In Search of a “National Style”: The Image of Kievan Rus’ on the Theatrical Stage in the Early 19th Century
Keywords:
stage design, architecture, opera, Kievan Rus’, Russian Revival style, Alexey OleninAbstract
The research was funded by a grant from the Russian Science Foundation № 24-28-00856, https://rscf.ru/project/24- 28-00856/
A surge in interest in plots from Russian history and antiquity, sparked by Catherine II’s operas and continued by early 19th-century playwrights and composers, necessitated the depiction of medieval Russian cities, noble palaces and military camps of the prince’s retinue, etc., in the stage designs. Thanks to А. Olenin and the Moscow Armory experts, the search for suitable national architectural models for antique construction yielded results around 1810. Theatre decorators were at the forefront of creating a national artistic style, yet were restricted to a defined set of known 17th-century Moscow architectural examples. In short, the onstage representations of medieval Kiev, Chernigov, and Novgorod chambers drew their key stylistic elements from the richly ornamented architecture of the 17th century. This style most effectively reflected view on the wealth and variety inherent in the Russian architectural tradition. The musical theatre, unbound by the unity of place and action and boasting far greater resources for scenery and staging than the dramatic theatre, shaped the visual image we recognize as Kievan Rus’.
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