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54THE RUSSIAN BALLET IN SYNCRETISM OF ART CULTURE OF THE SILVER AGE
Abstract
The paper reveals the role of the Russian ballet in the system of cultural era of the XIX-XX centuries. The purpose is to define orientation of development of interaction between domestic choreography and art-figurative interpretation its synthetic whole against the difficult, inconsistent processes proceeding at critical stages of the Russian culture. The study is based on the available visual material of archival and museum funds. The aspect of the art criticism analysis including consideration of diverse options of synthesis of the ballet and plastic arts is the prevailing research method. Inclination of fine arts to "ballet charcter" and aspiration, characteristic for the Russian choreography on a turn of the centuries lean on images of painting, graphics and sculpture are two sides of the uniform process. In this context, the "Russian ballet" of S. Diaghilev's enterprise sated with expressive plastic spectacular figurativeness carried out a role of a bright frame of the finishing period of the Russian Silver age.
Keywords
Russian ballet, S. Diaghilev, visual sources, art searches, syncretism of Silver age
AUTHOR
Tatyana Portnova
PhD, Professor, Department of Choreography, Institute of Slavic culture, Institute of Arts, Moscow State University of Design and Technologies, 33, building 1, Sadovnicheskaya Str., 117997,
Moscow, Russia. E-mail: [email protected]
Introduction
The main objective of the research is to disclose interrelations of the Russian ballet in the context of an era. According to it, we note that "In this regard it is necessary to remind that the era of the Silver age was characterized by a motley, multi-color range of the ideas and philosophical concepts refracting in various models of art creativity. Many works appeared at this time were not only "products" of self-expression of their founders, they didn't reflect only their intimate emotional psychological states - they served as means of embodiment of world outlooks and ideas, which excited people of art - writers, poets, painters, theater actors" (Shtanko.2011). The conceptual importance of the Russian choreographic art was connected with S. Diaghilev, who had a world fame in the art life of the beginning of the XX century. (Haskell, 1968) "The Russian ballet seasons" enriched and developed traditions of domestic performing and production culture. The original spectacular beauty and thin sense of style caused happy scenic life to many performances of the largest world theaters. Talented ballet masters as M. Fokin, L. Myasin, V. Nizhinsky, B. Nizhinskaya, G. Balanchine gave birth to the new trends and ways in ballet. Theater became the most important factor of cultural life at the turn of the century. It turns into the center, round which the most part of the creative intellectuals is grouped. Almost all famous painters are connected with it. Creativity of Russians and foreign set designers, such as A. Benois, L. Bakst, A. Golovin, M. Dobuzhinsky, B. Anisfeld, N. Roerich, P. Picasso, M. Denis, H. Miro, A. Derain, Zh. Braque, M. Utrillo and others, introduced the amendments in development of the world theater in general. The idea about artist's role in a performance changed with their arrival. From now ballet became the choreographer's coauthor, prompted and sometimes dictated a choice of means of expression, "interfering" its plastic thinking. The Russian ballet became the new "esthetic rule" influencing the most
different areas of culture - music, photo, cinema, fashion. Russian and foreign bibliographic sources confirm it (Zilberstein, 1982) For each artist ballet played an ambiguous role. It was included in the range of their creativity with different degree of harmony and various psychological filling. But the ability to combine in own figurative perception and follow ways of interacting arts during creation of a work of art is represented as one of the main distinctive characteristics of thinking of that era. Performances greatly impacted works of artists that their works for theater and about theater stopped being the casual phenomenon. At this time, many artists seek to comprehend surrounding reality in a new way and to transfer it by untraditional artistic touches and graphic means.
Methodological Base
The visual sources which reached us, (sketches of suits and scenery, portraits of actors and choreographers, scenographic models video records of Diaghilev's ballets) show that ballet theater is closed with a new graphic culture, which became its faithful assistant. (Illustrative programs, 1914-1917). The variety of style searches and directions of the ballet (classical dance, modernist dance, elements of theatrical performances, mysteries and enchanting spectacles, choreographic miniatures, impressionist compositions) was process of self-determination of artists' new art, process of judgment of own specific decisions. The ballet was the strongest catalyst of the imagination of fine arts masters. It gave a wide field to style searches. On the other hand, fine arts of a turn of centuries is the difficult and inconsistent phenomenon, a motley kaleidoscope of directions, currents, styles, theories (modernist style, realism, impressionism, primitivism, etc.). Not by a chance, the ballet of the end of XIX - the beginning of the XX centuries contain images of any direction, style or way of expression. Behind each of them is a certain understanding of a new creative method, variety of its forms.
The research methodology of the paper is based on the complex analysis of judgment of the Diaghilev Russian ballet in the context of plastic arts interacting with it. Such approach assumes using visual graphic sources, archival memoirs records and memoirs. The interdisciplinary approach is used in the paper: elements of statistical analysis, receptions of cultural and art criticism methods. The analysis of iconographic data introduces new information about the Russian ballets and features of creative searches of dance masters for creation a new choreographic form, character of images; it specifies our ideas about S. Diaghilev's role in the foreign art life.
Results
At that time many artists seek to comprehend surrounding reality in a new way, transfer it by the other artistic touches and graphic means. Various creative associations which arose during this period ("World of art", "A blue rose". "The union of the Russian artists", "A jack of diamonds") are characterized by variety of manners of performance and creative methods, when the performance structure opens the sense and creates mood, express the contents. The fine arts and dance intertwine. These interactions point on a spontaneity of a straight line and feedback. For example, the artists of "The world of art" were often were guided by the ballet. And A. Duncan in her owns "antiquity" goes not from antique dance, but from antique sculpture. The choreographer M. Fokin was known to sympathize adjacent arts - painting and sculpture, in particular, the Ancient Egyptian and ancient fine arts. Nevertheless, sides of artist's identity were not erased and were significant more than ever before. The degree of sociability of dancers and artists was much more higher than before. The proximity of two arts - graphic and choreographic, capable to interact, possibility of bilateral interference and enrichment, proximity in historical context attracted fine artists to ballet, inspiring hope for originally creative co-
authorship. The special role belongs to the masters of "The world of art" here. "Really, the international popularity of many members of "The world of art" group, in particular, L. Bakst and A. Benois, relied on their scenic development for the most grandiose Diaghilev's performances, where aspiration to integration of all art forms, improvisation on antiquity, exotic, the East, search of new production methods of choreography, musical decisions and visual effects were an embodiment of many principles developed in a subsoil of "The world of art"" (Boult, 2010) According to the art critic S. Makovsky, S. Diaghilev and the Russian retrospectivism were the one aspect of the exhibitions represented by "The artists-dreamers", where the visual culture of the ballet master M. Fokin was embodied. (Wiliams, 1983) First of all, there are sketches drawn by L. Bakst, A. Benois, A. Golovin, M. Dobuzhinsky to ballets "Butterflies", "Armida's Pavilion", "Firebird", "Cleopatra", "Sylphs", "Carnival", "Rose Ghost", "Narcissus", "Afternoon Rest of the Faun", etc. L. Bakst's creativity played the most noticeable role in the development of syncretism of that era. The famous English director G. Kreg defined the enduring value of theatrical and decorative works of the artist the following words: "The great Bakst died and the well-known Russian ballet lost hope again to find the important elements lost for it" (Craig, 1977). Bakst's reputation is undoubted; he was one of the most consecutive artists-innovators of S. Diaghilev ballet group entering the association "World of Art". There is one very remarkable line of scenography in L. Bakst's creativity deserving special attention. The suit problem in his ballet sketches was solved in a movement, in indissoluble communication with a scenic image. Plastic power of its scenography is indisputable. L. Bakst's characters are unstable. Accurate relief of their poses, painfully melodious plasticity of almost physically felt body have the attracting force of a ballet image. V. Svetlov characterized it the following way: "Pleasure derived from this show is so strong that its beauty does not remain motionless and stiffened, but changes and moves every minute. The weaved and untwining groups of dancers, constantly new and changeable contrasts and rapprochements of the shades formed by their suits, all the movements, streams of flowers are combined and settled with the most refined art, exact and at the same time courageous" (Svetlov, 1911). Fokin choreography gave the chance to liberate the creative imagination, induced to nonstandard decisions, imparted taste to something specified, refined. Elements of theatricality and picturesque stylization reigned in his suits. There were the images bearing on themselves the press of some viscous time. They live alone with the theomancy in the closed and lonely world of own arrogance, but thus faultlessly cantilenas in the infinitely lasting melody - sensual and painful and every time kept back. They were the general, not concretized graphic and plastic quality of the era.
The separate role played N. Goncharova and M. Larionov's theatrical experiences. S. Diaghilev invited them to cooperate in the performances "Liturgy", "Clown", "Russian Fairy Tales", "Midnight Sun", 'Wedding". The Russian basten picture, national sign and folklore are the basis for scenography of these images. Scenery and sketches of suits to these ballets are stored in foreign collections (the most part in N. D. Lobanov-Rostovsky's collection in the USA).They allow to present decorative gift of artists what undoubtedly pulls them together. S. Grigoriev speaks about the ballet "Midnight Sun": "The midnight sun, where Larionov helped Myasin, left good impression. Actually choreography represented one continuous dance, for which Myasin invented a set of interesting and various movements and sheaves. The success of the ballet was promoted by the colorful ornamental suits created by Larionov in the Old Russian style - they perfectly looked on a dark blue gold back, - and the magnificent score of Rimsky-Korsakov". (Grigoriev, 1993)
The other aspect shows S. Diaghilev's nature as an expert on the Russian vanguard able to put new esthetic concepts of the era into production operation. Experimental performances of L. Myasin, B. Nizhinskaya based on forms of kubofuturism, fauvism, a luchizm, etc. are successfully designed in the form of volume models of suits and scenery.
Visual materials of performances are most indicative: "Ode", "The blue express", "Apollon Moussaguet", "Ball", "Steel skok", etc. (Bodlit, 1972-1974) In turn, the Russian Diaghilev's ballet had the huge impact on the western culture; it was an inspiration for foreign artists - set designers (P. Picasso, M. Denis, H. Miro, A. Matisse, And, Derain, Zh. Braque, H. Gri, M. Utrillo, etc.) and stankovists (G. Kreg, L. Kayner, E. Oppler, Ge. Cocteau, A. Gryunenberg, V. Gross, O. Kokoschka, A. Burdel, P. Bonnar, etc.). A row of foreign museum and private collections, catalogues of Diaghilev's exhibitions contain the graphic, picturesque and sculptural works devoted to masters of dance and sketches of ballet suits and scenery. It is confirmed by a number of the illustrative programs devoted to performances of the Russian ballet, which are stored in the Russian state archive of literature and art and included in Sotheby catalogues. (Ballet and Theatre Material, 1985) Imprinting an image of dance, an artist seeks to record the most beautiful effective, expressive and typical, recognizable motive. Classical forms of arabesque, attitude, motive of a swan became universal motives for schedules, painters, sculptors symbolizing poetics of the Russian ballet. They are the ideal model, which lights up an artist and attracts by power of art logic, clearness and persuasiveness of the expressed concept. The French artists (G. Barbye, G. Lepape), German masters (R. Schwab, G. Kreg, L. Kayner, A. Gryunenberg, R. Montenegro), American schedules (P. Millok and A. Stephen) drew the scenic pages of the well-known actors V. Nizhinsky and T. Karsavina, A. Duncan and A. Pavlova. Ballet roles, which they participated in the different moments of the life, were united here by one performer. The narration is developed as a chain of short stories, miniatures, which do not have obvious logical connections at the first sight. But they have three main thematic lines of choreography of the silver age - romantic, antique, eastern. The free neighborhood of moods, as well as in diversity of the imprinted images are poetics of the works, their thought. Searches of new means of expression at a boundary of the XIX-XX centuries, identification of new opportunities of the image in imprinting the dance led to creation of dancing images-reports, images-portraits, images-reflections, images-improvisations. The sculptural plasticity reproduced in a number of the catalogues devoted to "The Russian seasons" had a great value here. The biggest merit in imprinting the Russian ballet in sculpture belongs to B. O. Fredman-Klyuzel and G. D. Lavrov. Their force of images embodied the main essence of ballet - the subject of the Russian ballet comprehended in direct comparison to performances, actors and their roles. Especially interesting here is extensive creative heritage of B. Fredman-Klyuzel disseminated through various museums and private collections. The main part of it is abroad, in various cities of the Central Europe, where "The Russian ballet" went on tour. Therefore the publications about it, generally in the form of responses, are placed in a foreign press: "The proof of success of "the Russian ballet" is sale of bronze figures of the Russian actors molded by the Russian sculptor Fredman-Klyuzel. They were made by request of the son of the editor of the "Temps" newspaper, who undertook to cast each of them only in 20 copies" (Fredman-Klyuzel, 1917). Imprinting a number of the plastic moments, the sculptor transfers distinguished beauty of Giselle - A. Pavlova, the floating pose of the first arabesque V. Nizhinsky, ecstasy and ardent temperament of M. Bolm's " Polovetsky dance", steadiness of a pose of M. Kshesinskaya's classical image, soft graceful melody of Schwartz's dance, extent of the dancing phrase of T. Karsavina in "Iphigenia", emotional rush of E. Eduardova's "The Greek dance", beauty of flexible profile plasticity of L. Shollar in "Cleopatra", etc. Invasion of the document into fabric of a work of art is a characteristic feature of these images. Documentation demonstrates individual figures and poses; it is the cornerstone of all structure of a work of art, first, in display of a suit for creation of documentary truthfulness of an actor's image.
One more side of ballet and plastic arts synthesis is book illustrations, which widely developed at a boundary of the XIX-XX centuries in works of the foreign artists. They
devoted the graphic drawings to the Russian masters of dance. During Diaghilev's Russian seasons, many books illustrated artists in a different style were published. The illustrators were R. Schwab, R. Alinson, R. Wooll, M. Detoma, D. de Segonzac, R. Leonard, L. Kayner, etc.
Expansion of range of means of art expressiveness with use of technical novelties was promoted by the vanguard art directions at theater. So, constructivism of scenery, modernist simplification of music, relevance and acrobatic choreography were the dominating tendencies of the third period of the Russian ballet. Decorating was minimized. Even data on a performance didn't contain suits and scenery, but described scenic architecture and sculpture. The architectural constructions, ladders, tense cords crossed diversely forming accurate graphics of lines were used instead of scenery. The fabrics hung on them, geometrical hollow figures (circles, squares), into which figures of actors inventively fitted and other designs were also used. The similar constructivist tendency was shown in ballets: I. Stravinsky's "Fox" (1922), D. Milhaud's "The blue express" (1924) with B. Nizhinskaya's choreography, A. Soge's "Cat" (1927) with J. Balanchine's choreography, I. Stravinsky's "Wedding"(1923), E. Satie's "Parade"(1917), N. Nabokov's "Ode" (1928) with L. Myasin's choreography.
Visual sources show S. Diaghilev's as organizer of the grandiose theatrical enterprise existing only owing to its artistic flair and inexhaustible energy. His activity appears as an important episode, inseparable from "The Russian ballet" against all art culture of the end of XIX - the beginning of the XX centuries.
Discussions
Attempts to study the Russian ballet in system of cultural life of the silver age were repeatedly made in the monographs, books, articles devoted to S. Diaghilev's enterprise in pre-revolutionary years. Undoubtedly, it was connected with the great interest to it. The general condition of the era of culture and art were stated later by G. Sternin, D. Sarabyanov, O. Alenov's works, etc. At the same time, there was a number of the works devoted to certain art criticism spheres, concerning descriptions of life and creativity of S. Diaghileva and his environments, decorating of theatrical performances of the end of XIX - the beginning of the XX centuries, including ballet. The books of E. Kostina, M. Davydova, R. Vlasova, M. Pozharskaya are indicative for that time. Nevertheless, process of interacting relations of various components of plastic synthesis during an era of the Silver age was not undertaken neither in domestic, nor in foreign historiography. In this context essential relevance is gained by studying ballet iconography, which mastering is a necessary condition for improvement the concrete researches about the Russian ballet of that era, formations of an adequate assessment, designations of prospects of its development in aspect of reconstruction of the past. The visual and graphic and archival hand-written sources used in the paper become a fundamental component of our knowledge about the performers, ballet masters-directors, ballet repertoire, impresario and organizers of performances and enterprises. The important source was rare bibliographic editions, archive and museum records. The separate, little known and almost unknown names of the artists, who were directly connected with "The Russian seasons", and their works revealed by the author, are also included in the theoretic-methodological basis of the research. The data expands understanding of that culture and allows to come to the new horizons of its judgment.
Conclusion
Summing up the result, we will note that digression to laboratory of creativity of the masters anyway connected with "The Russian ballets" gives an evident idea of office character of documentary material. Studying iconographic data introduces new
information on syncretism of the Silver age, on features of creative searches of masters of dance in creation of a new choreographic form, character of images; specifies our ideas of S. Diaghilev's role in art life of Russia and foreign countries. In general, the research on historiography and iconography of a question immerses us in the atmosphere of the era, shows esthetic searches of actors, ballet masters, artists, operating cultural process as a difficult conglomerate of creative power. This communication reflects unity of all aspects of the complex and many-sided problem considered by us. It lies in the course of fruitful tradition of domestic theatrically director's and art thought, for which communication of theater with new experiments, style decisions, creative methods, visual and graphic modifications was a starting point, fundamental postulate, live reality of art creativity and cultural development.
Recommendations
The results of the analysis expand the knowledge on history of complex studying of specifics of interaction of plastic arts during the Russian ballet at a boundary of the XIX-XX centuries as a unique phenomenon of domestic and foreign culture. They can be used for further studying the problems of synthetic relationship of various arts, deepening on the general and special knowledge applicable to specific conditions of ballet theater of a certain period, art criticism works. The paper can be an information source for practicians of choreography.
REFERENCES
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