At first glance it may seem that new performance The Bolshoi Theater is the reincarnation of something ancient. Clean and smart robbers acted on the stage for three hours, as well as beautiful ladies in crinolines and elegant “countess” in powdered wigs, vying with each other to perform fine ballet techniques, the origins of which lie all the way back to the court ballets of the time of Louis the Fourteenth. In fact, “Marco Spada” is not even a remake.

This is a performance that was composed from scratch in 1981 at the Rome Opera just to give new role aging

The famous prime minister wanted to dance the acting and ballet winning role of Marco Spada - either a robber playing at an aristocrat, or an aristocrat playing at a robber.

No, of course, a ballet with that name existed in nature - once upon a time. In 1857, in Paris, choreographer Joseph Mazilier staged “Marco Spada” based on the plot of Aubert’s opera of the same name (the libretto was written by a fashionable playwright). The composer did not just provide opera music, but cut up pieces of his various scores and mixed them “with shaking.”

The result was something second-rate, but the history of ballet is not accustomed to this.

Although the times of romanticism in France (and everywhere) had already passed, classical ballet acted by inertia - or by its ever-present fairy-tale-romantic nature, requiring extraordinary characters with heightened passions and exotic circumstances. This is how dances appeared about the life of the 18th century Roman criminal Marco Spada, roaming around with his gang Eternal City. The polished bandit has a beloved daughter, Angela, as well as social acquaintances in the form of the governor and his daughter, the Marchioness, the officer Pepinelli, who is in love with the Marchioness, and Prince Federici, who wants to marry Angela. But then the bandit’s daughter finds out about her dad’s profession. Do you think this embarrassed the girl? Not at all.

It’s not for nothing that the ballet was originally called “Marco Spada, or the Robber’s Daughter.”

Angela runs to the bandit camp, where she straps a gun on her back and joins her father’s gang. A raid is coming, Marco Spada is wounded, and before his death he renounces his child (“she is not my own”) so that the girl would not be swept up with the gang and she could marry the prince. Ridiculous and funny story The audience liked it and stayed on the stage of the Paris Opera for a relatively long time, since the main female roles were performed by the ballet divas of those years - Carolina Rosati and Amalia Ferraris. But since then, no one has heard of the ballet “Marco Spada” - until the name and music were brought back to life.

He composed everything else, including sets and costumes, himself.

As things progress, a live dog and the same horse will appear on stage. Harlequins will dance a buffoon dance. The soldiers will march like wind-up dolls. The robbed priest will faint. There will be a national wedding. Portraits of ancestors on the walls of the palace will turn out to be a loophole for bandits. Aristocrats will show their manners at a social ball, robbers in the mountains will dance in a tarantella, and lovers will repeatedly press their hands to their hearts. Mastery of pantomime, including comic mime, is important in productions of this type, and the first premiere performance here was at its best, right down to the corps de ballet, which hilariously depicted, for example, the appeal of the Italian masses to the governor with a request to capture a bandit. “Someone, who came from nowhere (general wave of hands behind one’s own back), is cleaning out our pockets (sweeping stroking of one’s own sides), so, Your Excellency, take action (synchronized palms extended to the authorities and mournful faces), otherwise we are for We don’t answer ourselves” (indignant shaking of clenched fists).

It is clear that one should go to a premiere of this kind not for deep thought, but for entertainment.

There are no lyrical depths or deep metaphors here, but there is the charm of puppet theater, albeit superficial, and, if you dance well, a pleasure for the eyes. After a hard day at work, this is it. But, let's say right away, the performance has shortcomings. Firstly, it is somewhat drawn out. It seems that Lacotte, generously supplying the artists with combinations, cannot stop. The hero or heroine has already danced two variations - but no, there will be a third. And it’s okay that the text of the dance is extremely complex: this, perhaps, was not the case in the choreographer’s previous works (he specializes in this kind of “film adaptations based on ancient motifs” and, in particular, 11 years ago he staged the ballet “The Pharaoh’s Daughter” at the Bolshoi Theater).

In the end, it seems that Marco Spada died not from a bullet in the stomach, but from an overdose of ballet steps crushed to a diamond shine.

Secondly, the choreography is quite monotonous. Lacotte knows a lot about the French “parterre” ballet technique of the 19th century (weaving lace with feet), tactfully supplementing it with some techniques of later times, including large jumps and high lifts. But, having watched, for example, the same “Pharaoh’s Daughter” or “Paquita” (it was recently brought on tour from Paris), consider that you have studied Lacotte’s standard style. And a set of dance techniques, and an elegantly cold slyness, replicated from performance to performance.

But here's the paradox. Understanding all this, at the first performance it was impossible to tear yourself away from “Marco Spada”.

Because they danced (Spada), (Angela), (Marquise), Igor (officer) and (prince). What the choreographer from Paris offered them would be more suitable for French ballerinas and dancers: since childhood they have been trained in absolute turnout and painstaking dance movements of the lower extremities. But Lacotte and his tutors thoroughly “cleaned” the feet of our dancers, and Hallberg is a graduate of the Parisian ballet school. As a result, the first composition showed upper class, despite the fact that sophisticated foot culture is by no means the alpha and omega in the training program of our ballet schools.

And here it was impossible to decide who to admire more.

Here Hallberg, with a calm look, changes his plastic pattern, bursting into a flying jump immediately after a painstaking jewelry combination on the floor. And before that, he mimes with pleasure, creating an irresistible rogue with the habits of a duke and removing jewelry directly from the delicate necks of gaping beauties. Here Obraztsova and Smirnova are tenderly cavorting either in Spad’s house or at the governor’s ball, not forgetting to combine touching femininity with the steel toes of their pointe shoes. And you can’t say who crosses his feet better in a dizzying entreche cascade - the energetic Tsvirko or the sophisticated Chudin. Both are better.

The premiere of "Marco Spada" at the Bolshoi Theater is one of the main events of the season. Frenchman Pierre Lacotte once staged this ballet for Rudolf Nureyev, and now he has created a new version of it

The great French choreographer Pierre Lacotte, together with the ballerina and teacher Ghislaine Thesmar, met with the public this weekend and presented documentary"Life in Ballet". This film, shot by French director Marlene Ionesco, was shown on Saturday at the international press center of RIA Novosti - the day after the premiere of the ballet "Marco Spada" at the Bolshoi Theater. After the film, which showed the most striking events in the life of the French choreographer and his wife and muse Ghislaine Thesmar, they both answered questions from the audience. We recorded all the most interesting things.

About Russia
Russia is in my heart always and forever. This is the country that I love and where I feel good. I admire Russian energy, intellectuality, Russian composers, dancers and just people. This is a country that has soul. Deep country. It gives you real emotions, despite the difficulties you face here. Russia is becoming like a drug - you can no longer live without it. I worked here a lot and want to work more.

About the ballet "Marco Spada"
A premiere is always something special. Both fear and joy. "Marco Spada" is a ballet that I especially love. This is the first ballet that I created entirely myself (from choreography to costumes and scenery) for the Rome Opera. Rudolf Nureyev and Ghislain Thesmar danced in it.

It was impossible not to do it well. I completely devoted myself to the production: I didn’t sleep at all, I painted at night, I listened beautiful music Obera - got involved in an adventure and went forward With eyes closed , and revealed them only on the day of the premiere.

Yesterday I did pretty much the same thing. I was very happy that "Marco Spada" appeared at the Bolshoi Theater, with the participation of young artists who are full of talent. They were wonderful to work with. Although, of course, it was always very difficult for them with me - I am a very demanding person. But when I reach out to them, they know that I do it with love.

The layout for the performance was lost, but not by me, but rather by the Rome Opera. I was terribly worried: in my odes, I couldn’t make costumes anymore, my hands were just shaking. And to create these decorations, a colossal amount of work had to be done. Then the idea came to my mind to photograph the film that was shot at the Rome Opera, cut out every shot in it and, based on this, recreate the scenery. Thanks to the talent of those people who work at the Bolshoi Theater, we succeeded.

"Marco Spada" is a very interesting, double role. On the one hand, he is a robber and a bandit, on the other, an aristocrat, or a person who at least dreams of being one. Just before his death, so that his daughter Angela can marry the one she loves, Marco Spada deceives,makes everyone believe that he is not her father.

About the greatest ballerinas of mankind

Firstly, I didn’t see everyone. I have a real passion for Maria Taglioni because historically she is like our Madonna. After this there were also great ballerinas Fanny Elsler and Cherito who came to Russia. This is the period that I heard about from my teachers - Carlotta Zambelli, Lyubov Egorova.

Leila Shikhlinskaya. She lived near me and I saw her almost every day. She was so alive smart woman, and what soulful eyes she has!

Olga Spesivtseva. We met her once when we were with Ghislaine in America and spent the whole day together. Spesivtseva was still a beauty. Once I told her about the wonderful teacher Gustave Rico and she told me: “He was my partner at the Paris Opera! You are too young, you, of course, cannot remember the ballet that I adored and in which I danced - “Festive evening" with choreography by Leo Staats." But I told her that I know. Both music and choreography. I sang melodies from that variation to her and showed her a few moves.She hugged me and said: “This is incredible! We only met five minutes ago, and now we are already so close, so close, like in a family!”

About Sergei Filin

Sergey impressed me very much, from the first day. His eyes looked with such desire - he still did not know whether there would be a role or not. I arranged a viewing, went to classes and wanted Sergei to try to do the so-called petit pas in allegro. Now, perhaps, these small movements are disappearing a little, but not completely - there are Balanchine ballets, for example, where you still need to take these tiny steps.

We started trying. The more I looked at him, the more I realized that it was Sergei who should dance the premiere. When I decide on something, I start thinking about it long ago. I always proceed from the logic that is important for the work itself. INI leave everything else - envy and other moments.

Sergei Filin is a true discovery for me, and every time I watch “The Night of the Pharaoh” on tape, I admire his dynamics, wonderful energy and everything that he shows in this image.

Now I'm happy to meet him again. He suffered and experienced a lot, all of this (“acid attack” - editor’s note) is very unfair, but he has such generosity that he himself will forgive everything and rise above any difficulties.

It was Sergei who came up with the idea to invite me to stage the ballet “Marco Spada”. When I called him at the hospital, he said: “Pierre, I really hope that I can see this myself.” It was so terrible to hear. But now he's here, and I hope he does well.

*Sergei Filin performed the role of Taor in the ballet “The Pharaoh’s Daughter” by C. Pugni, staged by Pierre Lacotte after Marius Petipa, becoming its first performer at the Bolshoi Theater. The premiere took place in 2000. - approx. ed.

About the ballet that he dreams of staging

In my imagination, of course, there is such a ballet, but it has not been made yet. I want to tell a story about a woman who, thanks to her passion, becomes some kind of unique creature. There is a simple woman, she has no ambitions, she does not know at all what she is destined for. But then she experiences a shock that forces her to become strong, to defend herself and the ideals of her life. In the end, she begins to dance better than anyone in the world. So far, of course, this story is very abstract.

About friends and memories

I want to describe in the book not my whole life, but a series of memories. Stories of meetings. Fate presents them - it suddenly pits you against people you admire and love. You yourself might never have dared to meet them, but chance allows you to do so. And they become your friends. It's just a miracle.

In my life I had the chance to make friends with Edith Piaf, Charles Aznavour, Jean Anouilh. And there was also an incredible meeting with an actress whom I really admired. I'm talking about Vivien Leigh, who was probably the most wonderful Scarlett O'Hara. I often watched her play in the theater in London, we became very friends.

About Rudolf Nureyev

When I staged Marco Spada, Rudolf was already ill. This is true. One day he came up to me and said: I have to tell you something that I have never told anyone before. I thought that he would probably tell me about his illness now. I looked into his eyes and asked: “Rudolph, do you think it’s really necessary? I’m touched, but won’t you regret it later?” He laughed and said, “I guess you’re right.”It was a secret, but I knew everything.

Rudolf Nureyev really wanted to dance Marco Spada. At first I wanted to stage this ballet for Anthony Dowell and Ghislaine Thesmar, and the Rome Opera has already confirmed this. Nureyev then danced in New York together with Ghislaine in my variation of “Zilfide”. One evening he came up to me and said, “I want to take you to a little Indian restaurant.” We went there, he had great mood, and he asked me what I was going to do next. I replied that I was staging Marco Spada at the Rome Opera. Nureyev asked what kind of ballet this was, and I told him everything.

A magnificent ballet in three acts, wonderful music Ober... Then I outlined the plot to Rudolf andI saw his eyes open. At some point, Nureyev almost fell into anger:

This is the role for me! For me! Why don't you ask me to dance it?

She really is for you. But you're never there. Today you are in London, tomorrow in Australia. How can I bet new ballet for someone who is never there?

What if I promise you that I’ll be there? I’ll be with you for a whole month, even a month and a half, if you want.

Then it's a different matter. But I want to be sure.

We were in a restaurant and there was a piece of paper on the table. Rudolf Nureyev wrote on it: “I promise to be with Pierre Lacotte for a month to work on the ballet Marco Spada.” I said, “Okay. Let's call the Rome Opera."

The ballet "Marco Spada" staged by Pierre Lacotte can be seen at the Bolshoi Theater from November 8 to 16.

The ballet troupe presents the production. Famous choreographer Pierre Lacotte first staged this ballet in the early 80s, based on a performance from the mid-19th century. And now the metropolitan public will see the ballet. The main roles are played by the leading soloists of the Bolshoi, in the title role - the famous dancer David Hallberg, the first American in the history of the Bolshoi Theater to become a soloist. Correspondent Olga Podolyan I was one of the first to see the production.

The history of the creation of the ballet "Marco Spada" is surrounded by a thick foam of myths and legends and, it seems, deserves a separate production. In the mid-19th century, theatrical passions were in full swing on the stage of the Paris Opera. Two primos deployed in the theater real war- they fought furiously for the main roles, and Emperor Napoleon the Third - the initiator of the production - decided to bring the rivals together in one ballet, face to face. The ideal plot was found in the opera "Marco Spada"; The opera libretto was immediately converted into a ballet. The prima dancers received equal stormy applause, and this production went down in the history of world ballet as a “duel of wings and feet.”

At the Paris Opera it was shown almost 30 times, then one of the principals left for St. Petersburg, a replacement was not found, the ballet battles ended, and about “Marco Spada” on for many years forgot. Only in the early 80s Pierre Lacotte, who is called a “ballet archaeologist,” remembered the production. "Choreographic Antique" (as Lacotta is also called) presented new version a forgotten ballet with its own costumes and scenery.

“There are no documents left about this ballet, except for Auber’s amazing score, which seduced me. And at one time the Rome Opera asked me to restore this ballet, which was created for five exceptional artists. And I was very lucky with the performers of the main roles. I not only choreographed, but also created costumes and scenery. It was, of course, a gamble, but a wonderful gamble.”

For the main theater of the country, Lacotte made an exclusive edition of the ballet, the rights to which he decided to transfer to the Bolshoi. Artistic director ballet troupe Sergey Filin emphasizes: not every world troupe boasts a full-length, three-act classical ballet that requires virtuosic technique and acting.

"Today we can say that historical scene Another magnificent, classical ballet in the best traditions appears at the Bolshoi Theater classical dance. And this is a full-length three-act performance, which is full of dances, in which there are five major roles."

In the 80s, the ballet was staged by Rudolf Nureyev. It was he who shone in the main role - the robber Marco Spada. At the premiere in Moscow in this role - David Hallberg, the first American in the history of the Bolshoi Theater to become a soloist. The prime minister is happy to say that at last he was offered something other than the role of a prince.

“This is a difficult role for me, it is usually considered that I am suitable for the roles of princes, and here I cross the boundaries familiar to myself. Of course, preparing for the role, I watched how Nuriev played this role. But Nuriev is Nuriev. And it was would big mistake copy it. I wanted to make my own Marco Spada."

Starring young stars of the Bolshoi. Performs the part of Angela Evgenia Obraztsova. The ballerina admits: the most difficult thing is, of course, the technique, special, Lacotte.

"We must pay special attention purity of dance, purity of performance, virtuosity. Of course, the difficulty lies in the pacing - we have to do everything in time, and at the same time we have to convey to the viewer the essence of our characters."

According to the performers, the fact that in that legendary production the main roles were performed by outstanding ballet dancers complicates their work on the already extremely complex dance pattern. And this applies not only to Hallberg, the performer of the part that Nureyev danced. The role of Angela will be assessed by Gehlen Thesmar herself, an outstanding ballerina, the wife of Pierre Lacotte, who shone in this role.

Listen in full in audio version.

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11.10.2019, 10:08

Another attempt by Zelensky to please the people

ROSTISLAV ISHCHENKO: “This was another attempt to please the people. Someone told Zelensky that he needs to communicate with the people. By the way, they said it correctly, because he needs to somehow maintain his rating. This is the only thing he has. Obviously, they told him that he needed to communicate creatively.”

This project belongs to the artistic director of the Bolshoi Theater Ballet Sergei Filin. He has good memories of working with the French choreographer when he was a dancer - together with Nina Ananiashvili, Filin danced the premiere of “The Pharaoh’s Daughter” in 2000. Over the past 13 years, Pierre Lacotte has returned to the Bolshoi more than once to resume his ballet - blessing new performers (in particular, Svetlana Zakharova, with whom the DVD “Pharaoh's Daughters” was recorded).

Outside the walls of the Bolshoi they also went to Soviet era and now there are various productions of Lacotte.

In 1979, the choreographer brought “La Sylphide” to the stage of the Novosibirsk Theater, a ballet through which he gained fame as an expert and restorer of ancient French choreography. In the same year, he transferred Maria Taglioni’s “Butterfly” and “Pas de sis” from “The Marquitante” to the Kirov Theater, and in 1980 he staged “Natalie, or the Swiss Milkwoman” at the Moscow Theater classical ballet under the leadership of N. Kasatkina and V. Vasilyov for Ekaterina Maksimova.

In 2006, the ballet “Ondine” premiered at the Mariinsky Theater, and in 2011, “La Sylphide” premiered at the MAMT. Acquaintance Russian viewers things happened with the choreographer’s style during the tour (they brought both “La Sylphide” and “Paquita”).

Before describing the ballet “Marco Spada” by P. Lacotte at the Bolshoi Theater, it is worth identifying several features of the author’s style of this French choreographer.

Lacotte began in the fifties of the last century as an avant-garde artist,

one might even say he was a revolutionary who rebelled against the routine of the Paris Opera. He wanted to stage it himself, but he had to dance in the dull ballets of Serge Lifar, and Lacotte quit the theater and broke free.

We know almost nothing about what exactly his first productions were. However, recently an interesting documentary film was presented to the public (thanks to the art association CoolConnections, which, among other film projects, also broadcasts performances of the Metropolitan Opera, Bolshoi Theater ballets, etc.) “Life in Ballet: Pierre Lacotte and Ghislain Thesmard” by French director Marlene Ionesco .

The film contains several surviving fragments of Lacotte's first performances.

As we expected, young Lacotte staged in the same manner as Lifar, only much more boring, but the design and arrangements were truly trendy. It is clear that the aspiring choreographer was feeling his way, starting from what he saw every day, and his strong point in the future would not be the creation of a new choreographic language, but something completely different.

It is important that Lacotte showed his ballets on television - and “Night the Magician” to the music of the king of jazz Sidney Bechet in 1954 and “La Sylphide” in 1971. Maybe he did not use doubles in order to make the artists’ jumps seem longer, higher and more beautiful, and the flights of sylphs over the stage are more fantastic than they usually look in the theater, but he liked the very idea of ​​​​some “film chemistry”, and it benefited the popularization of the direction that Lacotte led. Because

after the success of La Sylphide, he awoke as a true guardian of 19th-century ballet romance.

Lacotte, of course, reinvented this romance, relying on documents of the era - books, sheet music, engravings, letters and critical articles, stories of his famous ballet teachers - Carlotta Zambelli, Lyubov Egorova, Gustave Rico, Madame Ruzan, Matilda Kshesinskaya, as well as “ neo-romantic" finds of choreographers of the 20th century - Fokine in "Chopinian", Balanchine in "Serenade", Ashton in " Vain precaution” and even Macmillan in “Manon.”

For some lost ballets of the past, he found author's notes in the margins of claviers and violin tutors, but

In no case is it a complete recreation or reconstruction of the performance in its original form.

Such reconstructions are carried out by Sergei Vikharev and Yuri Burlaka, but not by Lacotte. Lacotte, so to speak, composes ballets of the 19th century in the 20th-21st centuries. And his main advantage, which sets him apart from other choreographers who are also trying to stage XIX style century, is the ability to talentedly stage the dances themselves, without copying anyone but oneself -

Lacotte, to some extent, is the Rossini of dance.

His method has disadvantages. Firstly, the composition is lame - the architecture ballet performance. If Lacotte staged his own performance, he would build the building of the future ballet in his head, as all the talented choreographers did before him, but he stages the ballets of the past without being their original architect.

And the second thing that gets lost if you reconstruct in a platonic way is the characters' personalities. The 19th century choreographer offered the artists a model of behavior on stage in a particular film, and then they improvised.

And Lacotte’s productions are similar to the mechanical dolls of the scientist Coppelius

They are equipped with a beautiful form, shell, mechanism, that is, dances, but there is no soul in them (the soul happily flew away along with the last breath of those historical performances that the choreographer reanimates).

However, releasing one ancient ballet after another - “La Sylphide”, “Giselle”, “Natalie”, “Coppelia”, “Butterfly” - Lacotte compiled a unique data bank, which includes all possible components of a romantic and post-romantic ballet performance XIX century, including typical costumes (bodice type, Chopinovka, tunics, tunics, headdresses, color combinations) and decorations.

When, having become proficient, he staged “Marco Spada” in Rome and Paris, “Lake of Sorceresses” in Berlin, “Pharaoh’s Daughter” at the Bolshoi and “Paquita” in Paris, the puzzle structure of his fantasy productions began to be felt even more, as did the style became even more authorial, expressive, Lacottian.

But every single one of his works suffers from the Coppelia complex. They have no living characters.

The historical Marco Spada is one of three notable performances by French choreographer Joseph Mazilier. We also know the other two - these are “Paquita” and “Corsair”, but they passed through the hands of M. Petipa and became part of another ballet tradition.

Mazilier was in a hurry to move away from the sylphic style of Taglioni's choreography. He abandoned the foggy northern mythology and “went” to the south - Italy, Spain, Türkiye. The choreographers' mental journeys to these Mediterranean regions enriched the ballet with colorful southern dances, fantasy oriental settings, and curious costumes and accessories.

“Marco Spada” is not the most striking example of the orientalization of the choreographer’s style; the ballet takes place in Latium, somewhere in the vicinity of Rome. But this is the Rome of Poussin and Lorrain, who invented the picturesque Italy of the 17th century - a country of romantic ruins, cute shepherdesses and bandits of bandits operating in forests and cities.

Incorporate into this mythical southern landscape a plot about the noble robber Marco Spada and his courageous daughter Angela, who did not abandon her father when she found out what he was really doing, as well as two love affairs- Angela - Prince Federici and Marchioness Sampietri - Captain Pepinelli - it was not difficult.

The bourgeois Parisian public dreamed of breaking out of the office routine and using the theater as a magic carpet to the beautiful and unknown Italy.

Daniel Ober first - in 1852 - wrote the opera "Marco Spada, or the Bandit's Daughter", and then - in 1857 - made an arrangement for the ballet of the same name, providing the score with melodies from his operas that were popular at that time. The ballet ran for three seasons in a row, which generally meant success, but did not prevent it from suddenly disappearing into oblivion - such was the fate of 80 percent of the opera and ballet production of that time.

Lacotte began reviving Marco Spada in 1980 from scratch.

Only a few sketches could serve as witnesses of the era in his exercises.

Naturally, the first production of Spada in the 20th century took place at the Rome Opera - where else could the forgotten story about a Roman robber come in handy.

Lacotte's main trump card has always been Ghislaine Thesmar - wife and muse,

without which he could not imagine his productions. A unique ballerina - smart, thinking, worried, and sensitive to style. All these qualities were crowned with the ingenious ballerina form of Tesmar. It is important that Ghislaine Thesmar was relatively tall, with elongated forms, and Lacotte’s thought worked in this direction - the beauty of the steps he composed was revealed in a wide format.

They once had lunch with Lacotte in New York, shared their creative plans, and when the choreographer spoke about the upcoming premiere of a ballet about a robber, Nureyev exclaimed, “It’s me.” They shook hands, Nureyev made a written promise to attend all rehearsals and kept his word.

It was not possible to cast Carla Fracci, who often dances with Rudolf, in the role of Angela's rival (Tesmar was Angela), since Carla's husband wanted to choreograph variations for her himself. This did not suit Lacotte, who had already come up with everything from start to finish (including scenery and costumes). When Karla found out that Nureyev was participating, she refused the “inserted” variations, but a contract with another ballerina had already been concluded.

Success accompanied the production both in Rome and in Paris, where Lacotte moved the performance in 1984 for the same Nureyev and Tesmar.

Only the recording suffered, since RAI broadcast one of the last performances with Nureyev's participation, and the dancer's illness was already progressing and he was not showing his best form. However, this is one of his signature recordings (it was digitized and released on DVD).

Made for the Big Lacotte new edition, although the differences are noticeable only to the eye of an experienced balletomane - a couple of new variations and different music in the parade pas de deux of the second act. Previously, Angela and Marco danced at the governor’s ball to Auber’s music, which is famous for the concert “Grand Classical Pa” by Gzovsky, but now Lacotte found another Auber music for their dance.

The strength of Lacotte's performances is visible when good textured dancers are employed; the acting factor is secondary.

The Bolshoi Theater found in its bowels four performers of the title role, three of whom reached the finals. The main Marco was David Hallberg, an American of Swedish origin, who graduated from school at the Paris Opera and was also the premier of ABT and the Bolshoi.

By definition, he fits the format of a dancer for Lacotte ballets, since he knows the so-called French foot technique and French spins better than ours. Unlike Russian artists who love pauses for acting, David feels very natural in an atmosphere of continuous dancing. He is also wonderful in the role of Prince Pepinelli (in a different cast) - the frivolous young man, in love first with Angela, then with the Marquise, then again with Angela. Evgenia Obraztsova and Olga Smirnova danced with him on the first day of the premiere.

Exemplary's participation did not brighten up the performance, since the role of Angela is designed for a tall ballerina.

At some point, two dancers compete (such dances of rivals were a favorite trick of choreographers in the history of ballet in the mid-19th century) and Angela should win, but she doesn’t. Smirnova-Sampietri wins - because of her stateliness, beauty, clearer drawing of the dance lines and an unexpected sense of comedy in the ever-serious ballerina.

Obraztsova dances exemplarily, but it does not work due to textural flaws. She was a pretty Ondine in the Mariinsky Theater, but she didn’t live up to the bandit.

In their composition, Igor Tsvirko also danced in the role of Pepinelli, and he also received on the third day title role, but he still looked more harmonious in the role of captain, and not Spada. Semyon Chudin worthy complemented the first cast quartet in the role of Federici.

He looked more like Hallberg than Nureyev, but even more like Brad Pitt, if he decided to play a historical bandit. Thanks to the make-up artists for the amazingly created images - they turned out to be completely different types (Holberg, Ovcharenko, Tsvirko). People rarely write about these home front workers, although they should: the makeup artists at the Bolshoi are some of the best in the world.

It was an excellent performance, in which Ovcharenko-Spada and Holberg-Federici came together. This composition came about by chance - due to the illness of the fourth Spada - Vladislav Lantratov.

In the same cast, Ekaterina Krysanova shone in the role of Angela.

Mazilier's ballets are one of her elements. Let us remember the sparkling Gulnara in “Corsair”, when the ballerina rushes diagonally, and we can almost hear as if she is egging on the conductor - “faster, faster.” She really suits all sorts of experiments with headdresses: the bandit’s bandana from the third act in the manner of Krysanova is the latest in fashion. Angela's third act in the camp of robbers is a complete dance triumph for the ballerina. It’s a mystery, of course, why she didn’t dance in the first lineup?

Andrei Merkuriev became a harmonious Pepinelli (an officer in love with the Marchioness of Sampietri, whom she will eventually marry under pressure from Marco Spada, who clears the way for have a good marriage his adopted daughter Angela). Playing honestly and straightforwardly, Andrey unwittingly gave away Lacotte's source of inspiration for this image. Since Lacotte creates a universal performance of the 19th century, he borrows images from various ballets.

Pepinelli is a distant relative of Alain from A Vain Precaution.

He and his funny troop march straight out of a comic ballet by Dauberval-Ashton.

The work of conductors A. Bogorad and A. Solovyov is a plus.

Lacotte, meanwhile, hopes to appear at the Bolshoi again soon - he has an idea to stage “The Three Musketeers” and “Coppelia”. If he comes, he will be able to look after Marco Spada, which, being a fragile ballet, will not live long without its faithful Coppelius.

Daniel Francois Esprit Aubert

Member of the Institute of France (1829). As a child, he played the violin and composed romances (which were published). Contrary to the wishes of his parents, who were preparing him for a commercial career, he devoted himself to music. His first experience theater music- the comic opera “Julia” (1811), approved by Cherubini (under his leadership, Aubert subsequently studied composition).

Ober's first staged comic operas - "The Military at a Rest" (1813) and "Testament" (1819) - did not receive recognition. His comic opera “The Shepherdess of the Castle” (1820) brought him fame. In the 1920s, Ober began a long-term fruitful collaboration with the playwright Scribe, the author of the libretto for most of his operas (the first of them were “Leicester” and “Snow”).

At the beginning creative path Aubert was influenced by Rossini and Boieldieu, but the comic opera "The Mason" (1825)alreadytestifies to his creative independence and originality. In 1828, the opera “The Mute of Portici” (“Fenella”, libretto by Scribe and Delavigne) was staged with triumphant success, confirming his fame. In 1842-71 Aubert was director of the Paris Conservatory, and from 1857 he was also a court composer.

Aubert, along with Meyerbeer, is one of the creators of the genre grand opera. The opera “The Mute of Portici” belongs to this genre. Its plot - the uprising of Neapolitan fishermen in 1647 against Spanish enslavers - corresponded to the public mood on the eve of the July Revolution of 1830 in France. With its focus, the opera responded to the demands of progressive audiences and sometimes provoked revolutionary performances (a patriotic manifestation at a performance in 1830 in Brussels served as the beginning of an uprising that led to the liberation of Belgium from Dutch rule). In Russia, the performance of the opera in Russian was allowed by the tsarist censorship only under the title “The Bandits of Palermo” (1857).

This is the first grand opera on a real historical plot, characters which is not ancient heroes, A ordinary people. Ober interprets heroic theme through rhythmic intonations folk songs, dances, as well as battle songs and marches of the Great french revolution. The opera uses the techniques of contrasting dramaturgy, introducing numerous choruses, mass genre and heroic scenes (at the market, an uprising), and melodramatic situations (the scene of madness). The role of the heroine was entrusted to the ballerina, which allowed the composer to saturate the score with figurative and expressive orchestral episodes accompanying Fenella’s stage performance, and to introduce elements of effective ballet into the opera. The opera “The Mute of Portici” influenced the further development of folk-heroic and romantic opera.

Ober - largest representative French comic opera. His opera Fra Diavolo (1830) marked new stage in the history of this genre. Among the numerous comic operas, the following stand out: “The Bronze Horse” (1835), “The Black Domino” (1837), “Diamonds of the Crown” (1841). Aubert relied on the traditions of the masters of French comic opera of the 18th century: Philidor, Monsigny, Grétry, as well as his older contemporary Boieldieu, and he learned a lot from the art of Rossini.

In collaboration with Scribe, Ober created new type comic opera genre, which is characterized by highly entertaining adventure-adventure, sometimes fairy-tale plots, naturally and rapidly developing action, replete with spectacular, playful, and sometimes grotesque situations.

Ober's music is witty, sensitively reflects the comedic turns of the action, and is full of graceful lightness, elegance, fun and brilliance. It embodies the intonations of French everyday music (song and dance). His scores are marked by melodic freshness and variety, sharp, piquant rhythms, and often subtle and vibrant orchestration. Ober used a variety of arias and song forms, masterfully introduced ensembles and choirs, which he interpreted in a playful, effective way, creating lively, colorful genre scenes . Creative Fertility Ober combined with the gift of variety and novelty.

Connoisseur ancient choreography Pierre Lacotte has prepared a new version of his ballet "Marco Spada" - a free stylization of a forgotten 19th-century performance with its own scenery and costumes.

For the first time Lacottestaged "Marco Spada" in 1982 at the Rome Opera, for the 200th anniversary of the composer Ober. Main role- the bandit Marco Spada in that performance was performed by Rudolf Nureyev, who had already passed the peak of his form and fame; his stage daughter was Lacotte’s wife and muse, ballerina Ghislaine Thesmar; Prince Federici, who was in love with her, was danced by the handsome Mikael Denard.

Ballet legend says that the initiator of the birth of historical ballet was Napoleon III. IN mid-19th century, two students of the great teacher Carlo Blasis competed at the Paris Opera - Amalia Ferraris and Carolina Rosati. It occurred to the emperor to bring the rivals face to face in one ballet. A suitable plot was provided by Ober's opera "Marco Spada" - about an elusive Italian robber who robs the clergy and aristocrats. Eugene Scribe, author opera libretto, immediately remade it into a ballet, the ballet score consisted of hits from different operas Obera, took over the choreography chief choreographer Paris Opera Joseph Mazilier. To the most experienced choirthe artist had to show an extraordinary diplomatic gift: he brought together the ballerinas in only one mise-en-scène, came up with the most advantageous steps for each one and divided the variations with apothecary precision. Throughout the rehearsals, the rivals jealously watched the production, throwing tantrums for any reason: the gentle Ferraris cried, the determined Rosati almost ran away to London on the eve of the premiere.

However, everything ended well: both received rave reviews. It seems that Amalia won after all - the praises for her aerial dance were more poetic and abundant than the praise for Carlotta’s ground technique and her dramatic gift. This premiere went down in the history of ballet as “a duel of wings and feet, spirit and flesh, the disembodiment of an elf and the flame of a bacchante” (the aesthetic formula for the competition between antagonists was derived by the critic Saint-Victor). From 1857 to 1859, “Marco Spada” was performed 27 times, which indicates its undeniable success. And then Carlotta Rosati drove off to distant St. Petersburg, where she became the mistress of the director of the Imperial Theaters and patronized Marius Petipa - it was for her that he staged “The Pharaoh’s Daughter,” his first full-length ballet. At the Paris Opera there was no replacement for Rosati, and Marco Spada left the stage, leaving nothing for posterity except the memory of innovative two-level sets, hot ballerina battles, and a libretto rich in events.

Kommersant

The ballet “Marco Spada” appeared in the repertoire of the Bolshoi Theater - an attempt to reconstruct an ancient ballet about a robber who had a difficult time in the 18th century: he loves both a profitable craft and adopted daughter, innocently suffering from her father’s profession. A romantic melodrama with luxurious costumes and spectacular dances - from classics to gangster dances - was staged based on the 1857 play by Pierre Lacotte especially for Rudolf Nureyev. The Moscow version will differ from the production at the Rome Opera:

Lacotte tried to take into account the scale of the stage and the size of the troupe, introduced new characters, expanded the corps de ballet scenes and came up with a lot of new choreography.

Bolshoi gets exclusive rightson "Marco Spada"for five years.

November 8, 2013

Daniel Auber

Marco Spada

Ballet in three acts

Choreographer - Pierre Lacotte

Scenography and costumes - Pierre Lacotte

Stage conductor -Alexey Bogorad

Marco Spada, bandit	David Hallberg
Angela, his daughter	Evgenia Obraztsova
Marchioness of Sampietri, daughter of the governor	Olga Smirnova
Prince Federici, fiancé of the Marquise, in love with Angela	Semyon Chudin
Pepinelli, captain of the dragoons, in love with the Marchioness	Igor Tsvirko

Summary

Act I
Scene 1

The villagers gathered for the wedding complain to the Governor of Rome about the outrages of a certain Marco Spada. The villagers have never seen him, but they pass on rumors to each other about the thefts he commits in the area. A dragoon regiment enters the village. The regiment commander, Count Pepinelli, cannot resist the charms of the Marchioness of Sampietri, the daughter of the Governor. Alas, she is engaged to Prince Federici... Taking advantage of the general confusion, Marco Spada, unrecognized in the crowd, lightens the pockets of onlookers. Residents are in panic! The rain begins to disperse the crowd. Only Brother Borromeo remained in the square, from whom the bandit cleverly stole all the collected donations.

Scene 2

The Marchioness, the Governor and Count Pepinelli, lost on a mountain walk, have no idea that they have found refuge in the house of Marco Spada. Angela, the bandit's daughter, also knows nothing about her father's robbery activities. Spada's accomplices, deciding that there is no one in the house, quickly fill the room, but then just as suddenly disappear. Pepinelli, who was present at this scene, warns Spada that his house has been attacked by thieves. The dragoons take up defensive positions. The underground doors opened again, the paintings on the wall moved from their places - but only so that a festively decorated table and seductive beauties mysteriously appeared before the surprised guests!

Act II

Marco Spada and Angela are invited to the Governor's ball. At the very moment when Federici wants to ask Spada for his daughter’s hand in marriage, Brother Borromeo appears, complaining to everyone about the criminal whose victim he recently became. Borromeo says that he will be able to identify the thief. Spada, fearing exposure, prefers to hide, but Borromeo managed to see him. Angela guesses everything, she is shocked and refuses Prince Federici. The prince, in annoyance, informs those gathered about his imminent marriage to the Marquise, which, in turn, cannot but upset Pepinelli.

Act III
Scene 1

Pepinelli in last time decides to confess his love to the Marquise, but she comes out to him in a wedding dress, she has already made her choice. Suddenly bandits appear from all sides and kidnap both the girl and the count.

Scene 2

Surrounded by his accomplices, Marco Spada is surprised to meet Angela, dressed in the same way as the bandits. “For life or death! I accept my fate and want to live with you...” Borromeo, against his will, is forced to marry the Marchioness and Pepinelli. In the distance, the noise of an approaching regiment is heard; the bandits prefer to hide in a cave, grabbing Federici and the Governor along the way, who are in their way, but Angela saves both. Shots are heard nearby. Marco Spada is mortally wounded. He returns, having difficulty staying on his feet. Before his death, he addresses the stunned soldiers and informs them that Angela is not his daughter. This lie saves Angela from arrest and allows Prince Federici to take her as his wife.

03/10/2013. St. Petersburg, Mariinsky Theater.
Gala concert of world ballet stars.
Music - Daniel Ober. Choreography - Victor Gzovsky