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\\nWe\'re
\\nturning 90 and it\'s time for a special episode on the reception of
\\nSpartacus! What better way to do this than to examine the history of
\\nSpartacus, the ballet. Dr Rad is our expert on the ground on all
\\nthings Spartacus and reception. Dr G brings a wild curiosity and a
\\nsmall knowledge of ballet.
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\\n
\\nSo how
\\ndoes a famous freedom fighter like Spartacus end up with his own
\\nballet? We consider the major notes of Spartacus\' story that have
\\ncome down to us from the ancient material as the first step in
\\ntracing his reception.
\\n
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\\nThe Reception of Spartacus Beyond America
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\\n
\\nThe
\\nballet takes us on a journey beyond the reception of Spartacus in
\\nAmerica. Kubrick\'s seminal 1960 film
\\nis based on Howard Fast\'s 1951 novel - a Hollywood production based
\\non an American novel sets the scene for a very particular reception
\\nof Spartacus. But the ballet couldn\'t be more different. The origins
\\nof the ballet come from Stalinist Russia.
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\\nA Little Context
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\\nThe
\\ncommunist and socialist connections to Spartacus resonate with ideas
\\nsuch as seeking community amongst the oppressed and fighting for
\\nfreedom from authoritarian or monarchical rule. Marx, Lenin, and the
\\npolitical movements in Europe in the early twentieth century,
\\nposition Spartacus as a much relied upon symbol for the freedoms
\\npeople sought from current leaders.
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\\n
\\nThe
\\nSpartakusbund was a Marxist movement
\\nduring the first World War, although its legacy falls foul of Lenin.
\\nWhile the Spartakiade was the name given to the Soviet Union\'s
\\nversion of the Olympics. Dr Rad explores the dangers of the
\\nmisinterpreting Spartacus\' story in Stalinist Russia and this leads
\\nus squarely to the ballet.
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\\n
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\\nLet\'s Get Our Dancing Shoes On
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\\nSpartacus
\\n(\\xab\\u0421\\u043f\\u0430\\u0440\\u0442\\u0430\\u043a\\xbb, Spartak),
\\nthe 1954 ballet is the creation of Aram Khachaturian. He was born in
\\nGeorgia, studied at the Conservatorium in Moscow, and went on to
\\ncomposer a variety of film scores. In 1948, Khachaturian found
\\nhimself on the wrong side of the regime with his music described as
\\n"decadent" and "bourgeois". Spartacus plays a
\\nrole in Khachaturian\'s rehabilitation.
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\\nJoin us as we explore all the details including the recent production by the Australian Ballet that Dr Rad had the great fortune to see!
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\\nEpisode 90 - Spartacus, the Ballet
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\\nSpartacus at the Bolshoi in Moscow, October 2013. Image credit: Bengt Nyman via Wikimedia Commons
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