Dmitry Bertman invited journalists to see the restoration works in the main building of the theatre
22.11.2010
Dmitry Bertman invited journalists to see the restoration works in the main building of Helikon-Opera
On the 18th of November Dmitry Bertman for the first time invited journalists to see the restoration works in the main building of the theatre, the famous mansion of Shakhovskaya-Glebova-Streshneva on Bolshaya Nikitskaya 19/16.
Dmitry Bertman personally told the details of the project: what has already been made and what has to be done, how the yard will be transfigured into the spectators hall and stage. He answered the questions and told the true history of the building with the help of historian Natalia Datieva, Managing Director of “Helikon-Opera” Viktoria Pavlova and the General Director of STD Development Andrey Kovalev. The choir of “Helikon-Opera” demonstrated the renewed acoustics of the main building.
The details of the projects, which arouse wide public resonance, suggest the ceiling upon the ex-yard of the mansion for making it a Big Hall of the theatre. Modern, witty, but at the same time delicate project of restoration of the mansion with placing a new hall of the theatre in the yard, suggests the civilized approach to the problem of preserving the national heritage, including the monument to the modern context and the cultural turn. At the same time, due to incorrect publications and public speeches, many do not know that legally the whole mansion doesn’t belong to the relics of the past. Now the theatre initiated the letter with the request to include building 1 on Bolshaya Nikitskaya 19/16 to the list of the relics of the past (the monuments of culture and history). What about the numerous utility structures of the yard and the so-called “building 2”, the status of the monument will never be referred to them.
The history of“Helikon-Opera” dates back to the 10th of April 1990, the date of the first performance of “Mavra” by I. Stravinsky, which was played on stage of the Central House of Medical Workers, situated at Bolshaya Nikitskaya street 19/16.
The hall was built by the famous Moscow philanthropist princess E. F. Shakhovskaya-Glebova-Streshneva in the end of the XIXth century under the project of architect K. V. Terskoy at the place of the burnt in the fire of 1812 mansion of Zarubin-Efremov. This venue was meant for public meetings, charity concerts and other events. After abolition of the state monopoly for Emperor’s theatres in Saint-Petersburg and Moscow, the theatre in Nikitskaya street became one of the first private theatres in Moscow. Its walls rememeber the actors of the famous trope of Herzog Meiningen, who influenced young Stanislavsky; other great guest performers: Sara Bernar, Eleonora Duzet, artists of the Viennese operetta.
In the White-column hall Petr Ilyich Tchaykovsky and Claude Debussy performed their works. It was here, where the artists of Moscow Art Theatre played “Chayka” for the only spectator Anton Chekhov, when he couldn’t see the official premiere due to his illness. The Private opera of Savva Mamontov, where the leading soloists were Fedor Shalyapin and Nadezhda Zabela-Vrubel, had been giving its performances here. Zimin’s Opera, the largest private Russian theatre of these times, where Leonid Sobinov performed, had been situated in the walls of the mansion in 1905-1907. From 1908 to 1912 Nezlobin’s theatre was situated there and since 1913 the most popular Potopchina’s Operetta was place in the mansion until its closing with Sovnarkom Decree as a “capitalistic” and “non-appropriate for the development of the masses”. In 1917-1918 the Chamber Theatre under Alexander Tairov worked on stage of the White-column Hall.
Twenty years of Helikon’s history are twenty years of faithful serving the traditions of the house on Bolshaya Nikitskaya. During this time Helikon has become one of the most popular and interesting musical theatres of Russia, gained wide popularity abroad, presenting Russian modern opera art on the famous stages of the world.
For all the time of its existing the theatre had been defending its building on Bolshaya Nikitskaya from some of dishonest leaseholders from the building 2. This is why the building 1 was kept safe, which was quite difficult in the nineties. The theatre’s management had been writing letters to the authorities, but in vain. Fortunately, Jacques Chirac visited Moscow and wanted to see Helikon’s performance. Visiting the theatre was included to his program, but the Federal Guard Service didn’t allow it, recognizing the house to be under the threat of collapse and being not appropriate for accepting high officials. After this confusion the Government of Russia applied to the Mayor of Moscow with the request to participate in Helikon’s fate. The new period in mansion’s history has begun. Eight years of agreements and endorsement, expertise and public councils had passed. The group of architects headed by Andrey Bokov became the authors of the project on restoration with adjustment. The projects was thrice signed by the main critic of Moscow’s rebuilding, the world famous scientist Alexey Komech, director of the State Institute of Art Science. According to this project the theatre should have two halls. The first one for two hundred seats will be situated, just as the old one, in the White-column hall. The lounge of the Small hall, the lobby, the ticket-office, the wardrobe, the museum of the theatre and of the building will stay in the old walls. The new Big hall for 500 seats is supposed to be placed inside the yard. The red porch is supposed to become a theatre’s box. The walls of the hall will stay the same red brick walls, which is bad for acoustics, but it will keep the walls of the inner yard safe. The outside historical façade will become the inner decoration of the hall. The ceiling would imitate the starry sky, the stage would replace the utility structures. The windows will be kept, the light in them will go out before the performance starts and will go on after it ends. The old walls will be kept in Kalashny side street.
It is supposed that excursions will be carried, just as it is in many European theatres. The museum of the theatre has custody of unique materials about Helikon’s history and history of the building, about great musicians of the newest history, who were with the theatre for the last 20 years. Among them are Mstislav Rostropovich, Riccardo Muti, Montserrat Caballe, Renata Scotto, Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Norma Fantini, Maria Guleghina, Eugene Nesterenko and many-many others.
The restoration works started in 2007. For three long years “Helikon-Opera” is performing on stage of the ex-ministry conference hall, which is not appropriate neither for artists, nor for spectators, as the building on New Arbat is lost “between the kiosks of selling everything”.
From 2002 the collective of the theatre, which consists of 500 people, Muscovites and the guests of Moscow are waiting for the opening of “Helikon-Opera” upon the old address. Will they live to see it?
The choir of Helikon-Opera (choirmaster Denis Kirpanev) met the journalists at the buildong site | |
Dmitry Bertman and the journalists | |
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Natalia Datieva |
Dmitry Bertman
Viktoria Pavlova |  |
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