Russian Opera and Dance Converge on Kennedy Center Feb. 8-March 7

By Jeremy D. Birch
29 Jan 2010


The Kennedy Center is in the midst of Focus on Russia, a two-season initiative highlighting the finest in Russian opera, ballet, and music. Epic Russian literature, history, and classic tales as envisioned by Russian artists come to vibrant life with the return of the popular Mariinsky Opera and Orchestra, the Mariinsky Ballet and the Bolshoi Ballet.

One of the most influential companies in classical dance for the past 200 years, Mariinsky Ballet continues to set the standard in stage production. After struggling for survival under the Soviet regime, Mariinsky Ballet—formerly known by its Soviet name Kirov—has firmly established its place on the world stage and gone on to display its unmistakable style in appearances around the globe. Time Magazine says, “It is the combination of athleticism with lyricism and artistry that makes the company unique.”



February 8–14 at the Kennedy Center, the St. Petersburg–based company presents Konstantin Sergeyev’s bravado-fueled 1952 version of The Sleeping Beauty. Sergeyev’s choreography follows from the Petipa original but packs more dance into every act, largely leaving behind pantomime and telling the story through big and beautiful movements. From an evil curse of 100 years’ sleep to a romantic awakening with the help of good fairies, it’s a story for all ages. And like any good fairy tale, The Sleeping Beauty is enchanting whether seeing it for the first time or the fiftieth.

Founded in 1776, the Bolshoi Ballet became a symbol of excellence in the classical tradition of Soviet-era Russia, garnering a nearly mythical reputation in the West through a series of tours organized by the great 20th-century impresario Sol Hurok. After a decade-long absence, the company made a triumphant return to prominence in the United States during its Kennedy Center–produced tour in June 2000, and also performed as part of the Center’s ballet seasons in 2002 and 2007.

Now, the company returns to the Kennedy Center February 16–21 with a powerhouse production of former artistic director Yuri Grigorovich’s Spartacus. The classic story of a man who falls from king to slave, rises from gladiator to rebel leader, and dies a martyr, Spartacus is filled with bravura dancing, epic staging, and heart-pounding drama. While the tale is set in Rome, its themes have links to Russia’s historic struggle with class and despotism. This triumph of storytelling and dance, with “its brilliant, base theatrical power” (The Daily Telegraph, London), will have audiences standing in solidarity with Spartacus.

St. Petersburg, Russia’s world renowned Mariinsky Opera and Orchestra, led and conducted by Artistic Director Valery Gergiev, returns to the Opera House February 27–March 7 for a weeklong engagement, including a fully staged production of Prokofiev’s War and Peace.

On March 6 & 7, the company presents a monumental opera event, their fully staged production of War and Peace, a presentation by The Catherine B. Reynolds Foundation Series for Artistic Excellence. Prokofiev’s two-act opera based on the epic novel tells the story of Russian society during the Napoleonic Era. Tolstoy’s iconic characters, advancing armies, and rebellious townsfolk swirl across the stage’s massive revolving mound. This 2000 production, co-produced with the Metropolitan Opera, features a cast of more than 200 and is directed by Andrei Konchalovsky. Following the world premiere of this production at the Mariinsky Theatre, London’s The Independent said, “Prokofiev’s atmospheric music emerges in all its glory thanks to Gergiev’s magic in the pit.” The New York Times called it a “significant achievement.”

Tchaikovsky’s riveting opera Eugene Onegin, based on one of the most treasured works of Russian literature, is performed in concert on February 27 for one night only. The Mariinsky’s performances of the work at the Kennedy Center in 2003 (as Kirov Opera) were “one of the great musical events of the season” (The Washington Post).

On February 28, the company sings a one-night-only concert version of Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov, which combines one of the great baritone roles in the operatic repertory with thunderous choral movements of unprecedented power. Last performed here by the Mariinsky in January 2005, the “fierce, monolithic power” of the score displayed “prismatic shades of orchestral color and an unflagging energy in Gergiev’s delivery” (The Washington Post).

On March 3, “An Evening of Rimsky-Korsakov, Mussorgsky, & Borodin in Concert,” the Opera sings works from the three most well-known Russian composers who composed in the mid 1800s and were part of a group known as the “Mighty Five.” The program includes excerpts from Rimsky-Korsakov’s The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevroniya and The Maid of Pskov (or Ivan the Terrible), as well as Act 3 from Mussorgsky’s Khovanshchina and the Polovtsian act from Borodin’s Prince Igor.

In “An Evening of Tchaikovsky Operas in Concert,” the company sings scenes in concert from three of the composer’s creations on March 4. The UK’s Telegraph hailed Gergiev for the way he conducts his “fabulous orchestra” and praised the chorus as “stunning” in performances of The Queen of Spades, while the New York Times lauded Mazeppa as “thoroughly compelling [with] ingenious music” and the Moscow Times called Iolanta “a triumph!”

The Mariinsky Ballet Company visited Norway for the first time
2010-02-01

The world famous Russian Mariinsky Ballet Company performed at the Northern Lights Festival in Tromsø, Northern Norway last weekend.

In its first visit ever to Norway the Mariinsky Ballet Company performed two gala concerts in Tromsø. The programs included scenes from international ballet masterpieces from the 19th and 20th centuries. Several of the ballet company’s finest dancers, including prima ballerina Ulyana Lopatkina, were on stage, the Mariinsky Theatre’s web site reads.

According to Tromsø-based newspaper Nordlys the performance was majestic and fulfilled all expectations.

Mariinsky Scores a Hit in Hong Kong With ‘Don Quixote’

By Kevin Ng
Special to The St. Petersburg Times

HONG KONG — For the final weekend of this year’s Hong Kong Arts Festival, the Mariinsky Opera will open its short tour on Friday under the baton of Maestro Valery Gergiev with Benjamin Britten’s opera “The Turn of the Screw.” On Sunday, Gergiev will star again on the closing night of the Festival conducting the Mariinsky Orchestra in another concert.

Anastasia Matvienko dances with Denis Matvienko in the Mariinsky’s production
of “Don Quixote.”

Last Saturday, the Festival also presented the Mariinsky Ballet returning for a third tour to Hong Kong. The story of “Don Quixote”, the classic given six performances here, is about Kitri being in love with the barber Basilio instead of a rich man that she has been betrothed in a marriage arranged by her innkeeper father. She finally succeeds in marrying him thanks to the help of the knight Don Quixote.

“Don Quixote” is a perfect showcase to display the huge 200-strong company’s achievement in classical dance. This Mariinsky production is simply the best in the world. It is entirely based on pure dancing, instead of theatrics, and radiates an irresistible delight in dancing. It’s more satisfying than the Paris Opera Ballet’s Nureyev version shown in an earlier Hong Kong Arts Festival in the 1990s.

The character dancing was stylishly performed too. The dances of the matadors in Act 1, the Gypsy dance in Act 2, and the Fandango in the last act were exhilarating as usual. Unfortunately some dances have been cut for this tour. The need to omit the puppet’s dance by the Vaganova Academy students, who couldn’t be flown to Hong Kong as well, is understandable. But there is no reason to cut the wonderful Oriental dance in Act 3 which is always a highlight of this production. Also, why was Basilio’s Act 1 solo also excised for this tour?

On the other hand, the local audience was excited to see a live horse ridden by the Don on his entrance, supplied by a riding school in Hong Kong which was as good as the Mariinsky’s own horse in St. Petersburg. Pity there wasn’t also a donkey for the Don’s servant Sancho Panza! The first two nights in Hong Kong won the loudest applause heard from a ballet audience here for a while. The audience even clapped enthusiastically when the curtain rose in the Don’s dream scene in Act 2 revealing the sumptuous floral backdrop depicting the Dryads’ kingdom.

The opening night’s Kitri, Alina Somova, was technically dazzling. This ballet suits her better than a purer classic such as “The Sleeping Beauty,” which I saw her dance in the London tour last summer. She flew like a javelin in her spectacular jumps. Vladimir Shklyarov looked perhaps a shade too young, and perhaps smiled excessively. His solo dancing was strained and something of an effort on this occasion, his form in performances in St. Petersburg was better.

The second night’s cast was actually better matched with an appearance by the golden couple, Denis Matvienko and his wife Anastasia Matvienko. The temperature in the auditorium rose even higher than the opening night. Anastasia Matvienko demonstrated formidable technique and far greater allure. Denis Matvienko, who joined the Mariinsky a year ago from the Mikhailovsky as a principal dancer, is an asset to the troupe. His solo was danced with amazing power, his jumps and turns were sensational. And his hilarious “suicide” scene drew loud laughter from the audience.

The printing deadline prevented the third cast of Elena Yevseyeva and the talented coryph?e dancer Alexei Timofeyev, who was due to make his debut as Basilio, on Wednesday night, from being reviewed.

The Mariinksy’s female corps de ballet, still the best in the world, has in recent times lost some of the unrivalled upper-body uniformity which made it look so glorious in the past. Karen Ioanissyan was a dazzling Espada, though not on the same level as Andrei Merkuriev, who had left to join the Bolshoi. Oksana Skoryk was impressive as the Queen of the Dryads. And above all, Vladimir Ponomarev was a most dignified Don Quixote.

Is there another ballet company in the world that tours as much as the Mariinsky? After this Hong Kong tour, they won’t have much rest this weekend, as there will be another tour to Helsinki next week from March 31, featuring “The Little Humpbacked Horse” and “Jewels.”

Mariinsky to pioneer televised 3D ballet



On April 15 St. Petersburg's Mariinsky Theater will organize the world's first 3D televised transmission of a ballet performance. Former Bolshoi prima ballerina Maya Plisetskaya will open the unique televised gala concert to feature the best ballet routines by Ulyana Lopatkina, Irma Nioradze, Victoria Tereshkina, Alina Somova and other Mariinsky stars. In 1999 the Mariinsky organized the first ever live transmission of a ballet performance on the Internet.

Tele-ballet in 3D from the Mariinsky Theater



The Mariinsky Theater is preparing to present the world with the first-ever direct TV-broadcast ballet in 3D on April 15. Not only Russia, but also Europe will get a chance to enjoy this experimental TV-show.

A special concert program has been prepared from fragments of legendary ballets from the goldmine of the Mariinsky Theater. These will be performed by world stars of ballet such as Ulyana Lopatkina , Irma Nioradze, Victoria Tereshkina, Alina Somova, Igor Zelensky, Leonid Sarafanov, Vladimir Shklyarov, and others. Maestro Gergiev and Maya Plisetskaya will open the concert.

The 3D television broadcast of the ballet evening is part of the Mariinsky Theater’s declared media strategy, set to use the newest communication technology in the creative activity of the theater. It was the Mariinsky Theater that presented the first ever online broadcast of an opera in 1999.

“We are trailblazers in this respect, and the April 15th broadcast is an experimental one. We won’t spin in the same place in this sense. We’ll keep on evolving,” says the Art and Musical Director of the Mariinsky Theater, Valery Gergiev.

Every person who has the necessary 3D equipment will be able to experience the show, as it will be transmitted in open format.

Within the limits of celebrating the year of Russia in France, the concert will also be shown at a specially-organized reception in the residence of the Russian ambassador in France.

RT

Taking flight

Ballet stars from around the world are set to arrive in the city for a festival.

By Galina Stolyarova
The St. Petersburg Times



The Mariinsky Theater’s top-flight dancers Diana Vishneva, Ulyana Lopatkina, Viktoria Tereshkina and Leonid Sarafanov will spend the next ten days performing alongside foreign celebrities, dancing both cutting-edge new works and venerable classics.

Mathieu Ganio (Opera de Paris), Alina Cojocaru (Royal Opera House, Covent Garden), Polina Semionova (Staatsballett Berlin), Daniil Simkin and David Hallberg (American Ballet Theater) will visit St. Petersburg to attend the 10th International Mariinsky Ballet Festival, which runs from April 15 through April 25.

A brainchild of the Mariinsky Theater’s artistic director Valery Gergiev, the festival opens with a premiere of Alexei Ratmansky’s ballet “Anna Karenina,” set to music by Rodion Shchedrin, with Mariinsky prima ballerina Diana Vishneva in the lead role.

The Mariinsky Ballet Festival aims first and foremost “to agitate souls,” as Gergiev himself puts it. It is designed to give Russian audiences the opportunity to see Western stars, as well as showcasing the best of the theater’s own talent.

The Mariinsky has another annual festival — “Stars of the White Nights,” which Gergiev established in 1993 — but the choreographic element has gradually been overwhelmed by operatic and symphonic works in its programs.

One of the ballet festival’s highlights will be the Evening of Young Choreographers on April 23, when three young contemporary choreographers — Edwaard Liang, Emil Faski and Yury Smekalov — will present their one-act ballets, created specially for the Mariinsky Ballet Company’s leading soloists Yekaterina Kondaurova, Viktoria Tereshkina and Leonid Sarafanov.

Liang devised his ballet, “The Flight of Angels,” set to the music of John Tavener and Marin Marais, for Olesya Novikova and Leonid Sarafanov.



“I want to take the audience on a journey from the evolution of what we see in the beginning to where this entity is going,” the choreographer said of “The Flight of Angels.”

“I have my own story and a very clear concept, but I want to make sure that audience members are able to find their own way through the piece. The most important thing is that they will see the evolution of a spirit. That is why the piece is called ‘The Flight of Angels.’”

Liang said that in his ballet, the evolution of spirit is about the hero’s mind; it is about shedding his physical body and perhaps moving somewhere else. “I really hope that the audience will find their own stories within it,” the ballet master said.

Born in Taipei, Taiwan, and raised in California, Liang took his first dance class at the age of five. In 1993, upon graduating from the American School of Ballet, the dancer joined the New York City Ballet. His dancing career got off to a flying start — in the same year, Liang won prizes at the internationally renowned Prix de Lausanne and Mae L. Wien ballet competitions.

In 2008, the choreographer was nominated for the prestigious Golden Mask national theater award for his ballet “Whispers in the Dark,” which he staged for Igor Zelensky’s company in Novosibirsk.

In 2006, Liang was named one of the “Top 25 to Watch” by Dance Magazine for choreography. He was also the winner of the 2006 National Choreographic Competition. The aspiring choreographer currently spends his time between Russia, Singapore, New York and London.

“The Mariinsky Theater is an amazing place to work,” said Liang. “The dancers are incredible. With so much happening at the theater, staging a ballet here is very challenging but anything that is worth something special is always going to be challenging.”



Before coming to St. Petersburg, Liang tried to keep an open mind. The choreographer wanted to arrive at the celebrated theater without a preconceived notion of what it was like.

“I am aware of the fact that there may be two handfuls of people who have ever choreographed for the Mariinsky, so to be a part of this I wanted to do the best job I could,” Liang said. “It was a big surprise for me to be able to do a ballet for Leonid and Olesya so quickly. We choreographed the whole 25-minute-ballet in less than 11 days. Working two hours a day for 11 days, that is surprising! Leonid learnt his five solos in something like four days. It is remarkable.”

In Liang’s opinion, as a technician, Sarafanov is an absolute master. “He is digital. He can do anything,” the choreographer said. “But what makes him the dancer that he is, is that he is not just a technician. Most dancers are either technicians or they are strong artistically. He is a rare interesting blend of being technical and expressive. He’s a true artist, thoughtful and creative, and when he is on stage he is very ‘moment to moment.’ He is alive and unpredictable.”

Another highlight of the festival will be a performance featuring stars of the world’s greatest ballet companies together with Mariinsky Theater partners in a program of duets from the Mariinsky Theater’s “gold reserves.”

“Romeo and Juliet” with choreography by Leonid Lavrovsky on April 17 will star Polina Semionova of the Staatsballett Berlin, alongside the Mariinsky’s Vladimir Shklyarov, while in “La Bayadere” on April 18, the lead roles will be danced by Mariinsky dancers Viktoria Tereshkina and Igor Zelensky, along with Maria Alexandrova of Moscow’s Bolshoi Theater.

On the evening of April 19, the title role in George Balanchine’s “Apollo” will be performed by Mathieu Ganio of Opera de Paris, and on April 20, Natalia Osipova of the Bolshoi Theater will perform in “Giselle” together with the Mariinsky’s Leonid Sarafanov.

“Swan Lake” on April 21 will feature a duo of Bolshoi Theater soloists, Svetlana Zakharova and Andrei Uvarov, and on April 24, Alina Somova of the Mariinsky Theater will partner David Hallberg of the American Ballet Theater in “Sleeping Beauty.”

The Mariinsky Ballet Festival runs from April 15 through April 25 at the Mariinsky Theater, Teatralnaya Pl. 1. Tel: 326 4141. M: Sadovaya. http://www.mariinsky.ru

Alina Somova (Gold Mask winner) and Leonid Sarafanov in Little Humped Back Horse.

http://russianballetvideos.com/

Old meets new
The Mariinsky Ballet Festival ended with a combination of classics and innovative pieces.

By Kevin Ng

The final performances last weekend of this year’s Mariinsky International Ballet Festival were full of rewarding novelties and great dancing. The festival, celebrating its 10th anniversary, closed triumphantly last Sunday night with its traditional gala featuring international stars.


Natasha Razina / For The St. Petersburg Times
Alina Somova and David Hallberg made the perfect couple in ‘The Sleeping Beauty.’

The gala opened with a dark and somber Philip Glass ballet, “Immortal Beloved,” choreographed by the New York choreographer Edwaard Liang for Mariinsky star Igor Zelensky. Zelensky, as in last year’s gala, brought along dancers from the Novosibirsk Ballet which he directs. Liang’s choreography was assured and showed off Zelensky extremely well.

Liang also created a ballet for the festival in the New Generation evening on April 23. This ambitious program included three premieres, all of which were reasonably short and concise. All three creations, which were rather gloomy, seemed to have a subtext that wasn’t explicitly mentioned in the program notes.

Liang’s work “Flight of Angels” set to Baroque music had a male protagonist suffering from some mental affliction, loosely based on the play “The Madness of King George III.” Sarafanov agonized for most of the ballet, but had passages to dazzle the audience with his virtuosity, while Olesia Novikova was his muse in a duet toward the end. The other male dancers were also displayed pretty well in Liang’s choreography, especially Kirill Safin and Filipp Steppin, but somehow this piece wasn’t as sharply focused or satisfying as Liang’s earlier work, “Immortal Beloved,” on the closing night.

The opening work “Bolero Factory” and the second work “Simple Things” both featured a ballerina and a retinue of seven men. “Bolero Factory” was a good opening piece created by Mariinsky Ballet soloist Yury Smekalov, who is also developing as a choreographer. The set was a giant windmill with a staircase. Viktoria Tereshkina was superb as the white-clad central figure gradually corrupted by the seven deadly sins depicted by the men. Anton Korsakov danced wickedly as Gluttony and Alexander Sergeyev sported a punk hairstyle as Greed. The men’s costumes, designed by Tatyana Noginova, were simple and striking in bold colors. The ensemble passages with Tereshkina being lifted and forcefully handled by the seven men were effective, as was the ending when she ascended to the top of the staircase and jumped down to commit suicide.

The evening’s most satisfying premiere was the second work, “Simple Things,” created by Emil Faski, a St. Petersburg-born choreographer now working in Germany. The ballerina was a heroine figure reminiscent of Joan of Arc, who in the last section appeared to be burnt at the stake against a backdrop depicting a flame. Yekaterina Kondaurova was excellent in this role, particularly in the long meditative solo set to Arvo Part. Faski’s choreography displayed the virtuosity of the seven attendant men, the most prominent of whom was Maxim Zyuzin.

As in previous years, the gala included Balanchine masterpieces. In “Rubies,” Yekaterina Kondaurova was electrifying as the tall female soloist, while Helene Bouchet from Hamburg Ballet glittered as the main ballerina. The male soloist, Andrian Fadeyev, recently recovered from a long injury, was however dancing with more strain than before.

Balanchine’s “Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux,” included in the divertissements section, was impeccably danced by Viktoria Tereshkina. Vladimir Shklyarov was impressive, though his phrasing was rather choppy and rushed at times.

Another virtuosic duet was Auber’s “Grand Pas Classique,” newly staged for the Mariinsky by Sergei Vikharev. Leonid Sarafanov danced with seemingly effortless ease, making it a worthwhile addition to the repertory.

Contrasting these technical fireworks were some expressive divertissements, including an interesting novelty for the Mariinsky — a male duet from Roland Petit’s “Proust.” David Hallberg from the American Ballet Theater was imposing as the dark angel, while Denis Matviyenko was the pure angelic figure Saint Loup. Royal Ballet star Alina Cojocaru, a favorite of the St. Petersburg public, was strongly partnered by Martin Vedel Jacobsen from Bejart Ballet Lausanne in a duet from “Rushes” by Kim Brandstrup.

Saturday saw a splendid performance by the Mariinsky troupe of “The Sleeping Beauty,” in Konstantin Sergeyev’s Soviet version. It is always more rewarding to see this classic danced in full scope on the Mariinsky stage where it was created in 1890 than on overseas tours where there are inevitably cuts. David Hallberg as the Prince and Alina Somova in the title role were a well-matched partnership which will hopefully be repeated.