Tugan Sokhiev has been appointed the new chief conductor of the Bolshoi Theatre. Who will be the new chief conductor of the Bolshoi Theatre? With a new chief conductor in the gabta, they will be happy with Gergiev and decide on a three-year planning

MOSCOW, December 2 - RIA Novosti. The chief conductor of the Bolshoi Theater, Vasily Sinaisky, who has held this post since 2010, has resigned, General Director of the Bolshoi Theater Vladimir Urin told RIA Novosti.

“On December 2, 2013, Sinaisky submitted a letter of resignation through the personnel department. After a conversation with him, I decided to grant his request. Since December 3, 2013, Vasily Serafimovich Sinaisky has not been working at the Bolshoi Theater of Russia,” Urin said.

He expressed regret that Sinaisky made such a decision in the middle of the season, in fact, two weeks before the premiere of Verdi's Don Carlos, where he was the musical director of the production and conductor.

"The further creative plans of the theater were also connected with him. Nevertheless, he is a free man and has the right to make decisions himself," added the general director of the Bolshoi Theater.

The head of the editorial office Culture RIA Novosti Dmitry Khitarov:"I think that the departure of Sinaisky is a serious problem for the Bolshoi Theatre. The season is in full swing, in two weeks they were expecting an important premiere - Verdi's opera Don Carlos, Vasily Serafimovich was its musical director and conductor. What will happen to this production, which promised to become yet another gem of the Bolshoi, it is not yet clear. It is doubly unfortunate that all this happened right now, when the situation in the theater, after a difficult, nervous year, seemed to be leveling off. "

What is Basil of Sinai famous for?

Vasily Sinaisky was born on April 20, 1947. In 1970 he graduated from the Leningrad Conservatory in the class of symphony conducting. Then he continued his studies in graduate school. In 1971-1973 he worked as the second conductor of the symphony orchestra in Novosibirsk.

In 1973, after winning the Herbert von Karajan International Competition for Youth Orchestras in West Berlin, Sinaisky invited Kirill Kondrashin as an assistant to the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra. In subsequent years, Sinaisky was Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the State Symphony Orchestra of the Latvian USSR, Principal Conductor of the State Small Symphony Orchestra of the USSR, Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Principal Conductor of the Latvian National Orchestra and Principal Guest Conductor of the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Netherlands.

In 1995 he became Principal Guest Conductor of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. As a conductor of the BBC Orchestra, he regularly participates in the BBC Proms and also performs at the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester. In 2000-2002 he was Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Russian Federation (former Evgeny Svetlanov Orchestra). In September 2010, he became chief conductor and musical director of the Bolshoi Theatre. In October of this year, he was offered to become a participant in the competition for the position of conductor of the State Symphony Orchestra of St. Petersburg.

What scandals have unfolded around the Bolshoi Theater recently

Loud scandals at the Bolshoi Theater are not uncommon. One of the most resonant in recent times has been the departure from the theater of Nikolai Tsiskaridze. In early June, it became known that the Bolshoi Theater decided not to renew contracts with Tsiskaridze, which expired on June 30, as an artist and teacher-tutor, and notified him about it.

BOLSHOY THEATER OF RUSSIA State Academic (GABT), one of the oldest theaters in the country (Moscow). Academic since 1919. The history of the Bolshoi Theater dates back to 1776, when Prince P.V. Urusov received the government privilege “to be the owner of all theatrical performances in Moscow” with the obligation to build a stone theater “so that it could serve as an ornament to the city, and moreover, a house for public masquerades, comedies and comic operas. In the same year, Urusov attracted M. Medox, a native of England, to participate in the expenses. Performances were staged at the Opera House on Znamenka, which was in the possession of Count R. I. Vorontsov (in the summer - in the "voxal" in the possession of Count A. S. Stroganov "under the Andronikov Monastery"). Opera, ballet and drama performances were performed by actors and musicians who left the theater troupe of Moscow University, the serf troupes of N. S. Titov and P. V. Urusov.

After the fire of the Opera House in 1780 in the same year on Petrovka Street, a theater building in the style of Catherine's classicism was erected in 5 months - the Petrovsky Theater (architect H. Rozberg; see Medox Theater). Since 1789 it has been administered by the Board of Trustees. In 1805 the Petrovsky Theater burned down. In 1806, the troupe came under the jurisdiction of the Directorate of the Moscow Imperial Theaters, and continued to perform in different rooms. In 1816, the project for the reconstruction of the Theater Square by the architect O. I. Bove was adopted; in 1821, Emperor Alexander I approved the design of a new theater building by architect A. A. Mikhailov. The so-called Bolshoi Petrovsky Theater in the Empire style was built by Beauvais according to this project (with some changes and using the foundation of the Petrovsky Theatre); opened in 1825. A horseshoe-shaped auditorium was inscribed in the rectangular volume of the building, the stage room was equal in area to the hall and had large corridors. The main façade was punctuated by a monumental 8-column Ionic portico with a triangular pediment topped with an alabaster sculptural group "Apollo's Quadriga" (placed against the background of a semicircular niche). The building became the main compositional dominant of the Theater Square ensemble.

After the fire of 1853, the Bolshoi Theater was restored according to the project of the architect A.K. Kavos (with the replacement of the sculptural group by the work in bronze by P.K. Klodt), construction was completed in 1856. The reconstruction significantly changed its appearance, but retained the layout; the architecture of the Bolshoi Theater acquired features of eclecticism. The theater remained in this form until 2005, with the exception of minor internal and external reconstructions (the auditorium can accommodate over 2,000 people). In 1924-59, a branch of the Bolshoi Theater worked (in the premises of the former S.I. Zimin Opera on Bolshaya Dmitrovka). In 1920, a concert hall, the so-called Beethoven Hall, was opened in the former imperial foyer. During the Great Patriotic War, part of the Bolshoi Theater staff was evacuated to Kuibyshev (1941-42), part gave performances in the premises of the branch. In 1961-89, some performances of the Bolshoi Theater took place on the stage of the Kremlin Palace of Congresses. During the reconstruction (since 2005) of the main theater building, performances are staged on the New Stage in a specially built building (designed by architect A.V. Maslov; functioning since 2002). The Bolshoi Theater is included in the State Code of Particularly Valuable Objects of Cultural Heritage of the Peoples of the Russian Federation.

N. N. Afanas'eva, A. A. Aronova.

A significant role in the history of the Bolshoi Theater was played by the activities of the directors of the imperial theaters - I. A. Vsevolozhsky (1881-99), Prince S. M. Volkonsky (1899-1901), V. A. Telyakovsky (1901-1917). In 1882, the reorganization of the imperial theaters was carried out, in the Bolshoi Theater there appeared the positions of the chief conductor (chapel master; he became I. K. Altani, 1882-1906), the chief director (A. I. Bartsal, 1882-1903) and the chief choir master ( W. I. Avranek, 1882-1929). The design of the performances became more complicated and gradually went beyond the simple decoration of the stage; K. F. Waltz (1861-1910) became famous as the chief machinist and decorator. In the future, the main conductors of the Bolshoi Theater: V. I. Suk (1906-33), A. F. Arende (chief conductor of the ballet, 1900-24), S. A. Samosud (1936-43), A. M Pazovsky (1943-48), N. S. Golovanov (1948-53), A. Sh. Melik-Pashaev (1953-63), E. F. Svetlanov (1963-65), G. N Rozhdestvensky (1965-1970), Yu. I. Simonov (1970-85), A. N. Lazarev (1987-95). Main directors: V. A. Lossky (1920-28), N. V. Smolich (1930-1936), B. A. Mordvinov (1936-40), L. V. Baratov (1944-49) , I. M. Tumanov (1964-70), B. A. Pokrovsky (1952-55, 1956-63, 1970-82). Chief choreographers: A. N. Bogdanov (1883-89), A. A. Gorsky (1902-24), L. M. Lavrovsky (1944-56, 1959-64), Yu. N. Grigorovich (1964 -95 years). Chief choirmasters: V. P. Stepanov (1926-1936), M. A. Cooper (1936-44), M. G. Shorin (1944-58), A. V. Rybnov (1958-88) , S. M. Lykov (1988-95, artistic director of the choir in 1995-2003). Main artists: M. I. Kurilko (1925-27), F. F. Fedorovsky (1927-29, 1947-53), V. V. Dmitriev (1930-41), P. V. Williams (1941 -47 years), V. F. Ryndin (1953-70), N. N. Zolotarev (1971-88), V. Ya. Levental (1988-1995). In the 1995-2000s, the artistic director of the theater was V.V. Vasiliev, the artistic director, stage designer and chief designer was S.M. Barkhin, the musical director was P. Feranets, since 1998 - M.F. Ermler; artistic director of the opera B. A. Rudenko. Ballet troupe manager - A. Yu. Bogatyrev (1995-98); artistic directors of the ballet troupe - V. M. Gordeev (1995-97), A. N. Fadeechev (1998-2000), B. B. Akimov (2000-04), since 2004 - A. O. Ratmansky . In 2000-01, the artistic director was G. N. Rozhdestvensky. Since 2001, the music director and chief conductor - A. A. Vedernikov.

Opera at the Bolshoi Theatre. In 1779, one of the first Russian operas was staged at the Opera House on Znamenka - "Melnik - a sorcerer, a deceiver and a matchmaker" (text by A. O. Ablesimov, music by M. M. Sokolovsky). The Petrovsky Theater staged the allegorical prologue Wanderers (text by Ablesimov, music by E. I. Fomin), performed on the opening day 12/30/1780 (10/1/1781), opera performances Misfortune from the Carriage (1780), The Miser ( 1782), "St. Petersburg Gostiny Dvor" (1783) by V. A. Pashkevich. The development of the opera house was influenced by the tours of the Italian (1780-82) and French (1784-1785) troupes. The troupe of the Petrovsky Theater included actors and singers E. S. Sandunova, M. S. Sinyavskaya, A. G. Ozhogin, P. A. Plavilshchikov, Ya. E. Shusherin and others. the prologue "The Triumph of the Muses" by A. A. Alyabyev and A. N. Verstovsky. Since that time, works by Russian authors, mainly vaudeville operas, have occupied an increasing place in the operatic repertoire. For over 30 years, the work of the opera troupe was associated with the activities of Verstovsky - inspector of the Directorate of Imperial Theaters and composer, author of the operas Pan Tvardovsky (1828), Vadim (1832), Askold's Grave (1835), Longing for homeland" (1839). In the 1840s, Russian classical operas A Life for the Tsar (1842) and Ruslan and Lyudmila (1846) by M. I. Glinka were staged. In 1856, the newly rebuilt Bolshoi Theater was opened with V. Bellini's opera "Puritani" performed by an Italian troupe. The 1860s were marked by an increase in Western European influence (the new Directorate of Imperial Theaters favored Italian opera and foreign musicians). Of the domestic operas, Judith (1865) and Rogneda (1868) by A. N. Serov, Mermaid by A. S. Dargomyzhsky (1859, 1865) were staged, since 1869 operas by P. I. Tchaikovsky. The rise of Russian musical culture at the Bolshoi Theater is associated with the first production on the big opera stage of Eugene Onegin (1881), as well as other works by Tchaikovsky, operas by St. Petersburg composers - N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, M. P. Mussorgsky, with a conductor activities of Tchaikovsky. At the same time, the best works of foreign composers were staged - W. A. ​​Mozart, G. Verdi, C. Gounod, J. Bizet, R. Wagner. Among the singers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries: M. G. Gukova, E. P. Kadmina, N. V. Salina, A. I. Bartsal, I. V. Gryzunov, V. R. Petrov, P. A. Khokhlov . The conductor activity of S. V. Rachmaninov (1904-1906) became a milestone for the Bolshoi Theater. The heyday of the Bolshoi Theater in 1901-17 is largely associated with the names of F. I. Chaliapin, L. V. Sobinov and A. V. Nezhdanova, K. S. Stanislavsky and Vl. I. Nemirovich-Danchenko, K. A. Korovin and A. Ya. Golovin.

In 1906-33, the actual head of the Bolshoi Theater was V.I. Suk, who continued to work on Russian and foreign opera classics together with directors V. A. Lossky (Aida by G. Verdi, 1922; Lohengrin by R. Wagner, 1923; Boris Godunov by M. P. Mussorgsky, 1927 year) and L. V. Baratov, artist F. F. Fedorovsky. In the 1920s-1930s, performances were conducted by N. S. Golovanov, A. Sh. Melik-Pashaev, A. M. Pazovsky, S. A. Samosud, B. E. Khaikin, V. V. Barsova, K. G. Derzhinskaya, E. D. Kruglikova, M. P. Maksakova, N. A. Obukhova, E. A. Stepanova, A. I. Baturin, I. S. Kozlovsky, S. Ya. Lemeshev, M. D. Mikhailov, P. M. Nortsov, A. S. Pirogov. There were premieres of Soviet operas: The Decembrists by V. A. Zolotarev (1925), Son of the Sun by S. N. Vasilenko and The Dumb Artist by I. P. Shishov (both 1929), Almast by A. A. Spendiarov (1930); in 1935, the opera Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District by D. D. Shostakovich was staged. At the end of 1940, Wagner's Valkyrie was staged (directed by S. M. Eisenstein). The last pre-war production was Mussorgsky's Khovanshchina (13.2.1941). In 1918-22, the Opera Studio operated at the Bolshoi Theater under the direction of K. S. Stanislavsky.

In September 1943, the Bolshoi Theater opened the season in Moscow with the opera Ivan Susanin by M. I. Glinka. In the 1940s and 1950s, Russian and European classical repertoire was staged, as well as operas by composers from Eastern Europe - B. Smetana, S. Moniuszko, L. Janacek, F. Erkel. Since 1943, the Bolshoi Theater has been associated with the name of director B. A. Pokrovsky, who for over 50 years determined the artistic level of opera performances; His productions of the operas War and Peace (1959), Semyon Kotko (1970) and The Gambler (1974) by S. S. Prokofiev, Ruslan and Lyudmila by Glinka (1972), Othello » G. Verdi (1978). In general, the operatic repertoire of the 1970s - early 1980s is characterized by a variety of styles: from operas of the 18th century (G. F. Handel’s Julius Caesar, 1979; K. V. Gluck’s Iphigenia in Aulis, 1983) , opera classics of the 19th century (“Gold of the Rhine” by R. Wagner, 1979) to Soviet opera (“Dead Souls” by R. K. Shchedrin, 1977; “Betrothal in a Monastery” by Prokofiev, 1982). I. K. Arkhipova, G. P. Vishnevskaya, M. F. Kasrashvili, T. A. Milashkina, E. V. Obraztsova, B. A. Rudenko, T. I. Sinyavskaya, V. A. Atlantov, A. A. Vedernikov, A. F. Krivchenya, S. Ya. Lemeshev, P. G. Lisitsian, Yu. A. Mazurok, E. E. Nesterenko, A. P. Ognivtsev, I. I. Petrov, M. O. Reizen, Z. L. Sotkilava, A. A. Eizen, conducted by E. F. Svetlanov, G. N. Rozhdestvensky, K. A. Simeonov and others. With the exception of the post of chief director (1982) and the departure of Yu. I. Simonov from the theater began a period of instability; until 1988, only a few opera productions were staged: The Tale of the Invisible City of Kitezh (directed by R. I. Tikhomirov) and The Tale of Tsar Saltan (directed by G. P. Ansimov) by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, Werther J. Massenet (director E. V. Obraztsova), "Mazeppa" by P. I. Tchaikovsky (director S. F. Bondarchuk). Since the late 1980s, the operatic repertoire policy has been determined by an orientation towards rarely performed works: Tchaikovsky's The Maid of Orleans (1990, for the first time on the stage of the Bolshoi Theatre), Mlada, The Night Before Christmas and The Golden Cockerel by Rimsky-Korsakov, "Aleko" and "The Miserly Knight" by S.V. Rachmaninov. Among the productions is the joint Russian-Italian work "Prince Igor" by A.P. Borodin (1993). During these years, a mass departure of singers abroad began, which (in the absence of the position of chief director) led to a decrease in the quality of performances.

In the 1995-2000s, the basis of the repertoire was Russian operas of the 19th century, among the productions: Ivan Susanin by M.I. I. Tchaikovsky (director G. P. Ansimov; both 1997), Francesca da Rimini by S. V. Rachmaninov (1998, director B. A. Pokrovsky). On the initiative of B. A. Rudenko, Italian operas were performed (Norma by V. Bellini; Lucia di Lammermoor by G. Donizetti). Other productions: "The Beautiful Miller's Woman" by G. Paisiello; "Nabucco" by G. Verdi (director M. S. Kislyarov), "The Marriage of Figaro" by W. A. ​​Mozart (German director I. Herz), "La Boheme" by G. Puccini (Austrian director F. Mirdita), the most successful of them - "The Love for Three Oranges" by S. S. Prokofiev (English director P. Ustinov). In 2001, under the direction of G. N. Rozhdestvensky, the premiere of the 1st edition of the opera The Gambler by Prokofiev (directed by A. B. Titel) took place.

Fundamentals of repertoire and personnel policy (since 2001): the entrepreneurial principle of working on a performance, inviting performers on a contract basis (with a gradual reduction in the main troupe), the rental of foreign performances (“The Force of Destiny” and “Falstaff” by G. Verdi; “Adrienne Lecouvreur” F. Cilea). The number of new opera productions has increased, among them: "Khovanshchina" by M. P. Mussorgsky, "The Snow Maiden" by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, "Turandot" by G. Puccini (all 2002), "Ruslan and Lyudmila" by M. I. Glinka (2003; authentic performance), The Rake's Adventures by I. F. Stravinsky (2003; for the first time at the Bolshoi Theatre), The Fiery Angel by S. S. Prokofiev (for the first time at the Bolshoi Theatre) and The Flying Dutchman by R. Wagner (both 2004), "Children of Rosenthal" by L. A. Desyatnikov (2005).

N. N. Afanas'eva.

Bolshoi Ballet. In 1784, the troupe of the Petrovsky Theater included students of the ballet class, opened in 1773 in the Orphanage. The first choreographers were Italians and French (L. Paradise, F. and C. Morelli, P. Pinyucci, G. Solomoni). The repertoire included their own productions and transfers of performances by J. J. Noverre. In the development of the ballet art of the Bolshoi Theater in the 1st third of the 19th century, the activity of A.P. Glushkovsky, who headed the ballet troupe in 1812-39, was of the greatest importance. He staged performances of various genres, including on the plots of A. S. Pushkin (“Ruslan and Lyudmila, or the Overthrow of Chernomor, the Evil Wizard” by F. E. Scholz, 1821). Romanticism was established on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater thanks to the choreographer F. Güllen-Sor, who worked at the Bolshoi Theater in 1823-39 and transferred a number of ballets from Paris (La Sylphide by F. Taglioni, music by J. Schneitzhoffer, 1837, etc.). Among her students and the most famous performers: E. A. Sankovskaya, T. I. Glushkovskaya, D. S. Lopukhina, A. I. Voronina-Ivanova, I. N. Nikitin. Of particular importance were the performances in the 1850s by the Austrian dancer F. Elsler, thanks to whom the ballets by J. J. Perrot (C. Pugni's Esmeralda, and others) entered the repertoire.

From the middle of the 19th century, romantic ballets began to lose their significance, despite the fact that the troupe retained artists who gravitated towards them: P. P. Lebedeva, O. N. Nikolaeva, in the 1870s - A. I. Sobeshchanskaya. During the 1860s-90s, several ballet masters changed at the Bolshoi Theater, leading the troupe or staging individual performances. In 1861-63, K. Blazis worked, who gained fame only as a teacher. The most repertory in the 1860s were the ballets of A. Saint-Leon, who transferred Pugni's The Little Humpbacked Horse from St. Petersburg (1866). A significant achievement was "Don Quixote" by L. Minkus, staged by M. I. Petipa in 1869. In 1867-69, S. P. Sokolov staged several productions (“The Fern, or Night at Ivan Kupala” by Yu. G. Gerber, and others). In 1877, the famous choreographer V. Reisinger, who arrived from Germany, became the director of the 1st (unsuccessful) edition of P. I. Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake. In the 1880s and 1890s, the choreographers at the Bolshoi Theater were J. Hansen, H. Mendes, A. N. Bogdanov, I. N. Khlyustin. By the end of the 19th century, despite the presence of strong dancers in the troupe (L. N. Geiten, L. A. Roslavleva, N. F. Manokhin, N. P. Domashev), the Bolshoi Ballet was in crisis: there was even a question of liquidating the troupe , in 1882 halved. The reason for this was partly the little attention to the troupe (considered then provincial) of the Directorate of the Imperial Theaters, untalented leaders who ignored the traditions of the Moscow ballet, the renewal of which became possible in the era of reforms in Russian art at the beginning of the 20th century.

In 1902, the Bolshoi Ballet Company was headed by A. A. Gorsky. His activities contributed to the revival and flourishing of the Bolshoi Ballet. The choreographer sought to saturate the performances with dramatic content, achieved logic and harmony of action, accuracy of national color, and historical authenticity. Gorsky's best original productions were A. Yu. Simon's "Daughter of Gudula" (1902), "Salambo" by A. F. Arends (1910), "Love is fast!" to the music of E. Grieg (1913), reworkings of classical ballets (Don Quixote by L. Minkus, Swan Lake by P. I. Tchaikovsky, Giselle by A. Adam) were also of great importance. Gorsky’s associates were the leading dancers of the theater M. M. Mordkin, V. A. Karalli, A. M. Balashova, S. V. Fedorova, E. V. Geltser and V. D. Tikhomirov also worked with him, dancers A. E. Volinin, L. L. Novikov, masters of pantomime V. A. Ryabtsev, I. E. Sidorov.

The 1920s in Russia is a time of searching for new forms in all types of art, including dance. However, innovative choreographers were rarely admitted to the Bolshoi Theatre. In 1925, K. Ya. Goleizovsky staged the ballet “Joseph the Beautiful” by S. N. Vasilenko on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater Branch, which contained many innovations in the selection and combination of dance movements and the formation of groups, with the constructivist design of B. R. Erdman. The production of V. D. Tikhomirov and L. A. Lashchilin “The Red Poppy” to the music of R. M. Gliere (1927) was considered an officially recognized achievement of the Bolshoi Theater, where the topical content was clothed in a traditional form (ballet “dream”, canonical pas -de de, elements of extravaganza).

Since the late 1920s, the role of the Bolshoi Theater - now the capital's, "main" theater of the country - has been growing. In the 1930s choreographers, teachers and artists were transferred here from Leningrad. M. T. Semyonova and A. N. Ermolaev became leading performers along with Muscovites O. V. Lepeshinskaya, A. M. Messerer, M. M. Gabovich. The repertoire included the ballets The Flames of Paris by V. I. Vainonen and The Fountain of Bakhchisarai by R. V. Zakharov (both to music by B. V. Asafiev), Romeo and Juliet by S. S. Prokofiev staged by L. M. Lavrovsky, transferred to Moscow in 1946, when G. S. Ulanova moved to the Bolshoi Theater. Starting from the 1930s and until the mid-1950s, the main trend in the development of ballet was its convergence with realistic dramatic theater. By the mid-1950s, the genre of dramatic ballet had become obsolete. A group of young choreographers aspiring to transformation has emerged. In the early 1960s, N. D. Kasatkina and V. Yu. Vasilev staged one-act ballets at the Bolshoi Theater (Geologists by N. N. Karetnikov, 1964; The Rite of Spring by I. F. Stravinsky, 1965). The performances of Yu. N. Grigorovich became a new word. Among his innovative productions, created in collaboration with S. B. Virsaladze: "The Stone Flower" by Prokofiev (1959), "The Legend of Love" by A. D. Melikov (1965), "The Nutcracker" by Tchaikovsky (1966), " Spartacus" by A. I. Khachaturian (1968), "Ivan the Terrible" to the music of Prokofiev (1975). These large-scale, dramatic performances with large crowd scenes required a special style of performance - expressive, sometimes grandiloquent. In the 1960s and 1970s, the leading artists of the Bolshoi Theater were regular performers in Grigorovich's ballets: M. M. Plisetskaya, R. S. Struchkova, M. V. Kondratiev, N. V. Timofeeva, E. S. Maksimova, V. V. Vasiliev, N. I. Bessmertnova, N. B. Fadeechev, M. Liepa, M. L. Lavrovsky, Yu. K. Vladimirov, A. B. Godunov and others. regularly perform abroad, where he gained wide popularity. The next two decades were the heyday of the Bolshoi Theater, rich in bright personalities, demonstrating its staging and performing style all over the world, which was oriented towards a wide and, moreover, international audience. However, the predominance of Grigorovich's productions led to the monotony of the repertoire. Old ballets and performances by other choreographers were performed less and less frequently, comedy ballets, traditional for Moscow in the past, disappeared from the stage of the Bolshoi Theater. The troupe no longer needed both characteristic dancers and mime artists. In 1982, Grigorovich staged his last original ballet, The Golden Age by D. D. Shostakovich, at the Bolshoi Theatre. Separate performances were staged by V. V. Vasiliev, M. M. Plisetskaya, V. Bokkadoro, R. Petit. In 1991, Prokofiev's ballet The Prodigal Son directed by J. Balanchine entered the repertoire. However, until the mid-1990s, the repertoire was almost not enriched. Among the performances staged at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries: Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake (1996, staged by V.V. Vasilyev; 2001, staged by Grigorovich), Giselle by A. Adam (1997, staged by Vasiliev), "Daughter Pharaoh" by C. Pugny (2000, staged by P. Lacotte based on Petipa), "The Queen of Spades" to the music of Tchaikovsky (2001) and "Notre Dame Cathedral" by M. Jarre (2003; both choreographed by Petit), "Romeo and Juliet" by Prokofiev (2003, choreographer R. Poklitaru, director D. Donnellan), "A Midsummer Night's Dream" to music by F. Mendelssohn and D. Ligeti (2004, choreographer J. Neumeier), "Bright Stream" (2003 year) and "Bolt" (2005) by Shostakovich (choreographer A. O. Ratmansky), as well as one-act ballets by J. Balanchine, L. F. Myasin and others. Among the leading dancers of the 1990-2000s: N. G. Ananiashvili, M. A. Aleksandrova, A. A. Antonicheva, D. V. Belogolovtsev, N. A. Gracheva, S. Yu. Zakharova, D. K. Gudanov, Yu. V. Klevtsov, S. A. Lunkina, M. V. Peretokin, I. A. Petrova, G. O. Stepanenko, A. I. Uvar ov, S. Yu. Filin, N. M. Tsiskaridze.

E. Ya. Surits.

Lit .: Pogozhev V.P. 100th anniversary of the organization of the imperial Moscow theaters: In 3 books. St. Petersburg, 1906-1908; Pokrovskaya 3. K. Architect O. I. Bove. M., 1964; Zarubin V. I. The Bolshoi Theater - The first productions of operas on the Russian stage. 1825-1993. M., 1994; he is. Bolshoi Theater - Bolshoi theatre: The first performances of ballets on the Russian stage. 1825-1997. M., 1998; "Serving the Muses..." Pushkin and the Bolshoi Theatre. M., ; Fedorov V.V. Repertoire of the Bolshoi Theater of the USSR 1776-1955: In 2 vols. N.Y., 2001; Berezkin V. I. Artists of the Bolshoi Theater: [In 2 volumes]. M., 2001.

The invitation to cooperate with Tugan Sokhiev is the first personnel move of the new director of the theater, Vladimir Urin. forced move ( the previous conductor and music director of the theatre, Vasily Sinaisky, left with a scandal in the middle of the season, two weeks before the important premiere of Verdi's Don Carlos, and a replacement had to be found incredibly urgently. - Approx. ed.). But successful, reasonable and very balanced. Sokhiev's name was heard more often than others in conversations about who could replace Sinaisky, along with the names of two more young conductors, Vasily Petrenko and Dmitry Yurovsky. And it was obvious to many that Petrenko had a contract with the Mikhailovsky Theater, and the young Yurovsky had yet to grow and grow. In general, Sokhiev remains - reliable and proven. So this news did not become a bolt from the blue.

In general, the reputation of Sokhiev, the current director of the National Orchestra of the Capitol of Toulouse and the German Symphony Orchestra of Berlin, pleasantly surprises with the normal - and not insane, as is often the case with us - the course of events. He gradually became an important figure in the West, without breaking with his St. Petersburg roots, in particular with the Mariinsky Theatre, where he worked at the Academy of Young Singers and accepted full-time conducting in 2005, having already made his debut on the stages of the Welsh National Opera (“La Boheme”, 2002) and at the Metropolitan Opera (Eugene Onegin, 2003). Then there were the Houston Opera, La Scala, the Real Madrid Theater, the Munich Opera. And a hell of a lot of first-class orchestras, from London to Berlin and Vienna Philharmonic. He often chooses the Russian repertoire, so for the upcoming concert with the Philadelphia Symphony, the former orchestra of the legendary Eugene Ormandy, he is preparing Pictures at an Exhibition. That is, there he is Russian, in our country he is, as it were, Western.

Influential European magazines call the young maestro a miracle figure, his career is developing at an incredible speed, while Sokhiev did not become conceited, did not get carried away and does not even particularly boast of belonging to the great St. Petersburg conducting school. And he could: in St. Petersburg, his conservative mentors were Ilya Musin and Yuri Temirkanov, and his godfather in the theater was Valery Gergiev. His modesty, professional adequacy and diplomacy are almost Martian features in our latitudes, where whatever the conductor is, the Musician Muzykantovich. And the Big One was obviously lucky with him; Moreover, the theater could only dream of such a conductor. And the fact that Vladimir Urin managed to negotiate with him, and even in such a short time, in a situation of unprecedented time trouble, is almost unbelievable. It's not even about the encouraging (and not sunset) age of the 36-year-old conductor taken on a four-year contract. It's a matter of absolutely hitting the bull's-eye.

If earlier the chief directors of the Bolshoi were chosen either on the basis of fame and merit (Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Vasily Sinaisky), or from those who are at hand and ready to plow as much as possible (Alexander Vedernikov, under whom Nikolai Alekseev worked as the main invitee on the same grounds), then Sokhiev, perhaps, is capable of becoming at the Bolshoi not a star or a victim, but a qualified accomplice in artistic policy. Evidence of this is the period stipulated by him (until September) for a gradual entry into the working process; the announced volume of own projects in the next season (2 projects, which ones are not yet reasonably announced). And an implicit but implied plan of cooperation with Valery Gergiev, in the implementation of which Sokhiev will grow from an opera conductor with an enviable reputation to a full-fledged opera intendant. And this means that after the expiration of the director's contract in 2018, Vladimir Urin will have someone to leave the Bolshoi Theater to.

Conductor Tugan Sokhiev, who is currently the music director of the National Orchestra of the Capitol of Toulouse and the German Symphony Orchestra of Berlin, has become the music director and chief conductor of the Bolshoi Theater, RIA Novosti reports, citing a statement by the general director of the Bolshoi Theater Vladimir Urin.

Vasily Sinaisky, who has been musical director and chief conductor of the Bolshoi Theater since 2010, left the theater at the beginning of December 2013 of his own free will. The premiere performances of the opera Don Carlos, which Sinaisky was to conduct, were presented by Robert Trevigno and Giacomo Sagripanti.

“I said that we would decide on our new music director before February 1. As you know, in early December, Vasily Serafimovich Sinaisky left the walls of the Bolshoi Theater, so in the middle of the season it was necessary to decide. I want to introduce him (the new music director) - Tugan Taimurazovich Sokhiev. He is one of the most sought-after conductors in the West, he leads the Toulouse Capitol Orchestra and the German Symphony Orchestra of Berlin," Urin said.

The general director of the Bolshoi Theater noted that the conductor has a very busy schedule, and there are other contractual obligations. “We agreed that Tugan will gradually enter the affairs of the theater,” Urin said. “Now he is flying to Philadelphia, his contracts will be fulfilled. Until the end of the season, he will appear in Moscow. season. He will carry out two projects next season."

Urin stressed that the new music director is very young and has no experience in a theater like the Bolshoi. "But I didn't consider it the most important thing. Valery Gergiev headed the Mariinsky Theater at the age of 33," he said.

"It was important to understand that our views are very similar, we coincide with how we understand the Bolshoi Theatre. Which is very important, because we have to make decisions together," the general director added.

Sokhiev explained why he decided to head the theater, although his schedule is very tight. "It was a very unexpected proposal, I thought for a long time. The most important thing that convinced me to head this one of the great theaters of the world is a serious and responsible task. The personality of the current director of the theater, who clearly understands how the theater should develop. When there is a team with which you can build a theater, it's a lot," the conductor said.

The conductor said he would have to cut his Western contracts. "I will maintain my relationship with the orchestras with which I work. But year by year I will be more and more involved in the work of the Bolshoi Theatre. If possible, I will spend as much time as possible here, because this is the only way to get things going and outline further paths development," he explained.

Urin noted that after the music director enters the work, they intend to outline the plans of the opera troupe for the next three years.

Sokhiev noted that the operatic repertoire of the Bolshoi Theater should include the most diverse music: "The Bolshoi Theater should not get hung up on certain composers, the repertoire should be very large. Such opportunities and such talents - I do not think that we should be limited to only Russian or only French opera" .

Sokhiev said about his musical preferences: "I love everything."

Tugan Sokhiev was born in 1977 in Vladikavkaz (then Ordzhonikidze). He studied at the St. Petersburg State Conservatory in the class of the legendary professor Ilya Musin. In 2002, Sokhiev made his debut at the Welsh National Opera House (La Boheme), and in 2003 at the New York Metropolitan Opera (Eugene Onegin). In the same year, the conductor performed for the first time with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the concert was the beginning of Sokhiev's long-term cooperation with this team. In 2004, at the Aix-en-Provence festival, he conducted Prokofiev's The Love for Three Oranges. Since 2005, Sokhiev has been actively collaborating with the Mariinsky Theatre, on the stage of which, under his direction, the premieres of the operas Journey to Reims, Carmen and The Tale of Tsar Saltan took place.

In 2008, the conductor became musical director of the National Orchestra of the Capitole of Toulouse, where he had previously been principal guest conductor for three years. Since 2010, he has also led the Deutsches Symphony Orchestra Berlin.

Currently, the conductor is actively touring around the world. In the 2012-2013 season, Sokhiev made his debut with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, and also continued his collaboration with the Vienna and Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestras. Among his theatrical works are "Boris Godunov" at the Vienna State Opera and Stravinsky's ballets at the Capitole Theater of Toulouse. People's Artist of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania.

The Soviet era was generous with talents. The names of brilliant Soviet pianists, violinists, cellists, singers and, of course, conductors have entered the history of world culture. At this time, a modern idea was formed about the role of the conductor - leader, organizer, master.

What were they like, the musical leaders of the Soviet era?

Five portraits from the gallery of outstanding conductors.

NIKOLAY GOLOVANOV (1891–1953)

Already at the age of six, during a walk, Nikolai tried to conduct a military orchestra. In 1900, the young music lover was admitted to the Synodal School. Here his vocal, conducting and composing abilities were revealed.

Having already become a mature master, Golovanov will write with great love about the years of study: “The Synodal School gave me everything - moral principles, life principles, the ability to work hard and systematically, instilled sacred discipline.”

After several years of work as a regent, Nikolai entered the composition class of the Moscow Conservatory. In 1914 he graduated from it with a small gold medal. Throughout his life, Nikolai Semenovich wrote spiritual chants. He continued to work in this genre even when religion was proclaimed "the opium of the people."

Fragment of the performance of Tchaikovsky's overture "1812"

In 1915 Golovanov was admitted to the Bolshoi Theatre. It all began with a modest position as assistant choirmaster, and in 1948 he became chief conductor. Relations with the famous theater were not always smooth: Nikolai Golovanov had to endure many insults and disappointments. But it was not they that remained in history, but brilliant interpretations of Russian opera and symphonic classics, bright premieres of works by contemporary composers and the first radio broadcasts of classical music in the USSR with his participation.

Conductor Gennady Rozhdestvensky recalls the master like this: “He couldn't stand the middle. Indifferent middle. And in nuance, and in phrasing, and in relation to the case.

Although Golovanov did not have students-conductors, his interpretations of Russian classics became models for young musicians. Alexander Gauk was destined to become the founder of the Soviet conducting school.

ALEXANDER GAUK (1893–1963)

Alexander Gauk studied at the Petrograd Conservatory. He studied composition in the class of Alexander Glazunov, conducting - in the class of Nikolai Tcherepnin.

In 1917, the musical and theatrical period of his life began: he worked at the Petrograd Theater of Musical Drama, and then at the Leningrad Opera and Ballet Theater.

In the 1930s, symphonic music was at the center of Gauk's interests. For several years he led the symphony orchestra of the Leningrad Philharmonic, and in 1936 he headed the newly created State Symphony Orchestra of the USSR. He did not miss the theater, he only regretted that he did not have a chance to stage his beloved Tchaikovsky's The Queen of Spades.

A. Honegger
Pacific 231

In 1953, Gauk became the chief conductor of the Bolshoi Symphony Orchestra of the USSR State Radio and Television. This work was very intense and interesting. The orchestra played programs, as they say, live. In 1961, the maestro was "politely" retired.

Joy for Gauk was pedagogical activity. Evgeny Mravinsky, Alexander Melik-Pashaev, Evgeny Svetlanov, Nikolai Rabinovich - they were all students of the maestro.

Evgeny Mravinsky, already a renowned master himself, will write to his teacher in a congratulatory letter: "You are our only conductor who carries the traditions of a real great culture."

EUGENE MRAVINSKY (1903-1988)

Mravinsky's whole life was connected with Petersburg-Leningrad. He was born into a noble family, but in difficult years he also had to deal with “non-noble” affairs. For example, work as an extra at the Mariinsky Theatre. An important role in his fate was played by the personality of the head of the theater - Emil Cooper: "It was he who introduced into me that" grain of poison ", which for the rest of my life connected me with the art of conducting."

For the sake of music, Mravinsky left the university and entered the Petrograd Conservatory. At first, the student was diligently engaged in composition, and then became interested in conducting. In 1929, he came to Gauk's class and very quickly mastered the basics of this complex (or "dark" as Rimsky-Korsakov used to say) business. After graduating from the conservatory, Mravinsky became an assistant conductor at the Leningrad Opera and Ballet Theatre.

In 1937 the first meeting of the conductor with the music of Dmitri Shostakovich took place. Mravinsky was entrusted with the premiere of his Fifth Symphony.

At first, Shostakovich was even frightened by the conductor’s method of work: “About every measure, about every thought, Mravinsky made me a real interrogation, demanding from me an answer to all the doubts that arose in him. But already on the fifth day of our joint work, I realized that this method is definitely the right one.”

After this premiere, Shostakovich's music will become a constant companion of the maestro's life.

In 1938, Mravinsky won the First All-Union Conducting Competition and was immediately appointed head of the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra. Many of the orchestra's artists were much older than the conductor, so they did not hesitate to give him "valuable instructions". But very little time will pass, a working atmosphere will be established at the rehearsals, and this team will become the pride of the national culture.

Rehearsal of the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra

Not so often in the history of music there are examples when a conductor has been working with one group for several decades. Yevgeny Mravinsky led the Philharmonic Orchestra for half a century, his younger colleague Yevgeny Svetlanov led the State Orchestra for 35 years.

Dmitri Shostakovich, Symphony No. 8

EVGENY SVETLANOV (1928–2002)

For Svetlanov, the Bolshoi Theater was native in a special sense of the word. His parents are soloists of the opera troupe. The future maestro made his debut on the famous stage at a tender age: he played the little son of Cio-Cio-san in Puccini's opera Madama Butterfly.

Almost immediately after graduating from the conservatory, Svetlanov comes to the Bolshoi Theater, mastering all theatrical classics. In 1963 he became the chief conductor of the theatre. Together with him, the troupe goes on tour to Milan, to La Scala. Svetlanov brings Boris Godunov, Prince Igor, Sadko to the judgment of the demanding public.

In 1965, he headed the State Symphony Orchestra of the USSR (the same one that was once led by his teacher Alexander Gauk). Together with this group, which became academic in 1972, Svetlanov implemented a large-scale project - "Anthology of Russian symphonic music on record". The significance of this work was very precisely defined by the musical director of Radio France, Rene Goering, who worked a lot with the conductor: “This is a real feat of Svetlanov, another testament to his greatness.”

M. Balakirev, symphony No. 2, final

Working with GASO, the conductor does not forget about the Bolshoi Theatre. In 1988, the production of The Golden Cockerel (directed by Georgy Ansimov) became a real sensation. Svetlanov invited the "non-opera" singer Alexander Gradsky to the super-complex part of the Astrologer, which added even more originality to the performance.

Concert "Hits of the outgoing century"

Among the most important achievements of Yevgeny Svetlanov is the familiarization of a wide range of listeners with the music of the outstanding composer Nikolai Myaskovsky, which was very rarely performed by Soviet orchestras.

The return to the concert stage of little-known compositions has become one of the key tasks for maestro Gennady Rozhdestvensky.

GENNADY Rozhdestvensky (Born in 1931)

Conductors who play instruments or compose music are not uncommon. But conductors who can talk about music are rare. Gennady Rozhdestvensky is a real unique person: he can tell and write in a fascinating way about musical works from different eras.

Rozhdestvensky studied conducting with his father, the famous conductor Nikolai Anosov. Mom, singer Natalya Rozhdestvenskaya, did a lot to develop her son's artistic taste. Not yet graduating from the conservatory, Gennady Rozhdestvensky was admitted to the Bolshoi Theater. His debut was Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty. In 1961, Rozhdestvensky led the Grand Symphony Orchestra of the Central Television and Radio Broadcasting. At this time, the conductor's repertoire preferences emerged.

He mastered the music of the 20th century with great interest, and also introduced the public to "non-hit" compositions. Musicologist, Doctor of Arts Viktor Zukkerman admitted in a letter to Rozhdestvensky: “I have long wanted to express deep respect and even admiration for your selfless, perhaps even selfless activity in performing either undeservedly forgotten or little-known works.”

A creative approach to the repertoire determined the work of the maestro with other orchestras - well-known and not so well-known, youth and "adults".

All aspiring conductors dream of studying with Professor Rozhdestvensky: for 15 years he has been the head of the Department of Opera and Symphony Conducting at the Moscow Conservatory.

The professor knows the answer to the question “Who is a conductor?”: “This is a medium between the author and the listener. Or, if you like, some kind of filter that passes the flow emitted by the score through itself, and then tries to convey this to the audience.

The film "Triangles of Life"
(with fragments of the conductor's performances), in three parts