# the Bolshoi & Yuri Grigorovitch



## sharik

the ballet world for its entire history has only known two really great choreographers - Marius Petipa and Yuri Grigorovitch. the latter was the only choreographer in 20th century ballet who staged truly groundbreaking choreography comparable to that of _The Rite Of Spring_'s in innovativeness and being ahead of time. Grigorovitch is the only ballet revolutionary whose works have not been surpassed by anyone in terms of breakthrough in new ballet technique and staging.

here's some of his works -

_Prokofiev - The Stone Flower_





_Shostakovich - The Golden Age_


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## hreichgott

I always thought Grigorovich was a very musical choreographer. His version of the Black Swan variation is my favorite.
Haven't seen anything of his full-length though. Except Spartacus (which I didn't like) but I am not sure how much of Spartacus was Grigorovich and how much was the original choreographer.


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## sharik

hreichgott said:


> Spartacus (which I didn't like)


its his best piece actually, and the brilliant music by Khatchaturan to boot.
i hope someday you changed your opinion of it.


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## Celesta

I can't stand Grigorovich and his name doesn't deserve to be spoken in the company of Balanchine and Petipa. His choreography is repetitive and lacks imagination. Spartacus is his best work, but is only tolerable if danced superlatively by artists like the magnificent Vladimir Vasiliev. Watch Vasiliev dance the title role on YouTube and you'll see what I mean. 

Grigorovich had a destructive impact on the Bolshoi. He was dictatorial, shut out other choreographers from the company, and, in an incomprehensible moment of bad judgement, fired the cream of the Bolshoi roster in the early '90's. Boris Yeltsin was so outraged that he sacked Grigorovich and brought the fired dancers back to the company.


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## sharik

Celesta said:


> I can't stand Grigorovich


you do have a right to hate anyone including God himself.



Celesta said:


> his name doesn't deserve to be spoken in the company of Balanchine


on the contrary, it is Balanchine who was overhyped dispite he had not been capable of staging a ballet based on a story, because he had no talent. Grigorovitch ballets were all based on storylines, for he was genius and capable of doing what Petipa did.



Celesta said:


> His choreography is repetitive and lacks imagination


you must be talking of Balanchine's here.



Celesta said:


> Spartacus is his best work, but is only tolerable if danced superlatively


huh, every ballet is to be danced like that, otherwise you end up Covent Garden sort of stuff.



Celesta said:


> Grigorovich had a destructive impact on the Bolshoi


he built up its fame. destruction came later in the 1990s.



Celesta said:


> He was dictatorial


and who is not?!! Marius Petipa?!



Celesta said:


> fired the cream of the Bolshoi roster in the early '90's


could you name at least one of that 'cream' please?



Celesta said:


> Yeltsin was so outraged that he sacked Grigorovich and brought the fired dancers back to the company


...and from this moment on the Bolshoi went downhill so badly it hasn't recovered until now, you somehow forgot to mention!


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## Speranza

I just watched the Bolshoi's 1976 version of Swan Lake with choreography by Yuri Grigorovich based on Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov. I am no expert this is just my opinion but it was the best Swan lake I have seen. I often feel that the details of the story seem rather vague in other Swan Lakes. In Grigorovich's it was so clear easy to follow this was obviously helped by Maya Plisetskaya who was brilliant as The Swan. Having said that I didn't like the Black Swan unlike hreichgott


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## Speranza

Just watched an old film of Spartacus first time I have seen it. I can't say I was particularly enamoured of Grigorovich's choreography but I did admire the way he seemed to mix modern dance with classic ballet with out it being jarring or over the top.


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## sharik

Speranza said:


> Just watched an old film of Spartacus first time I have seen it.


in fact Spartakus is the best ballet of all times because it has achieved such a synergy between music and dance and narrative that was never seen before. Grigorovitch and Khatchaturan worked on it together as a team.


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## Speranza

sharik said:


> in fact Spartakus is the best ballet of all times because it has achieved such a synergy between music and dance and narrative that was never seen before. Grigorovitch and Khatchaturan worked on it together as a team.


I actually thought the music and dance didn't go together very well at least not in the 1st act. The dance steps didn't seem to be at the right point in the music, but having only seen the ballet once I am not sure if that was the dancers mistake or intended.

I wouldn't say the best but it is definitely one I will see again. The music was beautiful, it's a good story and I really liked the Aegina role


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## sharik

Speranza said:


> I actually thought the music and dance didn't go together very well at least not in the 1st act. The dance steps didn't seem to be at the right point in the music


that's strange but maybe because Spartakus' the most advanced and complex choreoraphy like no other ballet's.


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## sharik

here's a new version of Spartakus -






can be downloaded from this site -
http://rutracker.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4568217
http://rutracker.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4632128


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## Speranza

The video quality looks great in the youtube link better then the one I watched. I do prefer to watch on tv then via my computer though but thanks


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## sharik

Speranza said:


> I do prefer to watch on tv then via my computer though but thanks


computers can be connected to TVs using HDMI cords.


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## Speranza

I know but it never comes out so well. At least not for me.


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