On September 26 and 28 the Bolshoi Theatre presented the first premiere of the season, the opera "The Maid of Orleans" by P. T chaikovsky Anna Smirnova (Joan): "It will be the first time that I will sing at the Bolshoi Theatre, so I am very nervous" Rimma Karelskaya, the ballerina, the pedagogue and the People's Artist of Russia passed away Facebook: The Bolshoi Theatre General Director Vladimir Urin was awarded the National Order of the Legion of Honour; Svetlana Zakharova gives all those, who plan to participate in the pirouette competition #WorldBalletDay, a piece of advice "Flames of Paris". Debuts:

September 26 Elvina Ibraimova, Anastasia Kazakova - furies Alexander Smoliyaninov - Jerome Yuri Baranov - the Marquis Costa de Beauregard

September 27, noon Kristina Kretova - Jeanne Igor Tsvirko - Philippe Daria Khokhlova - Mireille de Poitiers, an actress Olga Rezvova - Amour Alexei Gaynutdinov, Sergei Kuzmin - huntsmen

September 27, 7 p.m. Maria Semenyachenko - Mireille de Poitiers, an actress "The Maid of Orleans" at the Bolshoi Theatre Newsletter

manner , which was quite false: the audience grew tired of unnecessary details, complexity of harmony and the lack of a sense of moderation when it came to orchestra effects… The opera style should be simple and just slightly decorative". T ugan Sokhiev T ugan Sokhiev graduated graduated from St. Petersburg State Conservatoire (Yuri T emirkanov's class). He made his debut as a conductor in Iceland (with the opera "La Boheme"). In 2001 he was appointed the musical director of the Welsh National Opera. In 2005 maestro Sokhiev worked as a conductor at the Mariinsky Theatre (he conducted operas by Rossini, Bizet and Rimsky-Korsakov). Photo: Damir Yusupov The musician works as a guest conductor with leading European orchestras, including Deutsche Symphonie-Orchester Berlin and London Symphony Orchestra, the Vienna Philharmonic and others. In 2014 Tugan Sokhiev has been appointed the Bolshoi Theatre's chief conductor and music director. The Bolshoi Theatre presented the first premiere of the season - the opera "The Maid of Orleans" by P. T chaikovsky The opera "The Maid of Orleans" by P. T chaikovsky became the first premiere of the

new, 239 season at the Bolshoi; it was performed with no costumes and set. The audience was presented with the concert version of the opera. The decision was made by Sokhiev, the Bolshoi's new music director and chief conductor, who made his debut at the Bolshoi Theatre with this production. Maestro Sokhiev said: "The Maid of Orleans" has a responsible mission: its premiere opened the series of festive

events at the Bolshoi Theatre, marking the 175 anniversary of Pyotr I. Tchaikovsky.

The year of 2015 will be the year of Tchaikovsky's 175 anniversary at the Bolshoi Theatre".
This is how he explained his decision to present the concert version of "The Maid of Orleans": "Usually it takes two-three years to choose the director and the cast, to go through the rehearsals and to stage the opera. I came to the theatre only this February and have used this time to get acquainted with the company and understand its creative abilities". Those journalists that attended the dress rehearsal of "The Maid of Orleans" confirmed that the concert version is amazingly grandiose. The production features a choir that consists of 120 people and a lot of soloists. According to Tugan Sokhiev, he has always expressed a great interest in "The Maid of Orleans". Maestro believes it is not fair that "The Maid of Orleans" was forgotten in Russia and in Europe. He says: "This is a magnificent opera, based on the historical plot that everyone is familiar with. Joan of Arc by herself is a dramatic character that attracts attention. Tchaikovsky was captivated by this character since his childhood; he inscribed poems dedicated to her, and in the last years of his life he even used paper and envelopes that had watermarks of Joan the equestrienne". T chaikovsky started composing "The Maid of Orleans" in the end of 1878. The composer wrote the libretto himself; it was based on the drama by Schiller and on the play by Jules Barbier. All in all, it took him nine months to compose "The Maid of

Orleans". The opera premiered on February 13 1881 at the Mariinsky Theatre. However , contrary to the author's expectations, who had put high hopes on it, the opera did not become a great success. "The Maid of Orleans" appeared in the Bolshoi Theatre's repertoire only a century later: in 1990 it was staged by Boris Pokorvksy, the luminary of the Russian opera direction. Tugan Sokhiev said: "This was an outstanding production that stared wonderful artists; the incomparable Makvala Kasrashvili performed the most difficult part of Joan". Makvala Kasrashvili, the People's Artist of the USSR, still is a Bolshoi's soloist. She still is very enthusiastic about the first production of "The Maid of Orleans" at the Bolshoi. The part of Joan turned out to be quite an ordeal for the singer; it was not only about the vocal part. During one of the performances she fell down a height of six meters' height; the doctors said it was a miracle that she survived. She said: "I am very happy with the fact that Tugan Sokhiev, our new music director, brought "The Maid of Orleans" back to the Bolshoi Theatre". According to the singer, "all parts in this opera are difficult, but the main part is the most difficult of them all". Makvala Kasrashvili added: "Tugan Sokhiev found a wonderful singer Anna Smirnova, who performed the part of Joan; Smirnova has already conquered many opera stages in Europe with her voice". Anna Smirnova was born in Moscow and studied at the Moscow conservatoire; however, she made her career in the West, where she has been performing for more than ten years. She admitted: "It will be the first time that I will sing at the Bolshoi Theatre, so I am very nervous. However, singing in Russian will be the most difficult thing for me. Singing in your native language is a million times more difficult, because each word has to go through the singer's heart and through the hearts of all the listeners who are fellow countrymen". Anna Smirnova. Photo: Damir Yusupov The cast also stars Oleg Dolgov, Maxim Paster, Bogdan Volkov, Arseny Yakovlev, Inna Churilova, Lolitta Semenina, Andrei Gonuykov, Pyotr Migunov, Igor Golovatenko, Andrei Zhilikhovsky, Nikolai Kazansky, Otar Kunchulia and Vladimir Krasov.

T wo premiere performances took place on September 26 and September 28. According to the Bolshoi Theatre General Director Vladimir Urin, "if the audience expresses interest in the concert version of "The Maid of Orleans", we will consider making this performance into a real production". The first ballet premiere of the season will take place soon. Yuri Grigorovich's acclaimed masterpiece "A Legend of Love" is coming back to the Bolshoi's Historic

Stage. The revived production is scheduled to premiere on October 23. "The Maid of Orleans" was presented at the Bolshoi Theatre On September 26 and 28 the concert version of the opera "The Maid of Orleans" by P. I. Tchaikovsky was presented at the Bolshoi Theatre. It is only the second time in the Bolshoi Theatre's history that "The Maid of Orleans" has been staged here. The first time this opera was included into the Bolshoi's repertoire was in 1990, more than a hundred years after it had been composed (the

production marked the 150 anniversary of the composer). The Bolshoi is not an exception from the rule: this opera, which is the most monumental piece in T chaikovsky's body of work, is not staged very often. The Bolshoi presented its

concert version prior to the composer's 175 anniversary. September, 29 2014 Newsletter

The concert version of this piece, which is immense and rarely performed, was the debut of the Bolshoi's new music director and chief conductor Tugan Sokhiev. According to the conductor, when he made his choice he based him decision on the fact that this is the opera by Tchaikovsky, whom the Bolshoi Theatre's creative life was always connected very closely with. Besides, this piece allows the company to demonstrate its abilities and creative aspiration to the fullest. Maestro has long been enthusiastic about working on "The Maid of Orleans". The search of his own understanding of this opera turned into a very interesting process. He says that as Tchaikovsky was working on "The Maid of Orleans", he was searching for some unique creative means, his own musical language, and this is not for nothing (one can hear some echoes of the future "Iolanta" here). The composer did not write this opera at one sitting, one scene after another; he composed separate fragments. The process of familiarizing yourself with this material is a kind of research. Maestro considers that one of his main goals is the necessity to demonstrate the continuity of action, music dramaturgy and the psychological development of the heroine, since Tchaikovsky was not only a very talented composer, but also a great playwright. T ugan Sokhiev has studied the peculiarities of Tchaikovsky's style together with the Bolshoi Theatre's soloists, the participants of the Young Artists Opera Program and the guest soloists. The Bolshoi Theatre's ballerina Rimma Karelskaya passed away The People's Artist of RSFSR passed away at the age of 87 As the Bolshoi General Director Vladimir Urin informed ITAR-T ASS on Thursday, Rimma Karelskaya, the Bolshoi Theatre's ballerina and the People's Artist of RSFSR passed away at the age of 87. Mass media about the theatre Photo archive TASS/Leonid Zhdanov Mr. Urin said: "I have received this sad news only an hour ago. We will now discuss where and when the last respects to the wonderful ballerina will be paid; later we will announce the place and the time". Rimma Karelskaya. ITAR-T ASS/Alexander Kurov

Rimma Karelskaya was born on April 16 1927 in Kaluga. She graduated from the Moscow choreographic institute. She was the Bolshoi Ballet's soloist for 27 years (from 1946 till 1973); she performed the leading parts in ballet productions and continued to improve her skills under the guidance of Marina Semyonova, the great ballerina and the Bolshoi Theatre's pedagogue-repetiteur. Having finished her artistic career, Karelskaya became one of the Bolshoi's ballet master-repetiteurs herself. She held this position from 1974. In April 2007 the

Bolshoi Theatre marked the 80 anniversary of Rimma Karelskaya with the ballet "Swan Lake", starring the Bolshoi's prima Svetlana Zakharova. The Bolshoi Theatre General Director Vladimir Urin was awarded the National Order of the Legion of Honour The Bolshoi Theatre General Director Vladimir Urin was awarded the National Order of the Legion of Honour. The National Order of the Legion of Honor (on the model of the knightly order) was established by Napoleon Bonaparte on 19 May 1802. The Order is the highest decoration in France. Jean-Maurice Ripert, the French Ambassador to Russia congratulated Vladimir Urin:
"Mr. Director, it is my greatest pleasure to inform you that you have been awarded the rank of an Officer of the National Order of the Legion of Honour by the decree of the Bolshoi Theatre in the Internet September, 29 2014 Newsletter

September, 29 2014 , 7 President. Please accept my most sincere congratulations. I am very happy with the fact that your paramount contribution to strengthening the cooperation and cultural exchange between our two countries has been recognized and marked with this prestigious award. Let me assure you of my highest esteem". On the Bolshoi Theatre official pages in the social networks we also published Svetlana Zakharova's piece of advice for all those, who plan to take part in the pirouette competition! The Bolshoi Theatre's prima Svetlana Zakharova decided to help all those, who plan to take part in the pirouette competition #WorldBalletDay: In order to perform a good pirouette, you need to focus on one point when you turn your head. As we say, "make the point". It is also very important to look back at this point when you turn your head; in this case you will not fall and will keep your balance. This secret helps us to perform 32 fouettes! Photo: Pascal Chevallier T he Bols h oi Theatr e is watc h in g all pir o u ette s, fo llo w in g th e hash ta g #W orldBalletDay. W e will choose the best videos that will be featured during the on-line broadcast of

the World Ballet Day on October 1! For more information go to .youtube.com/watch?v=QXa3ZrHegP A

For articles published 25 September 2014 Prima Press (Italy announces that The Legend of Love live from the Bolshoi in Moscow will be broadcast in the Italian cinemas on 26 October. The Haverhill Echo reports that live broadcasts from the Bolshoi Theatre will be transmitted to the local Haverhill Arts Centre. La Depeche du Midi reports on the new opera and concert season in Toulouse reporting that the season will finish with Tugan Sokhiev, the music director of the Orchestre National du Capitole, conducting. "Turandot" in June 2015. Musikwoche (Germany) reports that the Festspiele Mecklenburg-V orpommern had a record breaking edition this year with more than 73,000 visitors from 20 June to 21 September, the festival set a new attendance record. 104 of a total of 127 events were sold out, the space utilization was 92 percent. Among the performances presented at the festival was Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin conducted by T ugan Sokhiev. The SF Gate reports on World Ballet Day which will take place on 1 October.