Pyotr Konchalovsky’s Fiesta Automatic translate

In honor of the 150th anniversary of the birth of the outstanding artist Pyotr Petrovich Konchalovsky (1876–1956), which is celebrated this year, the Moscow Art Theater Museum presents the exhibition “Pyotr Konchalovsky’s Fiesta,” which will open on July 15 at 6:00 PM in the K.S. Stanislavsky House-Museum.

The family of Pyotr Konchalovsky, as well as distinguished guests and artists from the Chekhov Moscow Art Theatre, have been invited to the opening of the exhibition.

The evening will be accompanied by Spanish melodies and songs.

Pyotr Konchalovsky is a theatrical artist par excellence. His joyful art itself embodies what distinguishes the world of theater: openness, temperament, a focus on direct contact with the audience, a keen sensitivity, and a voracious desire to explore the world around him, then present it in a multitude of images, facets, and iridescent colors.

It’s no surprise that at some point he turned to the theater. This happened in 1904, when Konchalovsky was studying at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, and began with designing student and amateur productions. But already in 1905, he received his first major commission: to design Edmond Miss’s "Muguette" and Alfred Bruneau’s "Hurricane" at S. I. Zimin’s Private Opera. The young artist’s broad, painterly style of the set and curtain sketches seemed unusual at the time, but professionals appreciated them. Later, at the same Zimin Theatre, Konchalovsky designed Arthur Rubinstein’s "The Merchant Kalashnikov" and Mozart’s "Don Giovanni," and years later, he worked with the Moscow Art Theater and the Bolshoi Theater.

But why "fiesta"? Spain holds a special place in the life and work of Pyotr Konchalovsky. He was in love with Spain (as well as Italy, by the way) and admired Spanish artists, especially Velázquez. In 1910, Pyotr Petrovich visited Madrid, Seville, Toledo, and other cities of that country with his father-in-law, the great Vasily Surikov, whose daughter, Olga, Konchalovsky was married to. The result was the "Spanish" series of works: "Bullfight," "Spanish Room," "Matador Manuel Garta," and others. "He has a fiery coloring, a true Spaniard," Surikov once said after watching Konchalovsky, then still a budding artist, paint a portrait of his sister.

Pavel Vashchilin, Director of the Moscow Art Theatre Museum: While preparing for an exhibition on Pyotr Konchalovsky’s theatrical explorations, I came across a quote from him: "In Spain, as I’ve already said, it’s quite the opposite — colors are terribly simplified; black and white dominate all others, as if they sprinkle their ashes on all other colors. For me, Spain is a kind of poem of black and white; that’s how I felt it, and that’s how I, of course, had to depict it. While working, I was haunted by the idea of mastering the art of simplified, synthetic color." This inspired our entire creative team at the Museum to come up with the idea, entitled "Pyotr Konchalovsky’s Fiesta."

The Spanish theme was also reflected in his works for the theater. The Moscow Art Theater Museum exhibition will feature Pyotr Konchalovsky’s sketches for the Moscow Art Theater Music Studio’s production of "Perichole" (1922) — Jacques Offenbach’s comic opera set in Latin America, in Spanish-occupied Peru. Also on display will be sketches for Georges Bizet’s opera "Carmen," which Konchalovsky designed for the Bolshoi Theater in 1945. The exhibition will also feature the artist’s sketches for the Moscow Art Theater’s production of "The Innkeeper" (1933), the Bolshoi Theater’s production of "The Four Tyrants" (1933), and Konchalovsky’s personal belongings from the collection of the M.A. Bulgakov Museum.