Pavel Stepanovich Mochalov, whose biography andis the subject of this review, is the largest representative of the romantic direction in the Russian theatrical art of the first half of the 19th century. His work and mastery of reincarnation made a strong impression on his contemporaries and in many respects determined the development of the romantic direction at a specified time.
Biography
Mochalov Pavel Stepanovich was born in the familyserf artists in Moscow in 1800. His parents played in the home theater of N. Demidov, then his father began performing in the Moscow Theater, the troupe of which after some time joined the group of imperial theaters. The latter circumstance contributed to the fact that after six years the family was bought out and received freedom. The future famous artist received a good education while studying in a private boarding house, he also learned French. He had a good memory since childhood. According to the recollections of his daughter, Mochalov Pavel Stepanovich studied for some time at Moscow University, but he was not found on the lists of students.
Carier start
He began playing in 1817 at the Mokhovaya Theater,but then his stage became the stage of the Maly Theater. The end of the 1830s became decisive in the life of an actor, since it was at this time that he played his leading role as Hamlet, the significance of which was perpetuated by V. G. Belinsky in his famous article on the analysis of the artist’s play. But in the mid-1840s, Pavel Stepanovich Mochalov was unclaimed in connection with the change of direction in culture. Romanticism has been replaced by realism, in which the artist’s impulsive emotional play was out of place. The artist died in 1848 from a cold in Moscow.
Features of the game
It has been said above that the flowering of the stagethe activities of the artist came in the era of romanticism. In accordance with this direction and the game was built actor. Mochalov Pavel Stepanovich built his game on contrasts, which led the audience to emotional delight. He created abrupt transitions from violent emotional explosions to the so-called “Uitalov minutes,” into which he abruptly interrupted speech, after which he again began to utter his cues, which led the audience to delight with such an unexpected and spectacular change. Mochalov Pavel Stepanovich played mainly in the romantic repertoire, although at the beginning of his creative career he paid tribute to classicism, playing several roles from ancient tragedies.
Images
The artist has created on the stage a number of lonely characters,insurgents by nature who oppose society and challenge social and moral evils. Mochalov (actor) embodied people with strong characters and passions on stage. For example, he played Georges de Germain according to the play “The Life of a Player”, where he showed a man who spent his whole life in the game. This character is completely absorbed in it and is no longer able to stop. Then he played Hamlet for the first time, but so far he has not yet achieved the triumph that will come to him in a decade. However, already at this time the basic principles of his acting were outlined: the image of rebellion, protest, the hero's rejection of injustice, lies and deception. According to the memoirs of contemporaries, Pavel Stepanovich Mochalov (1800-1848) himself interpreted his images and roles, commensurate them with his temperament.
Top of creativity
The most important and best role of the actor is consideredthe role of Shakespeare's Hamlet in the new translation, carried out by N. A. Polev. This image is fully consistent with the creative principles and attitudes of the actor, as well as his temperament. In addition, it is this character that best expressed the rebellious principle that attracted him so much. As mentioned above, a special article by Belinsky is devoted to this work. According to the critic, Mochalov with extraordinary energy conveyed the dramatic story of the Danish prince.
It should be said that it was the Maly Theater that becamethe place that glorified the artist. Another of his important work was the role of Chatsky. It was a real event in the cultural life of Moscow. According to his contemporaries and memories, the actor played this hero as a lonely rebel who challenged the whole Famusian society. He uttered the final phrase with contempt, as if challenging the conservative circles of the modern environment.
Other jobs
The roles of the artist were multifaceted, but all of themone characteristic common feature unites the image of the protest, rebellious beginning in the person, which alone opposes the whole society. It is in this spirit that Mochalov embodied other cult Shakespearean images: Othello, Richard III, and others. It was in these parties that an actor could more than ever show his many-sided character and talent of an outstanding master of reincarnation. He was also interested in other historical figures. So, he appeared in the image of Don Carlos, the protagonist of the play of the same name by F. Schiller. The rebellious spirit of the works of this famous playwright is the best fit to the nature of the artist. He also played a major role in the author’s most famous play, The Rogues. This work has a frankly rebellious character, so Mochalov’s speeches made a revolutionary impression.
The work of poets also attracted famousactor: he played Aleko in the play of the play “Gypsies”, as well as in the performance of the poem “The Fountain of Bakhchisarai”. From the above repertoire it is clear that the actor was interested primarily in romantic roles. There is news that he really wanted to play a major role in Lermontov’s drama Masquerade, but because of the loud and noisy popularity caused by the rebellious spirit, the performance did not take place and did not allow censorship.
Reasons for success
The secret of the phenomenal popularity of the actorlies in their relevance and consonance of time. The fact is that Mochalov adapted the plots of the plays to the requirements and aspirations of the people of his era and his circle. In the 1820s and 1840s, rebellious ideas were in vogue among young people and educated circles, a protest against social Russian reality, therefore Mochalov’s emotional, partly even bold attacks were coming to a place and time. The artist, in addition to talent, also had an amazing ability to grasp the interests of the public, who was waiting for images of strong dramatic personalities. In each image, the artist, in fact, played contemporaries, in the most diverse heroes the audience literally recognized themselves. Such a setting fully corresponded to the temperament of Mochalov himself, who could not play ordinary people from the crowd with their everyday interests and concerns. He was interested in strong bright personalities, the reincarnation in which he always found his audience in the first half of the 19th century. The Maly Theater is very often remembered in literature in connection with his work.
