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Maya Plisetskaya


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This article in listed BT's 17 June 2010's links does not give the full story:

"the Kremlin had called for a public relations counteroffensive that would paint Zionism as “a vanguard of imperialism.” A large press conference was arranged with “acceptable” Jews, including the prima ballerina Maya Plisetskaya and the comedian Arkady Raikin, vowing loyalty to the Soviet Union and denouncing Zionism as expressing “the chauvinistic views and racist ravings of the Jewish bourgeoisie.”

According to wikipedia Plisteskaya "was forced to be member of the Anti-Zionist Committee of the Soviet Public by being threatened with having her passport revoked."

I wonder that the author of the article didn't include that information....

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Anyone here fluent enough in Russian to translate the articles drb posted? :)

Here is a (quaint) translation forr the Kommersant article on the occasion of Madame Plisetskaya's 80th birthday by Tatiana Kuznetsova as posted by drb.

Anniversary Ballet

In the Kremlin Palace of the gala concert in honor of 80 anniversary of Maya Plisetskaya. Tatyana Kuznetsova b-sure that this ballet in the evening in the world has not yet happened.

Start the audience in the Kremlin began as early as half past five, and those who cared to come in advance to avoid a lot of stress. Inexperienced as spectators, who arrived shortly before shown on the ticket 19.00, run into a gigantic place, blocking the entire Alexander Park. Sturm Kutafia tower danger of becoming Khodynka. Ten to eight after the gala began, but long in the dark rear-guard spectators roamed the room, driving from their seats resourceful riders.

Complimentary concert was packed in a wrapper of "Don Quixote" - the benefit of this divertissement ballet allows liberties. Directed by Alexei Ratmansky and Dmitry Chernyakov kept scenery and the general course of events, drastically changing the stuffing scenes. Almost no changes, save only the first - "On the area of Barcelona. The "tavern" define love duets of different ages and countries, as well as the Spanish "flamenco Prince" Joaquin Cortes, "the mill" to the gypsy campfire sent Cossack Regiment of the ensemble of Alexander and variations of Soviet times Hero of the Day from the repertoire performed by approx Bolshoi in "The Dream "Don Quixote dreamed Shaolin monks, and the final parade consisted of a classical pas de deux and variations of guests from different countries and was crowned by the performance itself Maya Plisetskaya.

Such plot plan may be deducted from the programs from, but the actual events unfolded unexpectedly. In the first scene on the floor collapsed, one of the three Kitri - Cuban funny, slap toes, like slippers. After her defectively-hilarious variation is the same on a giant screen hurricane danced young Plisetskaya. Half-dead audience burst into applause, came to the stage name day in another stunning dress by Cardin and the microphone to proclaim that now, the audience sees what could be the old "Don Quixote" in modern processing. Here in the neat crowd of ballet "Spaniards" cut a break-dancer in the group Da Boogie Crew - in sports trousers, stretched T-shirts and ski caps - and under optimistic Muzychko "seguidilla" zabatsali their crazy "helicopter" and "Sunshine," with Maya Plisetskaya slammed them with unfeigned enthusiasm.

The most sincere in the "Tavern" was a love scene Manon and the Chevalier des Grieux in the performance of the prime ministers of Great Britain's Royal Ballet Alina Cojocaru and Johan Kobborga - a tiny Romanian and Danish guy hot kissing so enthusiastically, as if no notice that this dance is one of the most difficult of the world ballet duets repertoire. The most stylish ballerina looked graduate of the Moscow Academy of Choreography Polina Semionova, which in Berlin polished to the level of world stars: with partner Artem Shpilevsky it turned quite banal duo Uwe Scholz - another variation on the eternal theme of "want, but I can not" - a small encyclopedia of emotions and an ode to classical perfection. But all the ballet visitors Tavern Uel Joaquin Cortes, have his own show in the anniversary gala. With its own musicians and in their own little acoustic stage, he enthusiastically pitch improvisation for improvisation, sparks sapateado, arranging a bullfight with adapted by Mulet his own jacket, from Variety conducting an audience and not paying attention to the increasingly scarce applause or the lonely cry of "Basta !. Exhausted, furious Spaniard brought onto the stage Maya Plisetskaya and jokingly made it a couple of steps. And then began a real bullfight. Fixed his eyes on the bridge of Partner, 80-year-old dancer to the challenge: stamping silver heels, whip hand Spanish monograms, she arranged Joaquín Cortés pereplyas such that the poor Spaniard, no longer looked for him to finish: and kissed the hands of partner, and on his knees grew, and then simply dragged their feet shoes and presented the Hero of the Day. Not at all discouraged by Maya Plisetskaya, proudly shaking booty, though conquered in fair fight ears of the bull, triumphantly withdrew from the arena.

The second act started well chosen photo chronicle of how year after year, the high official guests of the Soviet Union visited the Bolshoi Theater, watching the same "Swan Lake" with Maya Plisetskaya always informal. Kinoryad reinforce living variations of ballet heroines of that era, but has withstood the test of time unless Laurencia performed by Maria Alexandrova. The absurdity of socialist realism was replaced by pure nonsense. Under purring Minkus music on the background backdrop of the Himalayan mountains slender ranks of Shaolin monks in orange robes wildly demonstrated their superhuman skills: laying legs behind her ears, tumbled just not at the nostrils, jumped on a couple of yards up and collapsed back on the floor, in an idyllic Finals were broken on the heads of large clubs.

The last evening was a dance extravaganza set to music usher Cupids, tore the most thunderous applause (except for performance of the heroine herself pm). To perform selected the most respectable ladies and complete, and how elegantly and artistically they were dressed keeper theatrical history with baskets of flowers in their hands! Against the background of this unique rally faded, and many times he had seen the pas de deux from "Don Quixote" and the subsequent variation in the performance choice of artists. The evening ended with the promised performance of Maya Plisetskaya in bezharovskom room "Ave Maya!" - In my opinion, too mournful to the festive burlesque, stretching for four hours. The audience screamed, ballerina encore in the next row was sobbing aged Patrick DuPont - one of the many Partners Maya Plisetskaya, Etoile and former artistic director of the Paris Opera. And no one greeting government did not darken this popular fraternization.

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This article in listed BT's 17 June 2010's links does not give the full story:

"the Kremlin had called for a public relations counteroffensive that would paint Zionism as "a vanguard of imperialism." A large press conference was arranged with "acceptable" Jews, including the prima ballerina Maya Plisetskaya and the comedian Arkady Raikin, vowing loyalty to the Soviet Union and denouncing Zionism as expressing "the chauvinistic views and racist ravings of the Jewish bourgeoisie."

According to wikipedia Plisteskaya "was forced to be member of the Anti-Zionist Committee of the Soviet Public by being threatened with having her passport revoked."

I wonder that the author of the article didn't include that information....

The article is an op-ed and it leaves out a lot of inconvenient information, in the manner of many editorials.

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At tonight's concert at the Verbier Festival, conductor Gabor Takacs-Nagy, the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra, and cellist Mischa Maisky followed their performance of the Saint-Saens Cello Concerto No. 1 with an encore, a beautiful rendition of Saint-Saens "Le Cygne," and it was dedicated to Maya Plisetskaya.

I believe the Verbier Festival concerts are open to non-subscribers of medici.tv, but if not now, they will be. (The concert is still on, but the full concert will be available for replay soon after it is finished.)

http://www.medici.tv/#!/gabor-takacs-nagy-mischa-maisky-martin-frost-verbier-festival

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Another tribute to Plisetskaya at the 2015 Verbier Festival on 23 July: as Gergiev led the Verbier Festival Orchestra in "Bolero," a film of Plisetskaya performing the Bejart was projected on a large screen behind the orchestra.

http://www.medici.tv/#!/verbier-festival-gergiev-matsuev-trifonov-mozart-ravel-tchaikovsky

There was a gorgeous photo of her that was projected after the performance and during the applause for the orchestra, as Gergiev acknowledged the many soloists.

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I am quite late to the dance but sadly, her last performance was and it was hard to watch.  Worse yet, the incomparable Charles Jude whose "Faun" with Pietragalla at the POB was Nijinsky reincarnate is not half what he was.  Why do dancers and basketball players not know when to leave?

 

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Boxers have the same problem. But I don't think it's that hard to understand psychologically. These artists (to stick with dancers) seem to live not just for the stage but also uniquely on the stage, so to speak. They become who they are in front of an audience. At least that's how I understand it. But it can be upsetting to see them so very diminished from who they were...(A few -- as seems to have been the case with Fonteyn -- probably need the money.)

On the other side, I also dislike it when the moment someone's technical prowess or suppleness isn't exactly what it used to be, people write them off as fading or needing to make way for others. Older artists still bring a lot to the table and sometimes can do so for a long time past their so-called prime. The problems start when choreography is being betrayed.  The best performances I have seen of ballet dancers well past their prime (Vasiliev and Maximova when she was around 50) have been in special vehicles created for them at that stage of their careers. I thought Plisetskaya did a certain amount of dancing specialized roles/choreography as well...is that not so?

 

And, actually, in the performance I mentioned above Maximova was unbelievable in her youthful charm and energy. I kept checking my program because I couldn't believe it was really her: "That can't be right--I must be confused...where is the aging dancer I have to make allowances for??" Answer: she had disappeared into the brilliantly tactful choreography her husband came up with for her. And into her own infinite charms. Still one of my favorite performances ever.  

 

But in this case, well...a dancer like Plisetskaya gave so much to her audiences over the years . . .Many people who bought tickets probably knew very well what they were going to see when they went to her final performances and wanted to pay homage to her anyway. 

 

I haven't yet watched all of the Faun above (and some of what I didn't like about it didn't seem to me to have anything to do with age), but she did cast her head back at one point very slowly and the line of her neck was very beautiful.

Edited by Drew
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