Theater and music of ancient Rus'. Russian theatrical art. Russian theater Russian theater (Russian theater) has gone through a different path of formation and development than European, oriental theater. Home theater building

Russian theater RUSSIAN THEATER (THEATRE OF RUSSIA) has gone through a different path of formation and development than European, Eastern or American theater. The stages of this path are connected with the uniqueness of the history of Russia - its economy, changes in social formations, religion, the special mentality of Russians, etc. THEATER

The origin and formation of Russian theater Theater in its ritual and ceremonial forms, as in every ancient community, was widespread in Rus'; it existed in mystery forms. In this case, we mean mystery not as a genre of medieval European theater, but as a group action associated with everyday and sacred purposes, most often - to receive the help of a deity in situations important for the functioning of the human community

The origin and formation of the Russian theater. These were the stages of the agricultural cycle - sowing, harvesting, natural disasters - drought, epidemics and epizootics, events of a tribal and family nature - wedding, birth of a child, death, etc. These were pratheater performances based on ancient tribal and agricultural magic, therefore the theater of this period is mainly studied by folklorists and ethnographers, and not by theater historians. But this stage is extremely important - like any beginning that sets the vector of development.

The origin and formation of the Russian theater From such ritual actions arose the line of development of the Russian theater as a folk theater, folk theater, presented in many forms - puppet theater (Petrushka, nativity scene, etc.), booth (raek, bear fun, etc.), traveling actors ( guslars, singers, storytellers, acrobats, etc.), etc. Until the 17th century theater in Russia developed only as a folk theater; other theatrical forms, unlike in Europe, did not exist here. Until the 10th–11th centuries. Russian theater developed along the path characteristic of the traditional theater of the East or Africa - ritual-folklore, sacred, built on original mythology

The origin and formation of Russian theater Around the 11th century. the situation is changing, at first gradually, then more strongly, which led to a fundamental change in the development of Russian theater and its further formation under the influence of European culture.

Professional theater The first representatives of professional theater were buffoons, working in almost all genres of street performances. The first evidence of buffoons dates back to the 11th century, which makes it possible to verify that buffoon art was a phenomenon that had long been formed and entered into the everyday life of all layers of the then society. The formation of the Russian original buffoonery art, coming from rites and rituals, was also influenced by the “tours” of traveling European and Byzantine comedians - histrions, troubadours, vagants

The school-church theater "Stoglavy" Cathedral of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1551 played a decisive role in establishing the idea of ​​​​religious-state unity and entrusted the clergy with the responsibility to create religious educational institutions. During this period, school drama and school-church performances appeared, which were staged in theaters at these educational institutions (colleges, academies). Figures personifying the state, church, ancient Olympus, wisdom, faith, hope, love, etc. appeared on the stage, transferred from the pages of books.

School-church theater Having originated in Kyiv, school church theater began to appear in other cities: Moscow, Smolensk, Yaroslavl, Tobolsk, Polotsk, Tver, Rostov, Chernigov, etc. Growing up within the walls of a theological school, he completed the theatricalization of church rites: liturgy, Holy Week services, Christmas, Easter and other rituals. Having arisen in the conditions of the emerging bourgeois life, the school theater for the first time on our soil separated the actor and the stage from the spectator and the auditorium, and for the first time led to a certain stage image for both the playwright and the actor.

Court theater The formation of the court theater in Russia is associated with the name of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. The time of his reign is associated with the formation of a new ideology focused on expanding diplomatic ties with Europe. Orientation towards the European way of life led to many changes in the life of the Russian court. I. Rozanov. Portrait of the founder of the first court theater Artamon Sergeevich Matveev

Court theater. Alexei Mikhailovich’s attempt to organize the first court theater dates back to 1660: in the “list” of orders and purchases for the tsar, the English merchant Hebdon was written by Alexei Mikhailovich with the task “To call to the Moscow state from the German lands masters to make comedy.” However, this attempt remained unsuccessful; The first performance of the Russian court theater took place only in May 1672. The tsar issued a decree in which Colonel Nikolai von Staden (a friend of boyar Matveev) was instructed to find people abroad who could “play comedies.”

Court Theater Performances became one of the most favorite entertainments at the Moscow court. There were 26 Russian actors. Boys played female roles. The role of Esther in the Artaxerxes performance was played by Blumentrost's son. Both foreigners and Russian actors were trained in a special school, which was opened on September 21, 1672 in the courtyard of Gregory’s house in the German settlement. It turned out to be difficult to train Russian and foreign students, and in the second half of 1675 two theater schools began to operate: at the Polish court - for foreigners, in Meshchanskaya Sloboda - for Russians

Court Theater The appearance of the first court theater coincided with the birth of Peter I (1672), who as a child saw the last performances of this theater. Having ascended the throne and begun the enormous work of Europeanizing Russia, Peter I could not help but turn to the theater as a means of promoting his innovative political and social ideas.

Petrovsky Theater Petrovsky Theater Since the end of the 17th century. In Europe, masquerades became fashionable, which appealed to the young Peter I. In 1698, dressed in the costume of a Friesland peasant, he participated in the Viennese masquerade. Peter decided to popularize his reforms and innovations through the art of theater. He planned to build a theater in Moscow, but not for a select few, but open to everyone. In 1698–1699, a puppet theater troupe worked in Moscow, headed by Jan Splavsky, and whom Peter ordered in 1701 to invite comedians from abroad. In 1702, Johann Kunst's troupe came to Russia.

The emergence of a public (public) theater After Elizabeth Petrovna ascended the throne in 1741, the introduction of European theater continued. Foreign troupes toured at the court - Italian, German, French, among them drama, opera and ballet, and commedia dell'arte. During the same period, the foundations of the national Russian professional theater were laid; it was during the reign of Elizabeth that the future “father of the Russian theater” Fyodor Volkov studied in Moscow, taking part in Christmastide performances and absorbing the experience of touring European troupes.

Theaters in educational institutions In the mid-18th century. theaters were organized in educational institutions (1749 - St. Petersburg Gentry Corps, 1756 - Moscow University), Russian theatrical performances were organized in St. Petersburg (organizer I. Lukin), in Moscow (organizers K. Baykulov, clerical workers led by Khalkov and Glushkov, "ink affairs master" Ivanov and others), in Yaroslavl (organizers N. Serov, F. Volkov). In 1747, another important event took place: the first poetic tragedy was written - Khorev by A. Sumarokova.

National public theater All this creates the preconditions for the emergence of a national public theater. For this purpose, in 1752 Volkov’s troupe was called from Yaroslavl to St. Petersburg. Talented amateur actors are selected to study in the Gentry Corps - A. Popov, I. Dmitrevsky, F. and G. Volkov, G. Emelyanov, P. Ivanov, etc. Among them are four women: A. Musina-Pushkina, A. Mikhailova, sisters M. and O. Ananyev.

Petrovsky Theater Petrovsky Theater Under Peter I, the beginning of performances in Siberia was laid by Metropolitan of Tobolsk Filofei Leshchinsky. In a handwritten chronicle dated 1727 it is said: “Philofey was a lover of theatrical performances, he made glorious and rich comedies, when he should be a spectator at a comedy for a collector, then he, Vladyka, made cathedral bells for the collection of reverence, and the theaters were between the Cathedral and St. Sergius churches and transported, where the people were going." The innovation of Metropolitan Philotheus was continued by his successors, some of them were students of the Kyiv Academy.

Theater under Anna Ioannovna Anna Ioannovna spent enormous sums on various celebrations, balls, masquerades, receptions for ambassadors, fireworks, illuminations and theatrical processions. At her court, the clownish culture revived, continuing the traditions of the “sedentary” buffoons - she had giants and dwarves, jesters and firecrackers. The most famous theatrical celebration was the “curious” wedding of the jester Prince Golitsyn with the Kalmyk firecracker Buzheninova in the Ice House on February 6, 1740.

Permanent public theater The first Russian permanent public theater was opened in 1756 in St. Petersburg, in the Golovkin House. A number of actors from the Yaroslavl troupe of F. Volkov, including the comic actor Ya. Shumsky, were added to the actors who were trained in the Gentry Corps. The theater was headed by Sumarokov, whose classicist tragedies formed the basis of the repertoire. The first place in the troupe was occupied by Volkov, who replaced Sumarokov as director, and occupied this place until his death in 1763 (this theater in 1832 would receive the name Alexandrinsky - in honor of the wife of Nicholas I.)

Creation of a drama theater The first public performances in Moscow date back to 1756, when students of the university gymnasium, under the leadership of their director, the poet M. Kheraskov, formed a theater troupe within the walls of the university. Representatives of Moscow's highest society were invited to the performances. In 1776, on the basis of the former university troupe, a drama theater was created, which received the name Petrovsky (also known as the Medox Theater). The Bolshoi (opera and ballet) and Maly (drama) theaters of Russia trace their pedigrees to this theater.

History of the Maly Theater The Maly Theater is the oldest theater in Russia. His troupe was created at Moscow University in 1756, immediately after the famous Decree of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, which marked the birth of professional theater in our country: We have now ordered the establishment of a Russian theater for the presentation of comedies and tragedies... The house of the merchant Vargin, where the Maly Theater opened in 1824

History of the Maly Theater In 1824, Bove rebuilt the mansion of the merchant Vargin for the theater, and the dramatic part of the Moscow troupe of the Imperial Theater received its own building on Petrovskaya (now Teatralnaya) Square and its own name - the Maly Theater. In 1824, Bove rebuilt the mansion of the merchant Vargin for the theater, and the dramatic part of the Moscow troupe of the Imperial Theater received its own building on Petrovskaya (now Teatralnaya) Square and its own name - the Maly Theater. The building of the Moscow Maly Theater, photograph from the 90s of the 19th century

Theater of the era of sentimentalism The period of classicism in Russia did not last long - the formation of sentimentalism began in the mid-1760s. “Tearful comedies” by V. Lukinsky, M. Verevkin, M. Kheraskov, comic opera, and bourgeois drama appeared. The strengthening of democratic tendencies in theater and drama was facilitated by the aggravation of social contradictions during the period of the peasant war of 1773–1775 and the traditions of folk theater. Thus, according to contemporaries, Shumsky used playing techniques close to those of buffoons. A satirical comedy is being developed - Minor by D. Fonvizin

Fortress theaters By the end of the 18th century. serf theaters are becoming widespread. Theater specialists - actors, choreographers, composers - were invited here to train with actors. Some of the serf theaters (Sheremetev in Kuskovo and Ostankino, Yusupov in Arkhangelsk) surpassed the state-owned theaters in the richness of their productions. At the beginning of the 19th century. the owners of some serf theaters begin to turn them into commercial enterprises (Shakhovskoy and others). Many famous Russian actors came from serf theaters, who were often released on rent to play in “free” theaters - incl. on the imperial stage (M. Shchepkin, L. Nikulina-Kositskaya, etc.). Dancer of the fortress theater

Theater at the turn of the century In general, the process of formation of professional theater in Russia in the 18th century. ended. The next, 19th century, became a period of rapid development of all directions of Russian theater. The Hermitage Theater, built by order of Catherine the Great in

Russian theater in the 19th century Russian theater in the 19th century Questions related to the development of the theater at the very beginning of the 19th century. were discussed at meetings of the Free Society of Lovers of Literature, Science and the Arts. Radishchev's follower I. Pnin, in his book Experience on Enlightenment in relation to Russia (1804), argued that theater should contribute to the development of society. Secondly, the relevance of the patriotic tragedies staged during this period, full of allusions to the modern situation (Oedipus in Athens and Dmitry Donskoy by V. Ozerov, plays by F. Schiller and W. Shakespeare), contributed to the formation of romanticism. This means that new principles of acting were established, the desire to individualize stage characters, reveal their feelings and psychology.

The theater was divided into two troupes in the first quarter of the 19th century. The first official separation of the Russian drama theater into a separate direction occurred (previously, the drama troupe worked together with the opera and ballet troupe, and the same actors often performed in performances of different genres). In 1824, the former Medox Theater was divided into two troupes - a drama troupe (Maly Theater) and an opera and ballet troupe (Bolshoi Theater). The Maly Theater gets a separate building. (In St. Petersburg, the drama troupe was separated from the musical troupe in 1803, but before moving to a separate building of the Alexandrinsky Theater in 1836, it still worked together with the opera and ballet troupe at the Mariinsky Theater.)

Alexandrinsky Theater For the Alexandrinsky Theater, the second half of the 19th century. turned out to be a more difficult period. Despite individual productions of plays by Ostrovsky, I. Turgenev, A. Sukhovo-Kobylin, A. Pisemsky, by the will of the Directorate of the Imperial Theaters, the main basis of the repertoire at that time was vaudeville and pseudo-folk drama. The troupe included many talented artists whose names are inscribed in the history of Russian theater: A. Martynov, P. Vasiliev, V. Asenkova, E. Guseva, Yu. Linskaya, V. Samoilov, and later, by the end of the 19th century. – P. Strepetova, V. Komissarzhevskaya, M. Dalsky, K. Varlamov, M. Savina, V. Strelskaya, V. Dalmatov, V. Davydov, etc. However, each of these brilliant actors appeared as if on their own, acting stars did not form a stage ensemble. In general, the state of the Alexandrinsky Theater at that time was not very enviable: the directors of the troupe were constantly changing, there was no strong direction, the number of premieres increased, and rehearsal time was reduced.

The largest opera and ballet theater in Russia, one of the oldest musical theaters in our country. It originates from the Stone (Bolshoi) Theater, opened in 1783. It has existed in a modern building (rebuilt after a fire at the Circus Theatre) since 1860, at which time it received a new name - the Mariinsky Theater.

Theater at the turn of the century The period of rapid rise and rapid flourishing of the Russian theater was the turn of the 19th–20th centuries. This time was a turning point for the entire world theater: a new theatrical profession appeared - the director, and in connection with this, a fundamentally new aesthetics of director's theater was formed. In Russia, these trends have manifested themselves especially clearly. This was a period of unprecedented growth in all Russian art, which later became known as the Silver Age. And dramatic theater - along with poetry, painting, scenography, ballet - appeared in a huge variety of aesthetic directions, focusing the attention of the world theater community.

Russian theater at the turn of the 19th–20th centuries Russian theater at the turn of the 19th–20th centuries In order to consider Russia at the turn of the 19th–20th centuries. the focus of world theatrical achievements, it would be enough for K. Stanislavsky alone with his stunning innovative ideas and the Moscow Art Theater created by him together with V. Nemirovich-Danchenko (1898). Despite the fact that the Moscow Art Theater opened with the play Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich by A.K. Tolstoy, the banner of the new theater was the dramaturgy of A. Chekhov, mysterious, not fully revealed to this day. No wonder there is a seagull on the curtain of the Moscow Art Theater, which refers to the title of one of Chekhov’s best plays and has become a symbol of the theater. But one of Stanislavsky’s main services to the world theater is the education of talented students who have absorbed the experience of his theatrical system and developed it further in the most unexpected and paradoxical directions (striking examples are V. Meyerhold, M. Chekhov, E. Vakhtangov).

VERA FEDOROVNA KOmissarzhevskaya In St. Petersburg, the “key figure” of this time was V. Komissarzhevskaya. Having made her debut on the stage of the Alexandrinsky Theater in 1896 (before that she had played in amateur performances by Stanislavsky), the actress almost immediately won the ardent love of the audience. Her own theater, which she created in 1904, played a huge role in the formation of a brilliant galaxy of Russian directing. At the Komissarzhevskaya Theater in 1906–1907, for the first time on the capital’s stage, Meyerhold established the principles of conventional theater (later he continued his experiments at the imperial theaters - Alexandrinsky and Mariinsky, as well as at the Tenishevsky School and in the theater studio on Borodinskaya Street)

Moscow Art Theater Moscow Art Theater In Moscow, the center of theatrical life was the Moscow Art Theater. There gathered a brilliant constellation of actors who played in performances that attracted a huge number of spectators: O. Knipper, I. Moskvin, M. Lilina, M. Andreeva, A. Artem, V. Kachalov, M. Chekhov, etc. Many trends were formed here modern directing: in addition to Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko, these were the works of L. Sulerzhitsky, K. Mardzhanov, Vakhtangov; The world famous G. Craig also came to the production. The Moscow Art Theater laid the foundations for modern scenography: M. Dobuzhinsky, N. Roerich, A. Benois, B. Kustodiev and others were involved in working on its performances. The Moscow Art Theater at that time actually determined the entire artistic life of Moscow, incl. – and the development of small theatrical forms; The most popular Moscow cabaret theater “The Bat” is created on the basis of the Moscow Art Theater skits.

Russian theater after 1917 The new government understood the importance of theatrical art: on November 9, 1917, a decree was issued by the Council of People's Commissars on the transfer of all Russian theaters to the jurisdiction of the arts department of the State Education Commission. And on August 26, 1919, a decree on the nationalization of theaters appeared, for the first time in the history of Russia the theater completely became a state matter (in Ancient Greece such a state policy was carried out back in the 5th century BC). Leading theaters are awarded academic titles: in 1919 - the Maly Theater, in 1920 - the Moscow Art Theater and the Alexandrinsky Theater (renamed the Petrograd State Academic Drama Theater). New theaters are opening. In Moscow - the 3rd Studio of the Moscow Art Theater (1920, later the Vakhtangov Theater); Theater of the Revolution (1922, later - the Mayakovsky Theater); MGSPS Theater (1922, today – Mossovet Theater); Moscow Theater for Children (1921, since 1936 - Central Children's Theater). In Petrograd - Bolshoi Drama Theater (1919); GOSET (1919, from 1920 moves to Moscow); Theater for Young Spectators (1922).

Theater named after Evgeniy Vakhtangov History of the Theater named after Evgeniy Vakhtangov. Vakhtangov began long before his birth. At the end of 1913, a group of very young eighteen to twenty Moscow students organized the Student Drama Studio, deciding to study theatrical art according to the Stanislavsky system.

Theater in the 30s The new period of Russian theater began in 1932 with the decree of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks “On the restructuring of literary and artistic organizations.” The main method in art was recognized as the method of socialist realism. The time of artistic experimentation is over, although this does not mean that subsequent years did not bring new achievements and successes in the development of theatrical art. It’s just that the “territory” of permitted art narrowed; performances of certain artistic movements were approved - as a rule, realistic ones. And an additional evaluation criterion appeared: ideological and thematic. So, for example, the unconditional achievement of the Russian theater since the mid-1930s has been the performances of the so-called. “Leninians”, in which the image of V. Lenin was brought to the stage (Man with a Gun in the Vakhtangov Theater, in the role of Lenin - B. Shchukin; Pravda in the Theater of the Revolution, in the role of Lenin - M. Strauch, etc.). Any performances based on the plays of the “founder of socialist realism” M. Gorky were practically doomed to success. This does not mean that every ideologically consistent performance was bad, it’s just that artistic criteria (and sometimes audience success) in the state assessment of performances ceased to be decisive.

Theater in the 1930s For many Russian theater workers, the 1930s (and the second half of the 1940s, when ideological politics continued) became tragic. However, Russian theater continued to develop. New director names appeared: A. Popov, Y. Zavadsky, R. Simonov, B. Zakhava, A. Dikiy, N. Okhlopkov, L. Vivien, N. Akimov, N. Gerchakov, M. Kedrov, M. Knebel, V Sakhnovsky, B. Sushkevich, I. Bersenev, A. Bryantsev, E. Radlov and others. These names were mainly associated with Moscow and Leningrad and the directing school of the country's leading theaters. However, the works of many directors in other cities of the Soviet Union also become famous: N. Sobolshchikov-Samarin (Gorky), N. Sinelnikov (Kharkov), I. Rostovtsev (Yaroslavl), A. Kanin (Ryazan), V. Bityutsky (Sverdlovsk), N. Pokrovsky (Smolensk, Gorky, Volgograd), etc.
Theater during the Great Patriotic War During the Great Patriotic War, Russian theaters mainly turned to patriotic themes. Plays written during this period (L. Leonov's Invasion, A. Korneychuk's Front, A Guy from Our City and K. Simonov's Russian People), and plays with historical and patriotic themes (Peter I by A.N. Tolstoy, Field Marshal Kutuzov) were staged on stages
Theater during the Great Patriotic War The period 1941–1945 had another consequence for the theatrical life of Russia and the Soviet Union: a significant increase in the artistic level of provincial theaters. The evacuation of theaters in Moscow and Leningrad and their work on the periphery breathed new life into local theaters, contributed to the integration of performing arts and the exchange of creative experience.

Russian theater in 1950–1980 Russian theater in 1950–1980 Many Leningrad actors made a great contribution to the formation of Russian theatrical art: I. Gorbachev, N. Simonov, Y. Tolubeev, N. Cherkasov, B. Freundlich, O. Lebzak, L. Shtykan, N. Burov and others (Pushkin Theatre); D. Barkov, L. Dyachkov, G. Zhzhenov, A. Petrenko, A. Ravikovich, A. Freundlich, M. Boyarsky, S. Migitsko, I. Mazurkevich and others (Lensovet Theatre); V. Yakovlev, R. Gromadsky, E. Ziganshina, V. Tykke and others (Lenin Komsomol Theatre); T. Abrosimova, N. Boyarsky, I. Krasko, S. Landgraf, Y. Ovsyanko, V. Osobik and others (Komissarzhevskaya Theatre); E. Junger, S. Filippov, M. Svetin and others (Comedy Theatre); L. Makariev, R. Lebedev, L. Sokolova, N. Lavrov, N. Ivanov, A. Khochinsky, A. Shuranova, O. Volkova and others (Theater of Young Spectators); N. Akimova, N. Lavrov, T. Shestakova, S. Bekhterev, I. Ivanov, V. Osipchuk, P. Semak, I. Sklyar and others (MDT, also known as the Theater of Europe). Theater of the Russian Army THE THEATER OF THE RUSSIAN ARMY is the first professional drama theater in the system of the Ministry of Defense. Until 1946 it was called the Red Army Theater, then it was renamed the Soviet Army Theater (later the Central Academic Theater of the Soviet Army). Since 1991 – Central Academic Theater of the Russian Army. THE RUSSIAN ARMY THEATER is the first professional drama theater in the system of the Ministry of Defense. Until 1946 it was called the Red Army Theater, then it was renamed the Soviet Army Theater (later the Central Academic Theater of the Soviet Army). Since 1991 – Central Academic Theater of the Russian Army.

Russian Army Theater In 1930–1931, the Red Army Theater was headed by Yu.A. Zavadsky. Here he staged one of the most notable performances in Moscow at that time, Mstislav the Daring I. Prut. There was a studio at the theater, its graduates joined the troupe. In 1935, the theater was headed by A.D. Popov, whose name is associated with the rise of the Red Army Theater. Architect K.S. Alabyan created a project for a very special theater building - in the shape of a five-pointed star, with two auditoriums (Great Hall for 1800 seats), with a spacious stage, characterized by unprecedented depth until then, with many rooms adapted for workshops, theaters services, rehearsal rooms. By 1940 the building was built, until then the theater performed its performances in the Red Banner Hall of the Red Army House and went on long tours.

Russian theater of the post-Soviet period Russian theater of the post-Soviet period The change in political formation in the early 1990s and a long period of economic ruin radically changed the life of the Russian theater. The first period of weakening (and after – and abolition) of ideological control was accompanied by euphoria: now you can stage and show anything to the audience. After the centralization of theaters was abolished, new theater-studio groups, enterprises, etc. were organized in large numbers. However, few of them survived in the new conditions - it turned out that, in addition to the ideological dictate, there is a spectator dictate: the public will watch only what it wants. And if in the conditions of state funding of the theater, filling the auditorium is not very important, then with self-sufficiency, a full house in the hall is the most important condition for survival.

Theater today The present day of Russian theater in terms of the number and variety of aesthetic trends is associated with the Silver Age. Directors of traditional theater styles coexist with experimentalists. Along with recognized masters - P. Fomenko, V. Fokin, O. Tabakov, R. Viktyuk, M. Levitin, L. Dodin, A. Kalyagin, G. Volchek, K. Ginkas, G. Yanovskaya, G. Trostyanetsky are successfully working, I. Raikhelgauz, K. Raikin, S. Artsibashev, S. Prokhanov, S. Vragova, A. Galibin, V. Pazi, G. Kozlov, as well as even younger and radical avant-garde artists: B. Yukhananov, A. Praudin, A .Moguchiy, V.Kramer, Klim and others.

Theater today In the post-Soviet period, the contours of theater reform have changed dramatically; they have moved mainly to the area of ​​financing theater groups, the need for state support for culture in general and theaters in particular, etc. The possible reform is generating a wide variety of opinions and heated debate. The first steps of this reform were the 2005 Russian Government decree on additional funding for a number of theaters and educational theater institutions in Moscow and St. Petersburg. However, there is still a long way to go before the systematic development of a theater reform scheme. What it will be is still unclear.

The history of the Russian theater

Introduction

The history of Russian theater is divided into several main stages. The initial, playful stage originates in clan society and ends by the 17th century, when, along with a new period of Russian history, a new, more mature stage in the development of the theater begins, culminating in the establishment of a permanent state professional theater in 1756.

The terms “theater” and “drama” entered the Russian dictionary only in the 18th century. At the end of the 17th century, the term “comedy” was in use, and throughout the century – “fun” (Poteshny Chulan, Amusing Chamber). Among the masses, the term “theater” was preceded by the term “disgrace”, the term “drama” - “game”, “game”. In the Russian Middle Ages, definitions synonymous with them were common - “demonic” or “satanic” buffoon games. All sorts of wonders brought by foreigners in the 16th – 17th centuries, as well as fireworks, were also called amusement. The military activities of the young Tsar Peter I were also called fun. The term “game” is close to the term “game” (“buffoon games”, “feast games”). In this sense, both weddings and mummers were called “game”, “games”. “Play” has a completely different meaning in relation to musical instruments: playing tambourines, sniffles, etc. The terms “game” and “game” as applied to oral drama were preserved among the people until the 19th – 20th centuries.

Folk art

Russian theater originated in ancient times. Its origins go back to folk art - rituals, holidays associated with work. Over time, the rituals lost their magical meaning and turned into performance games. Elements of theater were born in them - dramatic action, acting, dialogue. Subsequently, the simplest games turned into folk dramas; they were created in the process of collective creativity and were stored in people's memory, passing from generation to generation.

In the process of their development, the games differentiated, breaking up into related and at the same time varieties increasingly moving away from each other - into dramas, rituals, games. The only thing that brought them together was that they all reflected reality and used similar methods of expressiveness - dialogue, song, dance, music, disguise, acting, acting.

The games instilled a taste for dramatic creativity.

The games were originally a direct reflection of the clan community organization: they had a round dance, choral character. In round dance games, choral and dramatic creativity were organically merged. Songs and dialogues abundantly included in the games helped characterize the images of the games. Mass commemorations also had a playful character; they were timed to coincide with spring and were called “Rusalia.” In the 15th century, the content of the concept of “Rusalia” was defined as follows: demons in human form. And the Moscow “Azbukovnik” of 1694 already defines rusalia as “buffoon games.”

The theatrical art of the peoples of our Motherland originates in rituals and games, ritual actions. Under feudalism, theatrical art was cultivated, on the one hand, by the “popular masses,” and on the other, by the feudal nobility, and buffoons were differentiated accordingly.

In 957, Grand Duchess Olga got acquainted with the theater in Constantinople. The frescoes of the Kiev St. Sophia Cathedral of the last third of the 11th century depict hippodrome performances. In 1068, buffoons were first mentioned in the chronicles.

Kievan Rus was known for three types of theaters: court, church, and folk.

Buffoonery

The oldest “theater” was the games of folk actors - buffoons. Buffoonery is a complex phenomenon. The buffoons were considered a kind of sorcerers, but this is erroneous, because the buffoons, participating in the rituals, not only did not enhance their religious-magical character, but, on the contrary, introduced worldly, secular content.

Anyone could make a joke, that is, sing, dance, joke, act out skits, play musical instruments and act, that is, portray some kind of person or creature. But only those whose art stood out above the level of art of the masses for its artistry became and was called a skilled buffoon.

In parallel with the folk theater, professional theatrical art developed, the bearers of which in Ancient Rus' were buffoons. The appearance of puppet theater in Rus' is associated with buffoon games. The first chronicle information about buffoons coincides with the appearance of frescoes depicting buffoon performances on the walls of the Kiev St. Sophia Cathedral. The chronicler monk calls the buffoons servants of devils, and the artist who painted the walls of the cathedral considered it possible to include their image in church decorations along with icons. Buffoons were associated with the masses, and one of their types of art was “glum,” that is, satire. Skomorokhs are called “mockers,” that is, scoffers. Mockery, mockery, satire will continue to be firmly associated with buffoons.

The worldly art of buffoons was hostile to the church and clerical ideology. The hatred that the clergy had for the art of buffoons is evidenced by the records of chroniclers (“The Tale of Bygone Years”). Church teachings of the 11th-12th centuries declare that the mummers resorted to by buffoons are also a sin. Buffoons were subjected to especially severe persecution during the years of the Tatar yoke, when the church began to intensively preach an ascetic lifestyle. No amount of persecution has eradicated the art of buffoonery among the people. On the contrary, it developed successfully, and its satirical sting became sharper.

In Ancient Rus', crafts related to art were known: icon painters, jewelers, wood and bone carvers, book scribes. Buffoons belonged to their number, being “cunning”, “masters” of singing, music, dancing, poetry, drama. But they were regarded only as entertainers, amuse-benders. Their art was ideologically connected with the masses of the people, with the artisans, who were usually opposed to the ruling masses. This made their skill not only useless, but, from the point of view of the feudal lords and clergy, ideologically harmful and dangerous. Representatives of the Christian Church placed buffoons next to wise men and sorcerers. In rituals and games there is still no division into performers and spectators; they lack developed plots and transformation into images. They appear in folk drama, permeated with acute social motives. The emergence of public theaters of oral tradition is associated with folk drama. The actors of these folk theaters (buffoons) ridiculed the powers that be, the clergy, the rich, and sympathetically showed ordinary people. Folk theater performances were based on improvisation and included pantomime, music, singing, dancing, and church numbers; the performers used masks, makeup, costumes, and props.

The nature of the performances of buffoons initially did not require uniting them into large groups. To perform fairy tales, epics, songs, and play an instrument, only one performer was enough. Skomorokhs leave their native places and roam the Russian land in search of work, moving from villages to cities, where they serve not only the rural, but also the townspeople, and sometimes even princely courts.

Buffoons were also involved in folk court performances, which multiplied under the influence of acquaintance with Byzantium and its court life. When the Amusing Closet (1571) and the Amusing Chamber (1613) were set up at the Moscow court, the buffoons found themselves in the position of court jesters.

The performances of the buffoons combined different types of arts: dramatic, church, and pop.

The Christian Church contrasted folk games and the art of buffoons with ritual art, saturated with religious and mystical elements.

The performances of buffoons did not develop into professional theater. There were no conditions for the birth of theater troupes - after all, the authorities persecuted buffoons. The Church also persecuted buffoons, turning to secular authorities for assistance. A Charter of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery of the 15th century and a Charter of the early 16th century were sent against the buffoons. The Church persistently placed buffoons on a par with the bearers of the pagan worldview (magi, sorcerers). And yet the buffoon performances continued to live, the folk theater developed.

At the same time, the church took all measures to assert its influence. This found expression in the development of liturgical drama. Some liturgical dramas came to us along with Christianity, others - in the 15th century, along with the newly adopted solemn charter of the “great church” (“Procession to Sweep”, “Washing of Feet”).

Despite the use of theatrical and entertainment forms, the Russian church did not create its own theater.

In the 17th century, Simeon of Polotsk (1629-1680) tried to create an artistic literary drama on the basis of liturgical drama; this attempt turned out to be isolated and fruitless.

17th century theaters

In the 17th century, the first oral dramas developed, simple in plot, reflecting popular sentiments. The puppet comedy about Petrushka (his name at first was Vanka-Ratatouille) told about the adventures of a clever, merry fellow who was not afraid of anything in the world. Theater truly appeared in the 17th century - court and school theater.

Court Theater

The emergence of the court theater was caused by the interest of the court nobility in Western culture. This theater appeared in Moscow under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. The first performance of the play “The Act of Artaxerxes” (the story of the biblical Esther) took place on October 17, 1672. At first, the court theater did not have its own premises; scenery and costumes were moved from place to place. The first performances were staged by Pastor Gregory from the German Settlement; the actors were also foreigners. Later they began to forcefully attract and train Russian “youths”. They were paid irregularly, but they did not skimp on decorations and costumes. The performances were distinguished by great pomp, sometimes accompanied by playing musical instruments and dancing. After the death of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, the court theater was closed, and performances resumed only under Peter I.

School theater

In addition to the court theater, in Russia in the 17th century a school theater also developed at the Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy, in theological seminaries and schools in Lvov, Tiflis, and Kyiv. Plays were written by teachers, and students staged historical tragedies, allegorical dramas close to European miracles, sideshows - satirical everyday scenes in which there was a protest against the social system. School theater sideshows laid the foundation for the comedy genre in national drama. The origins of the school theater were the famous political figure and playwright Simeon Polotsky.

The emergence of court school theaters expanded the sphere of spiritual life of Russian society.

Early 18th century theater

By order of Peter I, the Public Theater was created in 1702, designed for the mass public. A building was built especially for him on Red Square in Moscow - the “Comedial Temple”. The German troupe of J. H. Kunst gave performances there. The repertoire included foreign plays that were not successful with the public, and the theater ceased to exist in 1706, as subsidies from Peter I ceased.

Conclusion

A new page in the history of the performing arts of the peoples of our Motherland was opened by serf and amateur theaters. The serf troupes that existed since the end of the 18th century staged vaudeville, comic operas, and ballets. On the basis of serf theaters, private enterprises arose in a number of cities. Russian theatrical art had a beneficial influence on the formation of the professional theater of the peoples of our Motherland. The troupes of the first professional theaters included talented amateurs - representatives of the democratic intelligentsia.

Theater in Russia in the 18th century gained enormous popularity, became the property of the broad masses, another publicly accessible sphere of people’s spiritual activity.

Student of the 10th grade of secondary school No. 15 in Sergiev Posad Zakharova Vsevolod 1) The emergence of professional theater 2) Ancient Russian musical culture 3) Sources of information 1) Reveal the features of the emergence of professional theater in Russia, 2) Reveal the features of the formation of musical culture from ancient Rus' to Russia, 3) Contribute to the formation of students’ spiritual culture, interest and respect for the culture of our country. TSAR ALEXEY MIKHAILOVICH The foundations of professional Russian theater were laid in the second half of the 17th century. Its origin is usually attributed to 1672, when Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, a persecutor of folk “fun” and a great lover of magnificent shows and entertainment, was presented with the first performance of the court theater. The initiator of the creation of a theater similar to the European one was the enlightened boyar Artamon Sergeevich Matveev. The German pastor of the Lutheran Church in Moscow, Johann Gottfried Gregory, a widely educated man, literary gifted and possessing the necessary knowledge in the field of German and Dutch theaters, was appointed playwright. The theater was hastily built in the Tsar's residence near Moscow, in the village of Preobrazhenskoye. The auditorium of the “comedy mansion”, located like an amphitheater, was smaller in size than the stage, but was richly decorated: the walls and floor were upholstered in crimson, red and green cloth; the royal seat, located in front of the wooden benches, was upholstered in red cloth, on which, in accordance with the spectators were seated according to their “rank and rank”, some of them stood on the stage. For the queen and princesses, special boxes were arranged - “cages”, according to tradition, separated from the auditorium by a lattice. The first performance on the stage of the “comedy mansion” was the play “Esther, or the Act of Artaxerxes.” The plot of the play was based on the biblical story of Esther, a humble beauty who attracted the attention of the Persian king Artaxerxes and saved her people from death by becoming his wife. The performance lasted ten hours, but the king watched it all to the end and was very pleased. Ten more plays were staged in the “comedy hall”: “Judith”, “Pitiful Comedy about Adam and Eve”, “Joseph” and others, on religious and historical subjects. Court performances were staged on a large scale and luxury, as they were supposed to reflect the pomp and wealth of the royal court. The suits were made from expensive fabrics. Music, singing and dancing were widely used in the performances. The organ, trumpets and other instruments were often heard. Each performance had lifting scenery and side scenes. Various effects were applied using stage technology. The first performers of the plays of the court theater were mainly actors from the German settlement and only men. At the end of the 17th century, the “state amusement” was replaced by a school theater (organized at some educational institution), based on the rich experience of theaters in Poland and Ukraine. Its origins were associated with the name of a student of the Kiev-Mohyla Academy, educator, poet and playwright Simeon of Polotsk. He wrote two plays especially for the school theater - “The Comedy of the Parable of the Prodigal Son” and “About King Nechadnezzar, about the Golden Body and about the Three Youths Who Were Not Burned in the Cave.” The court and school theaters of the 17th century laid the foundation for the development of theatrical art in Russia and largely predetermined its future. The origins of ancient Russian musical culture go back to the pagan traditions of the Eastern Slavs, which developed long before the adoption of Christianity. The musical instruments of Ancient Rus' were quite diverse. Psaltery, sniffles, pipes, and flutes were widely used. The gusli, the oldest plucked string instrument, was especially respected in Rus', mentioned back in the 10th century in the Tale of Bygone Years. It has long been believed that the harp is akin to the human soul, and its ringing drives away death and illness. Folk storytellers and heroes played the gusli: the prophetic Boyan in “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign”, the epic heroes Volga and Dobrynya Nikitich in Kyiv, Sadko in Novgorod. As Dobrynya takes those ringing little goslings in her white hands, She pulls them into gilded strings, A Jewish verse begins to play in a sad way, In a sad way and in a touching way. At the feast, everyone became thoughtful, Thoughtful and listened. Dobrynya began to play in a merry way, He started a game from Erusolim, Another game from Tsar-grad, A third from the capital city of Kyiv - He brought everyone to the fun at the feast. During military campaigns, percussion and wind instruments were used: drums, tambourines, trumpets, rattles. They maintained the morale of soldiers during battles, relieved emotional stress, and instilled confidence in victory. The adoption of Christianity could not completely change the traditional way of life of the people and their musical preferences. With the baptism from Byzantium to Russian soil, many artistic principles were transferred, the canon and the system of genres were borrowed. Here they were creatively rethought and reworked, which subsequently made it possible to form original national traditions. Church music in Ancient Rus' existed in the form of choral singing without instrumental accompaniment. Musical instruments were prohibited in the Orthodox Church. Moreover, instrumental music was considered sinful and demonic. This opposition had a spiritual meaning. In those days, it was believed that only angelic singing should sound in an Orthodox church, which is an echo of heavenly music. Such singing embodied the ideal of beauty and gave people a feeling of grace, purification, consolation, and taught them to love God and their neighbors. The only exception was the art of playing bells, which was developed in various forms of simple ringing, chime, trezvon, etc. Several bells with different tones formed a belfry, which made it possible to perform entire musical works. Church singing served as an example of the highest professionalism, embodied in a variety of forms in a practical and theoretical system, which was called the osmoglas system, that is, alternating groups of tunes over periods of eight weeks. Folk music in those days was traditionally passed down from generation to generation orally, “from mouth to mouth.” Cult music in this era was recorded with special signs called banners, of which the most common were hooks. Therefore, ancient musical manuscripts were called znamenny, or hook. In the 17th century, musical culture in Russia, especially choral culture, reached a very high level. This was a time when, along with traditional genres of musical art, new forms and genres were born. Before this, choral music was monophonic. Now it has been replaced by polyphony. And the hooks were replaced by musical notation, and the style of partes singing arose. This is what singing from the notes of cants and choral concerts was called back then. These concerts were an important transitional step from church to secular professional music. The musical culture of Ancient Rus' was the solid foundation on which a beautiful building subsequently grew, which laid the foundation for the development of professional creativity. The best examples of ancient Russian music have rightfully become the most valuable asset of Russian musical culture. http://images.yandex.ru/, http://www.google.ru/imghp?hl=ru&tab=wi, http://vkontakte.ru/id47570217#/search?c%5Bsection%5D=audio, http://www.youtube.com/, World artistic culture. From origins to the 17th century. 10 grades Basic level: textbook for educational institutions / G.I. Danilova. – 7th ed., revised. – M.: Bustard, 2009

LITERATURE Handwritten books played a significant role in the development of Christian culture in Ancient Rus'. Together with Christianity, Ancient Rus' adopted the existing system of genres of church writing developed in Byzantium. First of all, these were the biblical books of the Old Testament, which included: “Law”, “Prophets”, “Scriptures”, also hymnography and “words” associated with interpretations of “Scripture” and church prayers and chants.

Historical genres were based on folklore, but developed book forms of storytelling. They did not allow artistic fiction; most often included in chronicles. Chronicle is one of the first original genres of Russian literature. These are historical accounts of contemporary events, arranged by year. For the chronicler, it is not the duration of the reign that is important, but the sequence of events. The beginning of the chronicle article is traditional: “In the summer,..”, then the year from the creation of the world is indicated and the events of this year are outlined. The chronicle genre includes different genres, for example, the hagiographic narrative about Boris and Gleb, and the war story. A variety of topics, events, and genres helps the chronicler tell about the history of Rus'. historical genres chronicle, story, legend, legend

“The Tale of Bygone Years” is the most significant work of Russian literature, compiled by the monk of the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery Nestor. The chronicler more than once preaches a sermon calling for love and peace and harmony. This chronicle defines the place of the Slavs, the place of the Russian people among the peoples of the world, depicts the origin of Slavic writing, the formation of the Russian state, talks about wars, victories and defeats, holidays, traditions and rituals, and refers to folk tales and legends. The reader will also learn about the business agreements between Rus' and Constantinople.

Religious and didactic genres of teaching, life, solemn words, walks were often created in connection with a specific event and played an important educational role. the genre of teachings served as an important means of promoting the new religious doctrine. For example, “Teachings of Theodosius of Pechersk.” The “Teaching” of Vladimir Monomakh, written by him shortly before his death (around 1117), was considered by the chroniclers as a testament to his children. The central idea of ​​the “Instructions” is to strictly observe state interests, and not personal ones.

The author of the life (hagiographer) sought to create the image of an ideal church hero. Usually the life of a saint began with a brief mention of his parents (the saint will be born “to a faithful and pious parent”); then they talked about the saint’s childhood and his behavior. He was distinguished by modesty, obedience, loved books, shunned games with peers, and was imbued with piety. Later, his ascetic life begins in a monastery or desert solitude. He has the ability to work miracles and communicate with heavenly powers. His death is peaceful and quiet; his body emits a fragrance after death. In the 19th century. in separate lists in Rus' there were known translated lives of Nicholas the Wonderworker, Anthony the Great, John Chrysostom, Alexei, the man of God, and other genres of life - stories about the exploits of saints. Lives depended on the types of holiness: martyr, confessor, monk, stylite, holy fool.

An example of an ancient Russian original princely life is “The Tale of Boris and Gleb.” The author of the story (anonymous), while maintaining historical specificity, sets out in detail the facts of the villainous murder of Boris and Gleb. However, the compositional scheme of the life changes somewhat; only one episode of the life of the heroes is shown - a villainous murder. Boris and Gleb are portrayed as ideal Christian martyred heroes.

Genre of walking In the 11th century. Russian people begin to travel to the Christian East, to holy places. For those who could not make the pilgrimage to Palestine, books describing their travels become a kind of compensation. In the 12th century. “Hegumen Daniel’s Walk to the Holy Land” appears, where the holy places are described in detail. He is interested in nature, the character of the buildings of Jerusalem, the Jordan River, etc. There are many legends in circulation that Daniel heard during his travels or learned from books.

Features of Old Russian literature 1. Handwritten character. 2. Anonymity as a consequence of a religiously Christian attitude towards a person: The concept of copyright did not exist in society. Book scribes often edited the text, introduced their own episodes, changed the ideological orientation of the text being copied, and the nature of its style. This is how new editions of monuments appeared. 3. Historicism. The heroes of ancient Russian literature are mainly historical figures. There is practically no fiction in it. Historical events are explained from a religious point of view. Heroes are princes, rulers of the State. 4.Themes: the beauty and greatness of the Russian land; moral beauty of the Russian person. 5. Artistic method: symbolism, historicism, ritualism, didacticism, the leading principles of the artistic method, two sides: strict photography and an ideal image of reality.

MUSIC In the era of Kievan Rus, the development of ritual songs, labor songs, comic-satirical songs, lullabies continued, and a heroic epic was formed. Epic folk art is preserved in epics, or antiquities. The epic is a work of synthetic verbal and musical genre.

The most important phenomenon in the musical culture of this time was the birth of znamenny singing as the first form of professional musical art recorded in writing. Znamenny chant, the main type of Russian church chant. The name comes from the Old Slavonic word for “banner”. Banners, or hooks, were non-linear signs used to record chants. hooks

Golubchik, / stick, V hook and others were placed directly in the texts of liturgical books. With the increase in the number of signs, singing alphabets were created." title=" In Ancient Rus' there were no notes; signs, for example > darling, / stick, V hook and others, were placed directly in the texts of liturgical books. With an increase in the number of signs, singing alphabets were created ABCs." class="link_thumb"> 14 !} In Ancient Rus' there were no notes; signs, for example > darling, / stick, V hook and others, were placed directly in the texts of liturgical books. As the number of signs increased, singing alphabets were created. darling, / stick, V hook and others were placed directly in the texts of liturgical books. With an increase in the number of signs, singing alphabet were created."> darling, / stick, V hook and others, were placed directly in the texts of liturgical books. With an increase in the number of signs, singing alphabet were created."> darling, / stick, V hook and others, were placed directly in texts of liturgical books. With the increase in the number of signs, singing alphabets were created." title=" In Ancient Rus' there were no notes; signs, for example > darling, / stick, V hook and others, were placed directly in the texts of liturgical books. With an increase in the number of signs, singing alphabets were created ABCs."> title="In Ancient Rus' there were no notes; signs, for example > darling, / stick, V hook and others, were placed directly in the texts of liturgical books. As the number of signs increased, singing alphabets were created."> !}

The creativity of ancient Russian singers was close to icon painting. At first the hymnographer worked. He dissected the text, matching the chanting podobna (sample, model for chants) with the text of the chant so that the number of fragments of the text corresponded to the number of musical lines of the chanting podobna. Then, like a cliché, he applied the musical formula to new texts, subtly varying the details of the melody where necessary. A special musician-banner “signed” a blank sheet of paper for the future musical manuscript, signed in a certain sequence miniatures, texts of chants, initials, musical signs, banners under the text, and, finally, cinnabar marks under the banners. The work of the hymnographer in the Middle Ages was highly valued, most of them were even canonized: Roman the Sweet Singer, John Chrysostom, Andrei Kritsky, John of Damascus, etc.

Old Russian church music expressed the idea of ​​like-mindedness and unity, and therefore was predominantly monodic, that is, monophonic unison, monody. A canonical feature of Russian Orthodox music is also the principle of a sarela (unaccompanied), since only the human voice was recognized as the only perfect musical instrument, since only the voice can embody the word in musical sounds, create a meaningful melody. Pillar chant

The most ancient genres of hymnography include: - psalms associated with the name of the biblical king David, psalms are very diverse: some sound like choral recitation, reminiscent of chanting, others like a broad, chanting lyrical song. - troparion (Greek “I turn”, “victory monument”, “trophy”). A characteristic feature of the troparion texts, in addition to their brevity, is the frequent use of comparisons and allegories. And basically their content is connected with the glorification of the celebrated events of the Christian Church, the chanting of the exploits of martyrs and ascetics. - kontakion (Greek “short”) a short chant, a multi-stanza work, where all stanzas were built according to the same pattern and sung to the same tune, varying from stanza to stanza. -stichera (Greek “many verses”), were often distinguished by their great length and melodic richness. - canon (Greek “norm”, “rule”) a large choral composition consisting of nine sections, each of which included several chants. If the kontakion is a poetic sermon, a teaching, then the canon is a solemn hymn of praise. The most important principles of the organization of ancient Russian singing art are cyclicality and ensemble.
It should be noted the special role of Novgorod, which introduced something new into church music. It was here that the wonderful tradition of bell ringing developed and strengthened. The transition from the “beat” to the bell of a specific, acoustically advantageous design was a great achievement in the timbre expressiveness of musical art. Following Novgorod, the art of bell ringing developed in Pskov. BELL RINGS

The repertoire of buffoons included comic songs, dramatic scenes, social satire “gloomy”, performed in masks and “buffoon dress” to the accompaniment of domra, bagpipes, and tambourine. Performing on the streets and squares, S. directly communicated with the audience and involved them in his performance. The main character of the show is a cheerful and broken man with a mind of his own, who often used the guise of comic simplicity.

Having emerged no later than the mid-11th century. (image on the frescoes of the St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, 1037), buffoonery reached its peak in the 1517th century, and in the 18th century. gradually faded away, transferring some traditions of its art to the booth. They were often persecuted by the church and civil authorities. In 1648 and 1657, decrees were issued banning buffoonery.

Slide 1

From round dance to booth Municipal educational institution Secondary School No. 8, Severomorsk village - 3, Murmansk region

Slide 2

Slide 3

In the old days, round dance was a popular folk game in Rus'. It reflected a variety of life phenomena. There were round dances for love, military, family, work... We know three types of round dance:

Slide 4

In round dance games the choral and dramatic principles were organically merged. Such games usually began with “composite” songs and ended with “collapsible” songs, and the songs were distinguished by a clear rhythm. Subsequently, with changes in the structure of the clan community, the round dance games also changed. Lead singers (luminaries) and performers (actors) appeared. There were usually no more than three actors. While the choir sang the song, they acted out its content. There is an opinion that it was these actors who became the founders of the first buffoons.

Slide 5

Russian dance is an integral part of folk games and celebrations. She was always connected to the song. It was this combination that was one of the main expressive means of folk theater. Since ancient times, Russian folk dance has been based on the daring of competing partners, on the one hand, and unity, smoothness of movements, on the other.

Slide 6

Russian dance was born from pagan rituals. After the 11th century, with the advent of professional buffoon actors, the nature of the dance also changed. The buffoons had a developed dance technique; Varieties of buffoon-dancers arose. There were buffoon dancers who not only danced, but also performed pantomime performances with the help of dance, which were most often improvised in nature. Dancers appeared, usually they were the wives of buffoons. Russian dance

Slide 7

Dance occupied a large place in various forms of theater. He was part of not only games and celebrations, but also performances of the puppet show Petrushka, and often filled the pause between acts of the school drama. Many traditions of Russian dance have survived to this day.

Slide 8

Guides with bears have been mentioned in sources since the 16th century, although it is possible that they appeared much earlier. The respectful attitude towards this beast originated in pagan times. The bear is the progenitor. He is a symbol of health, fertility, prosperity, he is stronger than evil spirits.

Slide 9

Among the buffoons, the bear was considered the breadwinner of the family, its full member. Such artists were called by their first name and patronymic: Mikhailo Potapych or Matryona Ivanovna. In their performances, guides usually depicted the life of ordinary people; interludes were on a wide variety of everyday topics. The owner asked, for example: “And how, Misha, do small children go to steal peas?” - or: “How do women slowly wander to their master’s work?” - and the beast showed it all. At the end of the performance, the bear performed several memorized movements, and the owner commented on them.

Slide 10

The “bear comedy” in the 19th century consisted of three main parts: first, the dance of a bear with a “goat” (the goat was usually portrayed by a boy who put a bag on his head; a stick with a goat’s head and horns was pierced through the bag from above; a wooden tongue was attached to the head, the flapping of which produced a terrible noise), then came the performance of the animal to the jokes of the guide, and then its fight with the “goat” or owner. The first descriptions of such comedies date back to the 18th century. This fishery existed for a long time, until the 30s of the last century.

Slide 11

Since ancient times, in many European countries at Christmas it was customary to install a manger in the middle of the church with figurines of the Virgin Mary, a baby, a shepherd, a donkey and a bull. Gradually, this custom grew into a kind of theatrical performance, which, with the help of dolls, told the famous gospel legends about the birth of Jesus Christ, the worship of the Magi and the cruel King Herod. The Christmas performance was well spread in Catholic countries, in particular in Poland, from where it spread to Ukraine, Belarus, and then, in a slightly modified form, to Villikorossiya.

Slide 12

When the Christmas custom went beyond the Catholic church, it acquired the name nativity scene (Old Slavonic and Old Russian - cave). It was a puppet theater. Imagine a box divided inside into two floors. The box ended at the top with a roof, its open side facing the public. There is a bell tower on the roof. A candle was placed on it behind the glass, which burned during the performance, giving the action a magical, mysterious character. Dolls for the nativity play were made of wood or rags and attached to a rod. The lower part of the rod was held by the puppeteer, so the dolls moved and even turned. The puppeteer himself was hidden behind the box. On the upper floor of the den, biblical scenes were played out, on the lower floor - everyday ones: everyday, comedic, sometimes social. And the set of dolls for the lower floor was the usual: men, women, devils, gypsies, gendarmes, and the simple man always turned out to be more cunning and smarter than the gendarme. It was from the nativity scene that the Petrushka Theater, so popular among the people, was born.

Slide 13

Everyone will dance, but not like a buffoon,” says the Russian proverb. Indeed, many people could play games, but not everyone could be a professional buffoon. The people's favorite professional buffoon was the puppet theater actor, and the most popular was the comedy about Petrushka. Parsley is a favorite hero of both the buffoons who gave the performance and the audience. He is a daring daredevil and a bully who maintained a sense of humor and optimism in any situation. He always deceived the rich and government officials and, as a protester, enjoyed the support of the audience.

Slide 14

In such a theatrical performance, two heroes acted simultaneously (according to the number of hands of the puppeteer): Parsley and the doctor, Parsley and the policeman. The plots were the most common: Petrushka gets married or buys a horse, etc. He always participated in a conflict situation, and Petrushka’s reprisals were quite brutal, but the public never condemned him for this. At the end of the performance, Petrushka was often overtaken by “heavenly punishment.” The most popular puppet theater of Parsley was in the 17th century.

Slide 15

Since the end of the 18th century, at the fair one could often see a brightly dressed man carrying a decorated box (rayok) and shouting loudly: “Come here with me to scribble, honest people, both boys and girls, and young men and women, and merchants and merchantwomen, and clerks and sextons, and clerks and idle revelers. I’ll show you all sorts of pictures: both gentlemen and men in sheepskin, and you listen to jokes and various jokes with attention, eat apples, gnaw nuts, look at pictures and take care of your pockets. They’ll trick you.” Rayok

Slide 16

Rajek came to us from Europe and goes back to large panoramas. Art historian D. Rovinsky in his book “Russian Folk Pictures” describes it as follows: “The rack is a small, arshin-high box in all directions with two magnifying glasses in front. Inside, a long strip with homegrown images of different cities, great people and events is rewound from one skating rink to another. The spectators, “a penny apiece,” look into the glass. Rayoshnik moves the pictures and tells tales for each new number, often very intricate ones.”

Slide 17

Raek was very popular among the people. In it one could see a panorama of Constantinople and the death of Napoleon, the Church of St. Peter in Rome and Adam with his family, heroes, dwarfs and freaks. Moreover, the raeshnik did not just show pictures, but commented on the events depicted in them, often criticizing the authorities and the existing order, in a word, touching on the most pressing problems. Rayek existed as a fair entertainment until the end of the 19th century.

Slide 18

Not a single fair in the 18th century was complete without a booth. Theatrical booths became the favorite spectacles of that era. They were built right on the square, and by the way the booth was decorated, one could immediately understand whether its owner was rich or poor. Usually they were built from boards, the roof was made of canvas or linen.

Slide 19

There was a stage and curtain inside. Ordinary spectators sat on benches and during the performance ate various sweets, crumpets, and even cabbage soup. Later, a real auditorium with stalls, boxes, and an orchestra pit appeared in the booths. The outside of the booths was decorated with garlands, signs, and when gas lighting appeared, then with gas lamps. The troupe usually consisted of professional and traveling actors. They gave up to five performances a day. In the theatrical booth one could see a harlequinade, magic tricks, and sideshows. Singers, dancers and simply “outlandish” people performed here. Popular was the man drinking fiery liquid, or the “African cannibal” eating pigeons. The cannibal was usually an artist smeared with tar, and the dove was a stuffed animal with a bag of cranberries. Naturally, ordinary people always looked forward to the fair with its theatrical farce.

Slide 20

There were also circus shows, their actors were “jacks of all trades.” Yu. Dmitriev in the book “Circus in Russia” quotes a message about the arrival of comedians from Holland who “walking on a rope, dancing, jumping in the air, on the stairs, without holding on to anything, they play the violin, and while walking on the stairs, they dance, immensely.” they jump high and do other amazing things.” Over the long years of their existence, booths changed, and by the end of the 19th century they almost disappeared forever from the history of Russian theater.

Slide 21

1672 - performances of the court troupe of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich began Artamon Matveev orders “to perform a comedy”, “and for that action to arrange a khoromina” On October 17, the first performance took place in the village of Preobrazhenskoye

Slide 22

1702 - the first Russian public theater on Red Square. Festive processions, fireworks, masquerades, assemblies become popular.

Slide 23

This is what the theater looked like in Yaroslavl in 1909. In 1911 he was named after Fyodor Volkov