Nicola Alexandrovich Benois

Nicola Alexandrovich Benois (2 May 1901 – 31 March 1988[1]) was a stage designer, known for his work as principal scenographer and costume designer at La Scala in Milan.

Education and early career

Nicola was the son of Alexandre Benois, an influential artist, critic, historian and stage designer. He was born in Saint Petersburg, Russia, where his father was scenic director of the Mariinsky Theatre, the imperial opera house. The family lived in their grand mansion near the opera house, which was built by his grandfather Nikolai Benois. Nicola studied art and design under his father before attending the Academy of Fine Arts in Saint Petersburg.[2]

After working as scenographer and set designer for several of the Mariinsky opera and ballet productions, he emigrated from Russia to Paris, France in 1923. There he worked for Sergei Diaghilev as a set designer for several of the Ballets Russes productions.[1]

Work at La Scala

Nicola later moved to Italy, following his father Alexandre Benois, and was invited by Alexander Sanin to design Khovanshchina at La Scala. His designs were well received and he was offered a position as a designer at Teatro dell'Opera di Roma.[2]

In 1935, Nicola accepted the post of principal scenographer at La Scala. There he collaborated with Luchino Visconti, the powerful producer of La Scala, who insisted on genuine period jewelry and costumes for the performing stars. Benois was a master of period design. He created remarkable period-piece jewelry using colored crystals, artificial pearls, and faux diamonds from the Austrian crystal manufacturer Swarovski. For the greater part of her career, soprano Maria Callas wore exclusively commissioned jewelry designed by Benois and Lila De Nobili and produced by the Milanese craftsman Ennio Marino Marangoni.[3] Benois designed his famous Russian Princess faux-diamond tiara for Callas in 1956.[4]

His stage works are remarkable for their mastery of line, form and color scheme. Many are now exhibited as museum pieces and studied by designers worldwide. In all, he designed about 300 ballet and opera productions for theaters of Turin, Milan, Rome, and other cities worldwide.[5] He died in 1988, in Codroipo, Italy.

Notes

  1. 1 2 Shelokhonov, Steve. "Nicola Benois Biography". IMDb. Retrieved 2014-06-23.
  2. 1 2 Owen, Bobbi. Costume Design On Broadway: Designers and Their Credits, 1915–1985. Greenwood Press: New York, 1987
  3. ↑ "Bring on the dazzle" (PDF). Opera Now. November 2013. Retrieved 2014-06-23.
  4. ↑ "Maria Callas & Swarovski: Jewels on stage". The Telegraph. Retrieved 2014-06-23.
  5. ↑ "Benois Family Museum". Retrieved 2014-06-23.

External links

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