About the «non-canonical» versions of the ballet Raymonda by A. Glazunov: To the problem of the relationship of music and plot

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of the musical side of the «non-canonical» performances of the ballet Raymonda by A. Glazunov, carried out in the last century: the works of V. Vainonen (1938), J. Balanchine (1955, 1961), T. Rojo (2022), R. Bozhan (2022) – transforming or rejecting the original plot and musical and dramatic foundations of the performance, created in collaboration between the composer and M. Petipa). Emphasizes the importance of a careful and professional attitude to the editorial work with the composer’s score, which is distinguished by its extraordinary organicity and compositional balance. The musical-editing and musical-dramatic features of the scores created for each of the productions under consideration are revealed, their conditionality is noted with new, relevant for their era, ideas of choreographers. The main methods of working with the text are shown: re-arrangement of the score, introduction of notes, transfer of numbers from one act to another (Vainonen, Rojo, Beaujean), creation of the author’s suite embodying the symphonic idea of a plotless ballet (Balanchine), adding fragments of music from other works by Glazunov (Rojo, Bozhan). It is concluded that each of the considered choreographic and musical versions of Raymonda embodies one of the most relevant ideas, directions of theatrical and choreographic thought, merging into the cultural context of the era.