Latvių dailininkas Ludolfas Libertas ir Lietuva

LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Art deco; Latvija (Latvia); Lietuvos Valstybės teatras; Ludolf Libert; Ludolfas Libertas; Operos spektaklių scenografija; Scenografija; Tarpukaris; Art deco; Interwar period; Latvia; Lithuanian State Theatre; Ludolf Libert; Opera design; Set design.

ENThe artistic life in Lithuania concentrated in its provisional capital Kaunas was rich in events and personalities. One of the major centres of artistic life – the State Theatre, where drama, opera and ballet troops functioned since 1925. The posters of the performances staged at the State Theatre contain the names of many creators who have become the personages of the history of European culture – the directors Mikhail Chekhov, Teofan Paplovsky, the dancers Nikolay Zverev, Vera Nemchinova, Anatolyj Obukhov, Alexandra Fyodorova, and Vera Kirsanova. No less impressive is the list of the artists who created set designs for the performances staged at the State Theatre – Alexader Benua, Constantin Korovin, Sergey Chekhonin, and Natalya Koncharova. Beside them, the name of the Latvian artist Ludolf Libert is also noteworthy. Latvian art historians call L. Libert a world-famous artist, whose work came to disclose Art deco features in the early 1930s. From 1924 L. Libert was a director and set designer at the Latvian National Opera Theatre – created set designs and costumes for 35 performances. He designed the first performance at the State Theatre in 1927 – it was Giuseppe Verdi’s opera Aida (premiered on 10 November 1927). Some years later L. Libert created set designs for Camille Saint-Saens’ opera Samson and Dalila (premiered on 8 May 1931), shortly after he decorated the new version of Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s opera The Swan Lake directed by Nikolay Zverev (premiered 9 December 1931), and L. Libert’s last performance in Kaunas – Giacom Meyerbeer’s opera Huguenots (22 January 1932).Later on, these stage sets were adapted for A. D’ Evere’s historical play Henris de Navarre directed by Borisas Dauguvietis (premiered on 31 January 1934). Quite a number of works by the artist have survived in Lithuania – the Museum of Theatre, Music and Cinema keeps the sketches for his set designs and costumes for Aida (935 items), the sketches for set designs and costumes, the fragments of the model and costume project for Samson and Dalila (about a 100 items), the sketches for set designs and costumes for Huguenots (40 items), the Lithuanian Literature and Art Archives – the sketches for the curtain, 3 set designs and 12 costumes for The Swan Lake. The National M. K. âiurlionis Museum in Kaunas boasts L. Libert’s small landscape Abasija acquired from a private person during war. [From the publication]