Who founded the big theater and when. About the Bolshoi Theater

Initially, the Bolshoi Theater was a state-owned theater and, together with the Maly, formed the Moscow troupe of imperial theaters. It was considered the private theater of the provincial prosecutor Pyotr Urusov, the prince. On March 28, 1776, Empress Catherine II signed him a “privilege” for the maintenance of balls, performances, masquerades and other events for a period of ten years. Nowadays, this date is considered the founding of the Moscow Bolshoi Theater.

The composition of the artists at that time was very diverse: from local serfs to invited stars from neighboring states. The opening of the theater took place on December 30, 1780. It received its first name in honor of the place where it was built; the entrance faced straight onto Petrovka Street. The name Petrovsky Theater was firmly attached to it. However, in the fall of 1805 there was a fire, in which the building of the Petrovsky Theater completely burned down.

In 1819, based on the results of a competition, the project of Andrei Mikhailov, a professor at the Academy of Arts, was selected. But after recognizing this project as too expensive, Moscow governor Dmitry Golitsyn chose the architect Osip Bove and ordered him to correct Mikhailov's version. Beauvais did an excellent job, and in addition to reducing the cost, he significantly improved the project itself. According to the work of Golitsyn, in July 1820, construction began on the theater building, which was to become the center of the urban composition of the square, as well as the adjacent streets.

The opening of the new Petrovsky Theater took place on January 6, 1825. It was significantly larger in size than the old one, which is why it received the name Bolshoi Petrovsky Theater. The size was truly impressive. It surpassed even the St. Petersburg stone theater in monumental grandeur, proportionality of proportions, harmony of architectural forms and richness of interior decoration. In this form, the building existed for only thirty years, and in 1853 it suffered the same fate as its predecessor: the theater burst into flames and burned for three days. Professor of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts Albert Kavos, who was the chief architect of the imperial theaters, received the right for the next reconstruction.

Work to restore the Bolshoi Theater progressed rapidly, and already in August 1856 the building opened its doors to the public. This speed was caused by the coronation of Emperor Alexander II. The architect's main attention was paid to the stage section and auditorium. This led to the fact that the Bolshoi Theater in the second half of the 19th century was considered one of the best theaters in the world, thanks to its acoustic properties. However, the Imperial Bolshoi Theater stood until February 28, 1917. On March 13, the State Bolshoi Theater was opened.

The revolution of 1917 brought with it the expulsion of the curtains of the imperial theater. It was only in 1920 that the artist Fedorovsky created a sliding curtain consisting of bronze-painted canvas. It was this canvas that became the main curtain of the theater until 1935, when the order for a curtain with woven revolutionary dates “1871, 1905, 1917B” was fulfilled. Since 1955, the “golden” Soviet curtain, again made by Fedorovsky, hung in the theater. The curtain was decorated with Soviet symbols.

At the end of the October Revolution, the building and the very existence of the Bolshoi Theater became under threat. More than one year was spent trying to ensure that the victorious proletariat abandoned the idea of ​​closing the theater forever. The first step was to award the theater the title of Academic in 1919, but even this did not give it guarantees that there would be no demolition. But already in 1922, the Bolshevik government decided that the closure of such a cultural monument would have a negative impact on the entire Russian history.

In April 1941, the Bolshoi Theater was closed for scheduled repairs, and two months later the Great Patriotic War began. Most of the artists went to the front, but the rest continued to play performances.

On October 22, 1941, at exactly 4 o'clock in the afternoon, a bomb fell on the Bolshoi Theater building. A significant part of the structure was damaged. However, despite the harsh weather and severe cold, restoration work began in winter. The autumn of 1943 brought with it the opening of the Bolshoi and the resumption of its work with the production of M. Glinka’s opera “A Life for the Tsar”. Since then, cosmetic renovations of the theater have been carried out almost every year.

A large rehearsal hall was opened in 1960, located right under the roof. The celebration of the theater's 200th anniversary in 1975 took place in the restored auditorium and Beethoven hall. But the main problems of the Bolshoi Theater still remained the lack of seats and the instability of the foundation. These problems were resolved in 1987, when by decree of the Russian Government it was decided to urgently reconstruct the building. However, the first work began only eight years later, and another seven years later the New Stage building was built. The theater operated until 2005 and closed again for restoration.

Today, a new mechanical stage allows for maximum use of lighting, visual and sound effects. Thanks to the renovation, the Bolshoi Theater now has an underground concert hall, which is located under Theater Square. This work became truly significant in the life of the theater. Specialists of the highest level were assembled, whose work can only be truly appreciated by visiting the Bolshoi Theater.

The unique reconstruction project of the Bolshoi Theater allowed modern audiences to literally touch history. After all, today, having bought tickets to the Bolshoi Theater, the viewer will enjoy wonderful musical performances and carefully recreated interiors of the 19th century. Of course, another remarkable architectural solution was the construction of an underground concert and rehearsal hall, equipped with the most modern underground mechanical equipment. Such designs have proven themselves to work flawlessly in various theaters around the world - the Vienna Opera, the Olympia Theater in Spain, the Copenhagen Opera, and the Komische Opera in Berlin. Particular attention was paid to the acoustics of the hall, which meets the highest requirements of international acoustic standards. There is an underground concert hall under Theater Square.

Story

The Bolshoi Theater began as a private theater for the provincial prosecutor, Prince Pyotr Urusov. On March 28, 1776, Empress Catherine II signed a “privilege” for the prince to maintain performances, masquerades, balls and other entertainment for a period of ten years. This date is considered the founding day of the Moscow Bolshoi Theater. At the first stage of the Bolshoi Theater's existence, the opera and drama troupes formed a single whole. The composition was very diverse: from serf artists to stars invited from abroad.

Moscow University and the gymnasiums established under it, which provided good musical education, played a large role in the formation of the opera and drama troupe. Theater classes were established at the Moscow Orphanage, which also supplied personnel to the new troupe.

The first theater building was built on the right bank of the Neglinka River. It faced Petrovka Street, hence the theater got its name - Petrovsky (later it will be called the Old Petrovsky Theater). Its opening took place on December 30, 1780. They gave a ceremonial prologue “Wanderers”, written by A. Ablesimov, and a large pantomimic ballet “The Magic School”, staged by L. Paradise to the music of J. Startzer. Then the repertoire was formed mainly from Russian and Italian comic operas with ballets and individual ballets.

The Petrovsky Theater, erected in record time - less than six months, became the first public theater building of such size, beauty and convenience to be built in Moscow. By the time of its opening, Prince Urusov, however, had already been forced to cede his rights to his partner, and subsequently the “privilege” was extended only to Medox.

However, disappointment awaited him too. Forced to constantly ask for loans from the Board of Trustees, Medox did not get out of debt. In addition, the authorities' opinion - previously very high - about the quality of his entrepreneurial activities has changed radically. In 1796, Madox's personal privilege expired, so both the theater and its debts were transferred to the jurisdiction of the Board of Trustees.

In 1802-03. The theater was handed over to Prince M. Volkonsky, the owner of one of the best Moscow home theater troupes. And in 1804, when the theater again came under the jurisdiction of the Board of Trustees, Volkonsky was actually appointed its director “on salary.”

Already in 1805, a project arose to create a theater directorate in Moscow “in the image and likeness” of the St. Petersburg one. In 1806 it was implemented - and the Moscow theater acquired the status of an imperial theater, coming under the jurisdiction of a single Directorate of Imperial Theaters.

In 1806, the school that the Petrovsky Theater had was reorganized into the Imperial Moscow Theater School to train opera, ballet, drama artists and musicians of theater orchestras (in 1911 it became a choreographic school).

In the fall of 1805, the building of the Petrovsky Theater burned down. The troupe began performing on private stages. And since 1808 - on the stage of the new Arbat Theater, built according to the design of K. Rossi. This wooden building also died in a fire - during the Patriotic War of 1812.

In 1819, a competition was announced for the design of a new theater building. The winner was the project of Academy of Arts professor Andrei Mikhailov, who, however, was recognized as too expensive. As a result, the Moscow governor, Prince Dmitry Golitsyn, ordered the architect Osip Bova to correct it, which he did, and significantly improved it.

In July 1820, construction began on a new theater building, which was to become the center of the urban composition of the square and adjacent streets. The facade, decorated with a powerful portico on eight columns with a large sculptural group - Apollo on a chariot with three horses, “looked” at the Theater Square under construction, which contributed greatly to its decoration.

In 1822–23 Moscow theaters were separated from the general Directorate of Imperial Theaters and transferred to the authority of the Moscow Governor-General, who received the authority to appoint Moscow directors of the Imperial Theaters.

“Even closer, on a wide square, rises the Petrovsky Theater, a work of modern art, a huge building, made according to all the rules of taste, with a flat roof and a majestic portico, on which stands an alabaster Apollo, standing on one leg in an alabaster chariot, motionless driving three alabaster horses and looking with annoyance at the Kremlin wall, which jealously separates him from the ancient shrines of Russia!
M. Lermontov, youth essay “Panorama of Moscow”

On January 6, 1825, the grand opening of the new Petrovsky Theater took place - much larger than the lost old one, and therefore called the Bolshoi Petrovsky Theater. They performed the prologue “The Triumph of the Muses” written specially for the occasion in verse (M. Dmitrieva), with choirs and dances to the music of A. Alyabyev, A. Verstovsky and F. Scholz, as well as the ballet “Cendrillon” staged by a dancer and choreographer F. invited from France .IN. Güllen-Sor to the music of her husband F. Sor. The muses triumphed over the fire that destroyed the old theater building, and, led by the Genius of Russia, played by twenty-five-year-old Pavel Mochalov, they revived a new temple of art from the ashes. And although the theater was indeed very large, it could not accommodate everyone. Emphasizing the importance of the moment and condescending to the feelings of those suffering, the triumphant performance was repeated in its entirety the next day.

The new theater, surpassing even the capital's Bolshoi Stone Theater in St. Petersburg in size, was distinguished by its monumental grandeur, symmetry of proportions, harmony of architectural forms and richness of interior decoration. It turned out to be very convenient: the building had galleries for the passage of spectators, stairs leading to tiers, corner and side lounges for relaxation and spacious dressing rooms. The huge auditorium accommodated over two thousand people. The orchestra pit was deepened. During masquerades, the floor of the stalls was raised to the level of the proscenium, the orchestra pit was covered with special shields, and a wonderful “dance floor” was created.

In 1842, Moscow theaters were again placed under the control of the general Directorate of Imperial Theaters. The director at that time was A. Gedeonov, and the famous composer A. Verstovsky was appointed manager of the Moscow theater office. The years when he was “in power” (1842–59) were called the “Verstovsky era.”

And although dramatic performances continued to be staged on the stage of the Bolshoi Petrovsky Theater, operas and ballets began to occupy an increasing place in its repertoire. Works by Donizetti, Rossini, Meyerbeer, the young Verdi, and Russian composers such as Verstovsky and Glinka were staged (the Moscow premiere of A Life for the Tsar took place in 1842, and the opera Ruslan and Lyudmila in 1846).

The building of the Bolshoi Petrovsky Theater existed for almost 30 years. But he too suffered the same sad fate: on March 11, 1853, a fire broke out in the theater, which lasted three days and destroyed everything it could. Theater machines, costumes, musical instruments, sheet music, scenery were burned... The building itself was almost completely destroyed, of which only charred stone walls and columns of the portico remained.

Three prominent Russian architects took part in the competition to restore the theater. It was won by Albert Kavos, a professor at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts and the chief architect of the imperial theaters. He specialized mainly in theatrical buildings, was well versed in theater technology and in the design of multi-tiered theaters with a box stage and Italian and French types of boxes.

Restoration work progressed rapidly. In May 1855, the dismantling of the ruins was completed and the reconstruction of the building began. And in August 1856 it already opened its doors to the public. This speed was explained by the fact that the construction had to be completed in time for the celebrations of the coronation of Emperor Alexander II. The Bolshoi Theater, practically rebuilt and with very significant changes compared to the previous building, opened on August 20, 1856 with the opera “The Puritans” by V. Bellini.

The total height of the building has increased by almost four meters. Despite the fact that the porticoes with Beauvais columns have been preserved, the appearance of the main facade has changed quite a lot. A second pediment appeared. Apollo's horse troika was replaced by a quadriga cast in bronze. An alabaster bas-relief appeared on the inner field of the pediment, representing flying geniuses with a lyre. The frieze and capitals of the columns have changed. Sloping canopies on cast iron pillars were installed above the entrances of the side facades.

But the theater architect, of course, paid the main attention to the auditorium and stage part. In the second half of the 19th century, the Bolshoi Theater was considered one of the best in the world for its acoustic properties. And he owed this to the skill of Albert Kavos, who designed the auditorium as a huge musical instrument. Wooden panels from resonant spruce were used to decorate the walls, instead of an iron ceiling, a wooden one was made, and a picturesque ceiling was made of wooden panels - everything in this room worked for acoustics. Even the decor of the boxes is made of papier-mâché. In order to improve the acoustics of the hall, Kavos also filled up the rooms under the amphitheater, where the wardrobe was located, and moved the hangers to the stall level.

The space of the auditorium was significantly expanded, which made it possible to create antechambers - small living rooms furnished to receive visitors from the stalls or boxes located next door. The six-tier hall accommodated almost 2,300 spectators. On both sides near the stage there were lettered boxes intended for the royal family, the Ministry of the Court and the theater directorate. The ceremonial royal box, slightly protruding into the hall, became its center, opposite the stage. The barrier of the Royal Box was supported by consoles in the form of bent atlases. The crimson and gold splendor amazed everyone who entered this hall - both in the first years of the Bolshoi Theater's existence and decades later.

“I tried to decorate the auditorium as luxuriously and at the same time as lightly as possible, in the taste of the Renaissance mixed with Byzantine style. The white color studded with gold, the bright crimson draperies of the interior boxes, the different plaster arabesques on each floor and the main effect of the auditorium - a large chandelier of three rows of lamps and candelabra decorated with crystal - all this deserved general approval.
Albert Kavos

The auditorium chandelier was originally illuminated by 300 oil lamps. To light oil lamps, it was lifted through a hole in the lampshade into a special room. Around this hole a circular composition of the ceiling was built, on which Academician A. Titov painted “Apollo and the Muses”. This painting “has a secret”, revealed only to a very attentive eye, which, in addition to everything, should belong to an expert in ancient Greek mythology: instead of one of the canonical muses - the muse of the sacred hymns of Polyhymnia, Titov depicted a muse of painting invented by him - with a palette and brush in his hands.

The front curtain was created by the Italian artist, professor at the St. Petersburg Imperial Academy of Fine Arts, Casroe Dusi. Of the three sketches, the one that depicted “The Entry of Minin and Pozharsky into Moscow” was chosen. In 1896, it was replaced by a new one - “View of Moscow from the Sparrow Hills” (made by P. Lambin based on a drawing by M. Bocharov), which was used at the beginning and end of the performance. And for intermissions, another curtain was made - “The Triumph of the Muses” based on a sketch by P. Lambin (the only curtain of the 19th century preserved in the theater today).

After the revolution of 1917, the curtains of the imperial theater were sent into exile. In 1920, theater artist F. Fedorovsky, while working on a production of the opera “Lohengrin,” created a sliding curtain made of bronze-painted canvas, which was then used as the main curtain. In 1935, according to a sketch by F. Fedorovsky, a new curtain was made, on which revolutionary dates were woven - “1871, 1905, 1917”. In 1955, F. Fedorovsky’s famous golden “Soviet” curtain, with woven state symbols of the USSR, reigned in the theater for half a century.

Like most buildings on Teatralnaya Square, the Bolshoi Theater was built on stilts. Gradually the building deteriorated. Drainage work has lowered the groundwater level. The top part of the piles rotted and this caused a large settlement of the building. In 1895 and 1898 The foundations were repaired, which temporarily helped to stop the ongoing destruction.

The last performance of the Imperial Bolshoi Theater took place on February 28, 1917. And on March 13, the State Bolshoi Theater opened.

After the October Revolution, not only the foundations, but also the very existence of the theater was under threat. It took several years for the power of the victorious proletariat to forever abandon the idea of ​​closing the Bolshoi Theater and destroying its building. In 1919, she awarded it the title of academic, which at that time did not even provide a guarantee of safety, since within a few days the issue of its closure was again hotly debated.

However, in 1922, the Bolshevik government still found the closure of the theater economically inexpedient. By that time, it was already in full swing “adapting” the building to its needs. The Bolshoi Theater hosted the All-Russian Congresses of Soviets, meetings of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, and congresses of the Comintern. And the formation of a new country - the USSR - was also proclaimed from the stage of the Bolshoi Theater.

Back in 1921, a special government commission examined the theater building and found its condition catastrophic. It was decided to launch emergency response work, the head of which was appointed architect I. Rerberg. Then the foundations under the ring walls of the auditorium were strengthened, the wardrobe rooms were restored, the staircases were redesigned, new rehearsal rooms and artistic restrooms were created. In 1938, a major reconstruction of the stage was carried out.

Master plan for the reconstruction of Moscow 1940-41. provided for the demolition of all houses behind the Bolshoi Theater up to the Kuznetsky Bridge. On the vacated territory it was planned to build the premises necessary for the theater's operation. And in the theater itself, fire safety and ventilation had to be established. In April 1941, the Bolshoi Theater was closed for necessary repairs. And two months later the Great Patriotic War began.

Part of the Bolshoi Theater staff evacuated to Kuibyshev, while others remained in Moscow and continued to perform performances on the stage of the branch. Many artists performed as part of front-line brigades, others went to the front themselves.

On October 22, 1941, at four o'clock in the afternoon, a bomb hit the Bolshoi Theater building. The blast wave passed obliquely between the columns of the portico, pierced the facade wall and caused significant damage to the vestibule. Despite the hardships of wartime and the terrible cold, restoration work began in the theater in the winter of 1942.

And already in the fall of 1943, the Bolshoi Theater resumed its activities with the production of M. Glinka’s opera “A Life for the Tsar”, from which the stigma of being monarchical was removed and recognized as patriotic and folk, however, for this it was necessary to revise its libretto and give a new reliable name - “Ivan Susanin” "

Cosmetic renovations to the theater were carried out annually. More large-scale work was also undertaken regularly. But there was still a catastrophic lack of rehearsal space.

In 1960, a large rehearsal hall was built and opened in the theater building - right under the roof, in the former set room.

In 1975, to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the theater, some restoration work was carried out in the auditorium and Beethoven hall. However, the main problems - the instability of the foundations and the lack of space inside the theater - were not resolved.

Finally, in 1987, by decree of the Government of the country, a decision was made on the need for urgent reconstruction of the Bolshoi Theater. But it was clear to everyone that in order to preserve the troupe, the theater should not stop its creative activity. We needed a branch. However, eight years passed before the first stone of its foundation was laid. And seven more before the New Stage building was built.

November 29, 2002 The new stage opened with the premiere of the opera “The Snow Maiden” by N. Rimsky-Korsakov, a production quite consistent with the spirit and purpose of the new building, that is, innovative, experimental.

In 2005, the Bolshoi Theater closed for restoration and reconstruction. But this is a separate chapter in the chronicle of the Bolshoi Theater.

To be continued...

Print

One of the most famous and great theaters with a rich history. Even its name speaks for itself. There are several deep meanings hidden here. First of all, the Bolshoi Theater is a collection of famous names, a whole constellation of magnificent composers, performers, dancers, artists, directors, a vast gallery of brilliant performances. And also by the word “Big” we mean “significant” and “colossal”, a grandiose phenomenon in the history of art, not only domestic, but also world. Not only for years and decades, but for centuries, invaluable experience has been accumulated here, passed on from generation to generation.

There is practically not a single evening when the huge hall of the Bolshoi Theater is not filled with hundreds of spectators, when the stage lights are not on, and when the curtain does not rise. What makes fans and connoisseurs of musical art come here from all over the country and all over the world? Of course, the spirit of originality of the Russian theater, its strength, brightness and depth, which are felt by every person who has at least once crossed the famous threshold of the Bolshoi Theater. Spectators come here to admire the luxurious, elegant and noble interior, to enjoy the great repertoire that gained fame centuries ago and managed to carry and preserve it through the centuries. World-famous artists shone on this stage; this building has seen many Great (that’s right, with a capital G) People.

The Bolshoi Theater has always been famous for the continuity of its traditions. Past and future are closely intertwined within these walls. Modern artists adopt the experience of the classical heritage, rich in aesthetic values ​​and imbued with high spirituality. In turn, famous productions of past years come to life and are filled with new colors thanks to the efforts of new generations of artists and directors, each of whom makes their own contribution to the development of the theater. Thus, the Bolshoi Theater does not stop for a minute in its creative growth and keeps pace with the times, without forgetting about preserving and enhancing the great creative heritage.

More than 700 opera and ballet performances were staged on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater - from 1825 to the present - performances written by both domestic and foreign composers. In total there are more than 80 names. Let's list just a few of them. These are Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov, Dargomyzhsky and Prokofiev, Shchedrin and Khrennikov; these are Verdi, Berlioz, Wagner, Beethoven, Britten and many, many others. And what can we say about the performances! One can only admire, because the repertoire history of the Bolshoi Theater contains over 140 operas, including “Rigoletto” and “La Traviata”, “Mazeppa” and “Eugene Onegin”, “Faust”... Many of these productions were born at the Bolshoi Theater and continue to this day remain in the repertoire, enjoying enormous success.

Did you know, for example, that the great composer P.I. Tchaikovsky made his debut as the creator of music for opera and ballet at the Bolshoi Theater? His first opera was the play “The Voevoda” in 1869, and his first ballet was “Swan Lake” in 1877. It was on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater that Tchaikovsky first picked up the baton and conducted the premiere production of the opera Cherevichki in 1887. The most famous operas of Giuseppe Verdi were first shown in Russia at the Bolshoi Theater - these are such performances as “Don Carlos”, “Rigoletto” and “La Traviata”, “Un ballo in maschera” and “Il Trovatore”. It was here that the operatic works of Grechaninov, Cui, Arensky, Rubinstein, Verstovsky, Flotov, Thom, Beethoven and Wagner celebrated their “Russian” birth.

Opera performances of the Bolshoi Theater have always been, are and remain the focus of the most talented performers. Here such artists shone as the “Moscow Nightingale” Alexander Bantyshev, the first performer of the main repertoire roles Nadezhda Repina, the magnificent Nikolai Lavrov, distinguished by his unique gift of stage impersonation and an unusually beautiful voice, Pavel Khokhlov, who went down in the history of opera art as the first Eugene Onegin of the professional opera stage , as well as the best performer of the role of the Demon in the history of the Russian opera theater. The soloists of the Bolshoi Theater were Fyodor Chaliapin, Antonina Nezhdanova and Leonid Sobinov, Ksenia Derzhinskaya and Nadezhda Obukhova, Elena Stepanova, Sergei Lemeshev, Valeria Barsova and Maria Maksakova... A whole galaxy of unique Russian basses (Petrov, Mikhailov, Pirogov, Reisen, Krivchenya), baritones ( Lisitsian, Ivanov), tenors (Kozlovsky, Khanaev, Nelepp) ... Yes, the Bolshoi Theater has something to be proud of, these great names are forever inscribed in history, and largely thanks to them our famous theater has become famous throughout the world.

Since ancient times, a genre such as opera was intended to be embodied in musical theaters, representing an example of the synthesis of dramatic and musical art. P.I. Tchaikovsky argued that opera has no meaning outside the stage. The creative process always represents the birth of something new. For musical art this means working in two directions. First of all, the theater takes part in the development of the art of opera, working on the creation and stage implementation of new works. On the other hand, the theater tirelessly resumes productions of operas - both classical and modern. A new opera performance is not just another reproduction of the score and text, it is a different reading, a different view of the opera, which depends on many factors. Such factors include the director’s worldview, his lifestyle, and the era in which the production will take place. An operatic work is characterized by both artistic and ideological reading. This reading dictates the specific style of performance. Giuseppe Verdi, the famous opera reformer, wrote that without a meaningful interpretation, the success of an opera is impossible; without a confident and “reverent” interpretation, even beautiful music cannot save an opera.

Why can the same opera be staged several times, in different theaters, by completely different directors? Because this is a classic that does not lose its relevance in any era, which for each new generation can turn out to be fruitful and rich creative material. The Bolshoi Theater, in turn, is famous for its interest in modern works of opera, reflecting the trends of the postmodern era. Modern composers are enriching the Bolshoi Theater's repertoire with new operas, many of which occupy a place of honor in the repertoire and deserve the love and respect of the public.

The stage embodiment of modern opera is not an easy job for the theater. After all, an opera performance, as we noted above, is a complex dramatic complex. There must be a strong and organic relationship between theater and music, unique for each interpretation. Opera houses often work with composers to help them complete and improve their works. An example for demonstrating the successful result of this kind of cooperation can be I. Dzerzhinsky’s opera “The Fate of Man,” staged at the Bolshoi Theater in 1961.

First, the composer brought his work for audition, and then he was asked to create new music for the images of the main characters - for example, for Zinka. The score, improved and finalized on the theater's recommendation, helped make this image more lively, vibrant, and deeper in meaning.

Often the works of modern composers encounter a wall of misunderstanding and prejudiced attitude on the part of musical theater workers. It should be noted that sometimes truly extravagant experiments do not benefit art. But there is not and cannot be a uniquely correct view of the process of opera development. For example, back in 1913, Sergei Prokofiev received advice from S. Diaghilev - not to write music for opera, but to turn exclusively to ballet. Diaghilev argued this by saying that opera is dying, but ballet, on the contrary, is blossoming. And what do we see almost a century later? That many of Prokofiev's opera scores can compete in richness, melody, and beauty with the best classical works of this genre.

Not only the composer and librettist take part in the creation of an opera performance, but also the theater itself in which the performance will be staged. After all, it is on stage that opera receives its rebirth, acquires stage embodiment, and is filled with audience perception. The traditions of stage performance replace each other, constantly enriching themselves with each new era.

The main character of musical theater is an actor and singer. He creates a stage image, and depending on the interpretation of a particular performer, the viewer will perceive certain characters, learning the art of opera. Drama and music are closely related, the interpretation of the performer and the hero of the opera exist inextricably, the musical solution and stage action are inseparable from each other. Every opera artist is a creator, a creator.

Old performances are being replaced by new ones; the repertoire of the Bolshoi Theater is regularly replenished with new names of artists and new productions. And each such production embodies the next serious step of the great theater on its significant historical path. This path is filled with endless searches and grandiose achievements and victories. The Bolshoi Theater combines the greatness of the past, the progress of the present, and the achievements of the future. Modern generations of directors, actors, composers and librettists invariably help the Bolshoi Theater achieve new heights in art.

The history of the Bolshoi Theater is no less interesting and majestic than the productions that live on its stage. The theater building, the pride of our culture, is located not far from the Kremlin walls, in the very center of the capital. It is made in a classical style, its features and lines amaze with their monumentality and solemnity. Here you can see the white colonnade, as well as the famous quadriga decorating the pediment of the building. Everything here is large-scale and grandiose - from the forms of the architectural ensemble to the size of the team. The hall is made in a luxurious red color and decorated with gold, has five tiers, and is illuminated by a magnificent huge crystal chandelier. More than 2,000 spectators can watch the performance here at the same time! The stage is also impressive in size - 22 meters deep and 18 meters wide. During operas on an epic scale, the stage can accommodate up to 400 people without feeling cramped. The Bolshoi Theater staff consists of more than 2,000 employees - administration, technical staff, artistic workers and many other qualified specialists. Many opera and ballet performances appeared on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater, and since then, from the birth of the Bolshoi to the present day, over 1000 premieres have been shown here. And now you will find out how it all began...

So, let's go back to 1776. On May 17, the capital's provincial prosecutor P. Urusov was granted government privilege. It allowed the prosecutor to organize theatrical performances, masquerades and other entertainment events. Urusov needed a companion for work, and this companion was the Englishman M. Medox, passionately in love with theatrical art, an enterprising and intelligent person. May 17, 1776 is considered to be the birthday of the Moscow professional theater. Initially, the theater troupe consisted of only 13 actors, 9 actresses, 13 musicians, 4 dancers, 3 dancers and a choreographer. The group did not have its own premises; it was necessary to rent the house of Count Vorontsov, located on Znamenka, for performances.

The premiere performance took place in 1777 - it was D. Zorin’s opera “Rebirth”. Subsequently, the historian P. Arapov spoke about this production as follows: “On January 8, it was decided to give the first opera, an original one... it was composed of Russian songs. It's called "Rebirth". The management was very worried about the performance of the opera, and deliberately called the audience before the premiere to ask their permission. Despite excessive concerns, the performance was a great success."

Two years later, a new production was presented - the comic opera “The Miller - the Sorcerer, the Deceiver and the Matchmaker.” A. Ablesimov acted as librettist, the music was composed by M. Sokolovsky. Contemporaries testified that the play was popular among the public and was “performed” many times and always to full houses. And not only the Russian public came with pleasure to watch and listen to this opera, but foreigners also paid attention. Perhaps this is the first Russian opera performance to gain such worldwide fame.

In the newspaper “Moskovskie Vedomosti” in 1780, on February 26, one could read an advertisement announcing the construction of its own building for the theater. For this purpose, a spacious stone house was chosen, located on Bolshaya Petrovskaya Street, near the Kuznetsky Bridge. The announcement also mentioned that the environment inside the theater was expected to be "the best of its kind." The partners purchased land for construction on the right bank of the Neglinka. It is quite difficult to imagine now that on the site of the Bolshoi Theater there was once a practically deserted area, periodically flooded by the river. Along the right bank of the river there was a road leading to the Kremlin from the Novopetrovsky Monastery. Gradually, the road disappeared, and Petrovskaya Street with shopping arcades was built in its place. Wooden Moscow often burned, fires destroyed buildings, and new ones were built in place of burned houses. And even after the trading shops were replaced by stone buildings, fires continued to break out in these places from time to time... The theater building was erected very quickly - made of stone, three floors, plank roof. Construction took five months - and this is instead of the five years allotted in accordance with the government privilege. 130 thousand silver rubles were spent on construction. The building was erected by the German architect Christian Rosberg. This building could not be called beautiful, but its size truly amazed the imagination. The facade of the building faced Petrovskaya Street, and the theater received the name Petrovsky.

The theater's repertoire included ballet, opera, and dramatic performances, but most of all the public liked operas. Thanks to this, the Petrovsky Theater soon acquired a second, unofficial name: “Opera House”. In those days, the theater group was not yet divided into drama and opera artists - the same people appeared in ballet, opera, and drama. An interesting fact - Mikhail Shchepkin, accepted into the troupe of the Petrovsky Theater, began as an opera artist, taking part in the productions of “A Rare Thing” and “Misfortune from the Carriage”. In 1822, he performed the role of Vodovoz in the opera of the same name by L. Cherubini - this role forever became one of the artist’s most favorite roles. Pavel Mochalov, the famous tragedian, embodied Hamlet and at the same time led the spoken role of Vadim in A. Verstovsky's opera. And subsequently, when the Maly Theater was already built, the stage of the Bolshoi Theater continued to be replete with dramatic performances, as well as productions with the participation of diverse actors.

History does not have complete information about the first repertoire of the Petrovsky Theater, but there is evidence that the operas “Misfortune from the Coach” by V. Pashkevich, “The St. Petersburg Gostiny Dvor”, as well as “Roseanne and Love” by I. Kercelli were performed on the stage of the theater. The repertoire at the beginning of the 19th century was varied, but the audience especially welcomed the operas of K. Kavos - “The Imaginary Invisible Man”, “Love Mail” and “Cossack Poet”. As for “Cossack” - it has not disappeared from the theatrical repertoire for more than forty years!

Performances were not performed every day, but mostly two or three times a week. In winter, performances were shown more often. During the year the theater gave about 80 performances. In 1806, the Petrovsky Theater received state status. The fire of 1805 destroyed the building we described above. As a result, the team was forced to give performances at a variety of Moscow venues - this is the New Arbat Theater, and Pashkov's house on Mokhovaya, and Apraksin's house on Znamenka.

Professor A. Mikhailov, meanwhile, was developing a new project for the theater. Emperor Alexander the First approved the project in 1821. The construction was entrusted to the architect O. Bova. As a result, a new building grew up on the site of the burnt building - huge and majestic, the largest in Europe, it was recognized as the second largest after the La Scala theater in Milan. The facade of the theater, which was called Bolshoi for its scale, overlooked Teatralnaya Square.

In January 1825, namely on January 17, an issue of the Moskovskie Vedomosti newspaper was published, which talked about the construction of a new theater building. In the article about the theater, it was noted that this event appears to posterity as a kind of miracle, and to contemporaries - as something absolutely amazing. This event brings Russia closer to Europe - just one glance at the Bolshoi Theater is enough... The opening of the Bolshoi Theater was accompanied by the prologue of Alyabyev and Verstovsky “The Triumph of the Muses”, as well as the ballet F. Sora “Cendrillon”. The patron of the muses, Apollo, read from the stage solemn poetic lines, in which the beginning of new, happy times in the milking of Russia was passionately proclaimed. “The proud stranger... will envy the abundant fruits of the world... looking with envy at our banners.” There were so many people who wanted to see the first production at the Bolshoi Theater with their own eyes that the management had to sell tickets in advance, thus avoiding crowds on the day of the premiere. Despite its impressive size, the theater auditorium could not accommodate even half the audience. In order to satisfy the requests of the audience and not offend anyone, the next day the performance was completely repeated.

A. Verstovsky, a famous Russian composer, held the position of music inspector in those years. His personal contribution to the development of the national opera theater is very great. Subsequently, Verstovsky became an inspector of the repertoire, and then a manager at the Moscow theater office. Russian musical dramaturgy received its development under Verstovsky - it all started with small vaudeville operas, and then grew into large operatic works of a romantic nature. The pinnacle of the repertoire was the opera “Askold’s Grave,” written by Verstovsky himself.

M. Glinka's operas became not just a colossal phenomenon in the history of classical music in general, but also a significant stage in the development of the Bolshoi Theater. Glinka is rightfully considered the founder of Russian classics. In 1842, his “heroic-tragic” opera “Ivan Susanin” (“Life for the Tsar”) was staged on the new stage, and in 1845 the opera “Ruslan and Lyudmila” was staged. Both of these works played an important role in establishing the traditions of the musical epic genre, as well as in laying the foundations of our own Russian operatic repertoire.

Composers A. Serov and A. Dargomyzhsky became worthy successors to M. Glinka’s endeavors. The public became acquainted with Dargomyzhsky’s opera “Rusalka” in 1859, and in 1865 Serov’s opera “Judith” saw the light of day. In the 40s, there was a tendency towards the disappearance of foreign performances from the Bolshoi Theater's repertoire, which were predominantly entertaining and lacking in substance. They are being replaced by serious opera productions by Ober, Mozart, Donizetti, Bellini and Rossini.

About the fire in the theater - it happened in 1853, on March 11. It was a frosty and cloudy early spring morning. The fire in the building broke out instantly; the cause could not be determined. In a matter of seconds, the fire engulfed all areas of the theater, including the auditorium and stage. In a few hours, all the wooden structures burned to the ground, except for the lower floor with the buffet, office and cash register, as well as the side halls. They tried to extinguish the flame within two days, and on the third day only charred columns and ruins of walls remained at the site of the theater. Many valuable things were lost in the fire - beautiful costumes, rare scenery, expensive musical instruments, part of the music library collected by Verstovsky, the archives of the theater troupe. The damage caused to the theater was estimated at approximately 10 million silver rubles. But the material losses were not so terrible as the mental pain. Eyewitnesses recalled that it was scary and painful to look at the giant engulfed in flames. There was a feeling that it was not the building that was dying, but a close and beloved person...

Restoration work began quite quickly. It was decided to erect a new building on the site of the burned one. Meanwhile, the Bolshoi Theater troupe gave performances in the Maly Theater. On May 14, 1855, the design of the new building was approved and scaffolding filled the area. Albert Kavos was appointed as the architect. It took a year and four months to restore the Bolshoi Theater. Remember when we said that part of the façade and outer walls were preserved at the fire? Kavos used them during construction, and also did not change the layout of the theater, only slightly increasing the height, slightly modifying the proportions and recreating the decorative elements. Kavos was well acquainted with the architectural features of the best European theaters and was well versed in the technical aspects of the stage and auditorium structure. All this knowledge helped him create excellent lighting, as well as optimize the optics and acoustics of the hall as much as possible. So, the new building was even more grandiose in size. The height of the theater was already 40 meters, not 36; the height of the portico increased by a meter. But the columns shrank a little, but only slightly, by only a fraction of a meter. As a result, the renovated Bolshoi Theater broke the most daring Italian records. For example, the San Carlo Theater in Naples could boast a curtain width of 24 arshins, the famous Milanese La Scala - 23 arshins, Fenice in Venice - 20 arshins. And at the Bolshoi Theater the width of the curtain was 30 arshins! (1 arshin is a little more than 71 centimeters).

Unfortunately, the pride of the Bolshoi Theater's architectural composition, the alabaster group headed by Apollo, perished in the fire. To create a new architectural group, Kavos turned to the Russian sculptor Pyotr Klodt. It is Pyotr Klodt who is the author of the famous equestrian groups that decorate the bridge over the Fontanka in St. Petersburg. The result of the sculptor’s work was a quadriga with Apollo, which became famous throughout the world. The quadriga was cast from a metal alloy and plated with red copper using galvanization. The new architectural group surpassed the old one in size by one and a half meters, its height was now 6.5 meters! The ensemble was marked along the ridge of the portico roof on a pedestal and moved forward a little. The sculpture represents four horses arranged in one row, galloping and harnessed to a quadriga, in which the god Apollo stands and controls them with a lyre and a laurel wreath.

Why was Apollo chosen as the symbol of the theater? As is known from Greek mythology, Apollo is the patron of the arts - poetry, singing, music. Ancient buildings were often decorated with quadrigas with similar deities. On the pediments of majestic buildings, both in Russia and Europe, one could often see such quadrigas.

The auditorium was decorated no less elegantly and luxuriously. The notes of the architect Albert Kavos have been preserved, in which he mentioned his work specifically on the auditorium of the Bolshoi Theater. Kavos wrote that he tried to decorate the hall magnificently, but not too pretentiously, mixing Byzantine style and light Renaissance. The main pride of the hall was the magnificent chandelier - candelabra decorated with crystal and lamps in three rows. The interior decoration itself deserves no less enthusiastic reviews - draperies in the boxes of a rich crimson color, decorated with gold patterns; the predominant color is white throughout, exquisite arabesques on all floors. The stucco molding of the barriers and carvings were done by master Akht and his brothers, the sculptural work was carried out by Schwartz, the painting on the walls was created by the hand of Academician Titov. The ceiling lamp in the auditorium was also painted by Titov. This design is unique, it occupies about 1000 square meters and is made in the theme “Apollo and the muses - patroness of the arts.”

According to ancient Greek legend, the god Apollo in the spring and summer went out to high Parnassus and the wooded slopes of Helicon to dance in a circle with the muses, of which, as is known, there were nine. The Muses are the daughters of Mnemosyne and the supreme god Zeus. They are young and beautiful. Apollo plays the golden cithara, and the muses sing in a harmonious choir. Each muse patronizes a certain type of art, and each of them has its own object that symbolizes this type of art. Calliope is responsible for epic poetry, plays the flute; Euterpe also plays the flute, but also reads a book - she is the patron of lyrical poetry. Another patroness of poetry, Erato, is responsible for love poems, and she holds a lyre in her hands. Melpomene carries a sword, she is the muse of tragedy. Thalia is in charge of comedy and holds an elegant mask, Terpsichore, the muse of dance, carries the tympanum. Clio is the muse of history, her eternal companion is papyrus. The muse responsible for astronomy, Urania, does not part with the globe. The ninth sister and muse, Polyhymnia, is called upon to patronize sacred hymns, but artists depict her as a muse of painting, with paints and a brush. When Apollo and the nine muses appear on Olympus, a blissful silence reigns, Zeus stops throwing menacing lightning and the gods dance to the magical melodies of Apollo’s cithara.

The curtain is another attraction of the Bolshoi Theater. This is a real work of art that was created by Cosroe-Duzi, a professor of painting from Venice. In Italian theaters, it was customary to depict some episode from the life of the city on the curtain, and for the Bolshoi Theater, according to the same tradition, they chose the year 1612 - namely, the episode when Muscovites greeted the liberators, soldiers led by Minin and Pozharsky. For forty years the curtain with this picture adorned the famous stage. Subsequently, the curtains at the Bolshoi Theater were changed more than once. In the 30s of the last century, the artist F. Fedorovsky developed a curtain project depicting three historical dates - 1871, 1905 and 1917 (the first date is the Paris Commune, the second date is the first revolution in Russia, the third date is the October Revolution). This topical design was maintained for fifteen years. Then, due to the general deterioration of the curtain, it was decided to keep the general style, but at the same time strengthen the political theme. The task of reconstructing the curtain was entrusted to the artist M. Petrovsky, the year was 1955. Petrovsky in his work was guided by Fedorovsky’s initial sketches.

The theater's renewed curtain was decorated with complex patterns. The design used an image of a scarlet banner and the inscription “USSR”, the phrase “Glory, glory, native land!” was added, as well as an image of a lyre, a golden star; Of course, the famous Soviet emblem of the hammer and sickle, symbolizing fertility and labor, could not be avoided. The material chosen for the curtain was silk with a gold thread running through it. The area of ​​the curtain was approximately 500 square meters, and its mass exceeded a ton.

But let's return to the 19th century, during the period of restoration work led by the architect Kavos. This work was completed in 1856, and on August 20, in the presence of royalty, the grand opening of the Bolshoi Theater took place. The Italian troupe performed the opera “The Puritans” by V. Bellini.

The external and internal appearance that the Bolshoi Theater acquired in 1856 has been preserved to this day, with some changes. The building in which the Bolshoi Theater is located is rightfully considered a masterpiece of Russian classical architecture, a historical and cultural landmark, an example of classical architecture, and one of the most beautiful theater buildings in the world.

Composer Sergei Rachmaninov wrote: “Have you ever seen the Moscow Bolshoi Theater in photographs? This building is magnificent and grandiose. The Bolshoi Theater is located on the square, which was formerly called Teatralnaya, since there was also another theater here, the Imperial, famous for its dramatic performances. The last theater is inferior in size to the first. According to their size, the theaters were named Bolshoi and Maly, respectively.”

For quite a long time, the Bolshoi Theater was a cultural institution subordinate to the Directorate of Imperial Theaters. The orchestra was led by random people who had little interest in the musical content of the productions. These “leaders” mercilessly deleted entire episodes from the scores, bass and baritone parts were redone for tenors, and tenor parts for basses, etc. For example, in K. Weber's opera The Magic Shooter, Kaspar's part was so disfigured and shortened that it turned into a dramatic one. To gain success with the audience, old popular productions were revived. F. Kokoshkin, director of the Moscow Imperial Theaters, compiled a report in 1827 in which he mentioned the following - he had to stage “attractive” performances in the repertoire of the Bolshoi Theater in order to eliminate the “shortage in income”; and he succeeded - the opera “The Invisible Man” provided impressive receipts.

The budget of Russian opera of that period was very limited. New costumes were not sewn, new sets were not built, being satisfied with old supplies. Even Glinka’s ceremonial opera “A Life for the Tsar” (“Ivan Susanin”) was performed in old sets and costumes until they completely turned into rags. The paucity of the stage environment was striking, especially in comparison with the St. Petersburg Theater. In St. Petersburg in the 1860s, decorative principles were completely updated and performances began to be designed on an unprecedented scale.

The second half of the 19th century brought with it some changes for the better. Changes began with the arrival of two talented musicians to the theater in the 1880s - I. Altani, who took the post of chief conductor, and U. Avranek, who received the post of second conductor and chief choirmaster. The size of the orchestra reached 100 people, the choir - 120 people. These years were characterized by the flourishing of musical art in Russia as a whole, which was inextricably linked with the impressive rise of public life. This rise led to progress in all areas of culture, not only in music. The best classical operatic works were created in that era; they later formed the basis of the national operatic repertoire, its heritage and pride.

Musical and stage art reached an unprecedented rise at the beginning of the twentieth century. The opera group of the Bolshoi Theater was enriched with brilliant singers, who later glorified the theater throughout the world - these are Fyodor Chaliapin, Leonid Sobinov, Antonina Nezhdanova. Sobinov's debut took place in 1897 in A. Rubinstein's opera "The Demon", where the future great singer performed the role of Synodal. The name of Fyodor Chaliapin began to sound in 1899, when the public first saw him on the opera stage in the role of Mephistopheles, in the play “Faust”. In 1902, Antonina Nezhdanova, while still a student at the Moscow Conservatory, performed brilliantly in M. Glinka’s opera “A Life for the Tsar” in the role of Antonida. Chaliapin, Sobinov and Nezhdanova are real diamonds in the opera history of the Bolshoi Theater. They found a wonderful performer, Pavel Khokhlov, the best in the role of the Demon and the creator of the stage image of Eugene Onegin.

In addition to enriching the ensemble with talented performers, the theater’s repertoire was also enriched at the beginning of the twentieth century. It includes grandiose and artistically significant performances. In 1901, on October 10, Rimsky-Korsakov’s opera “The Woman of Pskov” was released, in which Fyodor Chaliapin leads the role of Ivan the Terrible. In the same year, 1901, the opera “Mozart and Salieri” saw the light of the stage, in 1905 - “Pan-voevoda”. In 1904, a new version of the famous opera “A Life for the Tsar” was presented to the public at the Bolshoi Theater, in which the young “stars” of the troupe took part - Chaliapin and Nezhdanova. Domestic opera classics were also replenished with works by M. Mussorgsky “Khovanshchina”, Rimsky-Korsakov “The Tale of Tsar Saltan” (1913) and “The Tsar’s Bride” (1916). The Bolshoi Theater did not forget about the productions of remarkable foreign composers; operas by D. Puccini, P. Mascagni, R. Leoncavallo, as well as the opera cycle of R. Wagner were staged on its stage in those years.

Sergei Rachmaninov collaborated fruitfully and successfully with the Bolshoi Theater, showing himself not only as a brilliant composer, but also as a talented conductor. In his work, high professionalism and mastery in cutting execution were combined with a powerful temperament and the ability to have a subtle sense of style. Rachmaninov's works significantly improved the quality of Russian opera music. We also note that the name of this composer is associated with a change in the location of the conductor's console on the stage. Previously, the conductor had to position himself with his back to the orchestra, facing the stage, near the footlights; Now he stood so that he could see both the stage and the orchestra.

The magnificent and highly professional orchestra of the Bolshoi Theater, as well as its equally professional choir, deserve special attention. For 25 years, the orchestra was led by Vyacheslav Suk, and the choral group was led by Ulrich Avranek, conductor and choirmaster. The theater's performances were designed by artists Vasily Polenov, Alexander Golovin, Konstantin Korovin and Apollinary Vasnetsov. It was thanks to their creativity that the productions acquired a colorful, imaginative, majestic appearance.
The turn of the century brought with it not only achievements, but also problems. In particular, the contradictions between the policies pursued by the Directorate of Imperial Theaters and the artistic plans of creative theatrical forces intensified. The activities of the Directorate were technically backward and routine, and were still guided by the staging experience of imperial scenes. This conflict led to the fact that the Bolshoi Theater periodically dropped out of the cultural life of the capital, yielding the palm to the Opera House of S. Zimin and the Private Opera of S. Mamontov.

But the collapse of the imperial theaters was not far off. The last performance of the old format at the Bolshoi Theater took place in 1917, on February 28. And already on March 2, the following entry could be seen in the theater’s schedule: “Bloodless Revolution. There is no performance." On March 13, the official opening of the State Bolshoi Theater took place.

The activities of the Bolshoi Theater resumed, but not for long. The October events forced the performances to be interrupted. The last performance of the peace period was A. Delibes's opera "Lakmé" - was given on October 27. And then armed uprisings began...

The first season after the October Revolution was opened on November 8, 1917 by a general decision of the Bolshoi Theater staff. And on November 21, a performance took place on the stage of the theater - the opera “Aida” by D. Verdi under the direction of Vyacheslav Suk. The role of Aida was performed by Ksenia Derzhinskaya. On December 3, C. Saint-Saëns’ opera “Samson and Delilah” was published, which became the premiere of the season. Nadezhda Obukhova and Ignaci Dygas took part in it.

On December 7, 1919, an order was issued by A. Lunacharsky, People's Commissar of Education, according to which the Mariinsky, Mikhailovsky and Aleksandrovsky theaters in Petrograd, as well as the Bolshoi and Maly theaters in Moscow were to henceforth be called “State Academic”. Over the next few years, the fate of the Bolshoi Theater remained the subject of heated debate and intense debate. Some were confident that the theater would turn into the center of the musical forces of socialist art. Others argued that the Bolshoi Theater had no prospects for development and could not be transformed in accordance with the coming era. And it was a difficult time for the country - famine, fuel crisis, devastation and civil war. Periodically, the question of closing the Bolshoi Theater was raised, the necessity of its existence was questioned, and it was proposed to destroy the theater as a citadel of “inert” academicism.
After the October Revolution, theories of the “withering away of opera genres”, which arose at the beginning of the twentieth century, also became actively widespread.

Proletkult members zealously argued that opera was an art form with “negative baggage” and was not needed by Soviet people. In particular, it was proposed to remove the production of “The Snow Maiden” from the Bolshoi Theater’s repertoire, since one of its central characters is a half-monarch, half-god (Berendey), and this was unacceptable. In general, all the operas of the composer Rimsky-Korsakov did not suit the Proletkultists. They also vehemently attacked Giuseppe Verdi's La Traviata and Aida, as well as his other works. Opera in those years was defended by progressive intellectuals, led by A. Lunacharsky. The intelligentsia actively and selflessly fought to preserve the classical opera repertoire and to prevent nihilistic proletcult performances from being staged. Lunacharsky boldly criticized vulgarizing ideas, opposed attacks on Aida and La Traviata, and argued that many party members loved these operas. Soon after the revolution, Lunacharsky, on behalf of Lenin, turned to the theater management with a request to develop interesting events to attract the creative intelligentsia to education. The Bolshoi Theater responded to this request with a cycle of symphony orchestras that did not leave the stage for no less than five years. These concerts consisted of classical works, both Russian and foreign. Each performance was accompanied by an explanatory lecture. Lunacharsky himself took part in these concerts as a lecturer, calling them “the best phenomenon in the musical life of the capital of the 20s of the 20th century.” These events were held in the auditorium. They removed the barrier that separated the hall from the orchestra pit, placing the string group on specially adapted machines. The first concert of the cycle took place in 1919, on May 4. The hall was crowded. Works by Wagner, Beethoven and Bach were performed, and the orchestra was conducted by S. Koussevitzky.

Symphony concerts at the Bolshoi Theater were held on Sundays in the morning. Subsequently, the program included works by Liszt and Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Scriabin and Rachmaninov, and the orchestra was conducted by Emil Cooper, Vyacheslav Suk, Oscar Fried and Bruno Walter. And composer Alexander Glazunov conducted the orchestra independently during the performance of his works.

A concert hall was opened to the public in the early 1920s at the Bolshoi Theater, which was subsequently recognized as one of the most acoustically well-built, elegant and sophisticated halls in Moscow. Nowadays this hall is called the Beethoven Hall. The former imperial foyer was inaccessible to the general public in pre-revolutionary years. Only a lucky few were able to see its luxurious walls, decorated with silk and handmade embroidery; its stunningly beautiful ceiling with stucco in the style of Old Italy; its rich bronze chandeliers. In 1895, this hall was created as a work of art, and in this unchanged form it has survived to this day. In 1920, the soloist of the Bolshoi Theater V. Kubatsky proposed placing several hundred chairs in the hall and building a compact stage on which instrumental evenings and chamber concerts began to be held.

In 1921, namely on February 18, the opening ceremony of a new concert hall at the Bolshoi Theater took place. The ceremony was timed to coincide with the 150th anniversary of the birth of the brilliant composer, Ludwig van Beethoven. Lunacharsky spoke at the opening of the hall and gave a speech in which he noted that Beethoven was very dear to the “people's” Russia, “striving for communism” and especially needed... after that the hall began to be called Beethovensky. Many years later, in 1965, a bust of Beethoven by sculptor P. Shapiro will be installed here.

So, the Beethoven Hall became the venue for chamber music concerts. Famous instrumentalists and performers performed here - Nadezhda Obukhova, Konstantin Igumnov, Svyatoslav Knushevitsky, Vera Dulova, Antonina Nezhdanova, Egon Petri, Isai Dobrovein, Ksenia Erdeli and many others. Musical Moscow became inextricably linked with the Beethoven Hall of the Bolshoi Theater... this continued until the period of the Second World War. The hall was closed and was inaccessible to the public for almost two decades. The second opening took place in 1978, on March 25. The doors of the famous hall opened, and the public was again able to attend Saturday afternoon concerts, almost each of which became a real event in the capital's musical life.

It should be noted that in the 1920s, a unique belfry was installed in the Bolshoi Theater, which has no analogues in the whole world. It was collected by bell ringer A. Kusakin throughout Russia; By the way, it was Kusakin who for many years was the only performer of bell ringing in theatrical productions. The bells were selected based on tonal characteristics; their number reaches forty. The largest bell weighs more than five tons with a diameter of almost three meters; The diameter of the smallest bell is 20 centimeters. We can hear real bell ringing at opera performances “Prince Igor”, “Ivan Susanin”, “Boris Godunov” and others.

The second stage has been actively involved in Bolshoi Theater productions since the end of the 19th century. In the fall of 1898, the opening of the Imperial New Theater took place on the premises of the Shelaputinsky Theater (now known as the Central Children's Theater). Here, until the autumn of 1907, young artists of the Bolshoi and Maly theaters gave performances. In 1922, on January 8, the New Theater was reopened with the opera “The Barber of Seville” by D. Rossini. In the summer of 1924, the Bolshoi Theater troupe performed on this stage for the last time. In September of the same year, the Experimental Theater was opened - it was located in the former Opera House of S. Zimin (now we know it as the Moscow Operetta Theater). The opera “Trilby” by A. Yurasovsky was performed at the opening. September turned out to be a rich month for discoveries - in 1928, performances of the Second GATOB began in this month. Between June 1930 and December 1959, a branch of the Bolshoi Theater operated here. During this period, 19 ballet and 57 opera productions saw the stage light.

In 1961, the Bolshoi Theater troupe received premises that belonged to the Kremlin Palace of Congresses. Every evening more than six thousand spectators filled the hall, and over 200 performances were performed per season. The work of the Bolshoi Theater in this building was completed in 1989, on May 2, with the opera “Il Trovatore” by Giuseppe Verdi.

Let's go back to the 20s - although the time was difficult and the conditions for creative work were extremely harsh, serious works by Rimsky-Korsakov, Glinka, Mussorgsky, Dargomyzhsky, Tchaikovsky and Borodin were not released from the Bolshoi Theater repertoire. The theater management did its best to introduce the public to famous operas by foreign composers. Here, for the first time, the Russian public saw Salome, Cio-Cio-San (1925), Floria Tosca (1930), and The Marriage of Figaro (1926). The stage embodiment of modern operas has occupied the Bolshoi Theater staff since the 1920s. The premiere of Yurasovsky's opera Trilby took place in 1924, and in 1927 the curtain rose on Prokofiev's opera The Love for Three Oranges. Over the course of five years (until 1930), the Bolshoi Theater produced 14 ballets and operas by contemporary composers. These works were destined for different stage fates - some were performed only a couple of times, others lasted for several seasons, and some operas continue to delight audiences to this day. The modern repertoire, however, was characterized by fluidity due to the complexity of the creative searches of young composers. These experiments were not always successful. In the 1930s, the situation changed - operas by Gliere, Asafiev, and Shostakovich began to appear one after another. The skills of performers and authors were mutually and fruitfully enriched. The updated repertoire brought up new artists. The rich opportunities of young performers allowed composers and playwrights to expand the range of creative searches. In this regard, one cannot fail to note the opera “Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk,” written by the great composer Dmitry Shostakovich. It was staged at the Bolshoi Theater in 1935. Also of no small importance were the so-called “song” operas of the famous author I. Dzerzhinsky - “Quiet Don” (1936) and “Virgin Soil Upturned” (1937).

The Great Patriotic War began, and the work of the theater in the hospital had to be suspended. The troupe was evacuated to Kuibyshev (Samara) by government order of October 14, 1941. The building remained empty... The Bolshoi Theater operated under evacuation for almost two years. At first, spectators who came to the Kuibyshev Palace of Culture saw only individual concert programs performed by orchestra artists, ballets and operas, but in the winter of 1941 full-fledged performances began - Verdi's La Traviata, Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake. The repertoire of the Bolshoi Theater in 1943 in Kuibyshev included nine operas and five ballet productions. And in 1942, on March 5, Shostakovich’s Seventh Symphony was performed here for the first time in the country by the Bolshoi Theater Orchestra under the direction of S. Samosud. This musical event became significant in the culture of both Russia and the whole world.

However, it should be mentioned that not all the artists went to the rear; some remained in Moscow. Part of the troupe continued to perform in the branch premises. The action was often interrupted by air attacks, the audience had to go down to the bomb shelter, but the performance invariably continued after the all-clear signal. In 1941, on October 28, a bomb was dropped on the Bolshoi Theater building. It destroyed the façade wall and exploded in the foyer. For a long time, the theater, closed with a camouflage net, seemed abandoned forever. But in fact, restoration and repair work was actively going on inside it. In the winter of 1942, a group of artists headed by P. Korin began to restore the interior design of the theater, and in 1943, on September 26, work on the main stage was resumed with one of the favorite operas - “Ivan Susanin” by M. Glinka.

As the years passed, the theater continued to develop and improve. In the 1960s, a new rehearsal hall was opened here, which was located on the top floor, almost under the roof. The shape and size of the new site were not inferior to the playing stage. In the adjacent hall there was space for an orchestra pit and a vast amphitheater, which traditionally houses musicians, actors, choreographers, artists and, of course, directors.

In 1975, they were preparing for a large-scale celebration in honor of the 200th anniversary of the founding of the theater. The restorers did a great job - they updated the gilding, carvings and stucco in the auditorium, and restored the previous white and gold design, hidden under layers of paint. 60,000 sheets of gold leaf were required to return the barriers of the boxes to their regal shine. The stocks were also decorated with dark red fabric. We removed the luxurious chandelier, thoroughly cleaned the crystal and repaired minor damage. The chandelier returned to the ceiling of the Bolshoi Theater auditorium in an even more magnificent form, shining with all 288 lamps.

After restoration, the auditorium of the country's most important theater again began to resemble a golden tent woven from gold, snow, fiery rays and purple.
The post-war period for the Bolshoi Theater was marked by the appearance of new productions of operas by domestic composers - these are “Eugene Onegin” (1944) and “Boris Godunov” (1948) and “Khovanshchina” (1950), “(1949), “The Legend of the City of Kitezh” , “Mlada”, “The Golden Cockerel”, “Ruslan and Lyudmila”, “The Night Before Christmas”. Paying tribute to the creative heritage of Czech, Polish, Slovak and Hungarian composers, the Bolshoi Theater added to its repertoire the operatic works “The Bartered Bride” (1948), “Pebble” (1949), “Her Stepdaughter” (1958), “Bank Ban” (1959) . The Bolshoi Theater did not forget about productions of foreign operas; Aida, Othello and Falstaff, Tosca, Fidelio and Fra Diavolo reappeared on the stage. Subsequently, the repertoire of the Bolshoi Theater was enriched with such rare works as “Iphigenia in Aulis” (1983, K. Gluck), “Julius Caesar” (1979, G. Handel), “The Beautiful Miller’s Wife” (1986, D. Paisiello), “The Spanish Hour” "(1978, M. Ravel).

The stage performance of operas by contemporary authors at the Bolshoi Theater was marked by major successes. The premiere of the opera “Decembrists” by Yu. Shaporin in 1953, a magnificent musical work on a historical theme, was sold out. Also, the theater’s poster was full of wonderful operas by Sergei Prokofiev - “War and Peace”, “The Gambler”, “Semyon Kotko”, “Betrothal in a Monastery”.

The Bolshoi Theater staff carried out continuous and fruitful cooperation with musical figures of foreign theaters. For example, in 1957, the orchestra at the opera “The Taming of the Shrew” at the Bolshoi Theater was conducted by the Czech maestro Zdenek Halabala, and the conductor from Bulgaria, Asen Naydenov, took part in the production of the opera “Don Carlos”. German directors were invited, Erhard Fischer, Joachim Herz, who prepared for the productions of the opera “Il Trovatore” by Giuseppe Verdi and “The Flying Dutchman” by Richard Wagner. The opera "Duke Bluebeard's Castle" was staged at the Bolshoi Theater in 1978 by the Hungarian director András Miko. Nikolai Benois, an artist from the famous La Scala, designed the performances of A Midsummer Night's Dream (1965), Un ballo in maschera (1979), and Mazeppa (1986) at the Bolshoi Theater.

The Bolshoi Theater staff is larger in number than many theater groups in the world, numbering over 900 orchestra, choir, ballet, opera, and mime ensemble artists. One of the main principles of the Bolshoi Theater's activities was the right of each artist not to be an isolated, separate unit, but to be part of a single whole as its important and integral part. Here, stage action and music are closely interconnected, they reinforce each other, acquiring special psychological and emotional properties that can have a strong impact on listeners and spectators.

The Bolshoi Theater Orchestra is also a reason to be proud. He is distinguished by the highest professionalism, an impeccable sense of style, perfect teamwork and musical culture. 250 artists are part of the orchestra, which performs a rich repertoire, rich in works of foreign and Russian opera drama. The Bolshoi Theater Choir consists of 130 performers. It is an essential component of every opera production. The ensemble is characterized by high skill, which was noted during the French tour of the Bolshoi Theater by the Parisian press. The newspaper wrote that not a single world opera house had ever known such a thing where the audience called for an encore of the choir. But this happened during the premiere performance of “Khovanshchina”, performed by the Bolshoi Theater in Paris. The audience applauded with delight and did not calm down until the choir artists repeated their magnificent number for an encore.

The Bolshoi Theater can also be proud of its talented mime ensemble, created back in the 1920s. The main purpose of the ensemble was to participate in crowd scenes, as well as to perform individual playing parts. 70 artists work in this ensemble, taking part in every production of the Bolshoi Theater, both ballet and opera.
The performances of the Bolshoi Theater have long been included in the golden fund of world opera art. The Bolshoi Theater largely dictates to the whole world the future paths of stage development and reading of classical works, and also successfully masters the modern forms of opera and ballet.

At the mere mention of the Bolshoi, theatergoers all over the world take their breath away and their hearts begin to beat faster. A ticket to his performance is the best gift, and each premiere is accompanied by a flurry of enthusiastic responses from both fans and critics. State Academic Bolshoi Theater of Russia has significant weight not only in our country, but also abroad, because the best singers and dancers of their era have always performed on its stage.

How the Bolshoi Theater began

In the early spring of 1776, the Empress Catherine II by her highest decree she ordered the organization of “theatrical ... performances” in Moscow. Hastened to fulfill the will of the empress Prince Urusov, who served as the provincial prosecutor. He began the construction of the theater building on Petrovka. The temple of art did not have time to open, as it died in a fire during the construction stage.

Then the entrepreneur got down to business Michael Maddox, under whose leadership a brick building was erected, decorated with white stone decoration and having a height of three floors. The theater, called Petrovsky, was opened at the very end of 1780. Its hall accommodated about a thousand spectators, and the same number of Terpsichore fans could watch the performances from the gallery. Maddox owned the building until 1794. During this time, more than 400 performances were staged on the stage of the Petrovsky Theater.

In 1805, a new fire destroyed the stone building, and for a long time the troupe wandered around the stages of home theaters of the Moscow aristocracy. Finally, three years later, the famous architect K. I. Rossi completed the construction of a new building on Arbat Square, but the fire did not spare it either. The new temple of musical art was destroyed in a big fire that happened in Moscow during the occupation of the capital by the Napoleonic army.

Four years later, the Moscow development commission announced a competition for the best design for a new musical theater building. The competition was won by the project of a professor at the Imperial Academy of Arts A. Mikhailova. Later, the architect who implemented the idea made significant modifications to the drawings O. I. Bove.

Historical building on Teatralnaya Square

During the construction of the new building, the foundation of the burnt Petrovsky Theater was partially used. Beauvais's idea was that the theater should symbolize the victory over Napoleon in the Patriotic War of 1812. As a result, the building was a stylized temple in the Empire style, and the grandeur of the building was emphasized by the wide area laid out in front of the main facade.

The grand opening took place on January 6, 1825, and the spectators who attended the performance of “The Triumph of the Muses” noted the splendor of the building, the beauty of the scenery, amazing costumes and, of course, the unsurpassed skill of the performers of the main roles in the first performance on the new stage.

Unfortunately, fate did not spare this building either, and after the fire of 1853, only a portico with a colonnade and external stone walls remained. Restoration work under the direction of the chief architect of the Imperial Theaters Albert Kavos lasted three years. As a result, the proportions of the building were slightly changed: the theater became much wider and more spacious. The facades were given eclectic features, and the sculpture of Apollo, which died in the fire, was replaced by a bronze quadriga. The premiere of Bellini's "The Puritans" in the renovated building took place in 1856.

Bolshoi Theater and new times

The revolution brought many changes to all spheres of life, and theater was no exception. At first the Bolshoi was awarded the title of academic, and then they wanted to close it altogether, but the All-Russian Central Executive Committee issued a resolution to preserve the theater. In the 1920s, the building underwent some renovation work, which not only strengthened the walls, but also destroyed any opportunity for spectators to demonstrate their rank hierarchy.

The Great Patriotic War became a difficult time for the troupe. The theater was evacuated to Kuibyshev, and the performances were staged on the local stage. The artists made a significant contribution to the defense fund, for which the troupe received gratitude from the head of state.

In the post-war years, the Bolshoi Theater was reconstructed several times. The latest work was carried out on the historical stage from 2005 to 2011.

Repertoire past and present

In the early years of the theater's existence, its troupe did not attach too much importance to the content of the productions. Aristocrats became ordinary spectators of the performances, spending their time in idleness and entertainment. Every evening up to three or four performances could be played on stage, and in order not to get bored with the small audience, the repertoire was changed very often. Benefit performances were also popular, hosted by both famous and leading actors and the supporting cast. The performances were based on the works of European playwrights and composers, but dance sketches on themes of Russian folk life and life were also present in the repertoire.

In the 19th century, significant musical works began to be staged on the Bolshoi stage, which became historical events in the cultural life of Moscow. In 1842 they played for the first time "A Life for the Tsar" by Glinka, and in 1843 the audience applauded the soloists and ballet participants A. Adana "Giselle". The second half of the 19th century was marked by works Marius Petipa, thanks to which the Bolshoi is known as the first stage for “Don Quixote of La Mancha” by Minkus and “Swan Lake” by Tchaikovsky.

The heyday of the main Moscow theater occurred at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. During this period, they shine on the stage of the Bolshoi Chaliapin And Sobinov, whose names become known throughout the world. The repertoire is enriching Opera "Khovanshchina" by Mussorgsky, stands at the conductor's stand Sergei Rachmaninov, and great Russian artists - Benois, Korovin and Polenov - take part in the work on the scenery for performances.

The Soviet era brought many changes to the theater stage. Many performances are subject to ideological criticism, and Bolshoi choreographers strive to find new forms in the art of dance. Opera is represented by works by Glinka, Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky and Rimsky-Korsakov, but the names of Soviet composers appear more and more often on posters and program covers.

After the end of the war, the most significant premiers of the Bolshoi Theater were "Cinderella" and "Romeo and Juliet" by Prokofiev. The incomparable Galina Ulanova shines in the leading roles in ballet productions. In the 60s, viewers were captivated by Maya Plisetskaya, dancing "Carmen Suite", and Vladimir Vasiliev in the role of Spartacus in the ballet by A. Khachaturian.

In recent years, the troupe has increasingly resorted to experiments, which are not always clearly assessed by the audience and critics. Drama and film directors participate in the work on performances, scores are returned to the author's editions, the concept and style of decorations are increasingly becoming the subject of fierce debate, and productions are broadcast in cinemas around the world and on Internet channels.

During the existence of the Bolshoi Theater, many interesting events were associated with it. Outstanding people of their time worked at the theater, and the main building of the Bolshoi became one of the symbols of the Russian capital:

- At the time of the opening of the Petrovsky Theater, its troupe consisted of about 30 artists and just over a dozen accompanists. Today, about a thousand artists and musicians serve in the Bolshoi Theater.

At different times they performed on the stage of the Bolshoi Elena Obraztsova and Irina Arkhipova, Maris Liepa and Maya Plisetskaya, Galina Ulanova and Ivan Kozlovsky. During the existence of the theater, more than eighty of its artists were awarded the title of People's Artist, and eight of them were awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labor. Ballerina and choreographer Galina Ulanova was awarded this honorary title twice.

An ancient chariot with four harnessed horses, called a quadriga, was often depicted on various buildings and structures. Such chariots were used in ancient Rome during triumphal processions. The quadriga of the Bolshoi Theater was made by a famous sculptor Peter Klodt. His equally famous works are sculptures of horses on the Anichkov Bridge in St. Petersburg.

In the 30-50s. last century, the main artist of the Bolshoi was Fedor Fedorovsky- a student of Vrubel and Serov, who worked with Diaghilev in Paris at the beginning of the century. It was he who in 1955 created the famous brocade curtain of the Bolshoi Theater, called “golden”.

- In 1956, the ballet troupe traveled to London for the first time.. Thus began a series of famous Bolshoi tours in Europe and the world.

Had great success on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater Marlene Dietrich. The famous German actress performed in the building on Theater Square in 1964. She brought her famous show “Marlene Expirience” to Moscow and was called to bow two hundred times during her performances.

Soviet opera singer Mark Reisen set a Guinness record on the Bolshoi stage. In 1985, at the age of 90, he performed the part of Gremin in the play Eugene Onegin.

During Soviet times, the theater was twice awarded the Order of Lenin.

The building of the historical stage of the Bolshoi Theater is on the list of objects of cultural heritage of the peoples of Russia.

The latest reconstruction of the main building of the Bolshoi cost 35.4 billion rubles. The work lasted six years and three months, and on October 28, 2011, the theater was inaugurated after renovation.

New scene

In 2002, the Bolshaya Bolshaya Theater's New Stage was opened on Bolshaya Dmitrovka Street. The premiere was a production of Rimsky-Korsakov’s opera “The Snow Maiden”. The new stage served as the main stage during the reconstruction of the main building, and from 2005 to 2011 the entire Bolshoi repertoire was staged on it.

After the grand opening of the renovated main building, the New Stage began to host touring troupes from theaters in Russia and around the world. From the permanent repertoire at Bolshaya Dmitrovka, the operas “The Queen of Spades” by Tchaikovsky, “The Love for Three Oranges” by Prokofiev and “The Snow Maiden” by N. Rimsky-Korsakov are still staged. Ballet fans can see “The Bright Stream” by D. Shostakovich and “Carmen Suite” by J. Bizet and R. Shchedrin on the New Stage.

On the site of the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow Previously there was the Petrovsky Theater, which completely burned down on October 8, 1805.

In 1806, with money from the Russian treasury, the site was purchased, and with it the surrounding buildings.

According to the original plans, this was done in order to simply clear large areas to prevent large fires in Moscow.

But even then they began to think about creating a theater square on this site. There was neither a project nor money at that time, and they returned to their plans only at the beginning of 1816, after the war with Napoleon.

To the already approved territory for the creation of Theater Square, the courtyards of two demolished churches were added. And in May the project was approved by Alexander I.

History of the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow begins in 1817, when the tsar was presented with a project for a new theater that was to be built on this site.

It is interesting that the building’s façade was already oriented in the design with access to the square (this is exactly how the theater looks now), although the old Petrovsky Theater had a central entrance from the side of the current Central Department Store. The project was presented to the Tsar by General Engineer Corbinier.

But then the unimaginable happened!

The project somehow disappeared without a trace on the eve of its presentation to the Governor General of Moscow D.V. Golitsyn. Architect O.I. Beauvais is urgently preparing new drawings of the building plan with two floors and a sketch of the facade.

In 1820, work began to clear the territory and begin construction of the Bolshoi Theater. By this time, the project of the architect A. Mikhailov had already been approved, which preserved the concept laid down by the architect O.I. Beauvais.

The appearance of the theater in Moscow was influenced by the design of the Bolshoi St. Petersburg Theater, reconstructed in 1805 by the architect Tom de Thomas. The building also featured a sculpted pediment and Ionic columns.

Simultaneously with the construction of the theater, work was underway to enclose the Neglinnaya River in a pipe (it runs from the corner of the Maly Theater building and goes to the Alexander Garden).

The freed “wild stone” with which the river embankment was covered, as well as the steps of the Kuznetsky Bridge, were used for the construction of the Bolshoi Theater. The bases of the columns at the central entrance were made of stone.

The Bolshoi Theater building turned out to be grandiose.

The stage alone occupied an area equal to the area of ​​the entire former Petrovsky Theater, and the walls left after the fire became the frame of this part of the theater. The auditorium was designed for 2200-3000 seats. The theater boxes were supported on cast iron brackets, the weight of which was more than 1 ton. Enfilades of masquerade rooms stretched along both side facades.

The construction of the building took a little over 4 years.

The opening took place on January 6, 1825 with the play “The Triumph of the Muses”, the musical accompaniment for which was written by A. Alyabyev and A. Verstovsky.

In the initial years of its development, the Bolshoi Theater was not a purely musical platform. Representatives of all genres were able to give performances here.

And the name of Teatralnaya Square, on which the Bolshoi Theater stood, did not reflect the essence. At first, it was intended for drill training; it was fenced and entry to it was severely limited.

Over the following years, the theater was constantly reconstructed. This is how separate entrances to the royal and ministerial boxes appeared, the ceiling of the hall was completely rewritten, and artillery chambers were built in place of the masquerade halls. The main stage did not go unnoticed.

In March 1853, a fire started in the theater. A fire began to burn in one of the closets and the fire quickly engulfed the scenery and the theater curtain. Wooden buildings contributed to the rapid spread of the flames and the force of the elements, which subsided only after a few days.

7 people died during the fire. Only thanks to the actions of two servants was it possible to avoid more casualties (they took a group of children who were studying on the main stage of the theater from the fire).

The building was heavily damaged by fire.

The roof and back wall of the stage collapsed. The interior was burnt out. The cast iron columns of the mezzanine boxes melted, and in place of the tiers only metal brackets were visible.

Immediately after the fire, a competition was announced to restore the Bolshoi Theater building. Many famous architects presented their works: A. Nikitin (created designs for many Moscow theaters, took part in the last reconstruction of the building before the fire), K.A. Ton (architect of the Grand Kremlin Palace and the Cathedral of Christ the Savior).

The competition was won by A.K. Kavos, who had more experience in building music halls. He also had a deep knowledge of acoustics.

For better sound reflection, the architect changed the curvature of the hall walls. The ceiling was made flatter and gave the appearance of a guitar soundboard. Under the stalls, they filled in a corridor that had previously served as a dressing room. The walls were covered with wooden panels. All this led to a significant improvement in acoustics, an important component of any theater.

The portal arch of the stage was increased to the width of the hall, and the orchestra pit was deepened and expanded. We reduced the width of the corridors and created outer rooms. The height of the tiers became the same on all floors.

During this reconstruction, a royal box was built and placed opposite the stage. Internal transformations have added comfort to the seats, but at the same time reduced their number.

The curtain for the theater was painted by the then famous artist Kozroe Duzi. The plot was the theme with Prince Pozharsky at the head, who enters the Moscow Kremlin through the gates of the Spasskaya Tower.

The appearance of the building has also undergone changes.

The Bolshoi Theater building has increased in height. An additional pediment was erected above the main portico, which covered an impressive decorative hall. Klodt's quadriga was brought forward a little and it began to hang directly over the colonnade. The side entrances were decorated with cast iron canopies.

More sculptural decorations were added to the external decoration, and decorative niches were built in. The walls were covered with rustication and they were no longer smoothly plastered as before. The podium in front of the entrance was equipped with a ramp for carriages to enter.

By the way, the most common question is: “How many columns does the Bolshoi Theater have?” Their number did not change even after the reconstruction. There were still 8 of them.

The revived theater stopped staging any performances on its stage, but began to limit its repertoire only to ballet and opera performances.

At the end of the century, noticeable cracks appeared on the building. A thorough examination showed that the building needed major repairs and work to strengthen the foundation.

From 1894 until the first years of the new millennium, a grandiose reconstruction of the Bolshoi was carried out: the lighting became completely electric, the heating was switched to steam, and the ventilation system was improved. At the same time, the first telephones appeared in the theater.

The foundation of the building could only be strengthened during the years of Soviet Power, 1921-1925. Supervised the work of I.I. Rerberg is the architect of the Kievsky railway station and the Central Moscow Telegraph.

Reconstruction of the theater is carried out constantly. Our time was no exception.

At the beginning of the third millennium, transformations affected not only the interior decoration and the exterior of the building. The theater began to grow in depth. A new concert hall is located under the current Theater Square.

Did you like the material? It's easy to say thank you! We will be very grateful if you share this article on social networks.