Music Hall

Categories / Art/Music, Theatre/Stage, Cabaret, Variety Shows
MUSIC HALL (in Russian Muzik-kholl, based on a transliteration of the English). The first attempts to establish a Music Hall in St. Petersburg date back to 1913. In the autumn of 1928, The Circus Music-Hall was opened in the Opera Hall of the former Emperor Nicholas II People's House (4 Alexandrovsky Park). In 1929, it moved into the building of Palace-Theatre (13 Italyanskaya Street) and was renamed the Variety Theatre-Circus, to adopt the name of Leningrad Music-Hall shortly after. I.O. Dunaevsky performed the functions of the chief conductor. Co-operating with Tea-Jazz conducted by L.O. Utesov. Dunaevsky composed a number of variety song programmes. The Music Hall employed various eminent people, such as composer D.D. Shostakovich, ballet-masters F.V. Lopukhov and K.Y. Goleyzovsky, artist and stage director N.P. Akimov. The programmes of the Music Hall starred K.I. Shulzhenko, B.P. Chirkov, R.V. Zelenaya, N.K. Cherkasov, E.M. Granovskaya et al. The Music Hall was closed down in 1937 as part of the struggle against formalism, to resume its work 30 years later, due to the efforts made by stage director I.Y. Rakhlin. The basic genre of the Music Hall was singsong revues with dancing. Among the ballet-masters who collaborated with the Music Hall were I.D. Belsky and M.S. Godenko. Music for performances was composed by M.M. Kazhlaev, S.I. Pozhlakov and D.F. Tukhmanov, among others. The Music Hall has a permanent company which consists of a ballet troupe, orchestra and solo performers. The latter include O.O. Vardasheva, I.N. Rudakova, S.N. Smetanin and A.N. Tukin. Its most popular programmes are: No One So Beautiful But You (1967), The Housewarming (1988), The Mad Century (1999), Apple Lady (2002). Since 1988, the Music Hall has come again to reside in the former Opera Hall (known as Velikan (Giant) movie theatre in 1950-88). In 1990, a school was attached to it.

References: Уварова Е. Д. Эстрадный театр: миниатюры, обозрения, мюзик-холлы (1917-1945). М., 1983. С. 195-239; Эстрада без парада. М., 1991. С. 35-44, 75-102.

Y. N. Kruzhnov. Akimov Nikolay Pavlovich
Belsky Igor Dmitrievich
Cherkasov Nikolay Konstantinovich
Chirkov Boris Petrovich
Dunaevsky Isaak Osipovich
Godenko Mikhail Semenovich
Goleyzovsky Kasyan Yaroslavovich
Granovskaya Elena Mavrikievna
Kazhlaev Murad Magomedovich
Lopukhov Fedor Vasilievich
Nicholas II, Emperor
Pozhlakov Stanislav Ivanovich
Rakhlin Ilya Yakovlevich
Rudakova Irina Nikolaevna
Shostakovich Dmitry Dmitrievich
Shulzhenko Klavdia Ivanovna
Smetanin Sergey Nikolaevich
Tukhmanov David Fedorovich
Tukin A.N.
Utesov Leonid Osipovich (real name Weisbein Lazar Iosifovich)
Vardasheva Olga O.
Zelenaya Rina (Ekaterina) Vasilievna
Italyanskaya Street/Saint Petersburg, city, house 13
Уварова Е. Д. Эстрадный театр: миниатюры, обозрения, мюзик-холлы (1917-1945). М., 1983
Эстрада без парада. М., 1991 1900