Anniversary evening of Mikhail Lavrovsky at the Bolshoi Theater. A gala concert in honor of Mikhail Lavrovsky took place in the big one. From the biography of Mikhail Lavrovsky

It is worth taking a closer look and understanding, and recognizing that in the theatrical history of the world there are not many major famous artists whose names are firmly associated with large famous theaters. Until now, megastars, as a rule, are famous in their own right and do not serve in repertory theaters. This was probably the reason. And repertory theater as such, if you look for it, you will find it more often in Russia, in the Soviet Union, in general, here.

We had and still have such artists who did not exactly serve, but most importantly, they made the glory of their theater, where they performed, maybe only for a few years. Among the names of those who made the glory of the Bolshoi Theater is Mikhail Leonidovich Lavrovsky. The legendary dancer, who was the Bolshoi's premier for a long time, turned 75 today. A real anniversary! Svetlana Astretsova reports.

After leaving the stage, Mikhail Lavrovsky did not part with ballet. At the Bolshoi Theater, where he was once both a soloist and choreographer, he now teaches classes as a teacher-tutor.

“I tell my students that a copy, no matter how good, is a repetition. The original, individuality and personality are always interesting in everything, to me personally, so they must find their own face,” notes People’s Artist of the USSR Mikhail Lavrovsky.

“A dancer of virtuoso technique, enormous charm and unbridled temperament,” Grigorovich himself spoke of Lavrovsky. He performed the main roles in Don Quixote, Swan Lake, and Sleeping Beauty. I didn’t just dance each one, I felt like I was living my own story.

“He was developed as a dancer so powerfully that he had all the means of expressiveness in dance that I could only imagine,” says People’s Artist of the USSR Lyudmila Semenyaka.

When Mikhail Lavrovsky is asked about his favorite characters, he does not hesitate to name Albert in Adan’s “Giselle” and Spartacus in Khachaturian’s ballet of the same name. According to him, it was the most accurate hit in the images.

The party of the legendary slave leader became Lavrovsky’s calling card. In 1970, he received the Lenin Prize for this role.

“Lavrovsky by nature has such stiff muscles, which were very suitable for this performance. He was the second performer - behind Vasiliev. However, he had better physical endurance,” emphasizes Honored Artist of Russia Valery Lagunov.

In 1978, there was a turn in fate. Lavrovsky becomes choreographer. He has a lot of choreographic fantasies to his credit: be it the tragedy of Vaslav Nijinsky, the adventures of Casanova or one of the first Russian jazz ballets “Porgy and Bess”.

“To create your own language, you need to work every day, stage every day, then you will develop your own style - what language you speak to the audience. You take Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Hugo and convey this work as you feel it,” says the people USSR artist Mikhail Lavrovsky.

Now Mikhail Lavrovsky is passionate about synthetic productions - at the intersection of plastic, vocal and drama. He dreams of staging Jean Anouilh's play "The Lark" and organizing an evening of his ballets on the Bolshoi stage in the spring.

The Sunday evening broadcast of the Culture TV channel is dedicated to Mikhail Lavrovsky. Tomorrow at 21:20 see the program. And after it - a film-ballet of the Bolshoi Theater. Recorded in 1975. Natalya Bessmertnova and Mikhail Lavrovsky embodied the tragic story of Count Albert’s love for the peasant woman Giselle.

Dancer, choreographer, teacher -Mikhail LavrovskyFor more than a quarter of a century he was the leading soloist of the country's main theater, a star of the first magnitude. Critics wrote about him: “Lavrovsky knows how to convey on stage passion, persistence, authority and depth of love, the power and nobility of emotions.”

During the anniversary evening, the master not only accepted numerous congratulations from students and colleagues, but also presented a gift to the public - he danced a part in a ballet of his own composition.

As soon as Mikhail Lavrovsky appears backstage, artists surround him. Congratulations via Skype from all over the world, photo as a souvenir - with a living legend. According to the artists, taking part in the evening of the famous dancer, choreographer and teacher is happiness and responsibility.

“His uniqueness is that he recklessly loves life, people, creativity,” says the prima -Bolshoi Theater ballerina Marianna Ryzhkina. -I had the opportunity to work as an assistant during the production of the play. And there I watched how the artists were fascinated by how Maestro Lavrovsky conveyed the choreography, emotion and meaning of what was happening.”

The anniversary evening for his father was directed by his son, Leonid Lavrovsky-Garcia, also a choreographer. The main idea is to talk about the present and the future, without looking back to the past.

“I didn’t want to do a eulogy for a living person. A birthday needs something joyful. This is when they come, look and wish 100 years of life and creative success. And Lavrovsky, despite 75 years and prosthetic joints, still rules us all on a war horse and with a saber. And we are happy to help him in this matter.”, - noted director Leonid Lavrovsky-Garcia.

For the evening, fragments from Lavrovsky’s productions were re-staged - “Fantasy on a Theme of Casanova”, “Russian Ballerina”, “Nijinsky” - in an updated cast, in new costumes.For Bolshoi Prime Minister Ivan Vasiliev, this is the first experience of working with Lavrovsky. Nijinsky dances.

“First of all, he is a real man. A real man - both on stage and in life. And he is a very emotional person, an emotional artist. And this leaves a mark for life.”, - said the Mikhailovsky Theater premier Ivan Vasiliev.

One of the intrigues of the evening is a look into the future - a fragment from the upcoming production of the opera-ballet “Amok” based on the philosophical novel by Stefan Zweig. Director - Leonid Lavrovsky-Garcia, choreography - Mikhail Lavrovsky.

“Maybe I’ll be able to stage it as a teacher, but I won’t go on stage myself, of course. You can dance as much as you like, but you can’t watch, that’s what,” shared the Bolshoi Theater choreographer and People’s Artist of the USSR Mikhail Lavrovsky.

And, despite self-irony, in the finale of the evening, Mikhail Lavrovsky still appeared on stage - in an excerpt from the ballet “Nijinsky” - in the role of Sergei Diaghilev.

culture News

Leonid Lavrovsky is, first of all, Romeo and Juliet - a masterpiece that immediately made him great. He gave the world the image of Ulanova-Juliet and revealed Prokofiev to the world through the refraction of ballet music. The name of Leonid Mikhailovich Lavrovsky is associated with the leadership of the ballet troupes of the two greatest theaters in the world: for 6 years he headed the Mariinsky Ballet and for 20 years he was the chief choreographer of the Bolshoi Theater.
“Ahead of the Planet” The Bolshoi Ballet came into existence under Lavrovsky; the period of the lifting of the “Iron Curtain” is associated with his name, and what was revealed shocked the world.
The film about Lavrovsky is an attempt to penetrate into the essence of his personality, to become more deeply acquainted with his work, and, perhaps, to discover something for the first time.



Chronicle footage and photographs relating to both the “Moscow” and “Leningrad” periods of Leonid Lavrovsky’s work were used.

© RIA Novosti. Vladimir Vyatkin

The Bolshoi Theater honors the People's Artist of the USSR, a brilliant dancer, choreographer and teacher who is celebrating his 75th birthday. An evening in honor of the hero of the day will take place on the historical stage of the Bolshoi Theater on May 4. Soloists and students of Lavrovsky will present ballets in his choreography. In one of them, “Nijinsky,” the hero of the day himself will perform the part. This was reported at the theater.

Superman

After one of the early performances of the Bolshoi Theater in Covent Garden, where the theater's new ballet “Spartacus” was presented with Lavrovsky in the title role, the famous English ballet critic Clement Crisp noted that the most impressive male dance he had ever seen was demonstrated.

“Only superlatives can describe this truly heroic interpretation: the power of physical strength, the nobility of experience, the beauty of expression,” wrote Crisp. He called Lavrovsky “Superman”.

Since working at the Bolshoi Theater in 1961, Lavrovsky has been the pride and main adornment of the Bolshoi Ballet. He combined aristocratic manners, virtuoso technique and powerful acting temperament. There were no restrictions for him - he was great in any role.

Happy man

“It is important to be in the right place at the right time. And I was lucky that my life at the Bolshoi Theater coincided with the arrival of Yuri Grigorovich, a choreographer who created ballets in which the person came first, where what was needed was not just a dancer well-versed in technique, not a puppet, but an artist,” the artist told RIA News.

Lavrovsky noted that, whenever possible, he also studied choreography, but now he considers pedagogy to be his main work.

“I am a happy person - I worked at the Bolshoi Theater, my partners were such outstanding dancers as Maris Liepa, Vladimir Vasiliev, Yuri Vladimirov. Nikolai Fadeechev has always been the standard of a classical dancer for me,” noted Lavrovsky.

Ballets by Mikhail Lavrovsky

The program of the anniversary evening will include one-act ballets: “Fantasy on a Theme of Casanova”, “Russian Ballerina”, “Nijinsky” in the choreography of Mikhail Lavrovsky. And in the latter he himself will appear on stage in the role of Diaghilev.

For the first time, a duet from the opera-ballet “AMOC” will be presented, the world premiere of which will take place in early 2018.

Also performed will be the Adagio from the ballet “Spartacus” and the Grand Pas from the ballet “Don Quixote”, in which Mikhail Lavrovsky shone.

Pavel Sorokin will take the conductor's stand this evening.

Offering to the Master

Famous dancers and already famous students of Lavrovsky will take part in the concert. Among them: Ivan Vasiliev, Vladislav Lantratov, Mikhail Lobukhin, Igor Tsvirko, Ekaterina Krysanova, Maria Vinogradova, Marianna Ryzhkina and others.

“Mikhail Leonidovich is one of the pioneers of male classical dance in the world,” Bolshoi Ballet soloist Vladislav Lantratov told RIA Novosti. - Lavrovsky is every second life in dance. His dance is always with great feeling, with bright emotions. Otherwise, he believes there is no point in going on stage. This is what he tried to convey to me. I would like to wish the Teacher good health, so that he does not lose faith in life, so that he pleases us with his presence. His advice is so important and dear to us.”

MOSCOW, May 5. /Corr. TASS Olga Svistunova/. On Thursday, a gala concert was held on the Historical Stage of the Bolshoi Theater in honor of the 75th anniversary of the famous dancer and choreographer, People's Artist of the USSR Mikhail Lavrovsky. The hero of the day himself also took part in the celebration dedicated to him. He performed in the ballet "Nijinsky" of his own composition. The audience gave a standing ovation.

“Honoring our outstanding masters, we offer them to take a place of honor in the central box,” said the head of the Bolshoi Theater ballet troupe, Mahar Vaziev, “but Mikhail Leonidovich Lavrovsky refused. He will appear as a dancer.” After these words, the head of the Bolshoi Theater ballet invited the main character of the holiday to the stage.

“The most valuable thing for an artist is public recognition,” Lavrovsky said. “That means I’m still in demand,” he added, promising that “the evening will not be tiring.”

Evening in an atmosphere of delight

The two-act concert really went off in one breath. The program included ballets staged in different years by the hero of the day himself, as well as fragments of performances in which he once shone as a dancer. The audience enthusiastically received a fragment from the ballet "Spartacus", where the main role was performed by the Bolshoi Theater premier Mikhail Lobukhin. The magnificent Grand Pas from Don Quixote, in which the leading soloists of the Bolshoi Ekaterina Krysanova and Vladislav Lantratov performed, also received a stormy reaction from the audience.

However, the main content of the evening consisted of ballets choreographed by the hero of the day himself. In the first part, “Fantasy on a Theme of Casanova” was shown to the music of Mozart. In the second - the number "Russian Ballerina" from the ballet "The Peacock Tree". The audience also reacted with interest to the presented episode from the opera-ballet "Amok", which Mikhail Lavrovsky is currently working on.

The evening ended with the one-act ballet "Nijinsky" to the music of Sergei Rachmaninoff and choreography by Mikhail Lavrovsky, who himself performed the role of Diaghilev. The part of Nijinsky was performed by virtuoso dancer Ivan Vasiliev. The success of the concert was confirmed by the final ovation, which lasted more than 15 minutes.

From the biography of Mikhail Lavrovsky

Mikhail Lavrovsky’s entire life is connected with the Bolshoi Theater, where he has been serving for 56 years. Having joined the renowned troupe in 1961, he immediately became a prominent representative of an outstanding generation of ballet dancers, including Vladimir Vasiliev, Ekaterina Maksimova, Natalia Bessmertnova, Maris Liepa. They were, first of all, his comrades, colleagues and stage partners.

However, such a path was destined for Mikhail Lavrovsky by fate itself. His father is the famous choreographer Leonid Lavrovsky, the same one who staged the choreographic masterpiece - the ballet "Romeo and Juliet", where the main female part was danced by the great Galina Ulanova. The son not only continued the family tradition, but also managed to prove that nature does not always rest on the children of outstanding people. While still a student at the Moscow Choreographic School, he gained international recognition, impressing audiences and critics with his performance at the Parma Festival in Italy.

Soon people started talking about Mikhail Lavrovsky as a dancer of virtuoso technique, enormous charm and unbridled temperament. At the Bolshoi Theater, where he served as a soloist for over a quarter of a century (1961-1988), Lavrovsky was a star of the first magnitude. He danced the main roles in Don Quixote, Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, The Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, and The Flames of Paris.

For his performance of the role of Spartacus in the ballet of the same name, Lavrovsky was awarded in 1970 the highest national award at that time - the Lenin Prize. A few years later, his artistic gift was awarded the USSR State Prize. Mikhail Lavrovsky has firmly established the title of one of the best classical dancers of our time.

Having completed his artistic career, he did not part with ballet and took up the post of teacher-tutor at the Bolshoi Theater. He is also the artistic director of the Moscow State Academy of Choreography. In addition, he opened his own choreographic school, and also showed himself in the field of choreography. Mikhail Lavrovsky has created more than ten original ballets, including Porgy and Bess, Nijinsky, Fantasia on a Theme of Casanova, Richard III. Epilogue.

Mimansa artists and teacher-tutor Irina Anatolyevna Lazareva. Last preparations.

Premiere of Mikhail Lavrovsky's ballet "Fantasy on a Theme of Casanova" to music by V.A. Mozart took place on July 14, 1993. The first performer of the role of Casanova was People's Artist of the Russian Federation Alexander Vetrov. It was with him that the current lead actor Igor Tsvirko rehearsed this part.

“This is my fantasy on the theme of Casanova. Or a fantasy on the theme of Casanova’s love. And the main meaning of the ballet is the carnival of life, the carnival of people...
The personality of Casanova has interested me for a long time. I literally read his Memoirs with excitement. The tragedy of a bright, multi-talented man, but who never fully realized his abilities, unfolded before me.
In my ballet, I wanted to embody the theme of Casanova’s love, and I have my own view of his love affairs, to some extent colored by my impressions of Federico Fellini’s film,” Mikhail Leonidovich said about his Casanova.

Lady of the heart - Victoria Litvinova, Casanova - Igor Tsvirko.

Mikhail Leonidovich carefully watched the performance from behind the scenes.

“The ballet music is a collage of Mozart’s works, made by Vladimir Bogorad. Mozart and Casanova were not just contemporaries, their life paths intersected, so the impetus for creating the libretto was given to me not only by my immediate hero, but also by Mozart.”

Queen of the ball - Maria Zharkova

In four scenes of the ballet, four episodes of Casanova’s life from birth to death take place, united by the search for love. Throughout his life, Casanova is accompanied by four companions - characters from the Venetian carnival, including Harlequin, one of the characters from the Commedia dell'Arte. Casanova in his life is also a Harlequin, only unlike the canonical Harlequin, he has a sensitive, easily vulnerable soul.

In the role of Harlequin - Georgy Gusev.

Casanova is looking for his love ideal at the carnival, in the palace, women deceive him, he becomes disappointed and deceives women himself. The carnival of life combines the Venetian folk carnival and the palace carnival of people hiding their true faces behind masks...

Ladies at the ball - Anna Proskurnina, Evgenia Savarskaya

Scene from the ballet.

The finale of the ballet.

Choreographer - Mikhail Lavrovsky

Stormy applause and long bows.

The second part featured concert numbers and the ballet "Nijinsky".

Amok. Duet from the opera-ballet of the same name, choreography by Mikhail Lavrovsky.
“We want to make a performance based on Zweig by a team of like-minded people, in which there are people of different ages. First of all, this is the famous ballet dancer and choreographer Mikhail Lavrovsky, with whom I have known for a long time,” said composer Alexander Simonenko. “He suggested that I do a certain story, a number ", to work with my music. His son, theater director Leonid Lavrovsky-Garcia, advised me to pay attention to Stefan Zweig's short story "Amok". I read it, and it immediately captivated me."

Doctor – Arthur Mkrtchyan, She – Anita Pudikova

ADAGIO of Phrygia and Spartacus from the ballet “SPARTAK”, oreography by Yuri Grigorovich
Phrygia - Marianna Ryzhkina, Spartak - Mikhail Lobukhin

"Russian Ballerina", choreography by Mikhail Lavrovsky
Girls in a bar - Daria Lovtsova, Kristina Loseva, Anita Pudikova

She is Victoria Litvinova, The Young Man is Alan Kokaev

“Mikhail Leonidovich is one of the pioneers of male classical dance in the world” - these words belong to the Bolshoi Theater ballet soloist Vladislav Lantratov. His dance is always with great feeling, with bright emotions. Otherwise, he believes there is no point in going on stage. This is what he tried to convey to me. I would like to wish the Teacher good health, so that he does not lose faith in life, so that he pleases us with his presence. His advice is so important and dear to us."

Pas de deux from the ballet "Don Quixote" - Kitri - Ekaterina Krysanova, Basil - Vladislav Lantratov

The final, bright point of the evening was the one-act ballet "Nijinsky" staged by Mikhail Lavrovsky. The premiere of this ballet to the music of S. Rachmaninov took place in 2001.

Nijinsky - Ivan Vasiliev