Ivan Vsevolozhsky

For other uses, see Vsevolozhsky. Ivan Vsevolozhsky, circa 1880

Ivan Alexandrovich Vsevolozhsky (Russian: Иван Александрович Всеволожский; 1835–1909) was the Director of the Imperial Theatres in Russia from 1881 to 1898.

A competent administrator, Vsevolozhsky ran the Imperial Theatres with a determination for excellence. In 1886, Vsevolozhsky initiated two major reforms for the St. Petersburg Imperial Theatres, namely the relocation of the Imperial Ballet and Opera from the Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre (deemed unsafe by 1886) to the Mariinsky Theatre, and the abolition of the post of First Imperial Ballet Composer, a post previously held by such composers as Léon Minkus and Cesare Pugni.

Accomplishments

History has not been generous to Vsevolozhsky. Though unknown to most people, even those in the arts, it was he who brought about the very existence of such world-famous ballets as The Sleeping Beauty (Tchaikovsky/Petipa) and The Nutcracker (Tchaikovsky/Ivanov).

In 1889, he duly instructed the Imperial Balletmaster Marius Petipa to choreograph a full-length ballet to the story La Belle au Bois Dormant, or The Sleeping Beauty for a premiere at the Mariinsky Theatre. He successfully obtained the most famous Russian composer to write the score for it, one Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Vsevolozhsky wrote the libretto himself; in his career, he had been a both a playwright and an essayist and was also a talented artist capable of designing costumes for the theater. Because of his vision, The Sleeping Beauty ballet (1890) is said to have had the most expensive and elaborate scenery and costumes ever seen on any stage before-- and in all likelihood, since.

Ivan Vsevolozhsky, circa 1895

A great admirer of Tchaikovsky's music, Vsevolozhsky was also instrumental in bringing to the stage three of that composer's later operas, namely The Enchantress (1886), The Queen of Spades (1889 - with libretto after Pushkin by the composer's brother, Modeste Tchaikovsky), and Iolanta (1892 -also with libretto by Modeste Tchaikovsky.) Iolanta (sometimes written as Iolanthe) was commissioned expressly by Vsevolozhsky as the first part of a two-act gala evening which would conclude with a ballet called The Nutcracker. This two-act ballet was intended to showcase the choreography of Imperial Ballet Master Marius Petipa but eventually had to be created by the assistant balletmaster, Lev Ivanov, due to Petipa's failing health at the time. The premiere of Iolanta and The Nutcracker on December 6, 1892 was a mild success and prompted the famous composer to believe that it would enjoy some popularity for 'at least a couple of years.'.

It was Vsevolozhsky who designed the original costumes for both of Tchaikovsky's last two ballets, The Sleeping Beauty (1890) and The Nutcracker (1892)

Gallery

Marie Petipa (daughter of Marius Petipa) as the Lilac Fairy (costumed for Act II) in Vsevolozhsky's costume for the Petipa/Tchaikovsky The Sleeping Beauty (1890) Anna Johansson (daughter of Christian Johansson) as Canari qui Chante with two unidentified suitors in Vsevolozhsky's costumes for the Petipa/Tchaikovsky The Sleeping Beauty (1890) at the Mariinsky Theatre The original dancers costumed in Vsevolozhsky's designs for The Sleeping Beauty (1890) at the Mariinsky Theatre Sergei Legat, as the Nutcracker, an unidentified child as a gingerbread soldier, and Lydia Rubtsova as Marianna in Vsevolozhsky's costumes for the Ivanov/Petipa/Tchaikovsky The Nutcracker (1892) Stanislava Belinskaya as Clara, Lydia Rubtsova as Marianna, and Vasiliy Stulkolkin as Fritz cotumed in Vsevolozhsky's costumes designs for the Ivanov/Petipa/Tchaikovsky The Nutcracker (1892) Vsevolozhsky's sketch of a costume design for the Dance with Little Fifes (AKA Dance of the Mirlitons) from Act II of the Ivanov/Petipa/Tchaikovsky The Nutcracker (1892) Vsevolozhsky's sketch of his costume designs for Mother Gigone, her Children, and the Buffooons from Act II of the Ivanov/Petipa/Tchaikovsky The Nutcracker (1892) Marie Petipa as the Lilac Fairy (costumed for the Prologue) with Lyubov Vishnevskaya as her attendant in Vsevolozhsky's costume designs form the Petipa/Tchaikovsky The Sleeping Beauty (1890)

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References

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