June, 22014 7 . Issue No. 323Royal Ballet presents guest performances at the BolshoiRussian mass media publish reviews for the Royal Ballet guest performances that have closed at the Bolshoi Theatre The International Evgeny Svetlanov Conducting Competition started in Paris Dinara Alieva will take part in the concert in memory of Svyatoslav Belza The 5th International Competition "Young Ballet of the World" finished Facebook: Jean-Christophe Maillot is working on "The Taming of the Shrew" June 27 and 29 - "Don Carlo". Guest soloist: Dimitri Pittas (tenor) will perform the part of Don Carlo July 4 - premiere of the ballet "The Taming of the Shrew" by Jean-Christophe MaillotHistoric Stage - Don Carlo. Opera in four acts. PREMIERE New Stage - rehearsal dayET mРµnte ET anima/ by mind and heart The Royal Ballet brought London productions to Moscow The guest performances of the Royal Ballet took place at the Bolshoi Theatre; this project was a part of the Russia-UK bilateral year of culture. The program included one-act ballets "Rhapsody" (1980), "DGV" (2006) and the newest "Tetractys", as well as the full-length ballet "Manon". "Rhapsody" is a ballet-gift. The choreographer, Frederick Ashton, staged it to mark the anniversary of Her Majesty the Queen Mother. The genre of an offering left its mark on this creation, which is about serious things and serious people. First of all, this is Rachmaninoff, who wrote "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini". Then there is also Mikhail Baryshnikov, who was the first to perform the main male part. Finally, there is the theme of a creator and his inspiration. Ashton, who had Baryshnikov at his service, indulged in every pleasure. He combined various pas; there is no making head or tail of it. However, the Royal Ballet principal dancer Stephen McRae, who performed in this production in Moscow, achieved breathtaking effect as he interpreted Rachmaninoff's fluent piano passages using his body language. Even though he did not perform in front of the Queen, he made the audience a royal present. As the legend has it, Paganini's playing the violin was effortless; Stephen McRae's dancing looked effortless as well. The principal dancer was surrounded by hovering muses (or musical notes that were brought to life by his imagination). Just like the soloist, who was rushing across the stage, they were full of the slightest irony that accompanies seriousness in the best English traditions. Christopher Wheeldon's ballet "DGV: Danse Г grande vitesse" was a kind of message from modern England to the 19 century Russia, which was shocked at the site of a steam train: "cheers and rejoicing of the entire people. And more rapid, swifter than the will, the train rushes in the clean field". The production was inspired by the launch of the high-speed train in France, but the dancing itself does not have quick tempos. Michael Nyman, a composer-minimalist, was much more "vivid". In his score the accruement of forceful chords is similar to the fast movement of train carriages. The choreographer, Christopher Wheeldon, just like the set designer Jean-Marc Puissant, interpreted the train theme in an indirect way. The first one drafted the picture that has eight soloists (four duets), surrounded by a small ballet crowd. He placed his bets not on the tempo, but rather on the energy: a leg is suddenly jerked in the air, or an unexpected lift is performed. The crowd ran further away and threw their arms about behind huge crumpled pieces of iron that Puissant put on the stage, and then got close to the proscenium, mixed with the soloists and walked through the rows of the soloists. The latter, in turn, used ballerinas as battering rams or as their luggage; different people can have different associations. For example, some members of the audience considered that pieces of iron reminded them of a railway accident.The Royal Ballet guest performances closed in Moscow. Photo: Katerina NovikovaA rehearsal of the ballet "The Taming of the Shrew". In the middle: Ekaterina Krysanova and Jean-Christophe Maillot. Photo: Katerina NovikovaNewsletter are symbolic as well, with tons of opportunities. The Royal Ballet prima ballerinas and principal dancers - the spectacular Natalia Osipova, Sarah Lamb, who dances as if she paints with watercolors, Edward Watson, who dances with no effort whatsoever and the exotic used the dance equilibrium of mind and heart. Marianela NГєñez - They gave this ballet the taste of an exclusive hand-made present. However, the major present for the audience was the Royal Ballet Company itself. It was enough to take a look at the quality performance of the smallest parts (for example, in "Manon"), or at the harmonious and wonderfully trained corps de ballet. The British company complies with the principle "every company is as good, as its worst dancer". Trademarks of the English style - neat and expressive arms, thorough footwork, collective artistic impression and no playing to the crowd, natural gesture, and deep emotion (they demonstrate as much of it, as it is necessary at a certain point) - made us regret the fact that the guests had brought only four productions. The Bolshoi Theatre became familiar with the British style The Royal Ballet presented its past and present during its guest performances in Moscow The Bolshoi Theatre hosted the Royal Ballet on its Historic Stage. According to Kevin O'Hare, the artistic director of the British company, the choice of productions that were included in the program of the guest performances "was influenced by our desire to demonstrate the wide range of the company's repertoire and varied casts". In order to achieve this goal the company presented the program of one-act ballets and the full-length production "Manon". Two of the choreographers, whose works were presented - Frederick Ashton and Kenneth MacMillan - are the glorious past of the Royal Ballet. Christopher Wheeldon and Wayne McGregor are its promising present. Edward Watson and Natalia Osipova in the ballet "Tetractys". Photo: Johas Persson "Tetractys", staged by Wayne McGregor this February, is the newest of all four productions that the company brought to Moscow. A year earlier the choreographer refused to stage "The Rite of Spring" at the Bolshoi Theatre and appealed to the fact that the discipline was bad. As for the Royal Ballet, the discipline is good. In any case, the word "discipline" is the first that comes to mind when you watch a production, where 12 dancers obediently twist and untwist their precious bodies. This plastique charade, which is typical for McGregor, could have seemed tiring but for geometrical figures that flash on the backdrop and the music. The choreographer chose "The Art of the Fugue" by J.S. Bach for his ballet; this was risky, but he won. The deep reserve of the music about eternity highlighted the bright design, multi- colored costumes and puzzling choreography advantageously. At the same time McGregor resisted the temptation to turn complicated counterpoints (Bach created Stephen McRae and Sarah Lamb in the ballet "Tetractys". Photo: Johas Persson Nyman composed his music to mark the launch of the first French high-speed train TGV (train Г grande vitesse). Wheeldon changed the word "train" for the word "dance"; therefore, the ballet is called "DGV: Danse Г grande vitesse". Regardless of the title, the tempo of the production is more than moderate. Why hurry? The ballet is not an express-train. Four pairs take time to demonstrate their skills; Wheeldon's choreography has a lot of beautiful poses and movements. Corps de ballet imitates the movement of a train, waves to those, who depart and dances - sometimes the choreography is as creative as the parts for the soloists. Frederick Ashton ("Rhapsody") observed the hierarchy "premier - soloists - ensemble" very strictly. Perhaps, this happened due to the fact that the ballet was staged for Mikhail Baryshnikov, who was the first and the only in any case. Perhaps, Ashton had seen Baryshnikov's "Vestris" and staged the continuation of the story, where "a king of the dance" is an emcee of the court ball. The ballet has lots and lots of virtuoso choreography that matches the virtuoso "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini", which Rachmaninoff composed for his solo concerts, perfectly. Unfortunately, Robert Clark, the Royal Ballet pianist, performed this piano piece that has a very nervous mood, in a very general manner, although the dancers, who have gotten very good at all those fastidious turns and links, as well as constant changes of tempos and games with the rhythm, deserved a more sophisticated partnership. "Manon" gave the Moscow audience another vaccination of political correctness. During the company's previous guest performances, which took place 11 years ago, the dark Cuban dancers Carlos Acosta, who performed the part of Siegfried, astonished the audience that needed some time to get used to the exotic character. Today the audience gave Acosta, who performed the part of a French noble man, a warm welcome; a day earlier, when a different cast performed, the ballet fans gave massive ovation to Stephen McRae. In Russia he would have danced Golden Idol at the best of times; in the British company he is a wonderfully musical juvenile lead with an impeccable technique. Besides, he is a wonderful partner: he performs various lifts and spins easily. However, certain esthetes longed for noble gestures and long lines during the whole production, but I guess they will get over it. Or they can go and watch "Manon" at the Moscow Academic Music Theatre - the production will perform in July, and this will be the first time that the ballet will be staged in Russia. In London the production has been on for 40 years with no significant changes, apart from the new orchestration of Massenet's music that was made in 2011. The previous one had many advantages, but was created by the principle "melody and a simple accompaniment". The conductor Martin Yates enriched the score in terms of both timbre and complexity; in Moscow he conducted the orchestra himself. Massenet's hits were performed in a nice sentimental manner, which was neither primitive nor unctuous. June, 27 2014Newsletter Manon - Marianela NГєñez; Des Grieux - Federico Bonelli. Photo: Mikhail Logvinov But, of course, it is not the music that determines the longevity of "Manon". This grand choreographic drama is successful because all parts are so thought through and developed to the tiniest detail. This is something that the English are really good at. Not a single participant of this crowded production feels like a supernumerary; each of them has his or her own maneuver. The mysterious heart-breaker Manon Lescaut is the central character of the story; neither Abbé Prévost, the author of the literary original, nor Kenneth MacMillan had a clear-cut opinion about her. The author of this article saw Sarah Lamb in the part of Manon and was more than impressed. I was impressed not only by her persistent footwork, speedy pirouettes and fearless jumps into her partner's arms. All doubts about whom this girl is - a reckless adventuress, a thrifty gold-digger or an innocent victim - disappeared by themselves. Sarah Lamb's Manon is almost an alien; she represents something that was called "the eternal feminine" in the German romantic tradition - she is a wonderful flower that bloomed in the evil world and faded before its time from its cruelty. At the closing performance the part of Manon was performed by Natalia Osipova; this was the first time that she has performed on the Bolshoi Theatre's stage since she left the theatre. After the performance Natalia inspired her fans by saying that the Bolshoi's management offered her a list of ballets she would like to dance in and dates that would be suitable for her. Unfortunately, this does not mean that Osipova, who is a prima ballerina of the Royal Ballet and a guest soloist of the Mikhailovsky Theatre, the ABT and La Scala, will dance in the Bolshoi performances any time soon. As "Izvestia" was told by the artist's agent, the producer Sergei Danilian, "she just does not have time for this". The International Evgeny Svetlanov Conducting Competition started in Paris The Third International Evgeny Svetlanov Conducting Competition started in Paris on Wednesday, June 25. On that day conductors performed pieces of their choice with the orchestra; the participants had a choice of three composers - Mozart, Beethoven of Weber. Only four conductors out of 18 will get to the final round. Several conductors from Russia, as well as representatives of the UK, Estonia, Poland, Macau (China), Italy, Brazil, Finland, China, France, Latvia, the USA, South Korea and Ukraine participate in the competition. Photo from the Bolshoi Theatre archives The Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France (music director - Myung-Whun Chung) has been chosen as the official orchestra of the competition. Vladimir Ashkenazy, a conductor and a pianist, became the head of the competition jury. On the first day of the competition conductors had to perform pieces of their choice with the orchestra; the participants had a choice of three composers - Mozart, Beethoven of Weber. Each participant had 20 minutes to perform. On Thursday the second round of the competition took place; the conductors were given 30 minutes to perform pieces by Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Strauss and Stravinsky. On Saturday the final round will take place; it will be open for the general public, and each of the competitors will be given 1 hour and 40 minutes to demonstrate his skills. The compulsory program includes Poem for Violin and Orchestra "In Memory of David Oistrakh" by Evgeny Svetlanov, as well as 2 minutes of modern music. Each of the four finalists will also present his free program. The conductors compete for three prizes - 15, 10 and 5 thousand Euros. Besides, one of the performers will be offered to take the position of The Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France assistant conductor in the season of 2014-2015. The winner of the competition will be invited to participate in the concert in memory of Evgeny Svetlanov that will take place in Paris on September 26. What Evgeny Svetlanov is famous for? Evgeny F. Svetlanov was born on September 6 1928 in Moscow into the family of the Bolshoi Theatre's soloists Fyodor and Tatiana Svetlanovy. During his musical career Svetlanov, who graduated from the Gnessin Institute and the P. Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory, worked as the All-Union Radio Symphony Orchestra assistant conductor, the Bolshoi Theatre's chief conductor, the Kremlin Palace of Congresses music director and the USSR State Symphony Orchestra chief conductor. Evgeny Svetlanov, a People's Artist of the USSR and a Hero of Socialist Labor, passed away in 2002. Two years later the Grand Hall of the Moscow International House of Music was named after him; later his name was given to the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia. In memory of Svyatoslav Belza Dinara Alieva, an opera singer from Azerbaijan, will take part in the concert in memory of a famous Russian art historian. Russian mass media report that Dinara Alieva, an Honored Artist of Azerbaijan and the Bolshoi Theatre's soloist, will take part in a charity concert in memory of Svyatoslav Belza, a famous Russian music and literary critic, publicist, art historian and TV show host. The concert was initiated by the Elena Obraztsova Charitable Foundation for Support of the Art of Music. The concert will take place at the Grand Hall of the P. Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory on July 4. The concert will be organized in memory of Svyatoslav Belza, who passed away on June 3 2014 at the age of 72. He was a talented theatre and literary critic, reviewer, the Russian art historian, MC, publicist and TV show host. /…/Mass media about the Theatre June, 27 2014The 5 International Competition "Young Ballet of the World" closed with gala- concerts in Sochi and Krasnodar A 10-days dance marathon opened in Sochi on Russia Day. Anatoly Pakhomov, the head of the city, congratulated everyone on this holiday in the beginning of his speech and stressed the fact that the competition was organized in the year of the Olympic Games that "inspired both citizens of Sochi and the whole world". Yuri Grigorovich, the founder of the competition and the permanent head of the jury, mentioned: "The fact that the mayor was present at the opening ceremony is very important". The competition opened with the production of "La Bayadere", performed by Yuri Grigorovich Krasnodar Ballet Theatre; the cast starred the Bolshoi Theatre's soloist Anna Nikulina. Over 50 participants from 12 countries not only competed with each other, but also visited master-classes of wonderful pedagogues Margarita Drozdova and Yuri Vasyuchenko, watched their colleagues rehearse, cheered for their friends and rivals. /…/ Young talents are always discovered at this competition; besides, it is interesting to watch representatives of other schools dance. In the senior age group the medals were given to representatives of post-Soviet countries: the silver medals were awarded to Nina Koloskova (Moscow, "Gzhel") and Marat Sydykov (Bishkek), the bronze medals - to Maria Mishina (the Bolshoi Theatre) and Didar Sarsembaev, a representative of the Kazakh ballet school. In the junior age group representatives of the Moscow ballet school had almost no rivals: almost all 2 and the 3 prizes were awarded to its students, representing Russia and other countries - Vlada Zakharova, Natalia Pogorelaya, Alexei Putintsev, David Soares (Brazil) and Julian MacKay (the USA) - with the tender Urabe Kurimu (Japan), a student of the Belarus Choreographic College as the only exception. Jean-Christophe Maillot is working on "The Taming of the Shrew" On July 4 2014 the outstanding French choreographer Jean-Christophe Maillot will present the world premiere of his ballet at the Bolshoi Theatre. We give you a chance to take a look at the maestro's work. Video from a rehearsal was uploaded on the Bolshoi Theatre official pages in the social networks: Theatre in the InternetWe have also published the information about guest performances of Dimitri Pittas, who performs the title role in the opera "Don Carlo" at the Bolshoi Theatre on June 25, 27 and 29. Dimitri Pittas This production premiered on December 17 2013 and marked the 200 anniversary of Giuseppe Verdi. Conductors: Robert Treviño, Giacomo Sagripanti; Stage Director: Adrian Noble Set Designer: Tobias Hoheisel Costume Designer: Moritz Junge Lighting Designer: Jean Kalman Choreographer: Darren Ross Make-up Artist: Campbell Young Dimitri Pittas (tenor) is a graduate of the Metropolitan Opera's Lindemann Young Artist Development Program. He has been heard on the Met stage as Rodolfo ("La Bohème" by G. Puccini), Macduff ("Macbeth" by G. Verdi), Nemorino ("L'elisir d'amore" by G. Donizetti) and Tamino ("Die Zauberflöte" by W.A. Mozart. He has performed with Oper Frankfurt, Houston Grand Opera Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Bavarian State Opera, at the Théâtre du Capitole in Toulouse, Carnegie Hall, the Royal Opera House, etc.
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Main Stage
1 Teatralnaya ploschad (1 Theatre Square), Moscow, Russia
New Stage
Bol'shaya Dmitrovka Street, 4/2, Moscow, Russia