Sarah Brightman is a British singer who has gained worldwide popularity.
Childhood
Sarah Brightman was born in England in 1960 in a town near the capital. The performer in the classical crossover genre celebrates her birthday on August 14 (Leo according to the horoscope).
There were five children in the family - Sarah was the eldest. His father was involved in the construction business, his mother danced in the local ballet and acted in the theater (before marriage).
Career
Mom sent the girl to both ballet and art school, where she very soon became a local star. Already at the age of 12 she played in a play in a London theater.
At the age of 14, Sarah Brightman began studying music, and at 16 she danced in the TV series Pan’s People. At the age of 18, she became part of the group Hot Gossip and succeeded - one of the songs conquered the UK Singles Chart (I Lost my Heart to a Starship Trooper took 6th place).
The group's creativity stalled, and Sarah decided to go free - try herself in classical vocals. She played in the musical "Cats" by composer Andrew Lloyd-Webber. By the way, Webber soon left his wife for Sarah.
For her performance with Placido Domingo in 1985, Sarah was nominated for a Grammy as Best New Classical Artist. She was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for her role in The Phantom of the Opera.
In 1988, Sarah Brightman decided to get serious about solo career. She presented the album Early one morning, consisting of folklore compositions. She played in the plays Trelawney of the Wells and Relative Values.
Meeting Frank Peterson brought not only changes in his personal life, but also new creative projects - the Enigma MCMXC a.D. music project, the albums Dive and Fly. Despite the separation, work with Lloyd-Webber continued - the album Surrender, The unexpected songs was released.
In 1992, together with José Carreras, Sarah Brightman sang the anthem of the Olympic Games in Barcelona, Amigos para siempre. The singer also performed before the start of the world boxing championship in 1995. The same year she played in the productions “Dangerous Ideas” and “The Innocents”.
In 1996, Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocelli sang the single "Time to say" at Henry Maske's final boxing match. The song became a sales record holder (5 million copies were sold).
Sarah's third album Timeless was released in 1997, going gold and platinum, selling 3 million copies.
The new album Eden was released in 1998. A year later, Brightman released her own show, One night in Eden, performing 90 concerts.
The next album, La Luna, which was released in 2000, received gold status even before its release. The album consisted of the singer's best songs. In support of him, Brightman took part in a world tour.
In 2001, the singer released the classic album Classics, consisting of arias and classical works.
In 2003, the “eastern” album Harem was released, which is characterized by a more dance-oriented sound. Sarah also went on tour in support of the disc, including to Russia.
In 2006, a collection of Sarah's videos, Diva: the Video Collection, was released in addition to the CD collection of the same name and a new version of the Classics album.
In 2007, Sarah performed at a number of major concerts, presented new singles - Running, as well as I will be with you with Chris Thompson and Pasion with Fernando Lima.
Sarah's songs become soundtracks for TV series and films (for example, "Blades of Glory"). Brightman is invited to play a role in the film “Repo! Genetic opera."
The duets of this time with Anne Murray (Snowbird), Andrea Bocelli (Time to say Goodbye) were bright.
In 2008, Sarah Brightman sang the official anthem of the XXIX Summer Olympic Games, “One World, One Dream,” in a duet with Chinese performer Liu Huang.
That same year, the singer went on the Symphony tour, releasing the album A Winter Symphony. On the tour, Brightman also sang with such stars as Alessandro Safina, Fernando Lima, Mario Frangulis.
In 2010, Sarah was again invited to perform at the opening of the Olympic Games - this time in Vancouver (the composition Shall be done).
Failed space flight
In 2012, it became known that Sarah Brightman would fly into space as a tourist. The flight was scheduled for autumn 2015. Sarah said that she always dreamed of flying into space, she began to learn Russian and undergo 6 months of training for the flight. The training was carried out at the Cosmonaut Training Center. In May 2015, it became known that Brightman refused to fly for family reasons. Later it became known that one of the sponsors refused to pay for the flight, and Sarah would not have had enough of her own money (the price of the flight was $52 million).
Personal life
In 1978, Sarah met Andrew Graham Stewart.
The music manager became her first husband. The marriage lasted until 1983.
In 1984, Brightman married composer Andrew Lloyd-Webber.
The singer's third life partner was producer Frank Peterson.
22/08/2012
British singer Sarah Brightman(Sarah Brightman) was born on August 14, 1960 in the city of Berkhamsted, located in the western part of Hertfordshire, England.
At the age of three, Brightman began taking ballet classes at Elmhurst School and performing at local festivals. At the age of 12, she acted in a theater production directed by John Schlesinger, Me and Albert, at the Piccadilly Theater in London, receiving two roles in the play.
In parallel with ballet classes, Sarah tried to learn to sing on her own and in 1978 she became a member of the show group Hot Gossip. The group's single Starship Troopers, which Sarah sang, became a hit on many dance floors and also reached number one in the British charts, bringing great success to the artist. The following works of the Hot Gossip group were less successful, and Sarah decided to try herself in a different role - she took up classical vocals, and in 1981 she took part in the production of the musical "Cats" by composer Andrew Lloyd Webber.
In 1985, Brightman, along with Placido Domingo(Placido Domingo) performed in the premiere of Lloyd-Webber's opera "Requiem", for which she was nominated for a Grammy Award in the category "Best New Classical Performer". In the same year, she performed the role of Valensina in The Merry Widow for New Sadler's Wells Opera. Especially for Sarah Brightman, Lloyd-Webber created the role of Christina in the musical The Phantom of the Opera, which premiered in October 1986. For the performance of the same Broadway roles Sarah Brightman was nominated for theater award Drama Desk Award.
In 1988, Brightman tried her hand at solo work for the first time, releasing an album of English folk songs, The trees they grew so high. It went unnoticed by the public, just like the singer’s next work - The songs that went away (1989). In 1992, in a duet with José Carreras ( Jose Carreras) she performed the song Amigos para siempre (Friends for life) - the official anthem of the Olympic Games in Barcelona, which spent several weeks on the charts in the UK, USA, Australia and Japan. In 1993, in collaboration with Enigma composer Frank Peterson, Brightman released the album Dive, recorded in the spirit of classic style"pop". In 1996, in a duet with Tom Jones, Brightman recorded the song Something in the air, which gained great popularity among listeners. The song was included in her next work - the album Fly, in which the singer combines pop and techno styles.
In 1996, together with Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli singer recorded the single Time to say goodbye in Germany. The single became "the best of all time" in terms of sales rates and volumes in this country. It sold five million copies. The next album, Timeless, was released in 1997 and soon sold three million copies. He received 21 gold and platinum awards. The album went platinum in the USA, Canada, Taiwan, South Africa, Denmark, Sweden and Norway. Unlike previous albums, Timeless has a more classic sound.
The next two albums - Eden (1998) and La luna (2000) also enjoyed success largely due to the use of works by such composers as Puccini , Beethoven , Dvorak And Rachmaninov. In 2001, Sarah released the album Classics, in which she again turned exclusively to the classical era, and in 2003 she recorded the album Harem, using the influence of modern dance music.
On January 29, 2008, the singer’s new album, Symphony, was released in the United States, and on August 8, 2008, Sarah Brightman, together with Chinese pop singer Liu Huang, performed the official anthem of the XXIX Summer Olympic Games, “One World, One Dream.” In 2010, at the XXI Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, Sarah Brightman performed the song Shall be done.
Sarah Brightman is the owner huge amount awards, including two Grammy statuettes, three Echo Awards, two Arabian Music Awards, and first prize at the New York Film Festival.
On February 8, 2012, Brightman was awarded the title of "UNESCO Artist for Peace". The honorary title was bestowed on the British star "in recognition of her commitment to humanitarian and charitable ideals, her contribution to the promotion of cultural dialogue and cultural exchange through her career, and her service to the ideals of the organization."
Brightman married twice. In 1979, Andrew Graham-Steward became the singer's husband, with whom she lived until 1983.
On March 22, 1984, Brightman married famous composer Andrew Lloyd-Webber. They divorced in 1990.
Childhood and youth
She was born on August 14, 1960 in Burkhamsted, an English town located near London. She was the eldest child in a family where there were five more children besides her. Her father, Grenville Brightman, was a real estate developer. When Sarah was three years old, her mother, Paula Brightman (nee Hall), who was fond of ballet and amateur theater before her marriage, enrolled the girl in the Elmhart Ballet School.Since childhood, I attended art school. At age three she took ballet classes at Elmhurst School and appeared in local festivals. At the age of 12, she played in a theater production directed by John Schlessinger, Me and Albert, at the Piccadilly Theater in London. Sarah received two roles at once: the role of Vicky, the eldest daughter of Queen Victoria, and the role of a street tramp. The girl was delighted. This experience forever instilled in her a love for the stage.
The beginning of a singing career
At the age of 14 she began singing, at 16 she performed as a dancer in the television series “Pan's People”, and at 18 she joined the group HOT GOSSIP (“Fresh Gossip”), with which she achieved her first success - the song I Lost my Heart to a Starship Trooper in 1978 took the number six on the UK Singles Chart.In the same 1978, Sarah met her first husband, Andrew Graham Stewart, who was the manager of the German group Tangerine Dream and was seven years older than her (the marriage lasted until 1983).
The following works of the HOT GOSSIP group were less successful, and Sarah decided to try herself in a different role - she took up classical vocals, and in 1981 she took part in the production of the musical “Cats” by composer Andrew Lloyd-Webber (New Theater in London).
In 1984 Sarah and Andrew got married. Both had remarriages, and Andrew Lloyd-Webber had two children in his previous marriage. The wedding took place on March 22, 1984 - the composer’s birthday and the day of the premiere of his new musical called Starlight Express.
In 1985, Sarah, together with Placido Domingo, performed in the premiere of Lloyd-Webber's Requiem, for which she was nominated for a Grammy Award in the category "Best New Classical Artist". The same year she performed the role of Valencina in The Merry Widow for New Sadler's Wells Opera. Especially for Sarah, Lloyd-Webber created the role of Christina in the musical “The Phantom of the Opera,” which premiered at Her Majesty’s Theater in London in October 1986. For her performance of the same role on Broadway, Sarah Brightman received a Drama Desk Award nomination in 1988. .
Beginning of solo career (1988-1997)
In 1988 she recorded the album “Early one morning”, composed of folk songs, played the role of Carrie in new entry Carousel by MCA; in 1992 she played in the production of “Trelawney of the Wells” at the Comedy Theater; in 1993 at the Chichester Festival - in the play “Relative Values”. After her divorce from Lloyd-Webber in 1990, Sarah toured with Lloyd-Webber's play "Music", after which she decided to leave her homeland and move to the USA.In the USA, Sarah met Frank Peterson, co-producer of the first album of the musical Enigma project MCMXC a.D. He became her producer and new life partner. Together they released the album "Dive" (1993), and then the pop-rock album "Fly". Sarah continued to work with Lloyd-Webber - she released an album of his songs called “Surrender, The unexpected songs”.
In 1992, in a duet with Jose Carreras, she performed the song Amigos para siempre (Friends for life) - the official anthem of the Olympic Games in Barcelona, which spent several weeks on the charts in the UK, USA, Australia and Japan. Sarah performed a song from the album “Fly” - A Question of Honor - before the start of the international boxing championship in 1995. “I was busy with my opera exercises then,” says Sarah about the creation of this composition. “My producer suggested that I do a piece from “La wally,” and he did something around it.” The same year, she played the role of Sally Driscoll in the play Dangerous Ideas and the role of Miss Giddens in the play The Innocents.
In 1996, together with the Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, she recorded the single Time to say goodbye in Germany, which they performed at the boxing match of Henry Maske, who was ending his active sports career. The single became “the best of all time” in terms of sales rates and volumes in this country. The single sold 5 million copies. The third album, Timeless, released under the East-West label (Angel Records in the USA), was released in 1997 and soon sold 3 million copies. He received 21 gold and platinum awards. In the USA, Canada, Taiwan, South Africa, Denmark, Sweden and Norway, the album went platinum. Unlike previous albums, “Timeless” features a more classical sound. The album included two songs recorded in a duet with Argentine tenor Jose Cura: “Just show me how to love you,” for which a video was shot, and “There for me.”
Further success: world tours (1998-2005)
The new album "Eden" was released in 1998 and was accompanied by a world tour of the singer. In 1999, her own show “One night in Eden” premiered. In her show, Sarah did not limit herself to traditional elements, for example, during the performance of the song “La mer,” Sarah hangs in the air behind a translucent blue curtain, thus trying to give the viewer the impression that she is singing from the sea. Together with a team of 42 people, Brightman has performed in more than 90 concert halls. The next album, “La Luna” (2000), went gold in the United States even before its release. The album includes the most famous classical and popular songs performed by the singer.In the same year, the collection “The very best of 1990-2000” was published. From September 2000 to May 2001, Brightman went on the “La Luna” world tour. Also took part in it American singer Josh Groban. Together with him, Sarah performed the song “There for me” from the album Timeless. Sarah Brightman's concert performances take place in the most prestigious concert halls in the world - the Metropolitan Opera in New York, Concert hall them. Tchaikovsky in Moscow, Orchard Hall in Tokyo.
In 2001, the album “Classics” was released, which included opera arias and classics from previous albums, as well as new compositions such as Schubert's "Ave Maria".
The theme of Sarah's next album, Harem (2003), is the East. The name itself can be translated as “forbidden place.” “The ideas for the album come from India, the Middle East, North Africa, Turkey,” Sarah says in an interview with the “Live from Las Vegas” DVD. "Harem" differs from previous albums by a slightly more danceable sound, although classical elements are also present in this album. For example, in the composition “It’s a beautiful day” Sarah performs “Un Bel di” by Puccini. Along with the album, a collection of videos “Harem: a Desert Fantasy” is released. The collection includes not only clips from the “Harem” album, but also new versions of the hits “Anytime, Anywhere” and “Time to Say Goodbye.” Like previous albums "Eden" and "La luna", "Harem" was accompanied by a world tour. The dance quality of the project was reflected in the show: in comparison with the previous one, more dancers are involved in it. The stage itself was made in the shape of a crescent moon and a path emanating from it, which ended in a star. This time Sarah brought her show to Russia. The concerts took place in Moscow (September 15, 2004, Olympic Stadium) and St. Petersburg (September 17, 2004, Ice Palace).
Symphony (2006-2012)
In 2006, a collection of videos “Diva: the Video Collection” was released along with the CD collection “Diva: the Singles Collection” and a new version of the album “Classics”.In 2007, Sarah performed at various events: at a concert in memory of Diana, she and Josh Groban performed “All I ask of you” from the musical The Phantom of the Opera (July 1); at Live Earth in Shanghai (July 7) - opera arias and the hit “Time to say goodbye”; at the opening ceremony of the IAAF Athletic Games in Osaka (August 25) - a new single “Running”. In addition to this single, two more were released: a duet with Chris Thompson “I will be with you (Where the lost ones go)” becomes the soundtrack to the tenth part of Pokemon, and a duet with Spanish countertenor Fernando Lima “Pasión” becomes the soundtrack to the Mexican telenovela of the same name.
Sarah’s songs become soundtracks not only for TV series: the composition “Time to say goodbye” is included in the film “Blades of Glory.” And in September, Sarah begins filming in the film “Repo! Genetic Opera" as Blind Meg.
In November, another duet was released - “Snowbird” with Anne Murray, which is included in the album “Anne Murray duets: “Friends & Legends”. Sarah continues to participate in various events, such as “Fashion on ice” in Atlantic City (November 17 ), on which she performs not only songs from previous albums, but also from the new one - “Symphony” - the composition “Symphony” itself, “Fleurs du mal”, “Let it rain” At the Bambi Verleihung 2007 awards ceremony, Brightman together with Andrea Bocelli performs Time to say Goodbye in front of Henry Maske. They perform the same composition at Bocelli’s concert “Vivere: Andrea Bocelli Live in Tuscany”, as well as the composition “Canto della Terra”, which is included in the singer’s new album.
The album itself is released on January 29, 2008 in the United States and March 17 in Europe. “Throughout my career I have worked in very different musical styles“Sarah says about her new album, “This is the first album in which all these styles combined to create a diverse musical landscape.”
On August 8, 2008, Sarah Brightman, along with Chinese pop singer Liu Huang, performed the official anthem of the XXIX Summer Olympic Games, “One World, One Dream.”
November becomes very busy for the singer: the North American Symphony tour starts, the winter album “A Winter Symphony” is released, and “The Genetic Opera” begins showing in cinemas. The Symphony tour, like the album, was full of duets: in Mexico, where the tour began, tenor Alessandro Safina and countertenor Fernando Lima sang with Sarah, in the USA and Canada - Mario Frangulis. The tour itself used equipment that had never been used on any tour before: it created holographic sets.
In 2010, at the XXI Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, Sarah Brightman performed the song “Shall be done.” This song and Sarah are part of a collaboration agreement between Panasonic Corporation and the UNESCO World Heritage Center, which launched The World Heritage Special, broadcast on the National Geographic Channel.
A failed space flight and a new album
In August 2012, confirmation was received that Brightman, who once became famous for the video “I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper,” had been approved to prepare for a manned flight into space on the Soyuz spacecraft. "on the ISS as a space tourist. Presumably, the flight was supposed to take place in the fall of 2015 and last 10 days. On March 16, 2013, the head of the space agency, Vladimir Popovkin, announced that the flight could only take place in the case of a short-term expedition to the ISS for a period of no more than 8 days. On October 10, 2012, at a press conference in Moscow regarding the start of her preparations for the flight, she said that her dream of flying into space arose in 1969. In 2013, she went on a world tour in support of her new album “Dreamchaser”. At the end of the tour, Brightman had to undergo six months of training for the flight and began it in the spring of 2015 at the Cosmonaut Training Center. It was estimated that her flight in support of women's education and the fight against natural resource depletion would cost $51 million, and the singer's fortune was estimated at only $49 million. On May 13, 2015, it became known that Brightman refused to fly to the ISS for family reasons. character.Languages
Sarah’s albums contain songs in various languages, mostly English (“Dust in the wind”), native language singers. Sarah also performs opera arias in Italian (“Nessun dorma”). In the albums you can find songs in Spanish (“Hijo de la luna”), French (“Gueri de Toi”), German (“Schwere Träume”), Russian (“It’s good here,” English name"How fair this place"), Latin ("In paradisum"), Hindi ("Hamesha" from "Arabian nights") and Japanese ("Stand Alone" from the "A Cloud on the Slope" soundtrack).Duets
- Eric Adams "Where Eagles Fly"
- Michael Ball “Seeing Is Believing” (album “Love changes everything”)
- Antonio Banderas "The Phantom of the Opera"
- John Barrowman “Too Much In Love To Care” (album “Love changes everything”)
- Steve Barton “Think of me” (album “Love changes everything”)
- Andrea Bocelli “Time to say goodbye”, “Canto della Terra” (album “Symphony”)
- José Carreras "Amigos Para Siempre"
- Jacky Cheung “There for me” (New Millennium Concert)
- Michael Crawford “The Phantom of the opera” (album “The Andrew Lloyd Webber collection”)
- Jose Cura “Just show me how to love you”, “There for me” (album “Timeless”)
- Plácido Domingo ("Requiem" and "Christmas in Vienna (1998)")
- Mario Frangoulis Carpe Diem (album “A Winter Symphony”), (Symphony tour in the USA and Canada)
- Sir John Gielgud "Gus: the Theater Cat" (album "Surrender", "The Andrew Lloyd Webber collection")
- Josh Groban “There for me” (La Luna tour), “All I ask of You” (Diana tribute concert)
- Ofra Haza “Mysterious days” (album “Harem”)
- Steve Harley "The Phantom Of The Opera" (video clip)
- Tom Jones "Something in the air" (album "Fly")
- Paul Miles Kingston "Pie Jesu" ("Requiem")
- Andrzej Lampert “I will be with you”
- Fernando Lima "Pasión" (album "Symphony")
- Richard Marx "The Last Words You Said"
- Anne Murray "Snowbird" (Anne Murray Duets: Friends & Legends)
- Elaine Paige "Memory"
- Cliff Richard “All I ask of you” (video clip), Only you (album “Love changes everything”)
- Alessandro Safina "Sarai Qui" (album "Symphony", "Symphony! Live in Vienna", tour "Symphony" in Mexico), Canto della Terra ("Symphony! Live in Vienna", tour "Symphony" in Mexico), "The Phantom of the opera" (Symphony tour in Mexico)
- Kazim Al Sahir “The War is over” (album “Harem”)
- Paul Stanley “I will be with you” (album “Symphony”)
- Chris Thompson “How can Heaven love me” (album “Fly”), “I will be with you” (soundtrack to the 10th part of the Pokemon series)
- Sergey Penkin “I will be with you” (Russian version of the album “Symphony”)
- Participation in projects[edit | edit wiki text]
- Gregorian, “Voyage, Voyage”, “Don’t give up”, “Join Me”, “Moment of peace”
- Sash! "The Secret Still Remains"
- Schiller “The Smile”, “I’ve seen it all” (album “Leben”)
- Macbeth "How Can Heaven Love Me"
Discography
- Requiem (as Herself), New York and London (1985)
Musicals
- Cats (as Jemima), New London Theater (1981)
- Nightingale (as Nightingale), Buxton Festival and the Lyric, Hammersmith (1982)
- Song and Dance (as Emma), Palace Theater in London (1984)
- The Phantom of the Opera (as Christine Daaé), Her Majesty's Theater London (1986)
- Aspects of Love (as Rose Vibert) (1989)
- “Repo! The Genetic Opera" (eng. "Repo! The Genetic Opera") (as Magdalene "Blind Meg") (2008)
Sarah Brightman was born on August 14, 1960 in Berkhampsted, England. She was obsessed with music early childhood- For as long as I could remember, I always sang. She dreamed of becoming a professional singer, studied ballet, and first appeared on stage at the age of twelve in an amateur production by John Schlesinger.
But her childhood was far from cloudless: she grew up in a poor, large family, and her beloved sister died of heart disease as a child, and her father committed suicide because of debts. The family's misfortunes both strengthened Sarah and taught her humility - both of which were very useful to her during her affair with the great composer Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Sarah began singing in the London group Hot Gossip, whose song "I Lost My Heart To A Starship Trooper" performed by eighteen-year-old Sarah reached number one in the British charts. Then the singer decided to try out for one of the roles in “Cats” (the famous musical “Cats”), where she met her future husband - the “main” husband in her life and the only one she subsequently had to talk about with journalists.
In fact, Sarah is very private about her personal life. All that is known for sure about her first husband is that his name was also Andrew, and also that Sarah left him for Webber.
Andrew Lloyd Webber was a great and acclaimed composer. By the time he met Sarah Brightman, he was already the author of the acclaimed musicals “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “Joseph, His Colorful Robes and Amazing Dreams,” and “Evita.” He was happily married to a sweet, meek woman, Sarah-Jane Tudor-Hugill, nicknamed Vole Mouse, and they had children - a daughter, Imogen, and a son, Nicholas. But Webber failed to remain faithful to his wife, as well as a happy marriage.
At one of the preliminary auditions of the musical "Cats", the venerable composer met an unknown, young singer. She had an amazing voice: gentle and at the same time strong, with such a richness of shades that Andrew, who was sensitive to music, lost all understanding of reality after listening to it. He didn’t even immediately notice that in addition to her voice, Sarah Brightman had large emerald eyes, beautifully sculpted cheekbones, a superbly defined mouth, a chiseled, slender body...
And then, when Webber saw all this, he remembered the novel popular at the beginning of the century French writer Gaston Leroux's "The Phantom of the Opera", which tells the story of a great composer who sold his soul to the devil for fame, and how the composer fell in love with the voice of a beautiful young singer - only her voice, not even noticing her youth or beauty. This is how the idea of the musical work of the same name, which subsequently gained worldwide fame, arose.
Andrew Lloyd Webber and Sarah Brightman could speak about their love in the famous words of Bulgakov: “Love jumped out in front of us, like a killer jumps out of the ground in an alley, and immediately struck us both! Like lightning, like a Finnish knife!” This is exactly what happened to them...
After the first audition, Webber asked Sarah on a date. And she came. She was married and Webber was married. He was thirty-four, she was twenty-one. But none of that mattered. Later, making excuses to journalists, Webber said: “It’s not our fault that we fell in love with each other like children.” But to separate from his wife, who was his close friend for many years, a mother of two, Webber was hesitant. Sarah Brightman understood his torment and resigned herself to the fate of her mistress. However, she dissolved her own marriage.
She had to wait two years. Webber finally divorced, leaving his wife and children an amount of $750,000. This happened in early March 1984, and two weeks later, on March 22, Andrew celebrated a triple holiday: his own birthday, the premiere of the new musical “Starlight Train” , and most importantly - a wedding with Sarah Brightman! Andrew married her in the Anglican Cathedral, while with his first wife he limited himself to only a visit to the city hall.
Webber's love for his young wife was boundless. When did he start new production- now it’s no longer a rock opera, not a musical, but “Requiem”, a serious choral work, - he invited Sarah to sing the soprano part. The tenor part was performed by Placido Domingo, and the recording also featured the Winchester Cathedral Choir and the English House of Lords Orchestra. That is, the best of the best!
And among them is twenty-five-year-old Sarah, whose performing experience at that time was limited to participation in a youth show on television and a role in “Cats.” But, as it turned out, Webber was not at all blinded by love. We must not forget that he fell in love not with a woman, but with her voice!
The aria from “Requiem” performed by Sarah Brightman took first place in the English charts for a long time, and the sale of the record brought in $250,000. In addition, Sarah received a Grammy Award for this work in the “Best New Classical Artist” category.
In 1985, Sarah played in Kalman's classic operetta The Merry Widow, then performed a role in Masquerade, and Webber began writing the very rock opera that he conceived when he first heard Sarah sing.
"The Phantom of the Opera" was staged in London in 1986, and two years later there was a magnificent premiere on Broadway. In addition to the amazing music, the performance was also noted for the amazing director's work: when the scene in a boat in an underground river opened before the audience, it seemed as if a real river was flowing in front of them, and in the finale a giant crystal chandelier actually fell from the ceiling to the floor.
After Sarah Brightman performed the role of Christina in The Phantom of the Opera, journalists began to call the singer the Angel of Music - that’s what the crazy ghost composer called his beloved in the opera... For this work, Sarah received the prestigious Drama Desk Award.
In 1989, Webber staged a new rock opera in London, Aspects of Love, based on the novel by David Garnett. He himself still considers this work his greatest creative success. But for some reason listeners and critics did not agree with him, and from that moment a dark period in his life began for Webber.
“Aspects of Love” was also staged on Broadway, but was soon removed from the repertoire. At the same time, the previously cloudless union with Sarah Brightman began to show cracks: Andrew wanted Sarah to give birth to children, but Sarah did not want children (it must be said that she still does not have children), and soon Andrew began to complain to friends that Sarah “doesn’t give him all of herself” and that she loves his music more than him. It would seem that he should have known about this from the very beginning: Sarah loved him for his music, while he himself loved Sarah for her voice...
But Andrew had creative crisis, and in this situation, the “overly musical” Sarah was not the best life partner. She was just experiencing her finest hour: with Jose Carreras she performed a song written by Webber for the opening of the Olympic Games in Barcelona in 1992; the just-released album "Sarah Brightman Sings The Music Of Andrew Lloyd-Webber" was selling well... But Webber felt that his fame was gradually flowing to Sarah, and it was no longer she - the wife of that same Webber - but he was becoming the famous husband of Sarah Brightman !
And then Andrew met a new woman. Her name was Madeline Gurdon. A jockey by profession, she was two years younger than Sarah Brightman and as different from her as Sarah herself was from the first Mrs. Webber. The composer's first wife was a simpleton. The second is an exquisite lady. And Madeline was bright, loud and cheerful, and most importantly, she knew how to listen not only to music, but also... just listen.
At first, Webber hid his infidelity from Sarah, but when Madeline became pregnant, he was forced to admit everything. Being particularly scrupulous, Sarah immediately filed for divorce. Thus, in 1991, this brilliant star marriage broke up, and on February 1, Andrew married Madeline. Moreover, the engagement of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Madeline Gurdon was announced on the day of his divorce from Sarah Brightman. Madeline bore him three children and remains a loyal friend to this day.
Meanwhile, Sarah Brightman took up animal welfare, stopped eating meat, and to this day maintains an entire zoo in Kenya. Some journalists chuckled: was the experience of her relationship with Webber really so traumatic for her that since then she prefers animals to people?
Then Sarah had a new boyfriend, German composer Frank Paterson: apparently, the Angel of Music could only fall in love with the creators of this very music. Their first significant collaboration was the album "Dive", followed by "Fly", the song from which, "A Question Of Honour", the singer performed before the start of the World Boxing Championship in 1995.
And then the relationship with Webber was restored: Sarah still performs the songs he composed, and not so long ago they announced a new joint project...
True, now Sarah is perhaps more famous and in demand than Webber. They say that he is even a little jealous of her, because things are not going so well for him. There was a period when it seemed that Webber's star had set and his talent would no longer be reborn from the ashes. He did not write anything for a long time, and his new productions - “What a Wonderful Game” and “Dreams of Bombay” - were no longer as successful as the previous ones.
And Sarah Brightman no longer sang in them. But fans hope that she will be the one to perform the role of Christina in the film “The Phantom of the Opera.” Although the role will most likely be played by another actress: younger and more “cinematic”. But Sarah doesn’t care: she has enough of her own projects and is too passionate about them. She is even calm about the idea that someone else might sing in the film, because she knows that the most popular recording of “The Phantom of the Opera” with her voice will still remain the most popular.
She took part in the production of the musical “Cats” by composer Andrew Lloyd-Webber (New Theater in London).
The theme of Sarah's next album "Harem" () is the East. The name itself can be translated as “forbidden place.” “The ideas for the album come from India, the Middle East, North Africa, Turkey,” Sarah says in an interview with the “Live from Las Vegas” DVD. "Harem" differs from previous albums by a slightly more danceable sound, although classical elements are also present in this album. For example, in the composition “It’s a beautiful day” Sarah performs “Un Bel di” by Puccini. Along with the album, a collection of videos “Harem: a Desert Fantasy” is released. The collection includes not only clips from the “Harem” album, but also new versions of the hits “Anytime, Anywhere” and “Time to Say Goodbye.” Like previous albums "Eden" and "La luna", "Harem" was accompanied by a world tour. The dance quality of the project was reflected in the show: in comparison with the previous one, more dancers are involved in it. The stage itself was made in the shape of a crescent moon and a path emanating from it, which ended in a star. This time Sarah brought her show to Russia. The concerts took place in Moscow (September 15, Olympic Stadium) and St. Petersburg (September 17, Ice Palace).
Symphony (2006-2012)
A failed space flight and a new album
In August 2012, confirmation was received that Brightman, who once became famous for the video “I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper,” had been approved to prepare for a manned flight into space on the Soyuz spacecraft. "on the ISS as a space tourist. Presumably, the flight was supposed to take place in the fall of 2015 and last 10 days. On March 16, 2013, the head of the space agency, Vladimir Popovkin, announced that the flight could only take place in the case of a short-term expedition to the ISS for a period of no more than 8 days. On October 10, 2012, at a press conference in Moscow regarding the start of her preparations for the flight, she said that her dream of flying into space arose in 1969. In 2013, she went on a world tour in support of her new album “Dreamchaser” (“Chasing a Dream”). At the end of the tour, Brightman had to undergo six months of training for the flight and began it in the spring of 2015 at the Cosmonaut Training Center. It was estimated that her flight in support of women's education and the fight against natural resource depletion would cost $51 million, but the singer's net worth was estimated at only $49 million. On May 13, 2015, it became known that Brightman refused to fly to the ISS for family reasons.
Languages
Sarah's albums contain songs in various languages, mostly English (“Dust in the wind”), the singer’s native language. Sarah also performs opera arias in Italian (“Nessun dorma”). In the albums you can find songs in Spanish (“Hijo de la luna”), French (“Gueri de Toi”), German (“Schwere Träume”), Russian (“It’s good here”, English title “How fair this place”), Latin (“In paradisum”), Hindi (“Hamesha” from “Arabian Nights”) and Japanese (“Stand Alone” from the soundtrack to “A Cloud on the Slope”).
Duets
- Eric Adams « Where eagles fly»
- Michael Ball "Seeing Is Believing"
- Antonio Banderas "The Phantom of the Opera"
- John Barrowman "Too Much In Love To Care"(album “Love changes everything”)
- Steve Barton "Think of me"(album “Love changes everything”)
- Andrea Bocelli "Time to say goodbye", "Canto della Terra"(album “Symphony”)
- José Carreras "Amigos Para Siempre"
- Jacky Cheung "There for me"(New Millennium Concert)
- Michael Crawford "The Phantom of the opera"(album “The Andrew Lloyd Webber collection”)
- Jose Cura "Just show me how to love you", "There for me"(album “Timeless”)
- Placido Domingo("Requiem" and "Christmas in Vienna (1998)")
- Mario Frangoulis Carpe Diem (album “A Winter Symphony”), (Symphony tour in the USA and Canada)
- Sir John Gielgud "Gus: the Theater Cat"(album “Surrender”, “The Andrew Lloyd Webber collection”)
- Josh Groban "There for me"(La Luna tour), "All I ask of You"(concert in honor of Diana)
- Ofra Haza "Mysterious days"(album “Harem”)
- Steve Harley "The Phantom Of The Opera"(video clip)
- Tom Jones "Something in the air"(album “Fly”)
- Paul Miles Kingston "Pie Jesus"("Requiem")
- Andrzej Lampert "I will be with you"
- Fernando Lima "Pasión"(album “Symphony”)
- Richard Marx "The last words you said"
- Anne Murray "Snowbird"(Anne Murray Duets: Friends & Legends)
- Elaine Paige "Memory"
- Cliff Richard "All I ask of you"(video clip), Only you(album “Love changes everything”)
- Alessandro Safina "Sarai Qui"(album “Symphony”, “Symphony! Live in Vienna”, tour “Symphony” in Mexico), Canto della Terra(“Symphony! Live in Vienna”, Symphony tour in Mexico), “The Phantom of the opera” (Symphony tour in Mexico)
- Kazim Al Sahir "The War is over"(album “Harem”)
- Paul Stanley "I will be with you"(album “Symphony”)
- Chris Thompson "How can Heaven love me"(album “Fly”), "I will be with you"(soundtrack to the 10th part of the Pokemon series)
- Sergey Penkin "I will be with you"(Russian version of the album “Symphony”)
Participation in projects
- Gregorian , "Voyage, Voyage", "Don't give up", "Join Me", "Moment of peace"
- Sash! "The Secret Still Remains"
- Schiller "The Smile" , “I’ve seen it all”(album “Leben”)
- Macbeth"How Can Heaven Love Me"
Discography
- Requiem(as Herself), New York and London ()
Musicals
- Cats(as Jemima), New London Theater ()
- Nightingale(as Nightingale), Buxton Festival and the Lyric, Hammersmith ()
- Song and dance(as Emma), Palace Theater in London ()
- Phantom of the Opera(as Christine Daaé), Her Majesty's Theater London ()
- Aspects of love(as Rose Vibert) ()
- “Repo! Genetic Opera" (eng. "Repo! The Genetic Opera")(as Magdalene "Blind Meg") ()
Albums
| Solo | Reissues of songs by E.-L. Webber |
|---|---|
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| Re-releases of the best songs | |
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| Additions to the main albums | |
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Singles
| Release year | Single title | Album |
|---|---|---|
| I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper | - | |
| The Adventures Of The Love Crusader | - | |
| Love In A Ufo | - | |
| My Boyfriend's Back | - | |
| Not Having That! | - | |
| Him | - | |
| Rhythm of the Rain | - | |
| Unexpected Song | Song and Dance(musical) | |
| Pie Jesu | Requiem | |
| The Phantom of the Opera | The Phantom of the Opera(musical) | |
| Music of the Night | The Phantom of the Opera(musical) | |
| All I Ask Of You(feat. Cliff Richard) | The Phantom of the Opera(musical) | |
| A Room With A View | - | |
| Make Believe | Grandpa(animated film) | |
| Anything But Lonely | The Songs That Got Away | |
| Something to Believe In | As I Came Of Age | |
| Amigos Para Siempre | - | |
| Captain Nemo | Dive | |
| The Second Element | Dive | |
| A Question of Honor | Fly | |
| A Question of Honor (remixes) | Fly | |
| How Can Heaven Love Me(feat. Chris Thompson) | Fly | |
| Fly | ||
| Time To Say Goodbye(feat. Andrea Bocelli) | Time To Say Goodbye | |
| Just Show Me How To Love You(feat. Jose Cura) | Time To Say Goodbye | |
| Who Wants to Live Forever | Time To Say Goodbye | |
| Who Wants to Live Forever (remixes) | Time To Say Goodbye | |
| Tu Quieres Volver | Time To Say Goodbye | |
| Time To Say Goodbye | ||
| Starship Troopers | - | |
| Eden | Eden | |
| Deliver Me | Eden | |
| The Last Words You Said | Eden | |
| So Many Things | Eden | |
| Scarborough Fair | La Luna | |
| A Whiter Shade of Pale (EP) | La Luna | |
| Harem (Cancao Do Mar) | Harem | |
| Harem (Cancao Do Mar) (remixes) | Harem | |
| What You Never Know | Harem | |
| Free | Harem | |
| (feat. Chris Thompson) | Symphony | |
| Running | Symphony | |
| Passion(feat. Fernando Lima) | Symphony | |
| Angel | Dreamchaser | |
| One Day Like This | Dreamchaser |
Bootlegs
DVD
- Sarah Brightman in Concert at The Royal Albert Hall ()
- Christmas in Vienna ()
- One Night in Eden ()
- La Luna: Live in Concert ()
- The Sarah Brightman Special: Harem a Desert Fantasy ()
- The Harem World Tour: Live from Las Vegas ()
- DIVA: The Video Collection ()
- Symphony! Live in Vienne ()
- The Phantom of the Opera 25 Anniversary at the Royal Albert Hall (2011)
- Dreamchaser in Concert ()
Filmography
| Year | Russian name | Original title | Role | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| f | Granpa | song "Make Believe" in credits | ||
| f | Zeit Der Erkenntnis | As yourself | ||
| f | Ripo! Genetic opera | Repo! The Genetic Opera | Blind Meg | |
| f | Amalfi: Goddess's Rewards | Amalfi | As yourself |
Sources
Write a review of the article "Brightman, Sarah"
Links
Official
Other English-language resources
- Sarah Brightman (English) on the Internet Movie Database
Russian-language sites
- - Fansite
- - Ukrainian fansite of Sarah Brightman
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Excerpt characterizing Brightman, Sarah
– Laissez cette femme! [Leave this woman!] - Pierre croaked in a frantic voice, grabbing the long, hunched soldier by the shoulders and throwing him away. The soldier fell, got up and ran away. But his comrade, throwing away his boots, took out a cleaver and menacingly advanced on Pierre.- Voyons, pas de betises! [Well, well! Don’t be stupid!] – he shouted.
Pierre was in that rapture of rage in which he remembered nothing and in which his strength increased tenfold. He rushed at the barefoot Frenchman and, before he could take out his cleaver, he had already knocked him down and was hammering at him with his fists. An approving cry from the surrounding crowd was heard, and at the same time a mounted patrol of French lancers appeared around the corner. The lancers trotted up to Pierre and the Frenchman and surrounded them. Pierre did not remember anything of what happened next. He remembered that he had beaten someone, he had been beaten, and that in the end he felt that his hands were tied, that a crowd of French soldiers was standing around him and searching his dress.
“Il a un poignard, lieutenant, [Lieutenant, he has a dagger,”] were the first words that Pierre understood.
- Ah, une arme! [Ah, weapons!] - said the officer and turned to the barefoot soldier who was taken with Pierre.
“C"est bon, vous direz tout cela au conseil de guerre, [Okay, okay, you’ll tell everything at the trial," said the officer. And after that he turned to Pierre: “Parlez vous francais vous?” [Do you speak French? ]
Pierre looked around him with bloodshot eyes and did not answer. His face probably seemed very scary, because the officer said something in a whisper, and four more lancers separated from the team and stood on both sides of Pierre.
– Parlez vous francais? – the officer repeated the question to him, staying away from him. - Faites venir l "interprete. [Call an interpreter.] - A small man in a Russian civilian dress came out from behind the rows. Pierre, by his attire and speech, immediately recognized him as a Frenchman from one of the Moscow shops.
“Il n"a pas l"air d"un homme du peuple, [He doesn’t look like a commoner," said the translator, looking at Pierre.
– Oh, oh! ca m"a bien l"air d"un des incendiaires," the officer blurred. "Demandez lui ce qu"il est? [Oh, oh! he looks a lot like an arsonist. Ask him who he is?] he added.
-Who are you? – asked the translator. “The authorities must answer,” he said.
– Je ne vous dirai pas qui je suis. Je suis votre prisonnier. Emmenez moi, [I won't tell you who I am. I am your prisoner. Take me away,” Pierre suddenly said in French.
- Ah, Ah! – the officer said, frowning. - Marchons!
A crowd gathered around the lancers. Closest to Pierre stood a pockmarked woman with a girl; When the detour started moving, she moved forward.
-Where are they taking you, my darling? - she said. - This girl, what am I going to do with this girl, if she’s not theirs! - the woman said.
- Qu"est ce qu"elle veut cette femme? [What does she want?] - asked the officer.
Pierre looked like he was drunk. His ecstatic state intensified even more at the sight of the girl he had saved.
“Ce qu"elle dit?” he said. “Elle m”apporte ma fille que je viens de sauver des flammes,” he said. - Adieu! [What does she want? She is carrying my daughter, whom I saved from the fire. Farewell!] - and he, not knowing how this aimless lie escaped him, walked with a decisive, solemn step among the French.
The French patrol was one of those that were sent by order of Duronel to various streets of Moscow to suppress looting and especially to capture the arsonists, who, according to the general opinion that emerged that day among the French of the highest ranks, were the cause of the fires. Having traveled around several streets, the patrol picked up five more suspicious Russians, one shopkeeper, two seminarians, a peasant and a servant, and several looters. But of all the suspicious people, Pierre seemed the most suspicious of all. When they were all brought to spend the night in a large house on Zubovsky Val, in which a guardhouse was established, Pierre was placed separately under strict guard.
In St. Petersburg at this time, in the highest circles, with greater fervor than ever, there was a complex struggle between the parties of Rumyantsev, the French, Maria Feodorovna, the Tsarevich and others, drowned out, as always, by the trumpeting of the court drones. But calm, luxurious, concerned only with ghosts, reflections of life, St. Petersburg life went on as before; and because of the course of this life, it was necessary to make great efforts to recognize the danger and the difficult situation in which the Russian people found themselves. There were the same exits, balls, the same French theater, the same interests of the courts, the same interests of service and intrigue. Only in the highest circles were efforts made to recall the difficulty of the present situation. It was told in whispers how the two empresses acted opposite to each other in such difficult circumstances. Empress Maria Feodorovna, concerned about the welfare of the charitable and educational institutions under her jurisdiction, made an order to send all institutions to Kazan, and the things of these institutions were already packed. Empress Elizaveta Alekseevna, when asked what orders she wanted to make, with her characteristic Russian patriotism, deigned to answer that she could not make orders about state institutions, since this concerned the sovereign; about the same thing that personally depends on her, she deigned to say that she will be the last to leave St. Petersburg.
Anna Pavlovna had an evening on August 26, the very day of the Battle of Borodino, the flower of which was to be the reading of the letter from the Eminence, written when sending the image of the venerable saint Sergius to the sovereign. This letter was revered as an example of patriotic spiritual eloquence. It was to be read by Prince Vasily himself, famous for his art of reading. (He also read for the Empress.) The art of reading was considered to consist in pouring out words loudly, melodiously, between a desperate howl and a gentle murmur, completely regardless of their meaning, so that, quite by chance, a howl would fall on one word, and a murmur on others. This reading, like all Anna Pavlovna’s evenings, had political significance. At this evening there were to be several important persons who had to be shamed for their trips to the French theater and encouraged into a patriotic mood. Quite a lot of people had already gathered, but Anna Pavlovna had not yet seen all the people she needed in the living room, and therefore, without starting to read yet, she started general conversations.
The news of the day that day in St. Petersburg was the illness of Countess Bezukhova. A few days ago the Countess unexpectedly fell ill, missed several meetings of which she was an adornment, and it was heard that she did not see anyone and that instead of the famous St. Petersburg doctors who usually treated her, she entrusted herself to some Italian doctor who treated her with some new and in an extraordinary way.
Everyone knew very well that the illness of the lovely countess was due to the inconvenience of marrying two husbands at once and that the Italian’s treatment consisted of eliminating this inconvenience; but in the presence of Anna Pavlovna, not only did no one dare to think about it, but it was as if no one knew it.
- On dit que la pauvre comtesse est tres mal. Le medecin dit que c"est l"angine pectorale. [They say that the poor countess is very bad. The doctor said it was a chest disease.]
- L"angine? Oh, c"est une maladie terrible! [Chest disease? Oh, this is a terrible disease!]
- On dit que les rivaux se sont reconcilies grace a l "angine... [They say that the rivals were reconciled thanks to this illness.]
The word angine was repeated with great pleasure.
– Le vieux comte est touchant a ce qu"on dit. Il a pleure comme un enfant quand le medecin lui a dit que le cas etait dangereux. [The old count is very touching, they say. He cried like a child when the doctor said that dangerous case.]
- Oh, ce serait une perte terrible. C "est une femme ravissante. [Oh, that would be a great loss. Such a lovely woman.]
“Vous parlez de la pauvre comtesse,” Anna Pavlovna said, approaching. “J"ai envoye savoir de ses nouvelles. On m"a dit qu"elle allait un peu mieux. Oh, sans doute, c"est la plus charmante femme du monde," Anna Pavlovna said with a smile at her enthusiasm. – Nous appartenons a des camps differents, mais cela ne m"empeche pas de l"estimer, comme elle le merite. Elle est bien malheureuse, [You are talking about the poor countess... I sent to find out about her health. They told me she was feeling a little better. Oh, without a doubt, this is the loveliest woman in the world. We belong to different camps, but that doesn't stop me from respecting her on her merits. She is so unhappy.] – added Anna Pavlovna.
Believing that with these words Anna Pavlovna was slightly lifting the veil of secrecy over the countess’s illness, one careless young man allowed himself to express surprise that famous doctors were not called in, but that the countess was being treated by a charlatan who could give dangerous remedies.
“Vos informations peuvent etre meilleures que les miennes,” Anna Pavlovna suddenly lashed out venomously at the inexperienced young man. – Mais je sais de bonne source que ce medecin est un homme tres savant et tres habile. C"est le medecin intime de la Reine d"Espagne. [Your news may be more accurate than mine... but I know from good sources that this doctor is a very learned and skillful person. This is the life physician of the Queen of Spain.] - And thus destroying the young man, Anna Pavlovna turned to Bilibin, who, in another circle, picked up the skin and, apparently, about to loosen it to say un mot, spoke about the Austrians.
“Je trouve que c"est charmant! [I find it charming!],” he said about the diplomatic paper with which the Austrian banners taken by Wittgenstein were sent to Vienna, le heros de Petropol [the hero of Petropol] (as he was called in Petersburg).
- How, how is this? - Anna Pavlovna turned to him, awakening silence to hear the mot, which she already knew.
And Bilibin repeated the following original words of the diplomatic dispatch he compiled:
“L"Empereur renvoie les drapeaux Autrichiens,” said Bilibin, “drapeaux amis et egares qu"il a trouve hors de la route, [The Emperor sends the Austrian banners, friendly and lost banners that he found outside the real road.],” Bilibin finished , loosening the skin.
“Charmant, charmant, [Lovely, charming,” said Prince Vasily.
“C"est la route de Varsovie peut être, [This is the Warsaw road, maybe.] - Prince Hippolyte said loudly and unexpectedly. Everyone looked back at him, not understanding what he wanted to say by this. Prince Hippolyte also looked back with cheerful surprise around him. He, like others, did not understand what the words he said meant. During his diplomatic career, he more than once noticed that the words spoken in this way suddenly turned out to be very witty, and he said these words just in case. the first to come to his mind. “Maybe it will work out very well,” he thought, “and if it doesn’t work out, they will be able to arrange it there.” Indeed, while an awkward silence reigned, that insufficiently patriotic face entered. Anna Pavlovna, and she, smiling and shaking her finger at Ippolit, invited Prince Vasily to the table, and, presenting him with two candles and a manuscript, asked him to begin. Everything fell silent.
- Most merciful Emperor! - Prince Vasily declared sternly and looked around the audience, as if asking if anyone had anything to say against this. But no one said anything. - “The Mother See of Moscow, New Jerusalem“, accepts his Christ,” he suddenly emphasized his words, “like a mother into the arms of her zealous sons, and through the emerging darkness, seeing the brilliant glory of your power, sings in delight: “Hosanna, blessed is he who comes!” – Prince Vasily said these last words in a crying voice.
Bilibin examined his nails carefully, and many, apparently, were timid, as if asking what was their fault? Anna Pavlovna repeated in a whisper forward, like an old woman praying for communion: “Let the impudent and insolent Goliath…” she whispered.
Prince Vasily continued:
– “Let the daring and insolent Goliath from the borders of France carry deadly horrors to the edges of Russia; meek faith, this sling of the Russian David, will suddenly strike down the head of his bloodthirsty pride. This is the image St. Sergius, an ancient zealot for the good of our fatherland, is presented to your imperial majesty. I am sick because my weakening strength prevents me from enjoying your most kind contemplation. I send warm prayers to heaven, that the Almighty may magnify the race of the righteous and fulfill your Majesty’s good wishes.”
– Quelle force! Quel style! [What power! What a syllable!] - praise was heard to the reader and writer. Inspired by this speech, Anna Pavlovna’s guests talked for a long time about the situation of the fatherland and made various assumptions about the outcome of the battle, which was to be fought the other day.
“Vous verrez, [You will see.],” said Anna Pavlovna, “that tomorrow, on the sovereign’s birthday, we will receive news.” I have a good feeling.
Anna Pavlovna's premonition really came true. The next day, during a prayer service in the palace on the occasion of the sovereign's birthday, Prince Volkonsky was called from the church and received an envelope from Prince Kutuzov. This was a report from Kutuzov, written on the day of the battle from Tatarinova. Kutuzov wrote that the Russians did not retreat a single step, that the French lost much more than we did, that he was reporting in a hurry from the battlefield, without having yet managed to collect the latest information. Therefore, it was a victory. And immediately, without leaving the temple, gratitude was given to the creator for his help and for the victory.
Anna Pavlovna's premonition was justified, and joy reigned in the city all morning. festive mood spirit. Everyone recognized the victory as complete, and some were already talking about the capture of Napoleon himself, his deposition and the election of a new head for France.
Far from business and among the conditions of court life, it is very difficult for events to be reflected in all their fullness and force. Involuntarily, general events are grouped around one particular case. So now the main joy of the courtiers was as much in the fact that we had won as in the fact that the news of this victory fell precisely on the sovereign’s birthday. It was like a successful surprise. Kutuzov’s news also spoke about Russian losses, and Tuchkov, Bagration, and Kutaisov were named among them. Also, the sad side of the event involuntarily in the local St. Petersburg world was grouped around one event - the death of Kutaisov. Everyone knew him, the sovereign loved him, he was young and interesting. On this day everyone met with the words:
- How amazing it happened. At the very prayer service. And what a loss for the Kutais! Oh, what a pity!
– What did I tell you about Kutuzov? - Prince Vasily now spoke with the pride of a prophet. “I always said that he alone is capable of defeating Napoleon.”
But the next day there was no news from the army, and the general voice became alarming. The courtiers suffered for the suffering of the unknown in which the sovereign was.
- What is the position of the sovereign! - said the courtiers and no longer praised him as the day before, but now condemned Kutuzov, who was the cause of the sovereign’s anxiety. On this day, Prince Vasily no longer boasted about his protege Kutuzov, but remained silent when it came to the commander-in-chief. In addition, by the evening of this day, everything seemed to come together in order to plunge the residents of St. Petersburg into alarm and worry: another terrible news was added. Countess Elena Bezukhova died suddenly from this terrible disease, which was so pleasant to pronounce. Officially, in large societies, everyone said that Countess Bezukhova died from a terrible attack of angine pectorale [chest sore throat], but in intimate circles they told details about how le medecin intime de la Reine d "Espagne [the Queen's physician of Spain] prescribed Helen small doses some kind of medicine to produce a certain effect; but how Helen, tormented by the fact that the old count suspected her, and by the fact that the husband to whom she wrote (that unfortunate depraved Pierre) did not answer her, suddenly took a huge dose of the medicine prescribed for her and died. in agony, before they could give help. They said that Prince Vasily and the old count took on the Italian; but the Italian showed such notes from the unfortunate deceased that he was immediately released.
The general conversation centered around three sad events: the unknown of the sovereign, the death of Kutaisov and the death of Helen.
On the third day after Kutuzov’s report, a landowner from Moscow arrived in St. Petersburg, and news of the surrender of Moscow to the French spread throughout the city. It was terrible! What was the position of the sovereign! Kutuzov was a traitor, and Prince Vasily, during the visites de condoleance [visits of condolence] that were made to him on the occasion of the death of his daughter, spoke about Kutuzov, whom he had previously praised (he could be forgiven in his sadness for forgetting what he had said before), he said, that nothing else could be expected from a blind and depraved old man.
“I’m only surprised how it was possible to entrust the fate of Russia to such a person.”
While this news was still unofficial, one could still doubt it, but the next day the following report came from Count Rostopchin:
“The adjutant of Prince Kutuzov brought me a letter in which he demands from me police officers to accompany the army to the Ryazan road. He says that he is leaving Moscow with regret. Sovereign! Kutuzov’s act decides the lot of the capital and your empire. Russia will shudder upon learning of the cession of the city where the greatness of Russia is concentrated, where the ashes of your ancestors are. I will follow the army. I took everything away, I can only cry about the fate of my fatherland.”
Having received this report, the sovereign sent the following rescript to Kutuzov with Prince Volkonsky:
“Prince Mikhail Ilarionovich! Since August 29 I have not had any reports from you. Meanwhile, on September 1st, through Yaroslavl, from the Moscow commander-in-chief, I received the sad news that you had decided to leave Moscow with the army. You yourself can imagine the effect this news had on me, and your silence aggravates my surprise. I am sending with this General Adjutant Prince Volkonsky to find out from you about the position of the army and the reasons that prompted you to such sad determination.”
Nine days after leaving Moscow, a messenger from Kutuzov arrived in St. Petersburg with official news of the abandonment of Moscow. This sent was the Frenchman Michaud, who did not know Russian, but quoique etranger, Busse de c?ur et d'ame, [however, although a foreigner, but Russian at heart,] as he himself said to himself.
The Emperor immediately received the messenger in his office, in the palace of Kamenny Island. Michaud, who had never seen Moscow before the campaign and who did not speak Russian, still felt moved when he appeared before notre tres gracieux souverain [our most gracious sovereign] (as he wrote) with the news of the fire of Moscow, dont les flammes eclairaient sa route [whose flame illuminated his path].
Although the source of Mr. Michaud's chagrin [grief] should have been different from that from which the grief of the Russian people flowed, Michaud had such a sad face when he was brought into the Tsar's office that the Tsar immediately asked him:
- M"apportez vous de tristes nouvelles, colonel? [What news did you bring me? Bad, Colonel?]
“Bien tristes, sire,” answered Michaud, lowering his eyes with a sigh, “l"abandon de Moscou. [Very bad, Your Majesty, abandonment of Moscow.]
– Aurait on livre mon ancienne capitale sans se battre? [Have they really betrayed my ancient capital without a battle?] - the sovereign suddenly flushed and said quickly.
Michaud respectfully conveyed what he was ordered to convey from Kutuzov - namely, that it was not possible to fight near Moscow and that, since there was only one choice left - to lose the army and Moscow or Moscow alone, the field marshal had to choose the latter.
The Emperor listened in silence, without looking at Michaud.
“L"ennemi est il en ville? [Has the enemy entered the city?],” he asked.
– Oui, sire, et elle est en cendres a l"heure qu"il est. Je l "ai laissee toute en flammes, [Yes, Your Majesty, and he is turned into a conflagration at the present time. I left him in the flames.] - Michaud said decisively; but, looking at the sovereign, Michaud was horrified by what he had done. The Emperor began to breathe heavily and quickly, his lower lip trembled, and his beautiful blue eyes instantly became wet with tears.
But this lasted only one minute. The Emperor suddenly frowned, as if condemning himself for his weakness. And, raising his head, he addressed Michaud in a firm voice.
