The article is dedicated to the 135th anniversary of the birth of the Russian dancer, choreographer, teacher Fyodor Lopukhov (1886–1973). The paper presents a wide range of issues related to the development of dance symphony — a new musical and plastic genre of ballet theater of the 20th century. Lopukhov formulated the theoretical provisions of dance symphony, expressed in an appeal to the ‘pure’ genre of symphony, the free work of choreographers with the music of the sonata-symphonic cycle, the idea of plotless ballet. All these principles will find an original embodiment in the performances of Lopukhov’s followers — outstanding dancers-choreographers of the 20th century Léonide Massine,Igor Belsky, George Balanchine. The work also examines the history of the creation of a unique performance "The Greatness of the Universe", set to the music of Beethoven’s Fourth Symphony and an extraordinary reading of the masterpiece of the Viennese classic on the ballet stage.
According to Lopukhov’s choreographic plan, the four movements of Beethoven’s symphony were named: the first part — "Life in death and death in life", the second — "Thermal Energy", the third — "The Joy of existence" and the fourth — "Eternal Movement". These abstract subheadings are close to the aesthetics of the Russian avant-garde of the 1920s. The article also touches on the structural features of Lopukhov’s ballet production: instead of the traditional four-part cycle of Beethoven, the choreographer’s script and performance began to include five parts (Lopukhov separated the introductory Adagio from the Allegro vivace material and designated it as an independent part). The article considers the connection of Lopukhov’s stage decisions with the musical form of the parts of Beethoven’s symphony.
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