Alexander Pushkin's Influence on Russian Ballet

217 Pages·2015·1.23 MB·English

by  Kathryn Karrh Cashin

Florida State University Libraries
Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School
2005
Alexander Pushkin's Influence on the
Development of Russian Ballet
Kathryn Karrh Cashin
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THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
ALEXANDER PUSHKIN’S INFLUENCE ON THE DEVELOPMENT
OF RUSSIAN BALLET
By
KATHRYN KARRH CASHIN
A Dissertation submitted to the
Interdisciplinary Program in the Humanities
in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
Degree Awarded:
Spring Semester, 2005
Copyright 2005
Kathryn Karrh Cashin
All Rights Reserved
The members of the Committee approve the dissertation of Kathryn Karrh Cashin
defended on the 16th of March, 2005.
______________________________
Tricia Young
Professor Directing Dissertation
______________________________
Paul Halpern
Outside Committee Member
______________________________
Leon Golden
Committee Member
Humanities Representative
______________________________
Ernest Rehder
Committee Member
Approved:
__________________________________________________
David Johnson
Head, Program in the Humanities
__________________________________________________
Donald Foss
Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
The Office of Graduate Studies has verified and approved the above named committee
members.
This endeavor is dedicated with love to
Ken and Katy
in great appreciation for their patience and support
(you’re the best)
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I wish to thank the members of my committee; Dr. Tricia Young, Dr. Leon Golden, Dr.
Paul Halpern and Dr. Ernest Rehder, for their patience and support and would like to
commend them for their inspirational teaching and excellence in their respective fields.
Dr. Young, who directed my work, was exceptionally helpful. Quite simply, this project
would not have been possible without her. She contributed an inordinate amount of time
discussing the project and helping to formulate the structure of the work. Her excellent
editing skills, knowledge of dance and dance history, support, patience and sense of
humor were invaluable. Barbara Reis, coordinator for the Program in the Humanities,
served as an important resource and was of tremendous assistance and I thank her for all
of her efforts on my behalf. I also would like to thank my family, friends, and the Elles,
as well as the dancers, parents and co-workers at The Tallahassee Ballet for their support
and patience.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Abstract…………………………………………………………………….vi
INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………..1
CHAPTER ONE Pushkin’s Literary Biography……….……………...9
CHAPTER TWO Pushkin and Russian Music…..………………........21
CHAPTER THREE A brief history of ballet in Western Europe
and Russia from its origin until the era of
Pushkin…………………………………..………….45
CHAPTER FOUR Pushkin and Russian Ballet……………..………….77
CHAPTER FIVE Pushkin, Soviet Ballet and Afterward….………….124
CHAPTER SIX Pushkin and Ballet: Yesterday, Today…………….177
and Tomorrow
CONCLUSION……….………………………………………....…………195
BIBLIOGRAPHY………………………………………………………….202
.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH………………………………………………209
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ABSTRACT
This dissertation explores and analyzes Alexander Pushkin’s contribution to the
development of a unique Russian form of classical ballet. Pushkin’s gift as a writer and
understanding of language, music and ballet converge to directly influence the evolution
of ballet in Russia. To establish a link between Pushkin and Russian ballet, the evolution
of Pushkin’s written word to its presentation musically, in the form of songs, and later on
stage as opera is traced.
Pushkin’s works provide important inspiration for the Russian performing arts
because of his use of Russian themes and incorporation of local color, characterizations
and settings. His works lend themselves to musical interpretation, which provides
additional inspiration.
A brief examination of Pushkin’s life and a chronological review of his literary
career are provided. Similarly, each chapter begins with a brief historical overview of the
subject covered (i.e. music, ballet history, ballet in Russia, Socialist Realism) so that a
point of reference and background information is provided.
In order to illustrate Pushkin’s influence on the emergence of a uniquely Russian
ballet tradition, selected ballets were examined according to five hallmarks identified as
originating with Pushkin’s literary legacy and traceable through the development and
codification of Russian ballet. Although other Pushkin-based ballets are included in this
study, four are given special consideration. These include The Bronze Horseman, The
Fountain of Bakhchisarai, The Queen of Spades, and Eugene Onegin.
Chapter One provides background on Pushkin while Chapter Two outlines
Pushkin’s influence on the development of Russian music. Chapter Three reviews the
history of ballet in both Western Europe and Russia and Chapter Four is dedicated to
ballet in Russia and Pushkin’s significance to its development. In Chapter Five The
Bronze Horseman and The Fountain of Bakhchisarai are analyzed, while in Chapter Six
these two ballets and The Queen of Spades and Eugene Onegin are compared and
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contrasted. Chapter Six also includes a discussion of Pushkin’s interest in the ballet as
evidenced by his Eugene Onegin and explores the theme of madness in his works.
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Like the poet, the choreographer finds new ways of saying things.
George Balanchine
INTRODUCTION
This dissertation explores and analyzes Alexander Pushkin’s contribution to the
development of a unique Russian form of classical ballet. Pushkin is credited with the
development of almost every Russian literary art form. He is further credited as a catalyst
for the creation of uniquely Russian forms of music, opera and ballet. This paper will
show that Pushkin’s gift as a writer and his understanding of language, music and ballet
converged to directly influence the evolution of ballet in Russia.
Despite the large body of research investigating Pushkin and his legacy, very little
scholarly work exists concerning his impact on the development of ballet. There are
several possible reasons for this: 1) as a performing art, ballet is a relative late comer; 2)
most Russian ballets are rarely performed outside of Russia; and 3) educated dance
criticism is still an emerging field. In addition, most of the ballets based on Pushkin’s
themes were created long after his death and may have been overlooked for this reason.
Certainly ballet existed and, indeed, flourished during Pushkin’s era. He was a
great ballet enthusiast and his works reflect both his knowledge and appreciation of the
art form (Schmidt 1989, 2). However, most of the ballets he viewed in his lifetime were
imports from other countries with stories, characters, choreography, music and settings
borrowed from them.
In order to establish a link between Pushkin and Russian ballet, it is important to
follow the evolution from Pushkin’s written word to its presentation musically and later
on stage as opera and ballet. Therefore, Pushkin’s contributions to music, including
opera, will be considered because they show a direct link from his writings to the ballet
genre. His works transcend the boundaries of literature and have been produced audibly
and visibly on stage.
Pushkin’s works provide important inspiration for the Russian performing arts
because of his use of specifically Russian themes and incorporation of local color,
characterizations and settings. His themes and ideas developed from his unique Russian
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experiences. Furthermore, he creates realistic characters and through them explores the
psychological nature of mankind. Perhaps, most importantly for the purpose of this study,
his works also provide inspiration because they lend themselves to musical interpretation,
which will be examined as part of the evolutionary process.
There exists a staggering amount of scholarly research and analysis of Pushkin’s
work and an additional study might seem unnecessary or redundant. However, Pushkin’s
works continue to inspire new ballet productions, which provide more opportunities for
examination and understanding of his enduring legacy.
Pushkin is considered one of Russia’s most important authors and was recognized
as such during his lifetime. He, like Peter the Great, was influential in bringing Western
European cultural traditions to Russia, and was key to the establishment of a Russian
literary tradition:
Pushkin was the first, by virtue of the high aesthetic standards he
achieved, to raise his writings to the advanced and enlightened level of
European spiritual life in the 19th century. By so doing, he introduced
Russian literature, as yet one more and highly significant national original
literature, to the family of the most developed Western traditions of that
time. Only against this historical and historical-literacy background—in
the mainstream of European and, even more broadly, world artistic
development—is it possible for us to grasp to the full the miracle of
Pushkin’s genius and the place, role and significance of his work for the
whole “sublunar world” (Blagoy 1979, 13).
Although Pushkin was considered a genius, this does not mean that his life was an easy
one. He faced many financial and personal challenges during his short life and died at a
young age. We are left to wonder what additional masterpieces he might have contributed
had he lived to create a larger body of work.
Pushkin’s influence on the Russian literary tradition is enormous. David Budge,
in his essay Pushkin and the Novel, states that “Pushkin’s shoulders must be the broadest
in Russian literature. The weight of paternity he has to bear for everything that came after
him is awesome and, at least in modern times, virtually unparalleled” (McMillin 1990, 3).
This work credits Pushkin with an even broader legacy by linking his writing to the
development of a unique Russian ballet.
To accomplish this task, this dissertation first provides a brief examination of
Pushkin’s life as well as a chronological review of his literary career, in effect a literary
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