Classical ballet was perhaps the most visible symbol of aristocratic culture and its isolation from the rest of Russian society under the tsars. In the wake of the October Revolution; ballet; like all of the arts; fell under the auspices of the Soviet authorities. In light of these events; many feared that the imperial ballet troupes would be disbanded. Instead; the Soviets attempted to mold the former imperial ballet to suit their revolutionary cultural agenda and employ it to reeducate the masses. As Christina Ezrahirsquo;s groundbreaking study reveals; they were far from successful in this ambitious effort to gain complete control over art.Swans of the Kremlin offers a fascinating glimpse at the collision of art and politics during the volatile first fifty years of the Soviet period. Ezrahi shows how the producers and performers of Russiarsquo;s two major troupes; the Mariinsky (later Kirov) and the Bolshoi; quietly but effectively resisted Soviet cultural hegemony during this period. Despite all controls put on them; they managed to maintain the classical forms and traditions of their rich artistic past and to further develop their art form. These aesthetic and professional standards proved to be the power behind the balletrsquo;s worldwide appeal. The troupes soon became the showpiece of Soviet cultural achievement; as they captivated Western audiences during the Cold War period.Based on her extensive research into official archives; and personal interviews with many of the artists and staff; Ezrahi presents the first-ever account of the inner workings of these famed ballet troupes during the Soviet era. She follows their struggles in the postrevolutionary period; their peak during the golden age of the 1950s and 1960s; and concludes with their monumental productions staged to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the revolution in 1968.
#656464 in eBooks 2013-06-25 2013-06-25File Name: B00CREFHFU
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A Feast For All Les Paul GeeksBy CustomerMan; oh man; this book is a complete guitar geeks (who loves Les Paul guitars) seven course epicurean delight.The book is beautifully done; inside and out. I love how they imprint the hard covers on many books like this these days with what would have otherwise been printed onto a separate dust jacket. Dont get me wrong; Im a book lover and love a good; pristine dust jacket; but Im still loving the cover of this book - especially since I know Ill be reading this book over and over in the coming years.Contains Lesters life story and then the Les Paul guitars (along with whats needed of Gibsons history) story and Les Paul amps story up until the early 60s when Les contract ran out and the SG guitar continued on where the Les Pauls used to exist.Lots of prose to give us many details; and lots of photos to back everything up.If you dont care that the P90 pickup have fillister head pole piece screws; this book might drive you crazy with detail; and you might not want to read it; but I know Ill read it a second time within the next couple of weeks because I know theres lots of interesting material I didnt "catch" on my first read. Kinda how you might watch an intricate movie a second time soon after seeing it the first time because you know that you couldnt have possibly absorbed every detail on the first viewing.I ordered the other "half" of this book; The Modern Era of the Les Paul Legacy: 1968-2009; when I got through with this one. I wait with great anticipation for that one to arrive.On my first read; I did not see one single misprint; misspelled word; or reference to an incorrect page in this book. Sadly; that is impressive; because even some of my favorite recent non-fiction books have some boo-boos. Kudos to the editors for this.7 of 7 people found the following review helpful. old dog taught new tricksBy Steven H. DymondWell; Ive been researching and studying Les Paul guitars and the man; since my first LP guitar in 1971. I read this book cover to cover; including all the fine print in the reproduced Gibson ads of the day. The title "the early years" may confuse some at first-this isnt about ancient history; or ancient music; as the photo of a young Les Paul may infer; but simply about the early years of the guitars development and production. It does; however; give an great overview of Les Paul as well; which I found crucial in the bigger picture; not only of the guitar; but pop music and Gibson as well. Lawrences history of Les is really interesting; informative; and inspiring. And; its still relevant; not only due to Less contributions to recording; but also to the spirit of a marriage of creativity and technological curiosity.Mr. Lawrence has provided a unique and colorful overview of both subjects. Mr. Lawrence was; as I understand things; Less west coast gutitar tech. That alone provides credibility and provenance few others have; as well as objectivity apart from Gibson or Les himself. Further; Mr. Lawrence; beyond his luthier background; is a player. Another useful perspective.Simply; the book has great photographs of the original Les Paul line up; as well as historical development information. It is organized and easy to digest; and; most importantly; a good read. It has pictures of Les Paul guitars; some unique in all the world; none of which Ive seen before; anywhere.Not a technical tome; nor a cork sniffers guide; but rather a superlative tale of history of the instrument. And better still; a tale that appears to give the perspective of the times; i.e. as each model rolled out from Gibson; rather than retroactive or revisionist history and the often hard to sift through lore. The book is aesthetically pleasing as well. I only wish it had a larger format as its content may have been even more dazzling.For those wondering if they should purchase this book; I own Beauty of the Burst; The Gibson Les Paul Book by Bacon -now titled Fifty Years of the Les Paul-; Tom Wheelers American Guitars; The Gibson; and The Gibson Burst to name only some of those whcih are Gibson related on my guitar book shelf. I used to build guitars and I play too. This is a wonderful book. I would buy it again in a heartbeat at full retail price. Youll learn a lot. Youll enjoy looking at it and reading it; and probably more than a few times. A good price too. Well done and thank you; Mr. Lawrence. I look forward to volume 2.10 of 10 people found the following review helpful. The Wait is Over!By R. MendAfter weathering many delays Robbs book finally sees the light of day and boy; was it worth the wait. Thoughtfully written and impecably researched; this book is to be included among the best guitar reference tomes of Tom Wheeler; Richard Smith; and Nacho Banos. The biography section in entertaining and informative; but the guitar section is where this book really throws down the goods. Awesomely photographed and interspersed with interviews and info. I have seen and read just about every vintage guitar book and was delighted to view many prototype guitars and details never seen in any book. The wonderful up-close pictures of "Pearly Gates" and "HotLanta" were highlights. Sections on Les Paul amps; Customs; Juniors; Specials; and 45 pages of 58-60 Les Paul Sunbursts in all of their glory...its all here.Do not hesitate to get this book; you will not be disappointed! Robb Lawrence has certainly raised the bar with this book and I eagerly await volume II. Bravo Robb!!!!!