The TV channel "Russia 1" shoots the historical series "Chaliapin".
The saga will cover 20 years of the life of the soloist of the two main theaters of the country - the Bolshoi and the Mariinsky - Fyodor Chaliapin.
“This is a segment of his life from his impoverished youth, when Chaliapin earned his living as a barge hauler, until he left for emigration after the revolution,” said film producer Maria Ushakova.
Starring Alexander Gorbatov.
Also involved in the film are Yulia Snigir, Maria Smolnikova, Fedor Lavrov, Roman Madyanov, Jan Tsapnik, Fedor Dobronravov and Irina Pegova.
Yegor Anashkin is in charge of directing.
Little is known about the personality of Fyodor Chaliapin, a unique nugget of the Russian land, an opera and chamber singer, apart from his professional activities.
This prompted the filmmakers to reflect in the series not only the success story of a boy from a peasant family, but also the strength of his character, as well as show the details of the artist's personal life.
In fact, Chaliapin had two families: one lived in Moscow, the second in Petrograd.
The authors of the TV project first of all want to show the scale of the artist's personality.
According to Roman Madyanov, the performer of the role of Mikhail Lentovsky, Chaliapin's entrepreneur, the audience's love for historical topics is due to the fact that there is and will always be a need for beauty, for this posture, for these exquisite outfits.
“And, of course, historical series are an opportunity to break away from our reality,” he added.
Photos from the filming of the series "Chaliapin"
© Press service of the TV channel "Russia 1"
A group of experienced specialists gathered around the project, who had already worked in such historical projects as Godunov, Sofia, Grozny and Ekaterina.
And the track record of actors also includes roles in historical series - for example, Alexander Gorbatov previously starred in the drama "Gloomy River" by Yuri Moroz, where he appeared in the image of Prokhor Gromov, and Yulia Snigir played Catherine II in Igor Zaitsev's "Great".
However, the search for the main character dragged on for a long time.
As Maria Ushakova noted:
“There were many tests, we looked at everyone we could.
And in the end they settled on Alexander Gorbatov.”
But the actor was already involved in another project, so the shooting had to be postponed for two months.
“We waited for him, and we do not regret it.
In my opinion, he is ideal for the role of Chaliapin: he is very similar in character and texture.
And growth, and voice, and talent, and even character!
the producer explained.
Alexander Gorbatov noted that it was not at all easy to play such a legendary person as Fedor Chaliapin, especially since he had very little time to prepare for filming.
The artist had to sacrifice sleep in order to spend every free minute with benefit: listen to arias, operas and romances.
“I listened to a lot of things: both in the performance of Chaliapin himself, and in the performance of other famous basses from the past.
And also with pleasure I watched the performances of the current world, opera artists, ”says Gorbatov.
The actor noticed that it is insanely hard to feel the music, “keep” the image and demonstrate bright vocals at the same time.
“What incredible freedom opera artists have!
And if we talk about Fedor Ivanovich, then, in my opinion, the scale of his personality, first of all, is that he was not afraid to challenge the whole world.
He was brave, honest and free,” says the actor.
Photos from the filming of the series "Chaliapin"
© Press service of the TV channel "Russia 1"
Gorbatov noted that Fedor Chaliapin is interesting not only for his talent.
“He was a very bright dandy, he knew how to walk beautifully, with fanfare, he never skimped on money.
He was something to love!
Although there was a lot of darkness in him, in the hidden corners of consciousness, which periodically crawled out to the surface.
But there was also a lot of light, for which people, of course, adored and even idolized him, ”the artist believes.
In order to coincide articulatory with the singing hero, Gorbatov practiced in front of a mirror, copying the manner of Dmitri Hvorostovsky's performance - there are almost no documentary video chronicles with Chaliapin.
In creating the image, despite being very busy, the actor was helped by the star of the world opera scene Ildar Abdrazakov.
It was he who performed the vocal parts in Chaliapin.
The producers consider it very lucky that Abdrazakov agreed to participate and found time in his busy schedule.
The choice of the artist as a voice-over singer is not accidental: as Maria Ushakova noted, "experts say that his high bass is very similar to Chaliapin's bass."
The music for the film can be considered a separate character, since it accompanied the main character throughout his life.
Musical arrangement was handled by composer Yuri Poteenko.
“One of the best composers in the country, Yuri Poteenko, writes music for us.
It is noteworthy that at the moment when I called and offered to take part in the creation of the film, Poteenko was standing in the house-museum of Rachmaninov in front of a portrait of Chaliapin!
We took this as a sign... Poteenko could not refuse... and now he is writing amazing music for the film!”
Maria Ushakova says.
Photos from the filming of the series "Chaliapin"
© Press service of the TV channel "Russia 1"
Costumes play a significant role in creating historical images.
Roman Madyanov said that he is very fond of historical outfits, because, according to him, “you somehow get ready to wear them right away, the transformation takes place instantly, they are slimming.”
Although Madyanov has a small role, he agreed to it because of the director with whom he had already worked and the scale of the project.
In addition, the artist prefers to refrain from long-term filming, so everything worked out well in Chaliapin.
“Yes, I have a small video, but it is interesting in itself, and it is inside a big picture.
Now I try not to take large formats.
I have a long-term habit: I shoot projects for 7-10 days, ”he noted.
On the set, all team members feel comfortable working in each other's company.
Roman Madyanov explains this by the fact that in one project they gathered an excellent company - a "flower garden" of good artists.
“We have a place for improvisation, some kind of hooliganism is even encouraged,” the actor joked.
Who played Mammoth Dalsky
Jan Tsapnik also noted that artists have the opportunity to bring something of themselves to the project, and reminded that this is normal, since the series is not a documentary.
“We endow the characters with some traits that do not correspond to reality.
But this is absolutely normal, because this is a feature film, ”the actor believes.
He said that his hero played an important role in the life of Chaliapin - Dalsky taught the artist acting.
“Chaliapin took the audience not only with his voice, but with the fact that he literally lived on stage,” explains Tsapnik.
Photos from the filming of the series "Chaliapin"
© Press service of the TV channel "Russia 1"
He calls his character "an extraordinary, unique person, an egoist and anarchist."
“He was kind of insane, but definitely talented and brilliant.
Dalsky is obsessed with his profession, dreams of creating his own theater - this is what he lives for.
Sometimes he does not do very good deeds, ”says Jan Tsapnik.
Roman Madyanov about his hero Mikhail Lentovsky, with all his ambiguity spelled out in the script, speaks of a talented person with wonderful taste and intuition: “He instantly reacted to the person whom God clearly kissed on the top of his head.”
It was thanks to his instinct that Lentovsky was able to determine "God's gift, talent, voice" of Chaliapin and understand "how this young man can be used."
“Of course, he is in some way engaged in fraud, deceiving people.
But this is how he lives!
- says the artist.
Egor Anashkin noted that it was a great success for him to film a project of this magnitude.
According to him, although "Chaliapin" is a historical film, the topics and issues covered in it are consonant with the present.
“If you are a famous person, then you are doomed to be in the public eye, you are closely watched, and sometimes your reputation does not depend on you,” says the director.
The main message of the series is the hero's inspiring journey.
“Chaliapin had fortitude: when he failed, stumbled on his way, he got up and moved on.
This is the scale of his personality, about this and our cinema.
Never give up!"
concluded the cinematographer.
The shooting of the series took place in St. Petersburg and Moscow - at the Bolshoi and Mariinsky theaters, the State Academic Drama Theater named after V.F.
Komissarzhevskaya, the house-museum of Chaliapin, the museum-estate of I. E. Repin, the Sergievka park-estate in Peterhof, the House of the Architect in St. Petersburg.
Part of the tape will also be filmed in Kostroma.
The premiere is expected in the new television season.