The Bolt (Shostakovich)
Encyclopedia
The Bolt Op. 27, is a ballet music score written by Dmitri Shostakovich
between 1930 and 1931. The score is for a full-length ballet
with three acts and seven scenes, with a libretto
by Vladimir Smirnov
. It was premiered on April 8, 1931, by the Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet in Leningrad, and choreographed by Fyodor Lopukhov.
.
To quote:
"The waspish and delightfully colourful score bowls along like a children’s cartoon-film, every number full of drama and parody and fine take-offs of serious and popular music of every kind. Among the highlights are the opening scene when the workers gather in the morning for their physical fitness class before hitting the conveyor belts, the appearance of pompous and opinionated officials and bureaucrats, a ridiculous church-going episode, and the exciting scene when the sabotage-conspiracy nearly succeeds and is only foiled at the last moment. There are also plenty of numbers which mimic the whirling and hammering sounds of modern factory machinery."
Dmitri Shostakovich
Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich was a Soviet Russian composer and one of the most celebrated composers of the 20th century....
between 1930 and 1931. The score is for a full-length ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
with three acts and seven scenes, with a libretto
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
by Vladimir Smirnov
Vladimir Smirnov
Vladimir Smirnov may refer to:*Vladimir Smirnov , Russian Bolshevik and Soviet politician*Vladimir Smirnov , Soviet mathematician*Vladimir Smirnov , Soviet geologist...
. It was premiered on April 8, 1931, by the Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet in Leningrad, and choreographed by Fyodor Lopukhov.
Plot
The ballet is an ironic tale of slovenly work in a Soviet factory. The lazy Lyonka hates work, and together with a local priest and anti-Soviet plotter, he plans to sabotage the machinery by putting a bolt in it. Their plan is foiled by a group of Young CommunistsYoung Communists
Young Communists can refer to:* Young Communists * Mouvement Jeunes Communistes de France* Young Communists * Young Communists in NorwaySee also:* Young Communist League...
.
To quote:
"The waspish and delightfully colourful score bowls along like a children’s cartoon-film, every number full of drama and parody and fine take-offs of serious and popular music of every kind. Among the highlights are the opening scene when the workers gather in the morning for their physical fitness class before hitting the conveyor belts, the appearance of pompous and opinionated officials and bureaucrats, a ridiculous church-going episode, and the exciting scene when the sabotage-conspiracy nearly succeeds and is only foiled at the last moment. There are also plenty of numbers which mimic the whirling and hammering sounds of modern factory machinery."
Reception
The premiere was the only performance for 74 years, as the audience jeered it and the critics upbraided it for its un-Soviet intentions. Shostakovich subsequently put parts of it in his other music.External links
Publications- Fay, Laurel E., ed. "Shostakovich and His World", Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2004