The Ballets Russes - Research Paper Example

The Ballets Russes and the Idea of Synthesizing the Arts (Painting, Music, Dance) Introduction Uniting different forms of art one artistic whole that organizes the material and spiritual environment is what artistic synthesis is all about. This concept implies the creation of a qualitatively and new phenomenon or art that cannot then be reduced to the sum of its original component sums. The new product becomes the imaginative, the compositional and the ideological unity of these components that form the various parts. Be they music, painting or dance. The Ballets Russes became the first internationally performing dance company that featured an intricate design by several outstanding artists, a variety of choreographers and a blend of music and beautiful synthesis of art. The common effect in space and time arrangements, the unity of the various components, their proportion, their coordination in scale and the rhythm generate several marvelous and variable artistic qualities. These enhance the apprehension of art and establish an idea that is developed on several planes. The synthesis of art has a comprehensive and emotional effect on the person who encounters it, appealing to several of his senses all at once. This concept has had many great educational and social possibilities that have been adopted by a number of productions and performances through the history of performance. There are various syntheses that have been practiced throughout the history of art. For instance, monumental art and architecture have always been united leading to the creation of an artistic synthesis where painting and sculpture, while still performing their own tasks, have also enhanced and interpreted the work of architecture in itself. This form of plastic and spatial synthesis sometimes also includes the decorative art that is applied to bring out the environment of man, his desires and pleasure. It is this aspect of art that the Ballet Russes maximized on. The Ballets Russes There has been a history of synthesis of the temporal arts such as poetry and music that are characterized by different genres of vocals such as: popular song, cantata, art song, opera, and oratio. There are several works that have utilized this concept to create an innovative form of art. These include motion picture, theater and of course ballet. Painting, music and dance are synthetic in their own nature. In uniting the creative works of the painter, the singer and the dance, a whole new world of art is aesthetically united (Jordan & Lopukhov, p. 24). These are the possibilities that were utilized by the Ballets Russes. The Ballets Russes, also known as the Russian Ballets, was a travelling ballet company from Russia that performed from 1909 to 1929 in several countries. It was directed by Sergei Diaghilev and is regarded as one of the greatest ballet companies, if not the greatest, in the 20th century (Brewer, Diaghilev’s Golden Age; Culture24.org). His work was based on the philosophy that “art is free and life is paralyzed.” It is important to note that by this time, Diaghilev had already enjoyed success in Paris a year before, in 1908 before his company originally started to perform. In that year, he presented to the Parisians a season of the Russian art, their music and opera. It is this presentation that got him the invitation the following year to present ballet and opera. The dancers of Ballets Russes came from the ballet school in St. Petersburg, the Imperial Ballet. After the Russian Revolution several Russians were exiled to Paris. This formed the training ground for the next generation of dancers. They featured a variety of works from a variety of artists. When the director died the company’s dancers scattered and its assets were claimed by creditors. It was later revived under the name Ballet Russ de Monte Carlo by Colonel Wassily de Basil and an associate Rene Blum in 1932. The company combined new art, dance and music and created a sensation that reached all the corners of the world. It was as a result of their performance that various significant visual artists came to be known. The whole concept of the company changed the art of performing dance and reinvigorated the concept of artistic synthesis. It broke the demarcations that had been established between the three major theatrical arts; music, painting and dance by encouraging collaboration between contemporary composers, choreographers, dancers and artists. Synthesizing the Arts: Painting, Music, Dance The movement that was created by the Ballets Russes is significant not only in dance but in the whole concept of art and performance. There had always been a constant rejection of the distinctions that exist between the fine arts and the decorative arts, so has been the willingness to experiment these forms in a variety of media. This was the distinct characteristic of the Russian artists in the 20th century. They could never perceive the idea that high art could be mixed with minor art such as designing of costumes and stages. It took the avant-garde artist of this period to move against the grain and introduce a synthesis of several distinct works of art. Alexander Benois had created a movement, The World of Art, which had in its time produced several painting exhibitions and published a number of culture magazines. While the idea was to sell Russian opera to the rest of the world, the success that a trial combination of opera and ballet brought forth a new philosophy for performance and artistic synthesis. The director of Ballets Russes, Diaghilev managed to combine music, dance and art in ways that during his time would be considered very bold. It was a general rule that the different classes of art were separate and distinct. A blend of the high art and minor art was inconceivable. However, Diaghilev embraced the modern philosophies that were then developing, and exploited this to create performances that were highly sensational. He had a collection of giant backcloths, vibrant costumes, stage sets, film, art and music that was a stark contrast to the conventional dance productions of the time. In his creativity, he managed to corral Picasso, Matisse, Stravinsky and Channel on one hand while at the same time maintaining the focus of his dance performances in the ballets that he presented to his audience. Diaghilev was considered the impresario of contemporary art (Scheijen, 170). This is because he appreciated art in all its forms and in all its expressions. He thus applied this skill and genius not only to the dance in, he extended it also to the music and the painting that formed components of the ballet. Before this whole idea was born, ballet had been not more than an interlude of dance within a confined and narrow set of fixed rules. The new product was therefore a spectacle that not only delighted the eyes of the audience by their ears and minds too. It this influence that saw ballet developing into a synthesis of the various theatrical and contemporary forms of art. In this new concept, music and paintings were no longer whole established units on their own accord but formed essential elements that were integrated into a performance that could not bring forth the intended spectacle without including them. Under this new synthesis, the Ballets Russes managed to harmonize color and form with the movements of a dance on the stage into one unit. The concept of the art of painting was harmonized not only in the decor by also in the costumes and sets. They were the artistic imaginations of Leon Bakst, Aleksandr Golovin, Alexandre Benois and several other exhibition artists, most whom were taking part in a dance performance for the first time. There artistic designs were included in curtains, programs, posters and several other visual materials. The artists from Russia were also involved deeply in the staging of the dances in collaboration with the choreographers to enhance the visual effects of the dances and their structure.  What had started as an exhibition of the Russian arts grew into a movement. The publication of artistic paintings was a move to reform painting. The previously mentioned World of Art publication was to provide such a platform. However, Diaghilev noted that art was “a free and disinterested act that took place in the soul of the artist.” The purpose of art therefore is to bring out the pleasure and the beauty that the artists intended it to have. Accordingly, the only forum for such reform was through dance, ballet specifically. Through this platform, the artistic synthesis of music, painting and dance was born. One significant and unique characteristic of the Ballets Russes was its high standard of dancers and the great success it had in Paris. Many of its women dancers earned international renown. It also raised the status of its male dancers. In music, Diaghilev employed a variety of great composers for the ballets and thus was able to distinguish it from the ballets of the previous century. The ballets also borrowed from the canon of music that was in existence at the time while commissioning a number of original scores (Meister, 124). In painting, design and costume, the company used a collaboration of contemporary fine artists who were on the rise as of the time. It is this designs that brought about the excitement that revolved around the company. One notable scandal that was caused by this fusion of art, dance and music was the premier performance in Paris, The Rite of Spring. Its aesthetically provocative costumes and design caused a stir for the company (Albert, p.2). Reception World Wide In 1907, the Ballets Russes staged a dance performance in St. Petersburg. This performance encountered a considerable number of opposition. It is for this reason that the troupe headed for Paris. On the 19th of May, 1909 they held a performance at the Theatre du Chatelet, it became one of the most extraordinary events in the initial years of the 20th century. The whole concept was new, the synthesis of the various units of art, the magnificence and the lavishness of the decors and costumes and the dancing quality evolved from general bewilderment to an enthusiasm that was delirious. Movement and color were later incorporated and the audience grew. The death of the director of the company resulted to a dispersal of the Ballets Russes and an end of a fertile and exceptionally happy period in the history of dance and art. Ballets in England were also influenced by the Ballets Russes, although in this case the choreographer became the leader of the dance troupe. Most of the dancers who introduced ballet schools to England were members of the company’s troupe. After the beginning of the Second World War, the Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo left Europe and extensively toured North America, especially the United States, and also toured South America. The company performed in America in 1916. This also marked the only time the company toured as Diaghilev’s Ballet Russes in the United States. The performance was first held in New York and it opened with The Firebird, Le Soleil de Nuit, Princess Enchantee and Scheherezade. Apart from those who had had the opportunity to travel abroad, the American public had never experienced a Russian ballet before. It was highly sensationalized and the company managed to tour sixteen other towns and finished in New York. As the dancers left the company, through retirement or otherwise, they founded dance schools and studios in these two continents or became trainers in the studios that belonged to their dance colleagues. Examples included the School of American Ballet and later the New York City Ballet, both of which were founded by Balanchine and whose instructors included several outstanding form dancers from Ballets Russes. Before the end of their American tour, the company got an invitation to perform for the King of Spain, His Majesty King Alfonso in Madrid. This performance also took place in 1916 where they enchanted the Spaniards with productions such as Le Carnaval and Les Sylphides. Another production that was well received in Madrid was Massine’s Soleil de Nuit. Seminal Works From the first performance, in Paris there most of the performances were done for the Parisian audiences. These works redefined the ballet in the 20th century and reinvented an entire work of art in the continent of Europe. It should be noted that the Russian Imperial theaters and schools that taught ballet were rooted to the traditions of ballet that came from the court dances of the reign of Louis XIV and the pantomimes of Italy. This was a preserved culture that was developed and nurtured. It was the production, Le Pavillon d’Armide that demonstrated how innovative in collaborative approach of various forms of art and started the foundation for several other productions that would become seminal works in dance. The original Ballets Russes existed for about twenty years. With it came distinct periods in the history of dance and choreography that have shaped, influenced and developed the concepts of contemporary dance today (Kassing, p. 181). Between 1909 and 1914, there was the Fokin era. Fokin is the one who created most of the ballets for the company and maintained the troupe as their balletmeister. Most of his seminal works are still performed in theaters and studios in this century. Such works include the Les Sylphides, Firebird, Scheherexade, Spectre de la Rose and Petrushika. There are various other works and productions that have been forgotten over time as a result of the complexities involved in their staging and their lack of a preserved choreographer. These include the Pavillon d’Armide, the Le Coq d’Or and the Daphnis et Chloe. This era also has the brief influences of Nijinsky, who dance in the North American tour in 1916 whose works include the Prelude a l’apresmidi d’un Faune, Jeux and Printemps. Another principal choreographer and a renowned dancer of the company after the departure of Fokin and Nijinsky was Massine. He represents the dance era that stretches from 1915 to 1921. He came up with several creative productions such as the Le Soleil de Nuit, Le Tricorne and La Boutique Fantastique. He also influenced the productions in Colonel de Basil’s Ballets Russes, a successor company of the original Ballets Russes, between 1932 and 1937. Several other works that could be attributed to the Ballets Russes are those of George Balanchine who was the last major choreographer of the company before the death of Diaghilev. His performing career came to an end in 1926 as a result of a knee injury. By the time Diaghilev was dying in 1929, he had created about nine ballets that are widely renowned. These include Appolon, La Chatte, Le Bal and Le Fils Prodigue. Interestingly, the star of most of these productions was Serge Lifar. Put all together, the dancers and choreographers from the Ballets Russes changed the conventional practices and the static traditions of the classical ballet and developed a novel era or dance that was considered modern, while at the same time holding on and retaining the heritage and traditions that made the Russian ballet unique and identified with the schools that trained the dancers. In 2009, the Boston Ballet presented a program of the four short groundbreaking ballets from the several phases that mark the aesthetic evolution of the Ballets Russes, which now form a significant part of the dance history of ballet. These were Le Spectre de la Rose, which was first performed in 1911 and created by Mikhail Fokin; the Prelude a l'apresmidi d’un Faune, a 1912 dance that marks the general shift towards modernism. It was created by Nijinsky, and was actually his first production. It was also the most controversial performance of the Ballets Russes and is considered revolutionary (Garafola, p.76). The third was Le Sacre du Printemps, a 1913 dance, also created by Nijinsky that went further to flout the conventional old traditions of ballet and was highly sexual. The fourth dance was Le Fils Prodigue, Balanchine’s production that was among the last to ever be premiered by the Ballets Russes. It reflected a more neoclassical approach to ballet. Conclusion There has always been a constant rejection of the distinctions that exist between the fine arts and the decorative arts, so has been the willingness to experiment these forms in a variety of media. This was the distinct characteristic of the Russian artists in the 20th century. They could never perceive the idea that high art could be mixed with minor art such as designing of costumes and stages. It took the avant-garde artist of this period to move against the grain and introduce a synthesis of several distinct works of art. This correlation is what underlies the foundation on which the Ballets Russes was established. The Ballets Russes broke the conventions that existed in almost every aspect of ballet and art, even in the form of their productions. Alexander Benois, the designer of the Ballets Russes once noted that this was no accident. That what later became know as the Ballets Russes was not achieved by professionals of dance but a circle of artists who were linked together based on the philosophy that Art in itself was an entity. Everything that followed came from the desire that they all, several painters and musicians and dancers, had to see that such a theatrical dream had been fulfilled. The effect that the Ballets Russes has in the world and synthesis of art was recently evident on the eve of its 100th anniversary, September 2008. Most of the staged artistic works were lent mainly by British, French and Russian private collectors, museums and foundations. There were over 150 designs paintings, theatre decors, costumes, sculptures, drawings, manuscripts, photographs and programs were on exhibition in Paris. The whole idea was to retrace the company’s history. In addition, the exhibition also showcased the works of contemporary artists to reflect the visual heritage of the company. The artistic synthesis of the Ballets Russes not only revolutionized the design of theatre but impacted and highly influenced the fashion of the west, the design of graphics, the decorative art, the choice of classical music and dance. The company also contributed highly to the trends from the oriental and the aesthetics that are highly associated with art, especially in the first two decades of the 20th Century. To say therefore that Ballets Russes was an avant-garde of art would be an understatement and an injustice to the influence that the company had in the world of art. It is in this blend of the several units of art that modernism was influenced. Through contemporary music, intricate modern paintings and scandalous dances and production, all synthesized, the Ballets Russes created a new dawn not only for dance (for which it is highly renowned) but also theatre, visual art and classical music. In its short life, the original Ballets Russes managed to form develop and revolutionize art all at the same time. Works Cited Brewer, Kristie, Diaghilev’s Golden Age of the Ballets Russes Dazzles London with V & A Display, 13th October, 2010. http://www.culture24.org.uk/history+%26+heritage/ART309940, retrieved 17th April, 2011 Albert, Jane, Spectrum: Inside the Dress Circle. The Sydney Morning Herald. 11th December, 2010 Garafola, Lynn, Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes, New York: De Capo Press, 1998 Kassing, Gayle, History of Dance: An Interactive Approach, Illinois: Human Kinetics, 2007 Meister, Barbara, Music Musique: French and American Composition in the Jazz Age, Indiana: Indiana University Press, 2006 Scheijen, Sjeng, Diaghilev: A life, Amsterdam: Profile Books, 2010 Jordan, Stephanie, & Lopukhov, F. Vasilevich Writings on Ballet and Music, Studies in Dance History, 20, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press Read More