March, 17, 2014. Issue No. 254March 20 - the ballet "Lady of the Camellias" will premiere on the Bolshoi Theatre Historic Stage March 30 - the ballet "Marco Spada" will be broadcast in cinemas around the worldSvetlana Zakharova as Marguerite. The premiere performances of "Lady of the Camellias" will be take place at the Bolshoi Theatre from March 20 till March 25. The director of the Hamburg Ballet John Neumeier brought his ballet to Moscow. Photo: Damir YusupovJohn Neumeier, Olga Smirnova and Artem Ovcharenko. A rehearsal of "Lady of the Camellias". Photo: Elena FetisovaBolshoi Theatre UK Cinema Ticket Competition QUIZ: Win Tickets to the ballet Marco Spada in CinemasUK cinema distributor Picturehouse Entertainment is giving away TEN FREE TICKETS to the upcoming transmission of the Bolshoi Ballet's production of Marco Spada on Sunday 30 March 2014 in a participating UK cinema near you. This is your chance learn more about the Bolshoi Theatre and to win tickets to Pierre Lacotte's Marco Spada one of the biggest hits of the Bolshoi Ballet's 238 season which will be transmitted LIVE from the stage of the Bolshoi Theatre to nearly 600 cinemas around the world. The ballet - a colourful and lively romp with bandits, mixed up identities and lots of swash-buckling fun - is slated to feature a cast of some of the Bolshoi's biggest stars. You have until Saturday 22 March 2014 to send your answers to all four of our quiz questions and have a chance to win in our prize draw. QUIZ:"Lady of the Camellias" at the Bolshoi TheatreNewsletter It is only today that the Germans together with Neumeier's fans, who come from all over the world, are ready to spend five-six hours at the Hamburg Ballet fundamental galas that crown each season. But 36 years ago Neumeier's signature ballets - those three-act productions with many costumes and props, many characters and psychological details where stories unfolded slowly - were a real rarity. But people get used to good things quickly; "Lady of the Camellias" won the recognition of the audience very soon. The audience loves this ballet, as well as directors of theatres, who are happy with full houses, and ballerinas, who are ready to beg meticulous Neumeier to let them dance the part of the courtesan, sick with tuberculosis, at least in the form of a pas de deux in a gala. Many first-class companies have included the ballet into their repertoires; the production is too crowded and posh for some second-rate company to be able to afford staging it. The choreographer John Neumeier built his production as a series of flashbacks: each act starts with the auction scene, where the property of the late Marguerite is Today there is no such problem; everyone is working on the production very carefully and has warm feelings about it. Over ten years the Russian audience and artists have got used to the German classic of the psychological ballet, whic has successfully substituted Soviet classics, whose dramatic ballets have long disappeared from Moscow stages. Photo: Victor Vasiliev, "Kommersant" The costume drama Preparation for the premiere of John Neumeier's "Lady of the Camellias" is in full swing at the Bolshoi Theatre; the ballet is staged with the strong support of the Bank VTB. While the maestro himself is working scrupulously on every move with prima ballerinas, vases are being painted, necklaces and chandeliers are being made and antique pieces of furniture, which were bought for the production at the flea market in Paris, are being restored at the scene workshops. Maestro Neumeier has no mercy and demands authenticity in every detail. The reporter of VTB Russia.ru visited theatre workshops and took a look at the specialists working on the costumes and the set. March, 172014During the working process designers have closely followed detailed sketches by the set and costume designer Jürgen Rose, which look like the Biedermeier paintings. Of course, the bouquets of camellias, the only flowers that the sick heroine could touch (this is why she was called "Lady of the Camellias") have been put together. The Bolshoi Theatre premier Ruslan Skvortsov is trying on the costume of Armand Duval. Photo: Sergei Mikheev The production of "Lady of the Camellias" has three casts of soloists and corps de ballets. 326 costumes have been made. The most difficult thing was to "paint" the lace with textile paints so that the costume elements would be visible on the stage in the light of the projectors. Ballet historic costumes should match the fashion of the epoch and "work" during the dance perfectly. That is why the construction of a ballet costume is reminiscent of the construction of a building: the tight top and the skirt make the frame, and other elements of the dress are attached on top. By the way, the world premiere of "Lady of the Camellias" took place at the Stuttgart Ballet in 1978, and since that time many fabrics are not produced anymore. Thus, the standards were set in 2006, when the ballet premiered in Paris. Fabrics of that period are still used. The designer Jürgen Rose created not only costumes, but also original sets of jewelry. In order to fulfill all requirements, the Bolshoi Theatre for the first time in its history had to invite the jeweler Alexandra Popova-Raikova. Necklaces, bracelets and rings have been created individually for each ballerina. Measures of their fingers and wrists have been taken; ballerinas have also been asked about their taste preferences. For the first time in the Bolshoi Theatre history not only costumes, but also original sets of jewelry were designed. A professional jeweler was invited to the Bolshoi workshops to give advice. Photo: Sergei MikheevNewsletter Part of the jewellery set for Marguerite Gautier. The jewelry was created following the sketches of the designer Jürgen Rose. Photo: Sergei Mikheev Property-masters are taking a look at one of the chandeliers for the production of "Lady of the Camellias". Photo: Sergei Mikheev One of the five curtains for "Lady of the Camellias". 40 meters of the unique non-suture curtain lace. Photo: Sergei Mikheev March, 172014"Crystals" for this chandelier are made of plastic; the chandelier will be used on the stage, therefore, it is not possible to use glass because of safety requirements. Photo: Sergei Mikheev Twenty pieces of furniture "dance" in the production; seven of those have been made at the theatre workshops following ancient models. "Bronze" elements of the console in Empire style have been made from a special plastic. Photo: Sergei Mikheev Following the tradition china has been painted with miniatures based on the paintings by popular artists. In the picture: the painting "Wooden Boots" by Rene Gaillard from Madame de Pompadour collections is being transferred onto china. Photo: Sergei MikheevNewsletter There are there Marguerites - Svetlana Zakharova, Olga Smirnova and Evgenia Obraztsova. To make the portraits, an artist painted the photos and framed them. Photo: Sergei Mikheev The vases have been made from wood and painted by hand. Photo: Sergei Mikheev The designer Jürgen Rose is a very experienced luminary who has long worked on ballet productions; he creates costumes that have the style of a certain epoch, the fashion of a certain time period and are comfortable to dance in. Photo: Sergei Mikheev March, 172014Marguerite has 13 dresses in this production. The Bolshoi Theatre prima Evgenia Obraztsova at the fitting. Photo: Sergei Mikheev Each ballerina has her own costumes. Some costume parts of Olga Smirnova, the Bolshoi leading soloist. Photo: Sergei Mikheev On the Bolshoi Theatre official pages in the social networks we published an announcement about the concert that took place at the Beethoven Hall on Mach 16. The concert marked the 170 anniversary of Nikolai Rimsky- Korsakov Chamber pieces were performed by the Bolshoi Theatre artists and Young Artists Opera Program participants.Newsletter The Bolshoi Theatre in the InternetIt is impossible to imagine Russian music without Nikolai A. Rimsky-Korsakov. Vladimir Stasov wrote about him: " The history of the Bolshoi Theatre has been connected with operas by Rimsky- Korsakov for more than a hundred years. "The Snow Maiden" and "The Tsar's Bride", "The Maid of Pskov" and "The Golden Cockerel", "The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh" and "Mlada", "Sadko" and "The Night Before Christmas" have appeared in the theatre's playbill regularly, as well as "Scheherazade", which has been regularly performed at orchestral concerts. The program of the concert at the Beethoven Hall included the composer's chamber pieces. Rarely performed concert numbers for the violin and cello with the orchestra and author transcriptions of romances for voice and orchestra ("The Night", "The Nymph" and "The Upas Tree") were performed. In the second part of the concert the audience heard the opera "Mozart and Salieri", which was composed to be performed on small stages (the opera premiered at the Mamontov's Private Russian Opera in Moscow, starring the young Feodor Chaliapin as Salieri). The opera demands from singers a particular dramatic expression; as it turns out, the stage at the Beethoven Hall is most suitable for pieces of this kind. Solo violin and cello parts were performed by the Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra soloists, who successfully combine working at the orchestra with their concert careers: the concert master, an Honored Artist of Russia Alexander Kalashnikov (violin) and sub- principal, a laureate of international competitions Georgy Kolesov (cello). The main parts in the opera "Mozart and Salieri" were performed by the Young Artists Opera Program artist, the holder of the All-Ukraine and international competitions Grand Prix Bogdan Volkov (tenor) and Oleg Tsybulko (bass), a recent graduate of the Young Artists Opera Program, who has been invited to the Bolshoi Theatre opera company. The Bolshoi guest soloist Alina Yarovaya (soprano) and the opera company soloists Svetlana Shilova (mezzo-soprano) and a People's Artist of Russia Alexander Naumenko (bass) also took part in the concert. The first violins concert master and laureate of international competitions Mikhail Tsinman conducted the ensemble of the Bolshoi Theatre soloists. March, 172014Newsletter Digest has been compiled by The Bolshoi Theatre Press Office Photos: Damir Yusupov and Mikhail Logvinov Design layout: Vladimir AndrusenkoAll materials used in the digest are the public domain of information agencies, mass media, civil society organizations and government Analysis of articles published March 13 2014 The Spectator (UK) publishes an interview with former Bolshoi Ballet dancer Ivan Vasiliev who is appearing in the show Kings of the Dance. The Irish Independent writes that the Bolshoi's Marco Spada will be transmitted in cinemas at the end of March. The Moscow Times reports that over 100 Russian arts figures including Bolshoi Theatre director Vladimir Urin have signed an open letter in support of Putin's policies in the Ukraine. Broadway World writes that Bolshoi Ballet dancer Olga Smirnova will be a guest artist with American Ballet Theatre in New York this season. Many German and Austrian local editions continue to publish articles about the 100 Russian arts figures that signed a letter in support of Putin's policies in the Ukraine In briefWas there the "Monk"? Stories for opera productions are still inspired by pieces by Maeterlinck and Chekhov "Intellectual opera: beyond the limits of imagination" is one of the most interesting projects to be organized during the festival "Opera Apriori". It started with the concert of Yulia Lezhneva, the world star of baroque music, and will present two one-act operas: "Bluebeard's Castle" by B. Bartok and "The Black Monk" by A. Kurbatov (world premiere). This grand project will be carried out by The Moscow State Symphony Orchestra conducted by Pavel Sorokin from the Bolshoi Theatre, the Yurlov State Academic Choir Capella of Russia, the most famous modern performers of the parts of the Bluebeard and Judith, Hungarian singers Bálint SzabГі (bass) and IldikГі KomlГіsi (mezzo-soprano), as well as the Bolshoi Theatre leading soloists Darya Zykova (soprano), Maxim Paster (tenor), Petr Migunov (bass) and the Gevorg Grigoryan (bass-baritone), the Flanders Opera soloist (the Netherlands). |
Main Stage
1 Teatralnaya ploschad (1 Theatre Square), Moscow, Russia
New Stage
Bol'shaya Dmitrovka Street, 4/2, Moscow, Russia