The Fountain of Bakhchisarai
Encyclopedia
The Fountain of Bakhchisarai (Russian: Бахчисарайский фонтан) is a Russian ballet inspired by the 1823 poem by Alexander Pushkin of the same title.
With music by Boris Asafiev
and choreography by Rostislav Zakharov
, the ballet premiered in Saint Petersburg
, (then Leningrad
) in 1934 at the Kirov Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet
(now the Mariinsky Theatre).
Bakhchisarai is in the Crimea
, near Yalta
. Bakhchisarai Palace was originally built in the sixteenth century and has been repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt since. The fountain, which actually exists, is called the Fountain of Tears.
The scene shifts back in time to the palace of a Polish nobleman: a ball is being held for the engagement of Maria, the daughter of the house, to her sweetheart the young noble Vaslav. Suddenly lurking Tartars led by Khan Girey scale the walls and attack the revelers. After a vicious fight, in which the Khan kills Vaslav, the palace is looted and torched and the women collected as part of the booty. Maria hides her face, but the Khan rips away her scarf and is mesmerized by her beauty.
The Khan and his warriors return to Bakhchisarai Palace where he is greeted by Zarema, his harem favorite. But while Zarema, who obviously loves him, is overjoyed at his return, the Khan ignores her completely in his preoccupation with Maria. He has Maria installed in an apartment isolated from the harem and visits her there. Laying his heart at her feet he tries to make her love him, but Maria is appalled and rejects him. In their brief struggle the Khan's hat falls to the floor. The Khan returns to the court where Zarema tries to win his attention by dancing for him, but the Khan rejects her. Zarema collapses in despair.
During the night Zarema steals out of the harem and past the guards to visit Maria in her chamber. She tries to tell Maria how desperately she loves the Khan, finally drawing a concealed dagger to stab her unwilling rival. At first afraid, Maria stands before Zarema and opens her arms wide, showing Zarema that she would welcome death. Zarema is stunned and falls to the ground. Maria tries to comfort her, but Zarema has seen the Khan's hat on the floor. Fearing the worst, she is again inflamed with jealousy. As the Khan and his guards rush in to try and stop her, Zarema breaks free and stabs Maria to death.
The Khan draws his own dagger to kill Zarema, but she kneels down in front of him and offers her chest to the knife, just as Maria did. The Khan cannot kill her, but commands the guards to take her away. The Khan is devastated.
In the court, Khan Girey sits and stares like a stone as, at his orders, Zarema is flung to her death from the walls. He can only stare at the fountain dedicated to Maria's memory, the Fountain of Tears.
, The Fountain of Bakhchisarai and The Flames of Paris.
In the film version the roles were danced by Galina Ulanova
as Maria, Maya Plisetskaya
as Zarema, Pyotr Gusev
as Khan Girey, and Yuri Zhdanov
as Vaslav. This is the only known footage of Ulanova and Plisetskaya, who succeeded Ulanova as prima ballerina assoluta of the Bolshoi Theatre
, dancing together.
With music by Boris Asafiev
Boris Asafiev
Boris Vladimirovich Asafyev was a Russian and Soviet composer, writer, musicologist, musical critic and one of founders of Soviet musicology.Asafyev had a strong influence on Soviet music. His compositions include ballets, operas, symphonies, concertos and chamber music...
and choreography by Rostislav Zakharov
Rostislav Zakharov
Rostislav Vladimirovich Zakharov was a Russian choreographer, dancer, ballet and opera director. He was a professor of Russian Academy of the Arts in Moscow...
, the ballet premiered in Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
, (then Leningrad
Leningrad
Leningrad is the former name of Saint Petersburg, Russia.Leningrad may also refer to:- Places :* Leningrad Oblast, a federal subject of Russia, around Saint Petersburg* Leningrad, Tajikistan, capital of Muminobod district in Khatlon Province...
) in 1934 at the Kirov Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet
Mariinsky Theatre
The Mariinsky Theatre is a historic theatre of opera and ballet in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Opened in 1860, it became the preeminent music theatre of late 19th century Russia, where many of the stage masterpieces of Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky, and Rimsky-Korsakov received their premieres. The...
(now the Mariinsky Theatre).
Bakhchisarai is in the Crimea
Crimea
Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...
, near Yalta
Yalta
Yalta is a city in Crimea, southern Ukraine, on the north coast of the Black Sea.The city is located on the site of an ancient Greek colony, said to have been founded by Greek sailors who were looking for a safe shore on which to land. It is situated on a deep bay facing south towards the Black...
. Bakhchisarai Palace was originally built in the sixteenth century and has been repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt since. The fountain, which actually exists, is called the Fountain of Tears.
Synopsis
The ballet opens at Bakhchisarai Palace, where Khan Girey is seated surrounded by his court. Dancers try to entertain the Khan but he is oblivious to his surroundings, staring at water trickling in a fountain.The scene shifts back in time to the palace of a Polish nobleman: a ball is being held for the engagement of Maria, the daughter of the house, to her sweetheart the young noble Vaslav. Suddenly lurking Tartars led by Khan Girey scale the walls and attack the revelers. After a vicious fight, in which the Khan kills Vaslav, the palace is looted and torched and the women collected as part of the booty. Maria hides her face, but the Khan rips away her scarf and is mesmerized by her beauty.
The Khan and his warriors return to Bakhchisarai Palace where he is greeted by Zarema, his harem favorite. But while Zarema, who obviously loves him, is overjoyed at his return, the Khan ignores her completely in his preoccupation with Maria. He has Maria installed in an apartment isolated from the harem and visits her there. Laying his heart at her feet he tries to make her love him, but Maria is appalled and rejects him. In their brief struggle the Khan's hat falls to the floor. The Khan returns to the court where Zarema tries to win his attention by dancing for him, but the Khan rejects her. Zarema collapses in despair.
During the night Zarema steals out of the harem and past the guards to visit Maria in her chamber. She tries to tell Maria how desperately she loves the Khan, finally drawing a concealed dagger to stab her unwilling rival. At first afraid, Maria stands before Zarema and opens her arms wide, showing Zarema that she would welcome death. Zarema is stunned and falls to the ground. Maria tries to comfort her, but Zarema has seen the Khan's hat on the floor. Fearing the worst, she is again inflamed with jealousy. As the Khan and his guards rush in to try and stop her, Zarema breaks free and stabs Maria to death.
The Khan draws his own dagger to kill Zarema, but she kneels down in front of him and offers her chest to the knife, just as Maria did. The Khan cannot kill her, but commands the guards to take her away. The Khan is devastated.
In the court, Khan Girey sits and stares like a stone as, at his orders, Zarema is flung to her death from the walls. He can only stare at the fountain dedicated to Maria's memory, the Fountain of Tears.
Popular culture
The Stars of the Russian Ballet is a 1953 Soviet film production that includes Swan LakeSwan Lake
Swan Lake ballet, op. 20, by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, composed 1875–1876. The scenario, initially in four acts, was fashioned from Russian folk tales and tells the story of Odette, a princess turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer's curse. The choreographer of the original production was Julius Reisinger...
, The Fountain of Bakhchisarai and The Flames of Paris.
In the film version the roles were danced by Galina Ulanova
Galina Ulanova
Galina Sergeyevna Ulánova is frequently cited as being one of the greatest 20th Century ballerinas. Her flat in Moscow is designated a national museum, and there are monuments to her in Saint Petersburg and Stockholm....
as Maria, Maya Plisetskaya
Maya Plisetskaya
Maya Mikhailovna Plisetskaya , born is a Russian ballet dancer, frequently cited as one of the greatest ballerinas of the 20th century. Maya danced during the Soviet era at the same time as the great Galina Ulanova, and took over from her as prima ballerina assoluta of the Bolshoi in 1960...
as Zarema, Pyotr Gusev
Pyotr Gusev
Pyotr Andreyevich Gusev was a ballet dancer, teacher and choreographer. He was born on 29. December, 1904 in St. Petersburg. He studied at the St. Petersburg School of Choreography under Alexandr Shiryayev. He was a friend of George Balanchine and joined his Young Ballet group. He graduated in...
as Khan Girey, and Yuri Zhdanov
Yuri Zhdanov
Yuri Andreyevich Zhdanov was a Russian chemistry professor and rector of the University of Rostov. He was the son of Soviet politician Andrei Zhdanov and a former husband of Joseph Stalin's daughter, Svetlana Alliluyeva....
as Vaslav. This is the only known footage of Ulanova and Plisetskaya, who succeeded Ulanova as prima ballerina assoluta of the Bolshoi Theatre
Bolshoi Theatre
The Bolshoi Theatre is a historic theatre in Moscow, Russia, designed by architect Joseph Bové, which holds performances of ballet and opera. The Bolshoi Ballet and Bolshoi Opera are amongst the oldest and most renowned ballet and opera companies in the world...
, dancing together.
Further information
- "Pushkin's effects on the Russian Ballet", PhD Thesis with a detailed description of the history of this particular ballet and lots of background information on Russian ballet in general.
Reviews
- http://www.nytimes.com/1999/07/10/arts/dance-review-sparks-of-modernity-transform-a-classical-style.htmlNY Times, by Anna KisselgoffAnna KisselgoffAnna Kisselgoff is a dance critic and cultural news reporter for the New York Times. She began at the Times as a dance critic and cultural news reporter in 1968, and became its Chief Dance Critic in 1977, a role she held until 2005...
, Saturday, July 10, 1999]
film reviews
- Stars of the Russian BalletStars of the Russian BalletStars of the Russian Ballet is a 1953 Soviet musical film directed by Gerbert Rappaport. It was entered into the 1954 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Galina Ulanova - Maris...
",- NY Times, September 6, 1954
- http://www.nytimes.com/1984/01/29/arts/recent-releases-209979.htmlNY Times by Jennifer DunningJennifer DunningJennifer Dunning is a writer and critic for the New York Times on the subjects of dance and ballet. She is the author of the 1985 But First a School: The First Fifty Years of the School of American Ballet, the 1996 Alvin Ailey, a Life in Dance and the 1997 Great Performances: A...
,: January 29, 1984]
External links
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXkIZJSPKCE&NR=1You Tube: UlanovaGalina UlanovaGalina Sergeyevna Ulánova is frequently cited as being one of the greatest 20th Century ballerinas. Her flat in Moscow is designated a national museum, and there are monuments to her in Saint Petersburg and Stockholm....
and PlisetskayaMaya PlisetskayaMaya Mikhailovna Plisetskaya , born is a Russian ballet dancer, frequently cited as one of the greatest ballerinas of the 20th century. Maya danced during the Soviet era at the same time as the great Galina Ulanova, and took over from her as prima ballerina assoluta of the Bolshoi in 1960...
in excerpts from the ballet].