PHENOMENON NAMED ROMM
Marking the birth centenary
On January 22 we marked the centenary of the outstanding Russian film
director Mikhail Romm. Our correspondent Itta Beratova talks to the film
critic Neya Zorkaya.
Romm belongs to the generation of film-makers who came to cinema on
the wave of the grandiose social transformations of the first quarter of
the 20th century. In the 1920s-40s Soviet film-makers struggled to find
a compromise between the esthetic tasks of art and mass propaganda that
employed cinema as its tool. The best works by Eisenstein, Kozintsev, Donskoy,
Vertov and Romm became part of the world cinema heritage.
Mikhail
Romm believed that cinema had the task of "direct observation of life".
In his memoirs, however, he wrote: "Recalling my films, I could see
with bitterness that I had made a sharp turn from the road I had once chosen.
Almost each film seemed the model of time serving."
Romm meant "Secret Mission", a film about the Soviet intelligence
service, and "The Russian Question". But these words could also
apply to his "Leniniana", consisting of three parts: "The
Uprising", "Lenin in October" and "Lenin in 1918".
These films starred Boris Shchukin, who created a charismatic portrait
of the Soviet leader. They were a tremendous success and earned Romm the
reputation of a master.
"Mikhail Romm was not embarrassed by the time serving character
of his subjects," says film critic Neya Zorkaya. "As an artist,
he was sincere in his every work. But every film shot before the 1950s
features a contradiction between the talent of an individuality, which
made itself felt in his direction, and the script collisions determined
by the conventional Soviet esthetics."
In 1918 the son of a political deportee, Mikhail Romm came to Moscow
from Siberia. Searching for his own way in art, the gifted young man studied
in the studio of the famous sculptress Anna Golubkina, translated Flaubert
and Balzac into Russian, and wrote novels. Those were the years of the
Civil War in Russia. As a military inspector, Romm toured many cities and
villages, acquiring firsthand experience of life. Only after that he chose
cinema for a lifetime career.
Once Romm was commissioned to shoot a film about the Civil War and
Red Army border guards who died in fighting on the border. The on-location
shootings took place in the Karakum Desert. The heat was plus 71 Celsius.
Emulsion slipped off the film, the frames were scratched by sand. So when
the shot material was watched in Moscow it was found that there was little
passion and heroism on the screen. Additional close-ups were shot in the
studio's pavilions. Actors played characters suffering from heat and thirst
and displaying heroism. As a result, the authorities found the film lacking
in monumentality, a feature required by Soviet cinema. Mikhail Romm was
fired from the Mosfilm Studio. The future had more conflicts in store for
him but also new achievements, such as the movies "Man No. 217"
and "Dream" with the brilliant crew of such actors as Faina Ranevskaya,
Rostislav Plyatt, Ada Voitsek and Mikhail Astangov. Romm was busy looking
for a subject of his own, anxious to create a film-meditation, a film-dialogue
with his viewer.
"The turning point occurred in the '50s," says Neya Zorkaya.
"That was the period of the so-called 'thaw', when the ideological
oppression of Stalinism was brought to light, a period of revaluation of
values. After six years without work, in 1961 Romm released "Nine
Days of One Year", the film that became a revelation of the 'thaw'
generation. Before this film the Soviet cinema strictly divided characters
into 'good' and 'bad'. The new film offered no moral judgments. It found
a new hero - a contemporary man, a nuclear physicist. In a world where
words had lost their value, formulas became increasingly reliable. A scientist
and intellectual embodied the public ideal of the 1960s."
Mikhail Romm was concerned with the pressing global issues of his day,
notably, with the consequences of the discovery of nuclear power. In 1965
he shot the documentary "Ordinary Fascism", which was an attempt
to provide an answer to the question why the 20th century had given birth
to this appalling phenomenon. The film shook the world. Romm did not live
to finish his second major film about the 20th century "And Still
I Believe". The film was completed by his pupils.
"Romm's works continue to impress for their high professionalism,
the splendid montage, and the director's insight into human psychology.
Many of his pupils became the leading film directors of the next generation:
Vasily Shukshin, Andrei Tarkovsky, Grigory Chukhrai, Georgy Danelia, Savva
Kulish. Romm was a brilliant story-teller, publicist, and the author of
a great number of theoretical works about cinema. He left us an enormous
heritage and there is a lot in it that remains to be discovered."
IGOR MOISEYEV - A LIVING LEGEND
By N. Yakhontova
On January 21 Igor Moiseyev, an outstanding Russian choreographer and
director of the world-famous folk dance ensemble named after him, turned
95.
"If Moiseyev's ballet leaves you indifferent", wrote the
French Le Parisien, "if you don't applaud heartily or tap your feet
in delight, than you are not quite normal".
Many
people will be amazed to learn that at 95 Moiseyev is not only at his best
as a choreographer, but he can still show young dancers some complicated
figures. At a news conference on the eve of his jubilee, he stunned journalists
by demonstrating them one of his morning exercises - a bend forward on
straight legs, palms touching the floor.
Despite his more than venerable age, his entire personality exudes
vigour and strength. Always punctual and businesslike, his gaze steady
and rapt, he is very exigent and sometimes even tough with his dancers,
but his authority remains unshakeable. Unwilling to rest on his laurels,
Moiseyev continues to polish up his old numbers and put on new ones, and
he still accompanies his ensemble on its numerous tours.
All dances on the ensemble's repertoire - bright and colourful fantasies
- are based on genuine folklore: Russian, Spanish, Polish, Argentinean,
Bulgarian, Mexican, Venezuelan, Hungarian, Mongol, Czech, Slovak, Japanese,
Vietnamese..., to say nothing of the numerous ethnic communities inhabiting
Russia.
"Bringing various peoples closer together is the bottom line of
our efforts", says Igor Moiseyev. "Over more than 60 years interethnic
friendship has been the top message of our work. Contacts enable us to
get to know each other better and exchange cultural achievements that are
part of global culture".
The plots of Moiseyev's dances range from religious rites, folk customs
and romances to army life and labour.
He was born into the family of a nobleman. Fortunately enough, his
origin did not make him a prey to stalinist reprisals. Moiseyev studied
ballet under the famous Alexandr Gorsky. After graduating from the ballet
school, he was admitted to the Bolshoi theatre. His prospects were more
than bright. But at the age of 24 Moiseyev gave up a dancer's career and
became a choreographer. He spent his free time roaming Russian provinces
and recording folk dances. For a number of years he put on sports parades,
the idea of bringing folk dance to professional stage never off his mind.
In 1937 he founded a folk dance ensemble that was immediately recognized.
Of the numerous national and international awards conferred on Igor
Moiseyev during his life-long career, the Order Of People's Friendship
is especially dear to him. "Art should promote a closer rapprochement
between various nationalities", said Moiseyev. "I have long noticed
that harmony reigns the world and that a breach of harmony leads to tragedies,
dramas and cataclysms". UNESCO awarded Moiseyev the Mozart medal in
connection with his 95th birthday. This is UNESCO's highest decoration
marking great achievements in culture. The Russian President Vladimir Putin
congratulated Moiseyev and thanked him for his outstanding contribution
to the development of choreographic art. An official celebration is scheduled
for late February, early March.
PIANIST AND COMPOSER ARNO
BABADZHANYAN
January 22 marked the 80th anniversary of the birth of the well-known
Russian pianist and composer Arno 
Babadzhanyan.
The Moscow-based Nezavisimaya Gazeta wrote in connection with the date:
"... impossible to imagine him as an 80-year-old man, impossible to
believe that he is not with us. His sparkling humor, grotesque jokes, artistic
manners, smartly phrased stories, shining smile, easy going personality
and above all his talent were exceptionally appealing".
Babadzhanyan studied first in Yerevan and then continued his education
at the Moscow conservatory. His legacy includes The Heroic Ballad for the
piano, concertos for the strings, a quartette dedicated to Dmitry Shostakovich,
a trio for the piano and other pieces. But it was songs that brought him
nationwide fame. Babadzhanyan's songs were especially popular in the 60s
and 70s.
He died 20 years ago. His son Araik set up a charity fund named after
his father. It supports young musicians and organizes Babadzhanyan music
festivals. Opening one of them, poet Andrei Dementiev said: "I knew
Babadzhanyan many years. He was such a humorous and kind person that it
seemed that the music he wrote was born out of his kindness. He had an
intuitive feeling of beauty" .
THE BOLSHOI THEATRE - FFOM
FOUNDATION TO THE PRESENT TIME TCHAIKOVSKY'S BALLETS
to the 225th anniversary of the theater's
creation
By N. Viktorova
The Bolshoi Ballet - that's how the ballet company of Moscow's Bolshoi
theatre is often called abroad. "A living embodiment of the classical
Russian ballet", a term that firmly established itself in the 20th
century art, the company owes much of its international recognition to
Petr Tchaikovksy. One of the greatest 20th century composers Dmitry Shostakovich
once remarked: "Our love for Tchaikovsky passes from century to century,
from generation to generation. And that's why it's immortal". Tchaikovsky
wrote only three ballets - The Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker.
And each of the three was premiered at the Bolshoi.
The
Swan Lake remains one of the world's most widely performed ballets. But
124 years ago its premiere was a disappointing failure. Could Tchaikovsky
ever imagine that for a whole a century after his death his first ballet
has never been off the Bolshoi's repetoire. This season the theatre is
presenting the 10th version of The Swan Lake. There are several reasons
why the first one was a flop. First, Vaclav Raizinger's choreography was
rough and uninteresting (Tchaikovsky used to complain that Raizinger was
the most untalented man). Second, the cast consisted of mediocre dancers.
Finally, the sets were poor and unimpressive. Tchaikovsky's ballets were
not fully appreciated during his lifetime. It was not until years after
that it became obvious that his music gave an impulse to new choreography.
The essence of Tchaikovsky's ballet reform was that emphasis shifted
from decorativeness to the plot and drama, inspiring ballet masters and
dancers with new images. 100 years before Tchaikovsky another ballet reformer,
Jean Georges Noverre wrote in his Letters About The Dance: "... Dance
music should be a poem specifying a dancer's movements. Good music should
suggest a visual picture of the dance. The dance should imitate the sounds,
echoing everything the composer wanted to express". That's what Tchaikovsky
sought to create and what won him heavy reproach from critics. Reviews
were far from favourable: "The main drawback of his music is that
it sometimes interferes with the dance... This is not ballet music".
The
Swan Lake's libretto is based on a fairy-tale about a girl whom evil forces
turned into a swan. Nothing but true love can save her. The music matches
the beauty and dramatism of the story. Of the numerous stage versions of
The Swan Lake a Yuri Grigorovich production starring the divine Galina
Ulanova is rightfully considered the best.
More than a century has passed since the Bolshoi theatre premiered
Tchaikovsky's second ballet, The Sleeping Beauty, on January 17, 1899.
Up to now it gathers full houses. The theatre's former chief choreographer
Vladimir Vasiliev once remarked: "We have always cared for our classical
repertoire and have always believed that as long as a ballet attracts large
audiences it must stay on".
The Sleeping Beauty has survived 8 productions. At different times
it was choreographed by Marius Petipa, Alexandr Gorsky, Asaf Messerer and
Yuri Grigorovich, the music part conducted by Yuri Fayer, Boris Haikin,
Alexandr Kopylov with the sets and costumes designed by Anatoly Geltser,
Isaak Rabinovich and Simon Virsaladze.
The
libretto is based on the well-known fairy-tale by Charles Perrault in which
the heroine, a young princess, is put into a century-long sleep. A kiss
by a handsome prince brings her back to life. Unlike The Swan Lake, The
Sleeping Beauty scored a tremendous success during the composer's lifetime.
Unfortunately, he never saw it at the Bolshoi.
Galina Ulanova, Olga Lepeshinskaya, Maya Plisetskaya Yekaterina Maximova,
Nadezhda Pavlova and Nadezda Gracheva shone in the part of Aurora, while
Boris Khokhlov, Maris Liepa and Yuri Bogatyrev were acclaimed as the best
performers of the prince's part.
The Nutcracker, Tchaikovsky's third and last ballet, reveals his nostalgia
for the images of his childhood. He even used toy trumpets and drums in
the scores.
It was not until 1919 that The Nutcracker appeared on the Bolshoi's
repertoire and it hasn't been off ever since. The plot is based on Theodor
Hoffmann's fairy-tale about mysterious events that happen on a Christmas
night - a battle between mice and toys, a spell-bound prince turned into
a nutcracker, a girl named Marie who travels to the Fairyland and falls
in love with the Nutcracker, not knowing he is a prince, and the moment
she feels so the spell is broken and he appears to her in all his dazzling
beauty. The ballet is a charming and philosophic poem about the first love.
In some versions the cast features young students of the Moscow Ballet
Academy. The renowned ballet dancers Vladimir Vasiliev and Yekaterina Maximova
were both children when they made their debut in The Nutcracker .
1 February 2001
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