Nuriyev Festival-2016: Anyuta, Nikiya, Gamzatti
The International Festival of Classical Ballet named after Rudolf Nuriyev is coming to an end. Among certainly successful festival performances, it can be chosen two the most interesting ones – it is 'Anyuta' to the music of Valery Gavrilin and 'La Bayadère' to Ludwig Minkus. The correspondent of Realnoe Vremya attended the festival performances.
Unequal marriage
A short story by Anton Chekhov 'Anna on the neck' became the two-act ballet by the will of the librettist. The plot remained unchanged, however, there outlined the dotted line of love between Anyuta and a student that, in principle, does not harm the ballet.
In Kazan, 'Anyuta', with which the vast majority got familiar by the film by Aleksander Belinsky with Ekaterina Maksimova in the title role, is choreographed by Vladimir Vasilyev. It was the first and definitely good experience of work of the great dancer and choreographer with Kazan troupe. In the history of Kazan performance there was a happy evening, when the role of Anyuta was performed by Ekaterina Maksimova itself, the role of Pyotr Leontyevich was performed by Vladimir Vasilyev.
Festival 'Anyuta' pleased us with the freshness and some thrill. Perhaps, it was due to that the title role was played by young Daryia Khokhlova, for whom the festival was debut. Before that, she danced only fragments from 'Anyuta'.
At the time, Vasilyev chose Khokhlova as a partner for one of his perfomances to the music of Chopin, which was dedicated to the memory of the great ballerina Ekaterina Maksimova. The young ballerina really has something similar to Ekaterina Sergeyevna, at least this similarity is felt in 'Anyuta'. Anyuta-Khokhlova – is touching and tender, she is strong in her weakness and she is charmingly feminine.
Gennady Yanin, a soloist of the ballet troupe of the Bolshoi Theatre, the winner of the 'Golden mask', have already played on the stage in Kazan in the role of Modest Alekseyevich. But the play of Yanin at the Nuriyev festival – it was just a benefit! Unusual, almost grotesque plastic of Yanin went hand in hand with accurate psychological actor's school. It is not coincidence the lion's share of the applause was to Yanin.
In the final scene his character, this ridiculous, pompous, pathetic in his attempts to be more meaningful than he really is, he even becomes touching. Yanin like gives a thread to his Modest Alekseyevich from 'little people' of Gogol and Dostoevsky.
Both Anyuta and Modest Alekseyevich, so different, but similar in one: they both want happiness. It's so banal — and so true.
Fateful triangle
Festival 'La Bayadère' was different from other festival performances by that three leading soloists of the Palais Garnier have been claimed in the title parts. The soloists of this Paris theater have already played in the Nuriyev festivals, but they had not danced three main parts at once.
'La Bayadère' at Nuriyev Festival – a special performance. It is closely connected with the name of Rudolf Nuriyev. It is about the staging of 'La Bayadère' on the stage of the Kazan Theatre in May of 1992 Nuriyev talked to the director of the Tatar State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre named after Musa Jalil Raufal Muhametzyanov and the chief of the ballet Vladimir Yakovlev. Alas, the plans couldn't be embodied.
The warrior Solor, the protagonist of 'La Bayadère' — one of the best roles of Nuriyev. But he also tried himself in this performance as a choreographer, staging this ballet for his partner Margot Fonteyn, who performed the role of Nikiya. Nuriyev made a sensation in the West, he staged 'La Bayadère' in three acts, before in Europe the play was only in two acts, the challenging third act usually was not performed.
By fate 'La Bayadère' was the last performance of Rudolf Nuriyev, its premiere on the stage of the Palais Garnier was in October of 1992, seriously ill Nuriyev were taken to the satge for the bows already in the chair. On 6 January 1993 he was gone… The Christmas of that year came down to earth without him.
The soloists of the Palais Garnier, who came to Kazan for the festival, danced 'La Bayadère' in the version of Rudolf Nuriyev, as it is still in Paris. Before Kazan citizens there appeared stocky, strong, with confident jumps Solor (François Alu), tender, vulnerable Nikiya (Leonora Bolak) and knowing her worth, kind of bitchy Gamzatti (Sae Eun Park).
In general, the differences with the performance that is being staged in Kazan are little. Despite the scene of the explanation between Nikiya and Gamzatti in the final act. Women just put up a fight, lying on the floor, and Nikiya gets a slap. Gamzatti by Sae Eun Park was very temperamental and willing to literally fight for her happiness.
Leonora Bolak performed Nikiya's dance with a bouquet from the finale of the second act using many shades: despair gave way to hope, momentary joy and bitter disappointment. Alas, it was not quite clear Nikiya's desire to die and her refusal from antidote, which the High Brahmin offers (Nurlan Kanetov).
It is worth noting technically difficult third act — the act of dreams and visions of Solor. Here citizens of Kazan have demonstrated impeccable corps de ballet, and François Alu and Leonora Bolak looked very well in duets.
It is worth distinguishing the work of the orchestra in 'Anyuta', and in 'La Bayadère' — both performances were conducted by Maestro Renat Salavatov.
Nuriyev festival is coming to an end this year, but in the final two events are waiting for the audience – the performances of Theatre of ballet of Boris Eifman 'Onegin', it had been performed in Kazan during the Universiade 2013, and 'Roden' — for citizens of Kazan it will the premiere.