K2356 Posted January 2, 2003 Share Posted January 2, 2003 I am a fan of Lopukhov and there is a new book regarding his writings that was released in the last two months.I was wondering if anyone, like rg who i know is a big lover of F.L.,has see this book or has a interest in this subject matter.I do not have this book yet,but will order this book tomorrow. -Writings on Ballet and Music -Fedor Lopukhov -Edited and with an introduction by Stephanie Jordan -TRANSLATIONS BY DORINDA OFFORD -Studies in Dance History ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Although little-known in the West, Fedor Lopukhov was a leading figure in Russia's dance world for more than sixty years and an influence on many who became major figures in Western dance, such as George Balanchine. As a choreographer, he staged the first post-revolutionary productions of traditional ballets like Swan Lake and The Sleeping Beauty as well as avant-garde and experimental works, including Dance Symphony, Bolt, and a highly controversial version of The Nutcracker. This first publication in English of Lopukhov's theoretical writings will give readers a clear understanding of his seminal importance in dance history and illuminate his role in the development of dance as a nonnarrative, musically based form. These writings present the rationale behind Lopukhov's attempt to develop a "symphonic" ballet that would integrate the formal and expressive elements of dance and music. They also show his finely detailed knowledge of the classical heritage and his creative efforts to transmit major works to future generations. This edition explains notonly the making of his own controversial Dance Symphony but also the issues he saw at stake in productions of Giselle, The Sleeping Beauty,and other key works by Petipa and Fokine. Lopukhov's writings argue the details of choreographic devices with an unusual degree of precision,and his comments on composers and the musical repertoire used by hispredecessors and contemporaries are equally revealing. Stephanie Jordan's introduction deftly situates these writings within the context of Lopukhov's life and career and in relation to the theories,aesthetics, and practices of dance in the twentieth century. "The availability of these finely translated essays in English (and Stephanie Jordan's illuminating introduction) will educate the Western world about the lost choreographer Fedor Lopukhov's role in the history of choreography, both experimental and classical, in Russia and the Soviet Union, as well as his contribution to dance theory. It will shed light for both dance and music audiences on relations between music and ballet not only in Lopukhov's own works, but in the ballets of Marius Petipa, the nineteenth-century choreographer of the great ballet classics whose compositions Lopukhov scrutinized attentively and imaginatively."Sally Banes, University of Wisconsin Madison Fedor Lopukhov (1886–1973) was born and lived most of his life in St. Petersburg. He attended the ballet school affiliated with the Maryinsky (later Kirov) Theatre, where he made his debut in 1905, danced as a soloist until 1922, and served as artistic director from 1922 through the end of that decade and for brief periods during the 1940s and 1950s. Stephanie Jordan is research professor in dance at Roehampton University of Surrey. Link to comment
Mel Johnson Posted January 2, 2003 Share Posted January 2, 2003 Kevin, when you order it, try it through Amazon.com. We get a little "finder's fee" to help keep the site open. As it is, I think I'll wait for the paperback edition, which hasn't been published yet. If you find a price better than Amazon's $50 for the hardcover, though, go for it! Link to comment
K2356 Posted January 2, 2003 Author Share Posted January 2, 2003 Mel I see the paperbook version available on www.used.addall.com also i think the paperback is available thru the publisher University of Wisconsin press for $21.95,but i will find out tomorrow. HAPPY NEW YEAR Kevin Link to comment
Mel Johnson Posted January 2, 2003 Share Posted January 2, 2003 Cool! It may not have reached Amazon yet. Let us know if it is actually released, 'cause I'd like to get a copy! Link to comment
Alexandra Posted January 2, 2003 Share Posted January 2, 2003 There's a very nifty search feature on Amazon that I discovered by accident the other night. Go to books and type in "ballet" and then choose to search by publication date, newest to oldest. This will turn up ..... books that haven't been published yet and their expected dates of publication! A great way to get a start on your next year's Christmas list. I do know from experience that Amazon is good about dealing with as-yet-unpublished books. Mine was released in October. They put it up in August, and I've heard from several people who ordered it then. They sent the books out two days after they left the publisher's warehouse, and people got them a good two weeks before they were in stores. Link to comment
Mel Johnson Posted January 2, 2003 Share Posted January 2, 2003 AHA! Thanks for the tip, Alexandra! Release date for the paperback is this coming Sunday, so an order to Amazon will be met promptly! I'm a-clickin'! Link to comment
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