Sergei Diaghilev
Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev (Russian: Сергей Павлович Дягилев; scientific transliteration Sergei Pavlovich Djagilev; French Serge Diaghilev transcription; * 19 Märzjul / March 31 1872greg in Selischi, Russia, .. † August 19, 1929 in Venice) was a Russian publisher, art critic, curator and impresario.
The convinced St. Petersburg was instrumental in the Russian art of the turn of the century, particularly the ballet to make known in the West. His performance practice and founder of the Ballets Russes established, together with the avant-garde music and art, an entirely new form of ballet. From the Russian ballet later many famous dancers and choreographers emerged.
Life
The Early Years
Diaghilev moved in 1890 to Saint Petersburg. Originally, he wanted to study law there, but soon felt much more for flourishing arts, music and theater lovers attracted to the city. He even tried his hand in music, painting and ballet, but quickly realized that his own talent not satisfy his requirements.
Only on a trip to Europe mid-1890s, he discovered his real talent. He began painting to collect old furniture and bronze objects, he attended theaters and museums, met Émile Zola, Jules Massenet, Charles Gounod and François Arnold Böcklin. It turned out that he had the pronounced ability to bring together artists and art. The activity to propagate art, he devoted his entire future life.
Still in St. Petersburg, he founded, among others, with the painters Alexander Benois (Alexander Nikolaevich Benua ), Léon Bakst ( Lev Samoilowitsch Bakst ) and Konstantin Somov the progressive art magazine Mir Iskusstwa ( The Art 1899 World - 1904), with whom he the artistic life of city had a strong influence. In 1899 he became artistic adviser to the Imperial Theatre in Moscow and staged there numerous operas and ballets.
From 1904 to 1908 he was Russian and other art abroad. He began with an icon exhibition in Paris, subsequently gave concerts in the Grand Opera of works by Mikhail Glinka, Alexander Borodin, Modest Mussorgsky, Nikolai Rimsky -Korsakov, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Alexander Scriabin. Diaghilev always refused to repeat proven concepts and put on new, spectacular, often perceived as scandalous. 1906 Paris was center of his life.
His most lasting achievement rendered Diaghilev in the field of ballet. In 1909 he exhibited the best dancers in the country, the ensemble Ballets Russes together. This toured much of the world and made the Russian ballet known. After the October Revolution Diaghilev and the ensemble remained abroad.
Both due to its spectacular performances, which were not always financial successes, but also due to its passion for collecting, in later years, among other things for Russian books, Pushkin letters and autographs, his financial situation was always precarious. Even the generous support of Gabrielle Coco Chanel for individual projects helped little.
In 1910 he organized the first of 20 ballet seasons in Paris. This period was of enormous value for the development of ballet as a performing art in the theater. He promoted the Russian ballet with famous dancers such as Vaslav Nijinsky and Anna Pavlova, with whom he was romantically involved for several years.
Diaghilev used music by famous composers such as Claude Debussy ( Jeux, 1913), Maurice Ravel ( Daphnis et Chloé, 1912), Erik Satie ( Parade, 1917), Richard Strauss ( Josephs Legend, 1914), Ottorino Respighi (La Boutique fantasque, 1918), Francis Poulenc (Les Biches, 1923). Here choreographer Michel Fokine be fitted mostly on the music for the ballet.
The artistic director of the Ballets Russes was Léon Bakst, with the Diaghilev and Alexander Benua had founded the art magazine Mir Iskusstwa. Together they developed a more difficult form of ballet with elements that should please the general public and not just the aristocracy. The exotic appeal of the Ballets Russes had an effect on the resulting Art Deco.
The most notable composer, worked with the Diaghilev was, however, Igor Stravinsky, and so the premiere of The Firebird brought on 25 June 1910 two international recognition. Shortly afterwards, Petrushka (1911) and Le sacre du printemps (1913) and later Pulcinella (1920 ) and Les Noces (1923).
As a set designer Léon Bakst worked for him next and Alexander Benois also Henri Matisse, Georges Braque, Maurice Utrillo, Jean Cocteau, Nicholas Roerich and Pablo Picasso. He also undertook significant choreographers: George Balanchine, Massine Léonide, Bronislava Nijinska and Serge Lifar.
Diaghilev died on August 19, 1929 in exile in Venice and was buried there in the orthodox part of the cemetery island of San Michele. On his grave stone he left Venice, chisel constant inspirer of our Besänftigungen. In the United States, France and Italy today are plaques with his name, near the Opéra Garnier in Paris a place is named after him, in Monte Carlo has the "greatest impresario " get a monument.