Misplaced Pages

#437562

51-429: The house was designed and built 1900–03 by the architect Fyodor Schechtel for the wealthy Russian banker, industrialist and newspaper publisher Stepan Ryabouchinsky, who at the time of construction was only twenty-six years old. His father, of peasant origin, had built an industrial empire, based on textile mills and many other businesses, and shared by his nine sons. Stepan himself was also an art patron who assembled

102-538: A Christian pilgrim (actually St Nicholas of Mozhaysk ). Sadko and Volkhova escape the destruction on a sea-shell. Scene 7 – Novogrod, a green meadow on the shores of Lake Ilmen Sadko is asleep by the lakeside. Volkhova watches over him and sings a lullaby. Before he wakes, she bids him farewell and then disappears, becoming changed into the River Volkhova that now links Lake Ilmen with the sea. Lubava finds her husband asleep and wakes him: he believes that his voyage

153-481: A Viking, an Indian and a Venetian, sing in turn of their homelands ( Song of India ). Sadko decides to set sail for Venice. Scene 5 – A peaceful expanse of the ocean Sadko's fleet of ships is returning home, laden with treasure, but becomes becalmed. Sadko's crew throw treasure over the side to propitiate the Sea-Tsar, but no wind appears. Sadko is left behind, clinging to a log, when the wind suddenly picks up while he

204-541: A book for Chekhov in 1886, who then recommended Schechtel to other clients. This experience (as well as the Tretyakov connection) familiarized Franz with Moscow's artistic circles and the wealthy patrons of the arts who would become his future clients, notably the Morozov family of Old Believers . Throughout the 1880s, Schechtel completed many theatrical stage designs; most of his graphics from this period have been lost, excluding

255-407: A combination of Russian Revival and Moderne ornament. There are Moderne style stained glass windows in the dining room and the cabinet or study, Schechtel designed the windows and had them made by craftsmen. The museum houses the important Gorky library and guest book. The interior of the writer's private apartments reflects the decorative taste of the 1930s, when Gorky lived there, since most of

306-527: A dramatic work. The music is highly evocative, and Rimsky-Korsakov's famed powers of orchestration are abundantly evident throughout the score. According to the Soviet critic Boris Asafyev, writing in 1922, Sadko constitutes the summit of Rimsky-Korsakov's craft. From the opus 5 tone poem the composer quoted its most memorable passages, including the opening theme of the swelling sea, and other themes as leitmotives – he himself set out to "utilize for this opera

357-582: A film of the opera in 1952 with the music but without singing. A new production by Alexei Stepaniuk for the Mariinsky Theatre in 1993 was later toured to Paris ( Théâtre des Champs-Élysées ) and recorded. Sadko is rarely performed today outside the Russian Federation. However, there have been recent performances by Opera Vlaanderen and in Bratislava. ( Note : Instead of traditional acts, Sadko

408-690: A long voyage. The Princess promises to him to wait patiently for his return. At dawn, from the lake the voice of the Sea-Tsar is heard. He calls his daughters home into the depths. The girls once again turn into white swans and swim away into the distance. Scene 3 – An attic in Sadko's home (in Novgorod) Sadko's wife, Lubava, is missing her husband. She is happy when he comes home at last, but distressed when he announces his intention to leave immediately in order to seek his fortune. Scene 4 – A pier in Novgorod (on

459-419: A noted collection of Russian icons. In addition to being patrons of the arts, the family members were Old Believers , an Orthodox doctrine condemned by the official Russian Orthodox Church. The design of the building included a small Old Believer Chapel hidden discreetly under a corner of the roof. Contemporary Russian critics praised Schechtel's design for its "boldness" and "courage," although they noted that

510-605: A photocopy of the Schechtel family tree . The Schechtel family relocated to Saratov in 1865 to assist the ailing Franz Sr. in business. Both brothers, Franz Sr. and Osip, died in 1867. Business debts ruined their families, forcing Daria Karlovna to seek free boarding schools for the children; she relocated to Moscow and worked for Pavel Tretyakov . Franz attended a free Roman Catholic seminary in Saratov, graduating in 1875. However, he received his high school diploma only in 1880, when he

561-590: A small fraction stored at the Bakhrushin Museum in Moscow. Schechtel obtained a construction management license in 1894. His earlier projects, completed under Kaminsky's management, are sometimes credited to Kaminsky alone. Schechtel's first own, undisputed building - Zinaida Morozova House in Spiridonovka Street, 1893, famous for Mikhail Vrubel artwork - is a mix of Gothic architecture and romanticism . In

SECTION 10

#1732852110438

612-561: A wealthy man. During his years of travel he amasses a fortune, weds the daughter of the Tsar and Tsarina of the Ocean and has other adventures. Upon his return, the city and Lubava rejoice. Scene 1 – The rich mansion of a guild in Novgorod The wealthy Novgorod merchants congratulate themselves on their prosperity. Nezhata, a gusli player from Kiev, sings an heroic song. In reply, Sadko also sings, but

663-595: A well-to-do neighborhood near Moscow's center. Patriarshy Ponds is still home to many of Schechtel's works, including two of his own residences from 1896 and 1910. Schechtel designed the Printshop to have Gothic trim, but changed his plan midway through construction. His "Popov Tea House" pavilion at the Exposition Universelle (1900) in Paris earned a silver medal, exposing him to international fame ( diploma ). At home, he

714-508: Is divided in seven scenes, and, as that type of structure would suggest, is more loosely constructed than a traditional opera. The opera is usually performed in three or five acts, depending on how the scenes are grouped: Three acts – 1–2, 3–4, 5–6–7 or 1–2–3, 4, 5–6–7: Five acts – 1, 2–3, 4, 5–6, 7) The opera tells the story of Sadko , a gusli player ( guslar ), who leaves his wife, Lubava, and home in Novgorod and eventually returns

765-418: Is overboard. Scene 6 – In the depths of the sea The scene shifts to the realm of the sea-Tsar, where Sadko sings to the Tsar and tsarina , winning the hand of their daughter, Volkhova. The wedding celebrations become so boisterous that a storm springs up, sinking ships on the surface of the sea, and the realm of the Sea-Tsar is destroyed. The end of the reign of the pagan tsar is heralded by an apparition of

816-671: The Brezhnev period. At the same time, his Neo-Russian structures, such as Yaroslavsky Terminal, which matched the patriotic Soviet rhetoric quite well, were at first tolerated and later praised. Many of his Moscow mansions were leased to foreign embassies, have been well maintained and are still in good order inside and out. His public buildings, including his theaters and the Taganrog Library, also remain close to their original design externally. Sadko (opera) Sadko (Russian: Садко , romanized : Sadkó listen ,

867-913: The Metropolitan Opera in New York on 25 January 1930 in French with Tullio Serafin , followed a year later by the first performance in London in June 1931. A truncated production was mounted in Monte Carlo in 1921, conducted by Victor de Sabata , with Dimitri Smirnov in the title role. Revivals took place at the Bolshoi in 1935, 1949 and 1963. A production at the Berlin Staatsoper in 1947 featured Ludwig Suthaus , Erna Berger and Margarete Klose . Aleksandr Ptushko directed

918-634: The Russian Revolution , all the property of the family was seized by the Bolsheviks. The Ryabouchinskys left behind their home and departed Moscow for Italy. Stepan died in Milan in 1942. After the Revolution the house was occupied by a series Soviet state institutions; a committee for relations with foreign communist parties; the state institute of psychoanalysis, and then a kindergarten. In 1931, Stalin and

969-521: The symbolist movement of the end of the 19th century. The asymmetric forms of the roof contrast with the curving forms of the mosaic frescoes, the portals, the frames of the windows, and the balustrades of cast iron. The iron decoration over the entrance suggests a tree, while the wrought iron balustrade around the base of the house has spiral forms, suggesting waves. The facade of the house combined elements of Moderne with traditional Russian forms. The massive concrete front porch, for example, looked like

1020-528: The 1923 All-Russia Agricultural Exhibition, met a similar fate. Shechtel cooperated with various planning and design agencies, continued teaching at Stroganov School of Arts and VKhuTEMAS , and even applied to the 1925 Lenin Mausoleum contest ( Schechtel's entry ), but did not build anything anymore. Construction in the USSR, halted by a decade of hostilities, resumed in 1926, the year of Schechtel's death. In 1918,

1071-631: The Art Nouveau furniture of the Riabouchinksi family had disappeared in the revolutionary turmoil. Today the entrance is through the old service entrance. Gorky lived on the ground floor, while his son and his family lived on the first floor. 55°45′29″N 37°35′47″E  /  55.75815°N 37.59637°E  / 55.75815; 37.59637 Fyodor Schechtel Fyodor Osipovich Schechtel ( Russian : Фёдор О́сипович Ше́хтель ; August 7 [ O.S. July 26] 1859 – July 7, 1926)

SECTION 20

#1732852110438

1122-723: The Balakovo-based Maltsev brothers. By this time, Schechtel (a Roman Catholic) had firmly established himself within the Old Believer community, having done previous projects for the Maltsevs. Schechtel designed an eight-faceted tented church , borrowing elements from the style of the Church of Ascension at Kolomenskoye in Moscow and older architectural traditions of the Russian North. The church, which could accommodate 1,200 worshippers,

1173-460: The Moscow suburb of Solomennaya Storozhka, funded by the Tula Militia training camp. Schechtel modelled the church on historical Olonetz area models (excluding the integrated belfry, which was uncommon for Olonetz architecture). The church was closed in the 1930s, neglected and eventually demolished in the 1960s; a wooden replica was built in 1996-1997. Schectel's only post-1917 work, a pavilion at

1224-500: The Soviet government offered the house and a dacha in the suburbs to Maxim Gorky , the most famous living Russian writer, who was living in Sorrento, Italy, but regularly visited Moscow. Gorky accepted and occupied the house with his family until his death in 1936, though after 1934 he was not permitted to travel abroad. Stalin and other Bolshevik leaders visited Gorky in the house several times before his death. Gorky and his son lived on

1275-433: The architect was evicted from his house on Bolshaya Sadovaya and had to live with his daughter, Vera Tonkova (née Schechtel). Of Schechtel's four children, two of them — Vera Tonkova and Lev Zhegin — would become well-known artists. According to several accounts, however, Schechtel died in bitter poverty. He was interred at Vagankovo Cemetery . Schechtel's Art Nouveau was despised by Soviet critics as rotten formalism until

1326-406: The banks of Lake Ilmen) Merchants assemble at the quayside and Nezhata sings another gusli song. The merchants deride Sadko when he explains how he will win his fortune by catching three golden fish. Sadko bets them that he can do this, and, after he is successful in catching the fish, he wins their ships to take on his voyage. He sets about gathering a crew for his voyage. Three visiting merchants,

1377-513: The bottom of the sea, to the realm of the Sea King, and returns to the surface with enormous wealth. The entry hallway from the front door to the stairway of the house also picks up the motif of waves, both in the brass door handles and in the ceramic floor. The dining room on the ground floor is one of the largest rooms. It opens onto the central stairway, and also has a separate door to the garden. It featured oak wainscoting and simple furniture, but

1428-410: The ceiling had plaster curving designs complemented by curving iron decoration around the large window. The original centrepiece of the room was a carved white mantle with an image of a large dragonfly, which disappeared after the Revolution. The cabinet, or library, was decorated with special attention and contained cases with books and various collections. The furniture objects date to the 1930s, to

1479-414: The entrance of a cave or grotto, but also resembled the "kryltso", the ceremonial porch Russian churches of the 17th century. and the small narrow windows on the right upper floor resembled those of a "terem", a medieval style of Russian residence. The elaborate wrought ironwork and colorful ceramic decoration were both Art Nouveau and a recollection of medieval Moscow palaces. The wrought iron decoration on

1530-404: The facade also had a marine theme, resembling fish scales, while the design on the mahogany front door had lotus ornaments made of brass. In addition, the facade was decorated with glazed hollow bricks, a backdrop for iron railings and large windows with wooden mullions . The most colorful element of the facade was the mosaic frieze of Iris flowers against clouds and blue sky.> The plan of

1581-539: The ground floor, while the rest of his family lived on the upper two floors. Following Gorky's death, Nadejda Pechkova, the widow of Gorky's son, was allowed to occupy several rooms until her death in 1965. Then the house officially became the Gorky Museum, displaying objects related to his life and work. The design of the house and interior is a blend of the 'Style Moderne', the Russian term for Art Nouveau , and elements of

Gorky Museum - Misplaced Pages Continue

1632-448: The height of the building. The lighting effect on the ground floor is that of being at the bottom of the sea, an effect emphasized by the Medusa lamp, and the filtered light coming from above. The setting is highly theatrical; the sea-bottom effect had been introduced in Moscow in 1896 in the stage design for the opera Sadko by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov in a scene in which the hero descends to

1683-402: The interior was organized around a central element; the three-story staircase. The major rooms of the house all open onto the stairway. Its main feature is the highly sculptural stairway the railing of which is made of an aggregate of cast concrete mixed with marble and granite fragments, highly polished. The smooth, curling forms suggest waves of the sea. The glass and brass lamp at the base of

1734-526: The internationalized, refined Art Nouveau and the last round of Russian Revival before the Revolution of 1917 . In the aftermath of the Russian Revolution of 1905 the Russian government lifted all limitations on Old Believers , and they responded by commissioning churches to be built all over the country. In 1909 Schechtel won an open contest to construct Belokrinitskoe Soglasie church in Balakovo , financed by

1785-697: The latter damaged by inadequate replacement of the original windows). Emphasis on the top floor ornamentation, witnessed in the Merchant Society Building, became a key feature in the so-called Rationalist Modern trend in commercial architectural design. In 1909 Schechtel turned to Neoclassical Revival , building his own (third) residence on the Garden Ring in strict Doric style . He began taking more commissions outside Moscow, notably in Nizhny Novgorod , his hometown of Saratov, and Taganrog, including

1836-517: The massive entrance porch and large windows on the first floor were inconvenient and illogical. The building led to other more important commissions for Schechtel, including the Moscow Yaroslavsky railway station , his largest Moscow work. The Ryabouchinsky family continued to prosper and expand its enterprises. In 1916, they constructed the first automobile factory in Russia. But in 1917, following

1887-506: The material of my symphonic poem, and, in any event, to make use of its motives as leading motives for the opera". The composer was closely involved in the "assiduous" rehearsals, and he "drilled the orchestra with great care, together with [the conductor] Esposito who proved a very fair musician". Rimsky also corrected errors in the score and worked hard with the chorus. Apart from the Sea Tsar singer "whom I could not endure" he approved of all

1938-471: The merchants laugh at him when he suggests that Novgorod would be more prosperous if a river joined Lake Ilmen to the ocean. Scene 2 – The shores of Lake Ilmen Sadko wanders unhappily by the lakeside. His singing attracts some swans, one of which changes into Volkhova, the Sea Princess, who wishes to marry a mortal. She explains to Sadko how to catch three golden fish which will lead to his fortune after

1989-429: The name of the main character) is an 1898 opera in seven scenes by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov . The libretto was written by the composer, with assistance from Vladimir Belsky , Vladimir Stasov , and others. Rimsky-Korsakov was first inspired by the bylina of Sadko in 1867, when he completed a tone poem on the subject, his Op. 5 . After finishing his second revision of this work in 1891, he decided to turn it into

2040-401: The neoclassical Chekhov Library in 1914. Vladimir Lenin 's refuge in 1923-1924, the neoclassical Gorki Leninskiye estate (formerly Morozov property), is also Schechtel's design. The advent of World War I in 1914, which halted practically all new construction for a decade, brought an end to Schechtel's professional career. His last work before the revolution was a wooden tented church in

2091-526: The period of residence of Maxim Gorky, but the distinctive decorative elements on the walls and ceiling remain. The Riaboushinky family were members of the Old Believers sect of the Russian Orthodox Church , whose beliefs were condemned by the state-sponsored Russian church, so the chapel on the upper floor was very discreet and simple, with a cupola and windows facing north. It was decorated in

Gorky Museum - Misplaced Pages Continue

2142-697: The same year he completed the interior of the Kharitonenko Mansion on Sofiiskaya Naberezhnaya. His style during the 1890s meanders between Gothic and Russian Revival . The first sign of a new, mature style (a Russian version of Art Nouveau , Russky Modern ), appears in his 1899 Arshinov House in Bolshaya Ordynka Street. Schechtel's turn to Art Nouveau is associated with the 1900 Levenson Printshop in Trekhprudny Lane, in Patriarshy Ponds ,

2193-578: The solo singers and singled out Zabyela, who "sang magnificently" and Syekar-Rozhanski. The world premiere took place on 7 January 1898 ( O.S. 26 December 1897), presented by the Russian Private Opera at the Solodovnikov Theatre in Moscow. Its conductor was Eugenio Esposito, the brother of Michele Esposito , with scenic designers Konstantin Korovin and Sergey Malyutin . The production

2244-435: The staircase is pure Art Nouveau. It takes the form of a medusa or jellyfish , and seems to float above the staircase. A red marble column emphasises the verticality of the staircase. It rises to the top of the house to the central skylight. Its capital is decorated with sculpted snakes and other reptiles. The stairway is lit by both natural light from above, and through three vertical panels of stained glass that rise with

2295-644: Was a Russian architect , graphic artist and stage designer, the most influential and prolific master of Russian Art Nouveau and late Russian Revival architecture . Baptised as Franz Albert Schechtel (also transliterated as Shekhtel ), he created most of his work as Franz Schechtel (Франц Шехтель), changing his name to Fyodor with the outbreak of World War I . In two decades of independent practice he completed five theaters, five churches, 39 private residences, Yaroslavsky Rail Terminal and various other buildings, primarily in Moscow. Most of his legacy survives to date. Franz Schechtel (Russified as Fyodor Osipovich)

2346-466: Was born to a family of ethnic German engineers in Saint Petersburg , the second of five children. His parents were Volga Germans of Saratov . His mother, born Daria Karlovna Zhegin, came from a family of Saratov merchants. Schechtel's uncle on his father's side, also named Franz Schechtel, was an established businessman in Saratov. He is credited with building the first theater in Saratov. See also

2397-541: Was completed in 1912, but was later destroyed during the Soviet period. It is now being rebuilt by the Russian Orthodox Church ). After 1905, Schechtel was famous for his office buildings, applying Art Nouveau concepts to steel frame structures, notably the 1907 Ryabushinsky Printshop in Putinkovsky Lane ( photographs, floorplan ) and the 1909 Merchant's Society offices in Cherkassky Lanes ( photograph, floorplans ,

2448-709: Was drafted into the Russian Imperial Army (Schechtel was eventually relieved from service). In 1875 Schechtel arrived in Moscow and attended architectural classes at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture . He was expelled in 1878 for "bad attendance." 19-year-old Franz made his living by assisting architect Alexander Kaminsky (a relative of Pavel Tretyakov ), in painting icons , church frescoes and daily illustrations for newspapers and magazines. There he met author and playwright Anton Chekhov and his brother Nikolay Chekhov . Schechtel illustrated

2499-642: Was financed by the railway tycoon Savva Mamontov; this was the first time that one of Rimsky-Korsakov's operas was staged by a commercial theatre rather than the Imperial Theatres. The St. Petersburg premiere followed 26 January 1901 at the Mariinsky Theatre , conducted by Eduard Nápravník , with scenic design by Apollinary Vasnetsov . In 1906, the opera was presented at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow conducted by Vyacheslav Suk , with scenic design by Konstantin Korovin . The first US performance occurred at

2550-488: Was inducted as a member of the Imperial Academy of Arts in 1902 ( photograph of diploma ). 1899-1903 were Schechtel's most productive years. In this period, he designed (in Moscow alone, not including out-of-town commissions): Unlike his rival Lev Kekushev , Schechtel never committed himself to a single style. His Yaroslavsky Terminal and Ryabushinsky House are distinct, setting two trends of Schechtel's future work:

2601-473: Was nothing but a dream, but the sight of the new river and his fleet of ships convinces him that he really is now a very wealthy man. In 1922 the English composer Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji wrote a pastiche on the "Hindu Merchant's Song" as the third of his Three Pastiches for Piano . In 1953, a Russian film directed by Aleksandr Ptushko entitled Sadko based on the opera and featuring Rimsky-Korsakov's music

SECTION 50

#1732852110438
#437562