Аннотация: Alexandre Dumas. Secrets of first success. Biographical reconstruction essay.
Alexandre Dumas. Secrets of first success. Biographical reconstruction essay.
The content:
I. Some comparisons of books about Alexandre Dumas from Henri Troyat and from André Maurois.
II. Alexandre Dumas' keys to Paris.
1. A general conditions for success.
2. "Rules of a game."
3. A "Theatrical community". The principles of "collective creativity" and "collective honorarium" ("collective money").
4. To contact "directly."
5. A "Creative team."
6. A place in the political system.
7. Salon - a center of important events.
8. The number "12".
I. Some comparisons of books about Alexandre Dumas from Henri Troyat and from André Maurois.
Reading the book by André Maurois "Three Dumas" [A Three-Generation Biography of the Dumas] (parts 1-3, chapter 1) allows you to compare the biographical works of André Maurois and Henri Troyat.
(All quotations - translations from the Russian-language text).
The work by Henri Troyat is called "Alexandre Dumas" [Alexandre Dumas. Le cinquième mousquetaire]. More precisely, this book could be called "The ardent, emotional, passionate, unusual Alexandre Dumas." To some extent, reading a book by Henri Troyat can be compared to watching a fascinating film. After the viewing, the viewer is emotionally excited. He has a variety of feelings towards Alexandre Dumas.
The "motor" of the book by Henri Troyat - all sorts of unusual situations and actions. A special place is occupied by manifestations of pride, attitude to money and, especially, love stories of Alexandre Dumas ...
In the book by André Maurois, love stories in a third - fourth plan. The irony in his book is almost not felt. He gives episode after episode from the biography of Alexandre Dumas.
The reader feels less emotion towards Alexandre Dumas and understands his life more.
André Maurois makes an attempt to explain the successful transition of Alexandre Dumas from provincial boys to the metropolitan creative elite.
"In order for him to achieve such a staggering success, an amazing chain of coincidences was needed: a meeting with Leuven, who drew Dumas' attention to the theater; a meeting with Nodier at the play "The Vampire"; a bas-relief that attracted his glance during the exhibition; a book as if opened by Fortuna on the right page; Baron Taylor at the position of the Director of Comedie-Francaise, who patronized the new school ... But the events are favorable only to the worthy. Each person has at least ten opportunities to change during the day their life, success comes only to those who know how to use it. The young Dumas showed an unbridled imagination, passion for heroism, amazing hardworking and education, albeit unsystematic, but replenished with ardor and zeal... A combination of circumstances helped him, but because he was able to turn any circumstance in his favor. " (André Maurois).
Chapter 1 of Part 3 of the book by André Maurois ends with the phrase: "The next day, the bookseller offered Dumas twelve thousand francs for the right to publish the play. Wealth followed on the heels of Glory." 1830 year. Alexandre Dumas is approaching a thirty years age.
II. Alexandre Dumas' keys to Paris.
One can agree with André Maurois that in the life of Alexandre Dumas, chance, coincidence, success and personal qualities played a great role.
However, reading the book by André Maurois, one can also formulate biographical hypotheses about the keys to success, about technology of success, which allowed the provincial young man with good handwriting to enter the creative elite of Paris and France.
1. The general conditions for success were:
1.1. The origin of Alexandre Dumas, his reputation, related to the history of his birth and the history of his father. Here are and the old French aristocracy, and the French colonies, and the revolution, and the republic, and Napoleon, and victories ...
1.2. The huge potential of creative markets. Judging by many details from the book by André Maurois, a quite decent money were rotating in these markets. Naturally, the basis of these creative markets were cultural interests, addictions of Parisians (residents of France).
1.3. The general goodwill of the people of Paris to the creative aspirations of the young provincial. In the book you can see only a few not very friendly people - firstly, those who refused to support Alexandre Dumas in the first hours after his move to Paris, and secondly, the head of the chancellery, where Alexandre Dumas began working, plus a reviewer of the play. All the rest are patient, condescending, friendly.
... The creative community needs leaders who able to focus the general public's attention on the field of art ... A money of population create a creative markets ...
1.4. The general tendency of the upper and middle classes of France to creativity, to an art. Alexandre Dumas, both in a province and in the capital, was surrounded by people with intellectual interests, amateur writers, semi-professional writers ...
2. Alexandre Dumas was able (intuitively?) to understand or feel a "rules of the game."
The play was called "Happy Life in Pleasant Paris". Alexandre Dumas managed to enter the troupe and began to play a role. Dumas knows the rules of the game and knows how to be an actor, an interesting actor in a big stage.
3. A "Theatrical community". The principles of "collective creativity" and "collective honorarium" ("collective money").
Theater is a collective matter.
Even a mediocre person, having taken the right place in a creative matrix, can stay afloat.
Especially, Alexandre Dumas was able a to achieve success. - He was a person with abilities, talent, faith in himself, perseverance, with the right positioning of himself in the creative community.
If you are in the "creative process", then a quantity is transforming in a quality.
"... He started to dance. The general's widow [mother of Alexandre Dumas] decided that her son was crazy. She drew his attention to the fact that he neglects the service [the working place] and can pay for it [for the neglect] [he may be fired].
- All the better. I will have time to visit rehearsals!
- "And if your play fails, what means will we live on?"
- "I will write another play, and a new play will be successful." (André Maurois).
The honorarium - in the broad sense - is not only money. Money is important. They are not a subject to saving. They are needed to be spent. Often they are spent on various collective events in which other members of the creative community participate. The giving money into debt (within reasonable limits) is not excluded - without much persistence in the matter of their return. Reasonable generosity towards others is welcome - this is an element of a lifestyle.
A honorarium is not only a money. These are also image resources. It is important to maintain the reputation of other creative figures, the reputation of the "team" a whole.
Image is a reputation and advertising. Advertising is glory. Glory is money ...
4. To contact "directly."
"... Dumas knew no one at the Comédie-Française.
The Souffler of the renowned theater each month brought tickets to the Palais Royal's office for the Duke of Orleans. Dumas stopped this man with thick eyebrows in the corridor and asked what should be done to achieve high honor to read the play before the advice of the French Theater. Souffler said that the manuscript may be left at the examiner, but that he has thousands of manuscripts, and there is a risk of waiting for many years.
- Is it possible to get around these formalities?
"You can, if you are familiar with Baron Taylor [the royal commissar of the Comédie-Française]."
Although, in order to comply with generally accepted traditions, Alexandre Dumas addressed Baron Taylor through the writer Nodier, however, we will put forward the version that to Taylor - and without Nodier - was reported that an employee of the Duke of Orleans, the son of the heroic General Dumas intends to present the play for review.
It is important to start be boiling in a "creative cauldron". Gradually you will become part of a pleasant theatrical dish ...
5. The "creative community" is different from the "creative team." If the theater community includes authors of plays, actors, theater administration, and many others, then the "team" is a kind of professional workshop where professional information is exchanged, professional support is provided, etc.
"Soulier, honest fellow, having learned that there was a conspiracy against the play, bought fifty seats ... and offered Dumas to support the new "Christina" with a workers from his woodworking factory. And yet, despite this support, when the curtain dropped for the last time, there was such a noise in the hall that no one could understand how Dumas himself later said what it means: success or failure. The premiere was followed by dinner on Universitetskaya Street. Among the guests was Hugo, who had just triumphed with "Ernani", and Vigny, whose "Venetian Moor" [Le More de Venise] was successful. As faithful comrades, they, at the request of Alexandre Dumas, while the rest of the guests participated in the banquet, sat down to redo a good hundred lines from among the most unsuccessful..." (André Maurois).
Perhaps the episode described by André Maurois - the scene of the work of Hugo and Vigny on the play by Dumas - is a symbolic scene of the work of a creative team (an emergence of the team? acceptance into a team?).
6. It is important to take a place not only in a "creative community", in a "team", but also in the political system.
The Duke of Orleans is from the Bourbon dynasty. But he is different from King Charles X. The Duke is generous, tolerant. The son of the Republican, of the Napoleonic General, Dumas was hired by the Duke. Perhaps the duke remembers that the grandfather of the young Dumas is the Marquis of the old aristocracy.
If Napoleon "starved" the general, who has fallen out of favor, and his family, the Duke of Orleans protects the young Dumas.
"Are you the son of that brave man who was starving because of Bonaparte?" - The Duke asked. - "You have a beautiful handwriting ..."
Two weeks after this memorable audience, Dumas was enlisted, that is, received a permanent position, and, therefore, was forever insured against the danger of starving." (André Maurois)
Dumas is a symbol. Theater is an excellent means of political advertising.
King Charles X is overthrown. The Duke of Orleans replaces Charles X. - The Duke becomes King Louis Philippe ...
His former clerk, Alexandre Dumas (to whom the duke gave a piece of bread and an opportunity to devote himself to art), is becoming one of the leaders of French literature.
7. In addition to the "creative, theatrical community" (in the broad sense), in addition to "creative teams", there are also salons. These are peculiar centers of advertising, management and public relations.
In the biography of Alexandre Dumas, who begins his journey in French literature, a prominent place is occupied by the "salon-museum", "where Melanie reigned." (André Maurois).
8. The number "12".
"He [Alexandre Dumas] at first agreed and received from her [from his mother] twelve sou for a purchase of an inkwell - such as seminarians use. With this money he bought bread, sausages and went for three days to hunt birds in the woods. On the fourth day he returned home." (André Maurois).
"Upon arrival in Paris, he [Alexandre Dumas] left four hares, twelve partridges and two quails: in exchange for this, the owner of the Great Augustins hotel agreed to settle him for two days." (André Maurois).
1830 year. "... on the second performance of the play [" Christina "] [visitors of the theater] applauded ... The next day, the bookseller offered Dumas twelve thousand francs for the right to publish the play. Wealth followed on the heels of Glory." (André Maurois). (When, in 1823, 20-year-old Alexandre Dumas moved to Paris and started to work in Chancellery of the Duke of Orleans, his salary was 1,200 francs a year).
1846 year. "Victor Hugo ... wrote:
"Alexandre Dumas was sent to Spain to attend as the historiographer at the wedding of the Duke of Montpensier. Here"s how they made money for this trip: 1,500 francs were released by the Ministry of Education from the Fund of Encouragement ... of Writers. Another 1,500 from the Literary Assignments Fund. The Ministry of the Interior issued 3,000 francs from the special fund. Mr. de Montpensier - twelve thousand francs. The total amount was eighteen thousand francs. Receiving the money, Dumas said: "Well, this is probably enough to pay the railway conductors." (André Maurois).
November 18, 2019 10:06
Translation from Russian into English: November 19, 2019 00:38.
Владимир Владимирович Залесский "Александр Дюма. Секреты первого успеха. Опыт биографической реконструкции.".