• Finding the Past. To the Problem of Staged Reconstruction of the Ballet Heritage

УДК: 792.8

DOI: 10.35852/2588-0144-2022-4-71-83

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Alexander G. Kolesnikov

Dr. Sc. in Art Studies, Leading Researcher of the Scientific Department
Russian Institute of Theatre Arts (GITIS)
Moscow, Russia
E-mail: edvin8@list.ru

Finding the Past. To the Problem of Staged Reconstruction of the Ballet Heritage

Abstract

The article focuses on the problem of reconstructing ancient ballets. The author analyzes it using the example of the production of the Krasnoyarsk Opera and Ballet Theatre named after D. Hvorostovsky, Katarina, or the Daughter of a robber (2021). This composition by Jules Perrault to the music of Caesar Puni belongs to the era of romantic ballet. Its world premiere happened in London in 1846. The European popularity of this ballet lasted about half a century. The composition stopped being produced at the end of the 19th century. The author favors the decision of the directors to recreate the style of the bygone ballet era. He dwells on the methodology and the results of the large and complex work. In the course of this work, choreography was re-created, which is mainly of this new creator’s style and reflects the approaches of modern specialists to the problem of reconstruction. The author of the article also pays attention to the musical and scenic aspects of the performance. The conclusion he makes concerns the indisputable professional benefits of the work done for the Krasnoyarsk Ballet Company. Also raised is the problem of the eternal meanings of classical works, which are lost in the course of historical evolution.

Keywords

Jules Perrault, Caesar Puni, romantic ballet, choreography, theatrical authentism, musical and stage dramaturgy.

For citation

Kolesnikov A. G. Finding the Past. To the Problem of Staged Reconstruction of the Ballet Heritage. Theatre. Fine Arts. Cinema. Music. 2022, no. 4, pp. 71–83.

DOI: 10.35852/2588-0144-2022-4-71-83

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Received: 30.07.2022

Revised: 28.10.2022

Accepted: 07.11.2022