Ukraine invasion & the arts: Gergiev fired by his agent, etc.

[Drew]

4 hours ago, California said:

 

Flames of Paris is another historically interesting piece from the 30s, made in response to Stalin's request to show the decadence of the west, and I suspect Bolshoi will continue to show it. It also is chock full of flashy choreography and bits of it keep showing up in gala shows in the west. It will survive for that reason alone, if not others.

Messerer did a terrific revival for the Mikhailovsky that stays closer to the original libretto. I saw it live in NY when they brought it on tour. I have only seen Ratmansky's on video so can’t make an entirely fair comparison, but as best I can tell  Messerer’s frank embrace of the ballet’s Soviet approach made for a more coherent ballet than Ratmansky’s attempt to graft an anti-revolutionary message onto it —however interesting one may find the latter. (Also the Mikhailovsky put character specialists in the Basque dance and....WOW! Even the Bolshoi’s most exciting classical dancers couldn’t put it over quite so well.) If the Bolshoi had to give up Ratmansky’s I suppose they might pick up the Messerer version....if they even care about keeping it in repertory beyond having the pas de deux as a gala number.

[pherank]

14 hours ago, California said:

This might be a nice time to revive Ratmansky's Trilogy -- either ABT or San Francisco, as it was a co-production. So much history there with Shostakovich, the trauma of growing up in the USSR, etc., etc. And great ballets choreographically. I would love to see all three again.

One of my favorite contemporary ballets. It's a shame its not going to be part of the SFB 2023 season.

[California]

I was curious if Putin's black list includes prominent Russian artists, now US citizens, who have spoken out against the Ukraine invasion, e.g. Ratmansky and Baryshnikov. Not yet. Perhaps in the next expansion of the list. So far it's mainly political figures. Here's the list: https://www.mid.ru/ru/maps/us/1814243/

[volcanohunter]

I doubt ballet dancers even cross the minds of government bureaucrats putting together these lists. Easier to go by roll calls of congressmen who voted for certain legislation, including deceased members. (Five people are blacklisted from beyond the grave.)

If Ratmansky maintains Russian citizenship, I wonder whether it's even possible to bar his entry into the country. Of course, people may be arrested upon arrival, as Navalny was.

[volcanohunter]

Laura Fernandez on leaving Russia, her family's hell in Mariupol and how lack of exposure to contemporary repertoire has limited her career options. 

https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2022/jun/08/ballet-star-laura-fernandez-on-fleeing-russia-and-starting-over-i-couldnt-discuss-the-war-any-more

[Drew]

4 hours ago, volcanohunter said:

Laura Fernandez on leaving Russia, her family's hell in Mariupol and how lack of exposure to contemporary repertoire has limited her career options. 

https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2022/jun/08/ballet-star-laura-fernandez-on-fleeing-russia-and-starting-over-i-couldnt-discuss-the-war-any-more

One really feels for her and her family as well.....I hope she has great success in Tblisi and elsewhere...

[A few minutes after posting I saw that Oxana Skorik had posted on Instagram about being stopped and interrogated at an airport--I opted to post more detail and the  link in the Skorik discussion forum (page 20 of that discussion).]

Edited June 8, 2022 by Drew
adding something

[volcanohunter]

Moscow's Gogol Center, the theater long associated with Kirill Serebrennikov, is being closed, apparently by the authorities. Serebrennikov's post notes that for the past four months its actors had not been coming out for bows at the end of performances to protest the war. Serebrennikov uses the word war even though it's illegal to do so.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CfZrLylroCT

The theater is planning to close with a performance titled "I'm Not Participating in the War," based on the poetry of Yuri Levitansky. 

https://instagram.com/gogolcenter

Edited June 29, 2022 by volcanohunter
broken link

[Drew]

1 hour ago, volcanohunter said:

Moscow's Gogol Center, the theater long associated with Kirill Serebrennikov, is being closed, apparently by the authorities. Serebrennikov's post notes that for the past four months its actors had not been coming out for bows at the end of performances to protest the war. Serebrennikov uses the word war even though it's illegal to do so.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CfZrLylroCT

The theater is planning to close with a performance titled "I'm Not Participating in the War," based on the poetry of Yuri Levitansky. 

https://instagram.com/gogolcenter

I had thought Serebrennikov himself was in Germany--he posted something from there shortly after the war began.  But without a doubt, he and his team of artists have been very brave.

I wonder if that last performance will be permitted...

Edited June 29, 2022 by Drew

[volcanohunter]

Because Serebrennikov has run into problems with the Russian legal system and spent time under house arrest, his departure is understandable. The current AD of the Gogol Center is Alexei Agranovich, and his contract is due to expire next week, along with the theater itself, it now seems.

Serebrennikov's dissident cred took a bit of a hit at Cannes recently, when, among other things, he defended Roman Abramovich at his press conference. (Abramovich has backed Serebrennikov's films. Abramovich has poured money into a lot of other stuff, too.) But this closure supports his assertion that Russia is canceling its own culture.

[Deflope]

Tickets on sale for a ballet gala in Kherson, one of the first cities to fall to Russian control.  Among those advertised are Zakharova and Polunin (who is from the region) . Of course, these are also the two biggest stars to express support for Putin.  Skorik, who is from Kharkiv, is also advertised 

https://vesti92.ru/2022/07/03/zvezdy-mirovogo-baleta-vystupjat-v-sevastopole.html

[volcanohunter]

1 hour ago, Deflope said:

Tickets on sale for a ballet gala in Kherson, one of the first cities to fall to Russian control.  Among those advertised are Zakharova and Polunin (who is from the region) . Of course, these are also the two biggest stars to express support for Putin.  Skorik, who is from Kharkiv, is also advertised 

No, this gala will take place at the ruins of Chersonesos, which is near Sevastopol in the Crimea. Such galas in Vladimir Putin's presence have been taking place there annually for several years, with pretty much the same cast of dancers. (In 2020 the Bolshoi announced that it would take Ratmansky's Giselle there, but either because of the pandemic or because Ratmansky said no, the company took Carmen Suite instead.)

I don't think anyone would dare stage such an event in occupied Kherson, with the front line so close by and anti-Russian partisan activity on the rise.

[Mashinka]

On 7/3/2022 at 2:05 PM, Deflope said:

Zakharova and Polunin (who is from the region) . Of course, these are also the two biggest stars to express support for Putin.

So we know who to boycott in future.

[Tom47]

The name Mavka refers to a mystical female from Ukrainian folklore.  For some time now an animated film entitled “Mavka, The Forest Song” has been in production in the nation of Ukraine.  The story of the film can be seen as an analogy of the current war with the female protagonist,  Mavka, being a symbol of Ukraine, fighting to save her land from a vicious outsider.  Here is a video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eszfyg2lSbU, 7 minutes long, showing a trailer for the film, as well as many of the people producing the film describing the extreme difficulties caused by the war.  The film is now expected to come out by the end of the year and I am very anxious to see it.  Also, here is a short excerpt from the film (2 minutes) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-tlAJq5iNc.

This video (3 minutes) is of an Ukrainian folk song.  The flowers that some of the women in the video wear on their heads also seem to be a symbol of Ukraine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7w9Cy2eIRqQ.    

The animated film “Mavka, The Forest Song” was inspired by a play entitled “Forest Song” written by Lesia Ukrainka in 1911.  The story of the play is not the same as the story of the film, but for those who are interested here is a transcript of the play: http://sites.utoronto.ca/elul/English/Ukrainka/Ukrainka-ForestSong.pdf.

Sadly it seems this terrible war will continue for years, but I hope it will eventually undermine the Russian government in the same way that the war in Afghanistan contributed to the undermining of the Soviet Union.

Tom,  

[canbelto]

The listed participants are:

ballerina of the Bolshoi Theater, People's Artist of Russia Svetlana Zakharova;

— Sergei Polunin;

- ballerina of the Bolshoi Theater, Honored Artist of Russia, People's Artist of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania Ekaterina Krysanova;

- ballerina of the Bolshoi Theater, Honored Artist of Russia Evgenia Obraztsova;

- ballerina MAMT named after K.S. Stanislavsky and V.I. Nemirovich-Danchenko, laureate of international competitions Ksenia Ryzhkova;

- ballerina of the Mariinsky Theater Oksana Skorik;

- Prime Minister of the Bolshoi Ballet, Honored Artist of Russia Vladislav Lantratov;

- Soloist of the Bolshoi Ballet, laureate of international competitions Klim Efimov;

- Premier of the MAMT ballet named after K.S. Stanislavsky and V.I. Nemirovich-Danchenko, laureate of international competitions Dmitry Sobolevsky;

- Premier of the Mariinsky Theater Ballet Andrei Ermakov;

[pherank]

The War in Ukraine Is the True Culture War
With Russia trying to erase Ukraine’s national identity, the fight to preserve, and build upon, Ukraine’s artistic heritage has taken on new urgency.
By Jason Farago

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/15/arts/design/ukraine-war-culture-art-history.html

 

[volcanohunter]

Romeo Castellucci conceived his staging of Mahler's Second Symphony for the 2022 Aix-en-Provence Festival more than a year ago, but it ended up looking like an "atrocious prophecy," in his words.

Golda Schultz, Marianne Crebassa, Jeune Choeur de Paris, Orchestre de Paris, Esa-Pekka Salonen

On demand until January 2025. Not suitable for children.

https://www.arte.tv/en/videos/109365-000-A/resurrection-gustav-mahler/

Edited August 15, 2022 by volcanohunter
added video link

[dirac]

Amazing pictures, volcanohunter. Thank you.

An Iranian conductor agrees to conduct at the Mariinsky.

Quote

He said, “I am strongly convinced that I am doing the right thing. I go to Russia with pleasure and the greatest respect to Valery Gergiev and I hope that others will follow. The invitation of maestro Gergiev means a lot to me. As a professional, especially an opera conductor, I know that Gergiev is a fantastic and unique conductor. People can like or hate him, but he deserves great respect. If I compare him to politicians, I can’t see a single one being in the same league as Gergiev regarding merits and achievements. And, one should not forget, Gergiev was already Gergiev, one of the greatest artists of our time, long before many of the political leaders of today even appeared on the scene.”

 

[Mashinka]

Well, he won't be conducting ballet that's for sure.  They kicked out the ballet when they kicked out the shah.

[Buddy]

This might be an interesting thing to follow. It was announced the beginning of June  (thanks to FionaE at BalletcoForum) and according to this announcement from July 28 is still on.

This is what I posted at another ballet forum:

Not following Svetlana Zakharova's statements and actions for awhile, I'm still personally hopeful that it’s a good sign for the possible resumption of cultural exchanges and better things beyond that, but this is totally my own opinion and I respect and can sympathise with much different ones.

Teatro Regio Torino, Italy

July 28, 2022 (Google translation)

Svetlana Zakharova & Vadim Repin 
Béjart Ballet Lausanne 

After the August break, we will return in September to the Cortile di Palazzo Arsenale with a program entirely dedicated to dance, a new entry for the stage of the Regio Opera Festival. All September shows will start at 8pm.

The Regio Opera Festival is organized under the patronage of the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Culture and the City of Turin. Media Partner is Publitalia '80.

Thursday 8 and Saturday 10 September at 8pm we will have the honor of hosting Svetlana Zakharova, étoile of Bol'šoj and of the Teatro alla Scala, beloved by the public, celebrated by critics and requested by the major theaters in the world, who will perform together with her husband Vadim Repin, acclaimed violinist and conductor, who will conduct our Orchestra. In the show Pas de deux for Toes and Fingers, Repin will perform solos of incredible virtuosity, some of which will see Zakharova's dance elegantly blend with the music. Alongside the "absolute prima ballerina", some well-known protagonists of international ballet: from Mikhail Lobukhin to Denis Savin, from Vjačeslav Lopatin to Artemy Belyakov, engaged in choreography by Marius Petipa and Asami Maki, Mauro Bigonzetti, Motoko Hirayama, Mikhail Fokine and Johan Kobborg with music by Paganini, Glazunov, Saint-Saëns, Händel, Frolov, Monteverdi, Massenet, Williams. An admirable dance show and a wonderful concert: a unique opportunity to enjoy great music and international ballet stars.

 

https://www.teatroregio.torino.it/area-stampa/comunicato-stampa/le-star-della-danza-internazionale-protagoniste-settembre

 

Edited August 6, 2022 by Buddy

[volcanohunter]

On 7/5/2022 at 5:52 AM, Mashinka said:

So we know who to boycott in future.

On 7/7/2022 at 3:51 PM, canbelto said:

The listed participants are:

ballerina of the Bolshoi Theater, People's Artist of Russia Svetlana Zakharova;

— Sergei Polunin;

- ballerina of the Bolshoi Theater, Honored Artist of Russia, People's Artist of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania Ekaterina Krysanova;

- ballerina of the Bolshoi Theater, Honored Artist of Russia Evgenia Obraztsova;

- ballerina MAMT named after K.S. Stanislavsky and V.I. Nemirovich-Danchenko, laureate of international competitions Ksenia Ryzhkova;

- ballerina of the Mariinsky Theater Oksana Skorik;

- Prime Minister of the Bolshoi Ballet, Honored Artist of Russia Vladislav Lantratov;

- Soloist of the Bolshoi Ballet, laureate of international competitions Klim Efimov;

- Premier of the MAMT ballet named after K.S. Stanislavsky and V.I. Nemirovich-Danchenko, laureate of international competitions Dmitry Sobolevsky;

- Premier of the Mariinsky Theater Ballet Andrei Ermakov;

Judging by the printed program, in the end the concerts in Chersonesos took place without Skorik and Ermakov, but with Anna Nikulina, Semyon Chudin, Vladimir Shklyarov and Daria Bochkova.

So, Polunin, from the Bolshoi - Krysanova, Nikulina, Obraztsova, Zakharova, Chudin, Lantratov, Efimov, from the Mariinsky - Shklyarov, from the Stanislavsky - Ryzhkova (who recently left the Bavarian State Ballet), Sobolevsky, from the Kremlin - Bochkova

https://www.instagram.com/p/CgphkgCI4Mq/

[Marta]

What "should" one conclude from the list of dancers  on volcanohunter's post, above?  We know that Zakharova and Polunin are supporters of Putin; should we assume that the other dancers are too? Shortly after the invasion of Ukraine,  Shklyarov posted his protest on Instagram.  It didn't stay there long though.  I imagine refusing the invitation to perform would not be a good idea, or maybe it was an order rather than a request.

[volcanohunter]

Marta, those are great questions, and I doubt we'll get to the bottom of them anytime soon. For most of these dancers, incuding Shklyarov, these were not their first appearances at these kinds of Crimean galas. I think it may have been a first for Bochkova and Chudin. What is interesting is Shklyarov's choice of repertoire, namely Ostap's variation from Taras Bulba, not a neutral selection by any stretch. In this context it could be read as an act of protest. Or it could be an all-out show of colonial cultural appropriation. ("Ukrainian folk dancing? We're claiming it for ourselves!")

 

[Buddy]

And then there's the possibility that what most ballet dancers (and most Russians in general) do, has little or nothing to do with Putin.

Edited August 8, 2022 by Buddy

[Marta]

1 hour ago, volcanohunter said:

Marta, those are great questions, and I doubt we'll get to the bottom of them anytime soon. For most of these dancers, incuding Shklyarov, these were not their first appearances at these kinds of Crimean galas. I think it may have been a first for Bochkova and Chudin. What is interesting is Shklyarov's choice of repertoire, namely Ostap's variation from Taras Bulba, not a neutral selection by any stretch. In this context it could be read as an act of protest. Or it could be an all-out show of colonial cultural appropriation. ("Ukrainian folk dancing? We're claiming it for ourselves!")

 

Yes, that was a fascinating choice by Shklyarov.  In his Instagram post I recall he mentioned his Ukrainian grandmother.  Did all the dancers  choose what they would perform?

[volcanohunter]

I don't know, but I'm sure Zakharova got first dibs. Beyond that I'm going to assume it was the usual jostle to divvy up Don Quixote, Le Corsaire and Black Swan.