Spartacus
Scenes from Roman life. Ballet in four acts
The author of the ballet Aram Ilyich Khachaturyan
Libretto N. Volkova.
Choreographer L. Jacobson.
First performance: Leningrad, Opera and Ballet Theatre. S. M. Kirov, December 27, 1956
Characters
Spartacus. Phrygia. Aegina. Harmodius. Beauty. Dying slave. Lentullus Batiatus. Herald. Egyptian. African. Numidian, Gallus. Athenian jester. Etruscans, Gaditan maidens, hetaerae. Memes. Centurions. Companions of Spartacus.The Roman commander Crassus returns from a campaign with a victory. The jubilant crowd welcomes the legionnaires famous in battles.
Crassus' golden chariot is harnessed by captive slaves. Among them is the Thracian Spartacus. His gigantic figure is full of strength and dignity. Next to him are his beloved, the young Thracian Phrygia, and the young man Harmodius.
In the crowd of the Roman nobility, patricians and senators, meeting Crassus, is his concubine, the courtesan Aegina.
Slave market. The auction begins with the sale of an Egyptian dancer. She is separated from her mother. Spartacus and the chained Harmodius are bought by the owner of the gladiator school, Lentullus Batiat. Sad is the moment of parting of Phrygia and Spartacus. Phrygia buys Aegina.
Circus. In the center of the amphitheater is the bed of Crassus and Aegina. The gladiator fights begin. A Gaul, a Numidian and an African are fighting. The wounded Numidian asks to grant him life, but the crowd demands to kill him. Two gladiators enter the arena. One of them dies; dying, he sends a curse to Rome. Two groups attract everyone's attention: the gladiators. A furious fight breaks out. Miracles of courage and dexterity are shown by Spartak. He wins, he is enthusiastically applauded by the crowd.
Square in front of the palace of Crassus. Phrygia pours out her grief to Spartacus, complains about the hard life in captivity and separation.
Under the cover of night, Spartacus agrees with his associates about a secret meeting. Aegina notices them. Wanting to reveal their plan, she charms one of the conspirators - the young Harmodius.
Festival in honor of the god Saturn (saturnalia). The crowd praises him with Bacchic dances. Crassus is carried out of the palace on a luxurious stretcher. One of the slaves carrying the stretcher stumbled. Beauty orders to kill him. Crassus' bodyguard stabs a slave with a dagger. Everyone freezes in horror.
At a secret meeting, Spartacus calls on his associates to start an uprising. The conspirators pledge their loyalty to the cause of the struggle for liberation with an oath.
Spartacus enters the stone prison of the gladiators. and calls on the prisoners to revolt: it is better to die on the battlefield than in the circus arena, for the amusement of the crowd! The chains have already been broken, the guards have been removed. Spartacus opens the gates of the prison and leads the rebels away.
An uprising of slaves spreads across Italy like a wide fiery river. Victory after victory is won by the troops of Spartacus. The Romans bow the "eagles" - the signs of their legions - before the leader of the rebellious slaves.
The commanders of Spartacus are returning from a campaign with captured legionnaires, looted goods, casks of wine and getters. Aegina is hiding among the hetaerae. She brings Harmodius to the tent of the feasting warlords.
Suddenly, Spartacus appears. He orders the getters to be immediately expelled from the camp. Harmodius protests. A quarrel arises between a group of military leaders and Spartacus. A long-brewing conflict leads to a split in the camp. A group of disgruntled military leaders, along with their soldiers, leaves Spartak's camp. Aegina carries Harmodius with her. With Spartacus, only his followers loyal to the cause of freedom remain.
Feast at Crassus. Aegina tells the commander that she managed to bring Harmodius, who quarreled with Spartacus, and also about the split among the rebels. Beauty gives the order to attack the camp of those who broke away from Spartacus.
Aegina is left alone with Harmodius. The night passes. The feast resumes. Beauty orders to bring Harmodius. Purple curtains open. Harmodius sees with horror the gladiators crucified on the crosses, his recent associates. He realizes that Aegina has betrayed him and tries to kill her, but he is captured and stabbed to death. Krase and Aegina leave the feast.
Slaves, led by Spartacus, rush into the palace. Phrygia and the slaves of Crassus joyfully rush towards them.
In the battle with the legionnaires of Crassus, Spartacus is defeated and retreats. Phrygia blesses him for new battles; she gives Spartacus a shield, kisses his sword. She foresees in her heart the impending catastrophe.
The Romans are coming. Surrounded by countless hordes, the Spartacists perish in a fierce battle. Dies and Spartacus.
The clear signal sounds. The Roman troops leave.
Night. Mist covers the battlefield. A mournful Phrygia appears, looking for the body of Spartacus. In ominous silence, she mourns the fallen hero.
In four acts, nine scenes. Libretto by N. Volkov.
Characters:
- Spartacus, Thracian
- Phrygia, a Thracian, his wife
- Harmodius, a young Thracian
- Crassus, rich Roman general
- Aegina, Greek dancer, beloved of Crassus
- Freedman of Crassus
- Dying slave
- Lentulus Batiatus, owner of the gladiator school
- Gladiators: Mapmilon (fish), Retiarius (fisherman), Andabates (gladiators in eyeless helmets), Thracians, Samnites
- herald
- Egyptian dancer
- Greek mime
- Old woman, servant of Aegina
- Craftsmen, Germans, Gauls, Syrians, Numidians, Thracians, circus performers, guests at the feast of Crassus, Gaditan maidens, hetaerae, nymph dancers, peasant shepherds, Roman legionnaires, Roman merchants, townspeople, pirates
The action takes place in the Roman Empire in 73-71 BC.
History of creation
In December 1941, during the most tragic days of the Great Patriotic War, Khachaturian reported in a newspaper article about his creative plans: to work on the ballet "Spartacus". This should be a monumental heroic performance that will show the Soviet audience the best person in all of ancient history, which, according to Marx, is Spartacus. This image, which had attracted Khachaturian for a long time, seemed to him especially relevant in connection with the fierce struggle that our people had to wage. The composer also mentioned this in one of the articles: “Some were surprised by my choice of this topic, they reproached me for going into the depths of history. But it seems to me that the theme of Spartacus and the uprising of slaves in ancient Rome is of great importance in our time and of great public resonance.<...>It is necessary that the peoples know and remember the names of those who, at the dawn of human history, boldly rose up against the enslavers for their freedom and independence.
The librettist N. Volkov (1894-1965) began work on Spartak as early as 1933. He used the advice of the artist F. Fedorovsky (1883-1955) and the choreographer I. Moiseev (1906-2007), who had long dreamed of staging this performance. In his work on the libretto, Volkov turned to the testimonies of ancient historians, in particular to the "Biographies" of Plutarch (50-120), he also used the satires of Juvenal (c. 60-140). In addition, the librettist relied on the article by L. Friedlander "Pictures from everyday life in Rome" and the book of the Soviet historian A. Mishulin "Spartacus uprising", something was gleaned from the popular novel by Giovagnoli "Spartacus" (description of the stadiums) and the historical chronicle of M. Olivier "Spartacus". “The architectonics of the ballet was composed as a tragedy about Spartacus,” Volkov wrote, “as a story about the rise and death of the leader, as the story of a hero whose mind, will and high ideals overcame the limitations of his time and<...>became immortal symbols of the struggle of the oppressed classes and peoples against the oppressors. Not surprisingly, the proposed plot received the approval of the authorities. However, work on the ballet was delayed for many years.
In 1950, Khachaturian visited Italy, saw the Colosseum, the Appian Way. Perhaps it was with these impressions that the return to the planned ballet was connected. Work on the music lasted three and a half years - the last point in the score was set in early February 1954. The premiere of Spartacus took place at the Leningrad Opera and Ballet Theater named after Kirov (Mariinsky) on December 27, 1956, staged by one of the most original choreographers of the Soviet era, a successor to the traditions of Fokine, the famous master of choreographic miniature L. Yakobson (1904-1975). In an effort to move away from the principles of “drambalet” that dominated those years on the ballet stage, Yakobson transferred to the stage the sculptural-plastic expressiveness he saw in the expression of the figures of the fighting gods and titans on the famous Pergamon Altar, then exhibited in the Hermitage. “In his performance, the figures came to life, as if descended from vase paintings, antique mosaics, bas-reliefs,” writes the author of the book about Askold Makarov, the first performer of the role of Spartacus, ballet critic M. Ilyicheva. – The composition of the performance was formed as a grandiose architectural ensemble with temples, palaces, arenas and amphitheatres, in their decor bearing the themes of Spartacus, Aegina, Crassus. Spartacus, towering like a monument amid the revelry and tinsel of “violent Rome”, appeared ... as the hero of a peculiar altar composition ... Clear steps, sharp attacks, heavy footsteps of infantry, offensive gallops of horsemen ... outlined the image of a war machine ... Laconism and chase movements of the military march, the solemnity of the exit of senators ... gave the spectacle a sculptural quality. These qualities determined the entire composition, deployed to the viewer ... ”Ensemble numbers were distinguished by the fact that each corps de ballet dancer was offered his own individual plastic text. Thus, a kind of choreographic polyphony was created. Women's parts were not performed on pointe shoes: both the soloists and the corps de ballet danced in sandals.
Spartak appeared in Moscow only a year and a half later (03/11/1958), staged by I. Moiseev, one of the most titled masters, famous for his Folk Dance Ensemble. The ballet gained the widest popularity, was staged in many cities of our country and countries of Eastern Europe. In 1968, another master of the Soviet ballet, Y. Grigorovich (b. 1927), was staged in Moscow, arguing with Yakobson's performance and distinguished by great psychologism and tragic tension.
Plot (stated by clavier)
In Rome, the crowds joyfully greet Crassus, who returned from the campaign with a victory. Among the slaves harnessed to his chariot are Spartacus, Phrygia and Harmodius. Among those who meet Crassus is the courtesan Aegina. Exhausted from fatigue, Phrygia falls, the overseer swings his whip, Spartacus rushes at him with such force that he stops the chariot. The people admired his strength and courage.
An Egyptian dancer and a young Greek mime show their art at the Roman slave market. Crassus appears in a smart stretcher, on the other side of the market square - Aegina, who throws a flower to Crassus. She buys the handsome Harmodius, wants to buy Phrygia too, but she is ready to stab herself with a dagger if she is separated from Spartacus. Spartacus is bought by the owner of the gladiator school Lentullus, he also has to buy Phrygia, since Spartacus prefers to kill himself, but not be separated from his wife.
Circus. In the central box of Crassus and Aegina, behind her stands Harmodius. After the pantomime "The Rape of the Sabines", the fighting begins. The last fight - Spartacus with the Samnite. Spectators demand to finish off the defeated Samnite, but Spartak plunges his sword into the sand, refusing to kill the defeated.
In the barracks of the gladiators. Phrygia bent over the dying man. After much thought, Spartacus calls on the gladiators to revolt. They are still doomed to die. It is better to find her in the battle with the enslavers than in the arena, for their amusement. The gladiators led by Spartacus put the guards to flight, break out the bars of the windows and hide.
In the fields of Campagna, near the Appian Way, shepherds are peacefully resting. Fleeing gladiators appear. The shepherds join the rebels.
In the palace of Crassus, Aegina and Harmodius are dancing in front of the feasters. The young man brings her to the bed of Crassus. The merriment is broken by the sounds of an approaching battle. Everyone flees, Crassus tells Harmodius to stay and join the rebels. Spartacus appears with warriors and Phrygia.
In the camp of Spartacus, in the square in front of his tent, the women listen to the noise of the fading battle. Spartacus in a tent holds a council with the leaders of the troops of the Thracians, Syrians, Germans, Gauls. Some of the military leaders demand a campaign against Rome, others, including Spartak himself, want to return to their homeland on ships. Some bosses leave Spartak in annoyance. Phrygia tries to calm him down. Merchants and getters appear on the square. Bargaining, fun begins. Spartak, having left his tent, orders to expel strangers from the camp. An old woman, a servant of Aegina, appears in the deserted square. She carries away Harmodius, who is seized with a passion for Aegina.
In Crassus' tent, Aegina dances before the general. They bring captive leaders who broke away from Spartacus. Crassus orders their execution. The old woman, messenger of Aegina, comes with Harmodius. Crassus demands from him information about Spartacus, and the young man reveals to him the plans of the rebels. At a signal from the commander, heavy curtains swing open, covering huge windows, and Harmodius sees gladiators crucified on crosses.
Coast. You can see the masts of the pirate ships. Hidden behind the rocks are the Romans brought by Harmodius. The pirates are feasting. Spartacus comes to them. He bribes the leader with sacks of gold, and he promises to transport his troops on his ships. With the departure of Spartacus, the feast resumes. The Romans who have appeared are trying to get the pirates to withdraw their ships. When the rebels appear, the Romans attack them from an ambush. Spartacus dies in a fierce battle. Crassus orders to strangle Harmodius, Aegina, passing by, casually steps on his body. At the all-clear signal, the Roman army retreats, on the deserted battlefield at night, Phrygia looks for the murdered Spartacus and mourns him. The surviving Thracians raise his body to the shield. The sun is rising.
Music
The music of "Spartacus", one of the best works of Khachaturian, embodied the most striking features of his work: catchy, memorable images, lush and brilliant mass scenes, a kind of melody in which European features are organically combined with oriental intonations. The musical dramaturgy of the ballet is based on sharp contrasts, but at the same time it is distinguished by internal integrity and is aimed at revealing the main idea. The ballet is characterized by a through symphonic development, large musical and choreographic scenes, intonational unity, and the widespread use of a system of leitmotifs.
L. Mikheeva
Painting 1
Invasion
The death of peaceful life is carried by the legions of the Roman Empire, led by the cruel and treacherous Crassus. The people captured by him are doomed to slavery. Among them is Spartacus.
Monologue of Spartacus
Spartacus was deprived of his freedom, but he cannot come to terms with this. A proud and courageous man, he does not imagine his life in slavery.
Picture 2
slave market
Captives are driven to the slave market. Men and women are separated by force, including Spartacus and Phrygia. Spartacus protests against the inhumanity of the Romans. But the forces are not equal.
Monologue of Phrygia
Phrygia yearns for her lost happiness, thinking with horror about the trials ahead of her.
Scene 3
Kras Orgy
Mimes and courtesans entertain guests by making fun of Phrygia, Crassus' new slave. The courtesan Aegina is alarmed by his interest in a young girl. And she draws Crassus into a frantic dance. In the midst of an orgy, Crassus orders the gladiators to be brought in. They must fight to the death in helmets without eye sockets, without seeing each other. Remove the helmet from the winner. This is Spartacus.
Monologue of Spartacus
Spartacus is in despair - he became the unwitting killer of his comrade. The tragedy awakens in him anger and a desire to protest. Spartacus decides to fight for freedom.
Scene 4
Gladiator barracks
Spartacus calls the gladiators to revolt. They answer him with an oath of allegiance. Throwing off the fetters, Spartacus and the gladiators flee from Rome.
Act II
Scene 5
appian way
Shepherds join the "Spartacists" on the Appian Way. All are united by the dream of freedom and hatred of slavery. The people proclaim Spartacus the leader of the rebels.
Monologue of Spartacus
All thoughts of Spartacus are directed to Phrygia.
Scene 6
Villa Crassa
The search for Phrygia leads Spartacus to the villa of Crassus. Great is the joy of meeting lovers. But they have to hide - a procession of patricians headed by Aegina is heading towards the villa.
Monologue of Aegina
She longs to seduce and subdue Crassus for a long time. She needs to conquer him and legally enter the world of the Roman nobility.
Scene 7
Feast at Crassus
Crassus celebrates his victories. The patricians praise him. But the troops of Spartacus surround the palace. The guests run away. Crassus and Aegina also flee in fear. Spartacus breaks into the villa.
Monologue of Spartacus
He is filled with the joy of victory.
Scene 8
Spartacus' victory
Crassus is captured by the gladiators. But Spartacus does not want reprisals. He offers Crassus to decide his fate in an open fair duel. Crassus accepts the challenge, but is defeated. Spartacus drives him away - let everyone know about his shame. The jubilant rebels praise the victory of Spartacus.
Act III
Scene 9
Revenge of Crassus
Aegina seeks to instill courage in Crassus. The uprising must be crushed. Crassus gathers legionnaires. Aegina guides him.
Monologue of Aegina
For her, Spartacus is also an enemy, for the defeat of Crassus promises death to her too. Aegina is plotting an insidious plan - to spread discord in the camp of the rebels.
Picture 10
Spartak's camp
Spartacus is happy with Phrygia. But the news of Crassus' new campaign comes as a sudden disaster. Spartacus offers to take the fight. But many of his generals show weakness and desert their leader.
Monologue of Spartacus
Spartacus anticipates a tragic end. But freedom is above all. And for her, he is ready to give his life.
Scene 11
Decomposition
Having made her way to the cowardly gladiators, who could still join Spartacus, Aegina, along with the courtesans, seduces them and traps them, betraying Crassus into the hands of the troops.
Monologue of Crassus
Crassus is filled with a thirst for revenge. It's not enough for him to win. He needs the death of Spartak, who humiliated him.
Scene 12
Last Stand
Legionnaires surround the troops of Spartacus. In an unequal battle, his friends and he himself perish. Spartacus fights to the last breath.
Requiem
Phrygia finds the body of Spartacus. She mourns him, full of faith in the immortality of his feat.
In four acts, nine scenes. Libretto by N. Volkov.
Characters:
- Spartacus, Thracian
- Phrygia, a Thracian, his wife
- Harmodius, a young Thracian
- Crassus, rich Roman general
- Aegina, Greek dancer, beloved of Crassus
- Freedman of Crassus
- Dying slave
- Lentulus Batiatus, owner of the gladiator school
- Gladiators: Mapmilon (fish), Retiarius (fisherman), Andabates (gladiators in eyeless helmets), Thracians, Samnites
- herald
- Egyptian dancer
- Greek mime
- Old woman, servant of Aegina
- Craftsmen, Germans, Gauls, Syrians, Numidians, Thracians, circus performers, guests at the feast of Crassus, Gaditan maidens, hetaerae, nymph dancers, peasant shepherds, Roman legionnaires, Roman merchants, townspeople, pirates
The action takes place in the Roman Empire in 73-71 BC.
History of creation
In December 1941, during the most tragic days of the Great Patriotic War, Khachaturian reported in a newspaper article about his creative plans: to work on the ballet "Spartacus". This should be a monumental heroic performance that will show the Soviet audience the best person in all of ancient history, which, according to Marx, is Spartacus. This image, which had attracted Khachaturian for a long time, seemed to him especially relevant in connection with the fierce struggle that our people had to wage. The composer also mentioned this in one of the articles: “Some were surprised by my choice of this topic, they reproached me for going into the depths of history. But it seems to me that the theme of Spartacus and the uprising of slaves in ancient Rome is of great importance in our time and of great public resonance.<...>It is necessary that the peoples know and remember the names of those who, at the dawn of human history, boldly rose up against the enslavers for their freedom and independence.
The librettist N. Volkov (1894-1965) began work on Spartak as early as 1933. He used the advice of the artist F. Fedorovsky (1883-1955) and the choreographer I. Moiseev (1906-2007), who had long dreamed of staging this performance. In his work on the libretto, Volkov turned to the evidence of ancient historians, in particular to the "Biographies" of Plutarch (50-120), he also used the satires of Juvenal (c. 60-140). In addition, the librettist relied on L. Friedlander’s article “Pictures from the Everyday Life of Rome” and the book of the Soviet historian A. Mishulin “Spartacus Uprising”, something was gleaned from the popular novel “Spartacus” by Giovagnoli (description of the stadiums) and the historical chronicle of M. Olivier "Spartacus". “The architectonics of the ballet was composed as a tragedy about Spartacus,” Volkov wrote, “as a story about the rise and death of the leader, as the story of a hero whose mind, will and high ideals overcame the limitations of his time and<...>became immortal symbols of the struggle of the oppressed classes and peoples against the oppressors. Not surprisingly, the proposed plot received the approval of the authorities. However, work on the ballet was delayed for many years.
In 1950, Khachaturian visited Italy, saw the Colosseum, the Appian Way. Perhaps it was with these impressions that the return to the planned ballet was connected. Work on the music lasted three and a half years - the last point in the score was set in early February 1954. The premiere of "Spartacus" took place at the Leningrad Opera and Ballet Theater named after Kirov (Mariinsky) on December 27, 1956, staged by one of the most original choreographers of the Soviet era, the successor of Fokine's traditions, the famous master of choreographic miniature L. Yakobson (1904-1975). In an effort to move away from the principles of “drambalet” that dominated those years on the ballet stage, Yakobson transferred to the stage the sculptural-plastic expressiveness he saw in the expression of the figures of the fighting gods and titans on the famous Pergamon Altar, then exhibited in the Hermitage. “In his performance, figures came to life, as if descended from vase paintings, antique mosaics, bas-reliefs,” writes the author of the book about Askold Makarov, the first performer of the role of Spartacus, ballet critic M. Ilyicheva. - The composition of the performance was formed as a grandiose architectural ensemble with temples, palaces, arenas and amphitheaters, in their decor bearing the themes of Spartacus, Aegina, Crassus. Spartacus, towering like a monument amid the revelry and tinsel of “violent Rome”, appeared ... as the hero of a peculiar altar composition ... Clear steps, sharp attacks, heavy footsteps of infantry, offensive gallops of horsemen ... outlined the image of a war machine ... Laconism and chase movements of the military march, the solemnity of the exit of senators ... gave the spectacle a sculptural quality. These qualities determined the entire composition, deployed to the viewer ... ”Ensemble numbers were distinguished by the fact that each corps de ballet dancer was offered his own individual plastic text. Thus, a kind of choreographic polyphony was created. Women's parts were not performed on pointe shoes: both the soloists and the corps de ballet danced in sandals.
Spartak appeared in Moscow only a year and a half later (03/11/1958), staged by I. Moiseev, one of the most titled masters, famous for his Folk Dance Ensemble. The ballet gained the widest popularity, was staged in many cities of our country and countries of Eastern Europe. In 1968, another master of the Soviet ballet, Y. Grigorovich (b. 1927), was staged in Moscow, arguing with Yakobson's performance and distinguished by great psychologism and tragic tension.
Plot (stated by clavier)
In Rome, the crowds joyfully greet Crassus, who returned from the campaign with a victory. Among the slaves harnessed to his chariot are Spartacus, Phrygia and Harmodius. Among those who meet Crassus is the courtesan Aegina. Exhausted from fatigue, Phrygia falls, the overseer swings his whip, Spartacus rushes at him with such force that he stops the chariot. The people admired his strength and courage.
An Egyptian dancer and a young Greek mime show their art at the Roman slave market. Crassus appears in an elegant stretcher, on the other side of the market square - Aegina, who throws a flower to Crassus. She buys the handsome Harmodius, wants to buy Phrygia too, but she is ready to stab herself with a dagger if she is separated from Spartacus. Spartacus is bought by the owner of the gladiator school Lentullus, he also has to buy Phrygia, since Spartacus prefers to kill himself, but not be separated from his wife.
Circus. In the central box of Crassus and Aegina, behind her stands Harmodius. After the pantomime "The Rape of the Sabines", the fighting begins. The last fight - Spartacus with the Samnite. Spectators demand to finish off the defeated Samnite, but Spartak plunges his sword into the sand, refusing to kill the defeated.
In the barracks of the gladiators. Phrygia bent over the dying man. After much thought, Spartacus calls on the gladiators to revolt. They are still doomed to die. It is better to find her in the battle with the enslavers than in the arena, for their amusement. The gladiators led by Spartacus put the guards to flight, break out the bars of the windows and hide.
In the fields of Campagna, near the Appian Way, shepherds are peacefully resting. Fleeing gladiators appear. The shepherds join the rebels.
In the palace of Crassus, Aegina and Harmodius are dancing in front of the feasters. The young man brings her to the bed of Crassus. The merriment is broken by the sounds of an approaching battle. Everyone flees, Crassus tells Harmodius to stay and join the rebels. Spartacus appears with warriors and Phrygia.
In the camp of Spartacus, in the square in front of his tent, the women listen to the noise of the fading battle. Spartacus in a tent holds a council with the leaders of the troops of the Thracians, Syrians, Germans, Gauls. Some of the military leaders demand a campaign against Rome, others, including Spartak himself, want to return to their homeland on ships. Some bosses leave Spartak in annoyance. Phrygia tries to calm him down. Merchants and getters appear on the square. Bargaining, fun begins. Spartak, having left his tent, orders to expel strangers from the camp. An old woman, a servant of Aegina, appears in the deserted square. She carries away Harmodius, who is seized with a passion for Aegina.
In Crassus' tent, Aegina dances before the general. They bring captive leaders who broke away from Spartacus. Crassus orders their execution. The old woman, messenger of Aegina, comes with Harmodius. Crassus demands from him information about Spartacus, and the young man reveals to him the plans of the rebels. At a signal from the commander, heavy curtains swing open, covering huge windows, and Harmodius sees gladiators crucified on crosses.
Coast. You can see the masts of the pirate ships. Hidden behind the rocks are the Romans brought by Harmodius. The pirates are feasting. Spartacus comes to them. He bribes the leader with sacks of gold, and he promises to transport his troops on his ships. With the departure of Spartacus, the feast resumes. The Romans who have appeared are trying to get the pirates to withdraw their ships. When the rebels appear, the Romans attack them from an ambush. Spartacus dies in a fierce battle. Crassus orders to strangle Harmodius, Aegina, passing by, casually steps on his body. At the all-clear signal, the Roman army retreats, on the deserted battlefield at night, Phrygia looks for the murdered Spartacus and mourns him. The surviving Thracians raise his body to the shield. The sun is rising.
Music
The music of "Spartacus", one of the best works of Khachaturian, embodied the most striking features of his work: catchy, memorable images, lush and brilliant mass scenes, a kind of melody in which European features are organically combined with oriental intonations. The musical dramaturgy of the ballet is based on sharp contrasts, but at the same time it is distinguished by internal integrity and is aimed at revealing the main idea. The ballet is characterized by a through symphonic development, large musical and choreographic scenes, intonational unity, and the widespread use of a system of leitmotifs.
L. Mikheeva
Aram Khachaturian began composing a ballet about Spartacus in 1950. Screenwriter Nikolai Volkov used the writings of the ancient writers Appian and Plutarch, but introduced new characters into the script - Aegina and Harmodius. The motive of betrayal, as the reason for the defeat of uprisings and revolutions, was characteristic and almost obligatory for the works of art of this period of Soviet society. The music of the ballet is saturated with bright contrasts: jubilant Rome and the grief of the vanquished, cruel gladiator fights and the heroism of the uprising, tender lyrical scenes and epic pictures of victories and defeats. With great creative imagination, characteristic dances are also written - the Egyptian dancer, the Athenian jester and the Gaditan maidens. In general, the ballet is solved in the spirit of a monumental heroic drama, in the center of which is the image of Spartacus. Despite the fact that the music of the ballet has the usual number character, the powerful symphonic development blurred the boundaries of the numbers, emotionally generalizing the dramaturgy of events. This made it possible in the future for various choreographers to compose the music of Spartak in their own way. In 1954, after the end of the score, a suite from the music of the new ballet was performed in concerts, which firmly won recognition from the audience.
The performance by Yuri Grigorovich (the premiere took place on April 9, 1968 at the Bolshoi Theater) is built on the alternation of contrasting episodes that reveal a dramatic conflict. "Spartacus", in contrast to the previous works of the choreographer, is characterized by the mastery of the construction of the entire performance. The choreographic language is the same - an effective classical dance. The dance decides both the image of despotic Rome and the image of rebellion. Grigorovich called his production "a performance for four soloists with a corps de ballet". The plastic characterization of Crassus is inseparable from the dances of warriors and patricians who complete his choreographic portrait. The image of Spartacus grows out of the dances of slaves, gladiators, shepherds. This feature of building the central images of the performance became especially valuable when not so bright performers replaced outstanding artists, and the magnificent corps de ballet of the Bolshoi Theater literally completed the required scale of personalities with their perfect male dance.
The virtuoso, flying dance of the protagonist created the image of a truly free person. The unique plastic freedom of Vladimir Vasiliev made his Spartacus heroic from the very beginning and forever. It seems that the very image of the hero of the ballet was born in Grigorovich, taking into account the personal and professional qualities of Vasiliev - a person and an artist. Mikhail Lavrovsky in this role needed additional colors. His hero was courageous and determined, he only gradually became a legendary leader.
Vera Krasovskaya accurately and figuratively wrote about the complexity of the part of the antagonist Spartak: “He is handsome and elegant, this Crassus, which has become a major achievement of the dancer Maris Liepa. But, prancing around the globe, he, no, no, yes, succumbs to some elemental horror that makes one remember not Crassus in Jacobson's performance, but Aegina - Shelest. Like that one, Crassus - Liepa rushes about within the limits established by his own power, and, like that one, he understands that he is not given to break out of these limits. Therefore, his space-clawing flight is choked with a spasm of movements, and a self-satisfied gesture hurries to smooth out confusion, annoyance, longing.
"Spartacus" by Grigorovich is not "scenes from Roman life", but a heroic male ballet. Therefore, the images of the heroes' girlfriends are not so psychologically complex: Aegina (Nina Timofeeva) is insidious and seductive, Phrygia (Ekaterina Maksimova) is gentle and faithful. Not without reason, when the performance was awarded the Lenin Prize - the highest award of those years, the list of laureates included only men.
The visual solution of the play by Simon Virsaladze organically follows from the concept of the production. There is no pomp and splendor in the scenery, but there is severity and grandeur. Two powerful arches of gray stone, with dark seams of rough joints. Behind - the sky, gloomy disturbing, crimson, gray, black. A loose canopy spread over the stage. Falling down in the interval between the paintings, it forms an internal curtain, against which monologues sound. There is no everyday life in the costumes, there are only details hinting at the ancient era. In the color scheme of the performance, the golden brilliance of the world of despotism is set off by the bloody lightning of popular uprisings.
The Moscow production of "Spartacus" deservedly attracted a lot of public attention. At one time it was officially considered the best Soviet ballet. Now, when such assertions have gone out of fashion, it remains a kind of hallmark of the Bolshoi Ballet. Rare major foreign tours of this troupe do without this performance by Yuri Grigorovich.
A. Degen, I. Stupnikov
"Spartacus" is not only a football team and Stanley Kubrick's film, but also Aram Khachaturian's ballet)))TAMARA KAMINSKAYA ABOUT "SPARTAK" BALLET
The initiator of the creation of the ballet "Spartacus" on an antique plot was the famous librettist and theater critic Nikolai Dmitrievich Volkov, who in 1940 offered Aram Khachaturian to take up his composition. The actual creation of the ballet music took eight and a half months, although the whole work dragged on for three and a half years.
The ballet "Spartacus" owes its happy stage fate to three talented choreographers. The first production of the ballet belonged to Leonid Yakobson - the premiere took place at the Leningrad State Opera and Ballet Theater named after Sergei Mironovich Kirov. "Spartacus" staged by Yakobson was notable for its excellent cast: Askold Makarov, Irina Zubkovskaya and Alla Shelest.
The next one was on the stage of the Bolshoi Theatre. Its production was directed by Igor Moiseev, Maya Plisetskaya acted as Aegina.
But the most remarkable, and therefore famous, production was carried out in 1968 by the chief choreographer of the Bolshoi Theater, Yuri Grigorovich, who called his interpretation of the work "a performance for four soloists with a corps de ballet." Aram Ilyich Khachaturian recognized Grigorovich's production as the most successful: "Here in the first place is the wonderful work of the choreographer, imbued with intelligence and logic, brilliant performers, the magnificent artist Virsaladze ...".
Theater is a synthetic art that combines dramaturgy, artistic and musical design and, of course, the acting. The ballet theater is even more a combination of music, choreography, the work of the artist and the art of the dancers.
The ballet "Spartacus" stands out from all other ballets in that it is a male ballet. If in other ballet performances the main character on the stage is a ballerina or several ballerinas, then here, although there are two interesting female parts - Phrygia and Aegina, the main parts are male - the parts of Spartacus and Crassus. Yes, and the male part of the corps de ballet is busy in the performance, unlike other ballet productions.
Therefore, I wanted to remember not only the composer and wonderful ballet dancers, but also all those who created the famous production of this ballet, because most often it is in this version that the ballet is staged both in Russia and abroad, although today there are more than 20 versions in the world performance of the ballet "Spartacus".
"Spartacus" (1960) - a feature film produced in the United States, based on the novel of the same name by Howard Fast
Directed by Stanley Kubrick
Spartacus - Kirk Douglas (father of Michael Douglas)
Marcus Licinius Crassus - Laurence Olivier
Despite the fact that Howard Fast's novel, based on which Stanley Kubrick made his film, has the same name as the novel by Raffaello Giovagnoli, its storyline is somewhat different from the one that was taken as the basis for the libretto of Khachaturian's ballet. Yes, in fact, there are differences in the libretto from the fundamental principle - even the name of Spartak's beloved and her social status are different. In Giovagnoli, this is the Roman patrician Valeria - the mistress of Spartacus, in the ballet this is the Thracian Phrygia - the wife of Spartacus.
Aram Khachaturian - documentary video
The ballet "Spartacus" staged by the Bolshoi Theater of the USSR, filmed by the film studio "Mosfilm" in 1975
Choreographer - Yuri Grigorovich
Artist - Simon Virsaladze
Conductor - Algis Zhuraitis
Party of Spartacus - Vladimir Vasiliev
Part Crassus - Maris Liepa
Yuri Grigorovich
The biography of Yuri Nikolaevich Grigorovich can be found
Virsaladze Simon Bagratovich was born on December 31, 1908 in Tbilisi - Georgian Soviet theater artist, People's Artist of the Georgian SSR, People's Artist of the USSR.
He studied at the Tbilisi Academy of Arts and the Leningrad Academy of Arts.
In 1927, he began working as an artist at the Tbilisi Workers' Theatre, then at the Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theatre.
1932-1936 - chief artist of the Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theatre.
Since 1937 he has been working at the Leningrad Opera and Ballet Theater (1940-1945 - chief artist).
Virsaladze designed performances at the Rustaveli Theater in Tbilisi, created costume designs for many programs of the Georgian Folk Dance Ensemble, was the production designer for all ballets staged by Yuri Grigorovich at the Bolshoi Theater.
Simon Virsaladze. Music of color - documentary video in 2 parts
Algis Marcelovich Zhuraitis was born on July 27, 1928 in Raseiniai (Lithuania) - Soviet and Russian conductor, People's Artist of the RSFSR (1976), conductor of the Bolshoi Theater.
In 1950 he graduated from the Vilnius Conservatory.
In 1958 - the Moscow Conservatory in the class of conducting.
In 1951 he made his debut at the Lithuanian Opera and Ballet Theater in the opera "Pebbles" by Stanislav Moniuszko.
Since 1947 - concertmaster of the Opera Studio of the Vilnius Conservatory.
Since 1950 - concertmaster, and since 1951 - conductor of the Lithuanian Opera and Ballet Theatre.
Since 1955 - assistant conductor of the Grand Symphony Orchestra of the All-Union Radio.
Since 1958 - conductor of the Mosconcert.
Since 1960 - conductor of the Bolshoi Theater of the USSR.
Fragment of the portrait of Algis Zhuraitis by the artist Alexander Shilov
In the 1990s, he actively participated in the strike, which marked the change of power at the Bolshoi Theater.
The conductor equally paid tribute to both opera and ballet, both classical and modern music - his repertoire included more than 60 titles.
Algis Žiuraitis has repeatedly acted as a conductor-producer, in particular, staged the operas Un ballo in maschera by Giuseppe Verdi (1979), Rural honor by Pietro Mascagni (1981, concert performance), Pagliacci by Ruggiero Leoncavallo (1982, concert performance) , "Werther" by Jules Massenet (1986), "Mazepa" by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1986).
With the production of "Werther" his wife, Bolshoi Theater soloist Elena Obraztsova, made her directorial debut, with whom he repeatedly performed both at the Bolshoi Theater and in concert halls.
Participated in the production of the ballets "Spartacus" by Aram Ilyich Khachaturian (1960), "Vanina Vanini" by Nikolai Nikolayevich Karetnikov, "Skriabinian" to the music of Alexander Nikolayevich Scriabin, orchestrated by Dmitry Romanovich Rogal-Levitsky, (1962), "Layli and Majnun" by Sergey Artemyevich Balasanyan (1964), "The Rite of Spring" by Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (1965), "Asel" by Vladimir Alexandrovich Vlasov (1967), "Vision of the Rose" to the music of Carl-Maria von Weber (1967), "Swan Lake" by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1969) and in the Rome Opera (1977), "Icarus" by Sergei Mikhailovich Slonimsky (1971), "Ivan the Terrible" to music by Sergei Sergeevich Prokofiev in Paris (1975), "Angara" by Andrei Yakovlevich Eshpay (1976), "Lieutenant Kizhe" to music by Sergei Sergeevich Prokofiev (1977), Romeo and Juliet by Sergei Sergeevich Prokofiev in Paris (1978), Raymond by Alexander Konstantinovich Glazunov (1984).
Perhaps it was precisely because Algis Žiuraitis took part in the production of many ballets that he was called a ballet conductor.
Professional prizes and awards:
Laureate of the international competition of the Academy of Santa Cecilia in Rome (1968),
- State Prize of the USSR (1977).
Algis Martselovich Zhuraitis died on October 25, 1998 in Moscow.
The conductor was buried at the Aksininsky cemetery in the Odintsovo district of the Moscow region.
Vladimir Viktorovich Vasilyev was born on April 18, 1940 in Moscow - a Soviet and Russian ballet dancer, choreographer, choreographer, actor, theater director, teacher. People's Artist of the USSR (1973).
In 1958 he graduated from the Moscow Academic Choreographic School. and immediately became a soloist of the ballet group of the Bolshoi Theater, where he worked for more than thirty years.
Since 1971, Vladimir Vasiliev has been acting as a choreographer - he has staged a number of ballets on the Soviet and foreign stages, as well as the television ballets Anyuta and House by the Road to music by Valery Aleksandrovich Gavrilin. He starred in ballet films.
In 1982 he graduated from the ballet master department of GITIS, in 1982-1995 he taught choreography there (since 1989 - professor).
From 1995 to 2000, Vladimir Viktorovich Vasilyev worked as the artistic director and director of the Bolshoi Theatre.
Husband and constant stage partner of the outstanding Soviet ballerina Ekaterina Sergeevna Maksimova (1939-2009), whom he met as a child at the entrance exams to the choreographic school.
Over the years of his ballet career, Vasilyev has danced almost all the leading parts of classical and modern ballets, including: Basil - Don Quixote by Minkus (1961), Petrushka (Pertrushka by Stravinsky (1964), The Nutcracker (The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky (1966), Spartacus ("Spartacus" by Khachaturian (1968), Romeo ("Romeo and Juliet" by Prokofiev (1973), Prince Desire ("Sleeping Beauty" by Tchaikovsky (1973) and many others.
He also performed in ballets by foreign directors: Roland Petit, Maurice Bejart, Leonid Fyodorovich Myasin. Vasiliev created vivid, memorable images, often offering a new reading of them.
The artist has the highest technique of dance, the gift of plastic transformation and great
acting skills.
Vladimir Vasiliev was awarded: the Order of Lenin (1976), the Order of Friendship of Peoples (1981), the Order of the Red Banner of Labor (1986), two Orders of Merit for the Fatherland and orders of other states for achievements in professional activities. He is the winner of many professional domestic and foreign awards.
Together with his wife, ballet dancer Ekaterina Maksimova, Vladimir Vasilyev put a lot of effort into holding the Arabesque Open Ballet Competition.
In 2008, "Arabesque" coincided with the fiftieth anniversary of the creative activity of a married couple, and therefore the 10th competition was dedicated to them. Vasiliev came to the next competition, the eleventh in a row, dedicated to the memory of Ekaterina Maximova, to celebrate his 70th birthday
From interviews over the years:
You and Ekaterina Sergeevna are great artists. But all over the world you have always been called and continue to be called "Katya and Volodya". Doesn't jar?
Vasiliev: On the contrary - it's so nice! This is probably our highest honor.
How did you overcome this feeling of loss?
Vasiliev: How can this be overcome? It is pointless. This is irresistible and will remain with me for the rest of my life. But I just tried to work harder. Much more than I worked when Katya was with me. So that I don't have time for my memories... This is the only cure. I have always had it. And all my troubles I could treat only with this.
Monologues about yourself. Vladimir Vasiliev - documentary video
Maris-Rudolf Eduardovich Liepa was born on July 27, 1936 in Riga (Latvia) - a Soviet ballet soloist, ballet teacher, film actor. People's Artist of the USSR (1976). Laureate of the Lenin Prize (1970).
His father gave Maris to a choreographic school so that the frail boy would get stronger and develop physically. While studying, Maris Liepa danced small children's and youth parts in various ballet productions of the Riga Opera House. Along with dancing, Maris was engaged in artistic gymnastics and swimming, won the title of Latvian champion in freestyle swimming in the middle distances and got sciatica.
In 1950, during the All-Union review of choreographic schools in Moscow, the Riga School, along with the Moscow, Leningrad and Alma-Ata, took first place, and Maris, who represented his school in Moscow, was invited to study in Moscow.
In 1955, Maris Liepa graduated from the Moscow Academic Choreographic School, after which he returned to his native Riga, but six months later, thanks to a favorable set of circumstances, he was accepted as a soloist at the Moscow Theater named after Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko.
In 1957, participation in the competition during the VI World Festival of Youth and Students in Moscow brought Maris Liepa a gold medal. The chairman of the jury of the competition was Galina Sergeevna Ulanova.
In 1960, Maris's dream came true - he was invited as a soloist to the troupe of the Bolshoi Theater of the USSR. He will dance on the stage of the Bolshoi for more than 20 years.
The official debut on the Bolshoi stage took place at the beginning of the 1960-1961 season as Basil in the ballet Don Quixote. MarisLiepa danced almost the entire ballet repertoire of the theater at that time: "The Path of Thunder", "Giselle", "Raymonda", "Swan Lake", "Cinderella", "Chopiniana", "Night City", "Romeo and Juliet" and "Spartacus" in staged by Leonid Yakobson, which, however, did not have much success.
In the role of Romeo, Maris Liepa first performed in London on the stage of Covent Garden in 1963.
In the same 1963 he was invited to teach at the Moscow Choreographic School.
"Teaching others, I studied myself," the artist will say later. Having released six students from the taken class, Maris Liepa began to teach classical duet.
In 1973, his students took part in the creative evenings of the teacher on the stage of the Concert Hall "Russia".
In 1964, a new chief choreographer, Yuri Nikolaevich Grigorovich, came to the Bolshoi Theater. At first, the collaboration between the artist and the choreographer was successful: in the ballet "The Legend of Love" Maris Liepa danced Ferhad.
In 1966, Liepa restored the ballet staged by Mikhail Fokin's "Vision of the Rose" to the music of Weber and got the opportunity to show it on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater.
In the ballet "Spartacus", in a new edition owned by Yuri Grigorovich, he received the part of the title character, but soon Grigorovich entrusted him with the role of Crassus and worked on it, focusing on the personality of the actor. The success exceeded all expectations - in 1970, the creative group of the ballet and Maris Liepa, among other things, was awarded the Lenin Prize. The role of Crassus has become the hallmark of the dancer. In this role, no one has surpassed him so far.
Aram Khachaturian - Adagio from the ballet "Spartacus"
Triumphant tours around the world, work with foreign and Soviet famous dancers.
English criticism calls Maris Liepa "Laurence Olivier" in the ballet. Moreover, in the film "Spartacus" directed by Stanley Kubrick, it was Laurence Olivier who played the role of Mark Crassus.
In 1971, for his role as Albert in Giselle, Serge Lifar presented Liepa with the Vaslav Nijinsky Prize. But a successful biography suddenly ends. Grigorovich did not like Liepa's unflattering remarks about the level of choreography in the new ballets, and the choreographer never forgave the article published in the Pravda newspaper in December 1978.
Over the past 14 years, Maris Liepa has danced only four new parts at the Bolshoi Theater: Vronsky and Karenin in Anna Karenina, Prince Lemon in Cipollino and Soloist in the ballet These Charming Sounds.
Maris is trying to find himself in a new business, fortunately, he has experience. Liepa first appeared in films in 1969, dancing Hamlet in the ballet film of the same name.
In 1972, he played Prince Vseslav in the historical film The Lion's Grave.
In 1973 - Jack Wheeler in the film "The Fourth". For the film "The Fourth" Liepa puts on an original choreographic number, which he himself calls "Icarus for three minutes."
Maris Liepa - Bird dance from the movie "The Fourth"
Maris Liepa celebrates her 40th birthday in Athens, performing for the first time the part of Jose in the ballet "Carmen Suite" on the stage of the ancient theater.
In 1977, in Denmark, Liepa danced Girey in The Fountain of Bakhchisarai, and in Iceland, Claudio in the ballet Love for Love.
Creative evenings in Moscow still gather a huge audience. For a year, Liepa has been working with choreographer Boris Eifman, dancing Rogozhin in the ballet The Idiot and the Soloist in Autographs. The first performance of Rogozhin took place on the stage of the Palace of Congresses in June 1981.
Maris Liepa graduated from the ballet master department of GITIS, after which he staged Don Quixote in Dnepropetrovsk.
Maris Liepa celebrates 30 years of creative activity in Bulgaria. At the Sofia People's Opera, he puts on "The Sleeping Beauty" and dances there the evil fairy Carabosse and the majestic King Florestan.
But before leaving for Sofia, Liepa enters the Bolshoi stage for the last time - on March 28, 1982, he dances Crassus, his last partner, dancing Spartak, is the technical, young and powerful Irek Mukhamedov. This performance of Maris Liepa was greeted by the audience with a flurry of applause, but the last triumph ends with the decision of the artistic council about the unsuitability of the dancer. For Maris Liepa, who could not imagine himself without the Bolshoi and who said about himself: "I am the horse of the Bolshoi Theatre", the years of stagnation begin. At this time, he writes in his diary: "Futility ... Why wait, live, be?"
In 1989, the Moscow City Council decides to create the Maris Liepa Theater in the capital.
On March 4, 1989, the newspaper "Soviet Culture" published an announcement about a competition at the Maris Liepa Ballet Theater. It was supposed to take place on March 15, and on March 27, 1989, newspapers publish an obituary about the death of Maris Liepa.
The great dancer died on March 26, 1989. Almost a week there was a struggle for the place of farewell to Maris Liepa. Only after the intervention of the Union of Theater Workers on March 31, 1989, the coffin was installed in the foyer of the Bolshoi Theater not far from the stage, on which he had been performing for more than 20 years.
Maris Liepa was buried in Moscow at the Vagankovsky cemetery. But even at the Riga cemetery there is a cenotaph (a tombstone in a place that does not contain the remains of the deceased, a kind of symbolic grave), on the slab of which is inscribed "Maris Liepa, who is far away."
"Maris Liepa... I want to dance for a hundred years" - documentary video
Scene from the ballet "Spartacus" in a modern production of the Krasnoyarsk Opera and Ballet Theater
Aram Khachaturian - Variations of Aegina and bacchanalia from the ballet "Spartacus"
"Spartacus" is staged on many stages, and not only on such famous ones as the stages of the Bolshoi Theater and the Mariinsky. The staging of this ballet presupposes the presence in the theater of a highly professional ballet group, and not only soloists, but also a corps de ballet, which, it would seem, not every theater can do, nevertheless, this ballet is also staged in the provinces.
Below are photos taken during the performance at the Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theatre. Judging by them, this should be an interesting interpretation of the ballet. You can imagine this ballet performance even better if you look at all the photos in a large size (more than 600 photos) - the photos were taken during the performance and during intermissions. You can see photos.
Aram Khachaturian - "Adagio" (duet of Spartacus and Phrygia) from the ballet "Spartacus"
Aram Khachaturian - "March of the Gladiators" from the ballet "Spartacus"
source - http://katani08.livejournal.com/29665.html
Kaminskaya Tamara
