faun."

1. History of creation

Nijinsky was probably inspired to create a ballet on an ancient theme by Diaghilev. During a trip to Greece in 1910, he was impressed by the images on ancient amphorae and infected Nijinsky with his enthusiasm. The choice of music settled on the prelude to “The Afternoon of a Faun” by Claude Debussy. Nijinsky initially found the music too soft and not sharp enough for the choreography he was presenting, but relented at Diaghilev's insistence. While visiting the Louvre with Leon Bakst, Nijinsky was inspired by Greek pottery made using the red-figure vase painting technique. He was especially struck by Attic craters depicting satyrs pursuing nymphs and scenes from the Iliad. He made several sketches that could provide ideas for choreography. At the end of 1910, in St. Petersburg, Nijinsky and his sister experimented with sketches. Preparatory work continued in Paris until 1911. The first rehearsals took place in Berlin in January 1912.

2. Plot

Georges Barbier, Nijinsky as a Faun, 1913

The plot of the ballet is not an adaptation of Mallarmé's eclogue, but a scene preceding the events described in it. The faun wakes up, admires the grapes, plays the flute... Suddenly a group of nymphs appears, then a second one that accompanies the main nymph. She dances holding a long scarf in her hands. The faun, attracted by the dancing of the nymphs, rushes towards them, but they run away in fright. Only the main nymph hesitates; after the pas de deux she runs away, dropping her scarf at the feet of the faun. He picks him up, takes him to his lair on the rock and, sitting on a light cloth, indulges in love languor.

3. Choreography

A feature of Nijinsky's choreography was its break with classical tradition. He proposed a new vision of dance, based on frontal and profile poses borrowed from the figures of ancient Greek vase painting. Nijinsky performed only one jump in the ballet, which symbolized the crossing of the stream where the nymphs bathe. Characters in Bakst costumes lined up on stage in such a way that it seemed as if ancient greek frieze. Nymphs, dressed in long tunics of white muslin, danced barefoot with their toes painted red. The part of the main nymph was danced by Lidia Nelidova. As for Nijinsky, the costume and makeup completely changed the dancer. The artist emphasized the slant of his eyes and made his mouth heavier to show the animal nature of the faun. He was wearing a cream-colored tights with scattered dark brown spots. For the first time, a man appeared on stage so openly naked: no caftans, camisoles or pants. The tights were complemented only by a small ponytail, vine, wrapped around the waist, and a braided cap of golden hair with two golden horns.

4. Reaction of the public and critics

Nijinsky's first work amazed the audience, which was not accustomed to choreography based on profile poses and angular movements. Many accused the ballet of obscenity. So Gaston Calmette, editor and owner of the newspaper Le Figaro, removed from the set an article by a critic who sympathized with the Russian Ballet and replaced it with his own text, where he sharply condemned “The Faun”:

However, Parisian artistic circles perceived the ballet in a completely different light. The newspaper Le matin published an article by Auguste Rodin, who attended both the dress rehearsal and the premiere, praising Nijinsky’s talent:

Notes

1. Israel Vladimirovich Nestyev Diaghilev and Musical Theatre XX century - books.google.ru/books?id=g7YuAAAAMAAJ&source=gbs_navlinks_s. - Music, 1994. - P. 215.
2. Bronislava Nijinska Early memories. - Moscow: Artist, director, theater, 1999. - P. 89, 120. - ISBN 9785873340330
3. 1 2 Serge Lifar Diaghilev and with Diaghilev. - Routledge, 1998. - ISBN 5969700223

Literature

• Baron Adolf de Meyer, Jennifer Dunning L"Après-midi d"un faune: Vaslav Nijinsky, 1912. - Dance Books, 1983. - ISBN 0903102781

The action takes place in ancient Greece in mythical time.

History of creation

In 1886, Debussy read the eclogue of the symbolist poet S. Mallarmé (1842-1898) “The Afternoon of a Faun,” written during 1865-1866 (published in 1876) for the famous dramatic actor Coquelin the elder. The recitation was to be accompanied by dancing. In 1892, Debussy decided to write a symphonic work based on this eclogue. The original plan included three numbers: a prelude, an interlude and a finale, however, having finished the prelude two years later (1894), the composer decided that it completely exhausted the plan. In the same year, the premiere took place, which brought Debussy his first real success.

A few years later, this composition by Debussy drew the attention of the organizer of the Russian seasons in Paris, S. Diaghilev, who sought to expand the repertoire of his troupe. It already contained such works as “Pavilion of Armida” by Tcherepnin, “Cleopatra” (“ Egyptian nights") by Arensky, "Firebird" and "Petrushka" by Stravinsky. With organization based on Russian seasons of Russian ballet troupe Diaghilev in 1911, the question of a new original repertoire became even more acute. It was decided to stage “The Afternoon of a Faun.” The choreographic embodiment was undertaken by the outstanding dancer Vaslav Nijinsky, who made his debut as a choreographer with this performance.

His solution was original. The dances were dominated by a strict selection of movements: the dances reproduced ancient bas-reliefs and paintings on vases. Certain poses were held for a long time. Nijinsky limited the scene of action to the proscenium, subordinating all movements of both the Faun and the nymphs to an angular pattern. “I have never seen such an absorption of an individual personality into the totality of a choreographic design,” wrote S. Volkonsky. - A whole string human figures, pressed close to each other, moves like one many-faced creature.”

Another researcher recalls the hero of the ballet: “He had little liveliness, lust and fun, usually attributed by legend to such creatures. Something feline was visible in his laziness, in the elasticity of his slow, careful, precise movements. His facial features, frozen and expressionless, did not change throughout the entire ballet. It suggested the idea of ​​a beast, a creature driven more by instinct than by reason. Perhaps the most unusual characteristic for the portrait of Nijinsky (he played the role of a Faun. - L.M.) was the absence of emotion, the subordination of any feeling to the extremes of pure form." “Grassroots” plasticity predominated, occasionally seeming to explode with wild jumps. Pantomime, common in ballets, was absent: everything was absorbed by the dance, peculiar, almost devoid of grace, subordinate to imagery. The last gesture of the Faun, falling onto the blanket forgotten by the nymph and freezing in languor, shocked the audience.

At the premiere, held on April 29, 1912 in Paris theater Chatelet, “half of those present whistled, half applauded wildly,” the critic testifies. Among those who were outraged by the ballet were prominent critics, including the publisher of the newspaper Le Figaro. Rumors spread that the Parisian police would ban the ballet as obscene. Rodin, in particular, came out in defense of Nijinsky's truly brilliant performance. “Never was Nijinsky’s behavior so significant as in his last role. No jumping - just posing and gestures of semi-conscious bestiality. He lies down, leans on his elbow, walks on half-bent legs, straightens up, moves forward, then retreats, his movements are sometimes slow, sometimes jerky, angular<...> Complete harmony facial expressions and plasticity of the body, accurately expressing what the mind suggests<...>He can be mistaken for a statue when, when the curtain is raised, he lies at full length on the rock, raising one knee and holding a flute to his lips. And nothing can be as shocking as his last gesture in the finale, when he falls on a forgotten blanket, kisses and passionately presses against it,” the sculptor wrote. Since the performance was a “scandal success,” the public flocked to the next performances. “The Afternoon of a Faun” remains in the history of the ballet as the first daring experiment of a unique choreographer and marked the beginning of limitless experiments in the 20th century.

Plot

“A burning autumn afternoon, filled with irritating fumes from withering leaves. Blushing plane trees hung over the cliffs, pale willows bent over the waters. A young naked faun, pale yellow, covered with black spots, like goats grazing in the meadows of Greece, basks in the sun in front of his cave and plays a short flute. On the left, with a light gait, not like a ballet, but with their feet completely touching the ground, nymphs come out and freeze in contemplation of the greenery and waters. Three more nymphs appear and, finally, She, the eldest nymph, comes out. She is going to swim. He unfastens the blanket after the blanket. The nymphs move around her, covering her nakedness with their shield-like raised arms. The faun noticed her. Passionate, timid, he rushes towards the goal. The movements are angular. The pose is one of supplication. The nymph sisters run away in “panic.” She is left alone with the Faun. A scene of passion and absolute chastity. The faun does not beg for caresses, but is a bas-relief of supplication. The nymph does not fight, but freezes in the hieroglyph of struggle. For a moment, however, passions win, and the young man lightly touches the Woman with his hand. But jealous and mocking sisters appear, and the young couple slowly separates. The nymph, picking up one of her bedspreads, reluctantly escapes. But the young man sees another forgotten blanket. He piously lifts it up as Living being, into his arms and slowly moves away, pursued by the timid mockery of the nymphs. So, in a secluded area, he spreads an expensive, soulless veil and lies down on it, plunging into a dream or a voluptuous vision...” (N. Minsky).

Music

The music of the ballet is colorful, filled with the play of halftones, and imbued with a sense of antiquity. This is facilitated by the light pastoral tunes of the flute, the shimmer of the harp, as well as the inclusion of antique cymbals in the orchestra with their high, gentle and clear sound, reminiscent of the clinking of crystal glasses. Sensual melodies unfold in a free improvisational manner. Broader and richer sounds emerge in the center of the stage, but by the end everything fades away, like a vision dissolving into a trembling haze.

L. Mikheeva

For the choreographic debut of the troupe's premiere and his favorite Vaslav Nijinsky, Diaghilev chose a nine-minute piece. The prelude to the eclogue of the symbolist poet Stéphane Mallarmé, “The Afternoon of a Faun,” was written by Claude Debussy back in 1892. The eclogue itself was intended for recitation with musical accompaniment, the content of the poem was difficult relationship Faun and nymphs.

Debussy's orchestral prelude is considered one of the classical works musical impressionism. It opens with the melody of a solo flute, full of voluptuous languor and bliss - this is a lazily dozing faun dreaming of nymphs. The theme is heard several times, colored with elegant orchestral colors. It is briefly replaced by a more lively and expressive theme of passionate love feeling. The flute again sounds the languid melody of the faun. She seems to dissolve into thin air and disappear. When Mallarmé heard this composition, he exclaimed: “I did not expect anything like this! This music continues the emotion of my poem and complements it.”

Debussy may have intended that the choreography would modestly continue and complement the emotion of his music. However, Diaghilev longed for sensation, and Nijinsky wanted his first-born to not resemble the ballets of Petipa or Fokine. A new word in choreography required 90 rehearsals for a performance lasting less than 10 minutes. Every pose, every body position, every gesture was strictly taken into account when composing the choreographic pattern.

The permanent director of the troupe, Sergei Grigoriev, recalled: “The plastic form of “The Afternoon of a Faun” cannot be called choreography in the usual sense of the word. The dancers moved and froze in various poses. Nijinsky set himself the goal of reviving ancient Greek bas-reliefs and, in order to achieve this effect, forced the dancers to move, bending the knees and stepping first on the heel and then flat on the entire foot, that is, sharply violating the classical canons. It was also required to keep the head in profile while placing the body full face to the viewer, and the hands were supposed to look rigid in various angular poses. Impressionistic music of Debussy did not at all contribute to the chosen plastic surgery.”

There was a sensation. However, it was not of an artistic, but an ethical character. At the dress rehearsal, the ballet was repeated twice so that the amazed elite could come to their senses. After the premiere, the leading Parisian newspaper Le Figaro published an article by its editor-in-chief. It was written: “I express my protest against the incredible spectacle we have seen, which was offered to us under the guise of serious art... This is not a graceful eclogue and not philosophical work. Before us is a Faun who knows no shame, whose movements are vile, whose gestures are as rude as they are obscene. Such frank facial expressions of this beast-like creature, whose body is ugly when viewed from the front, and even more disgusting when viewed in profile, were met with fair whistles.”

The great Auguste Rodin defended ballet from retrogrades: “Nowhere does Nijinsky achieve such perfection as in “The Afternoon of a Faun.” No jumps, no gallops, only posing and gestures of unconscious bestiality. He stretches, bends, bends, squats, straightens again, moves forward, then retreats - all this with the help of movements, sometimes slow, sometimes jerky, nervous, angular. Complete harmony of facial expressions and plasticity of the body. The whole body expresses what the mind suggests. He is beautiful, just like ancient frescoes and statues are beautiful ": any sculpture or artist can only dream of such a model... And nothing can touch the soul as much as his last gesture in the finale of the ballet, when he falls on a forgotten scarf and kisses it passionately. " Similar controversy continued, the ranks of supporters and opponents certain moral standards grew, and with it the fame of “Faun” grew far beyond the borders of Paris.The number was performed in the Diaghilev troupe even after Nijinsky left it.

Later, like echoes resounding success of the original “Faun”, various choreographers composed their own choreographic versions of Debussy’s music: Kasyan Goleizovsky (1922, Moscow), Serge Lifar (1935, Paris), Maurice Béjart (1987, Lausanne).

The most famous is the “modern variation on Nijinsky’s play,” composed by Jerome Robbins for the New York City Ballet troupe in 1953 and still performed in various troupes around the world. In the rehearsal hall, a dancer meets a dancer. She is more interested in her reflection in the huge mirror than in the young men. Even when he gently kisses her on the cheek, she watches it as if from the side. Perhaps this does not excite her and she leaves. The dancer is left alone with a soulless mirror.

In the 1970-1990s, reconstructions of Nijinsky's original choreography appeared. In the performance of the Joffrey Belley troupe in 1979, the participation of Rudolf Nureyev was attracted, in the St. Petersburg performance of 1993 - Nikita Dolgushin. In 1989, the Montreal troupe showed the original “Afternoon of a Faun,” “restored” from a recording made by Nijinsky using Stepanov’s St. Petersburg system, adjusted by the choreographer of “Faun.” However, according to Stepanov’s system, it was not without difficulty that only classical choreography, but it was no longer suitable for recording Fokine’s performances. However, as you know, the success of the reconstruction of the ballet heritage depends more on the talent of the restorer than on the surviving documents.

A. Degen, I. Stupnikov