Classical Ballet Festival dedicated to 175th anniversary of Peter Tchaikovsky 06 April 2015 - 09 April 2015 SCHEDULE 06 April 2015 - 09 April 2015
Tchaikovsky lived during the legacy of the reforms of Peter the Great, the dynamic young Czar of Russia (1672-1725), who brought influences of Western Europe into his country. The latter half of the 19th century witnessed the rise of nationalism. At that time, many Russian composers sought to free themselves of European influences and focus more directly on all things Russian. In terms of music, this meant getting rid of the German, Italian, French and English traditions, including formal structures and technical features.
The leading group of Russian composers in this effort, known as the “Mighty Five,” were Mussorgsky, Rimsky-Korokov, Borodin and Cui, led by Balakirev. Though a contemporary of the “Mighty Five,” Tchaikovsky did not share their views of shaking off European influences. He was comfortable using the German formal structures, and Italian and French influences in his orchestrations, so he never joined his colleagues in their pursuit, yet he became the most well-known Russian composer of all time.
The festival will present top performances by P. Tchaikovsky only, famous all over the world.
Classical Ballet Peter Tchaikovsky "Nutcracker"
Every year during the Christmas season, thousands of children and their parents visit the theatre to see The Nutcracker, probably the all-time favourite in holiday entertainment. The Nutcracker premiered at the Maryinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia on December 18, 1892. The choreography was by Lev Ivanov after Marius Petipa, who fell ill before beginning to choreograph and passed on his choreographic plan to Ivanov, and the score was composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Italian ballerina Antoinetta Dell’Era and Russian premiere danseur Pavel Gerdt performed the lead roles of The Sugar Plum Fairy and Prince Coqueluche. The ballet was performed as a double premiere with Tchaikovsky’s final opera Iolanta. Tchaikovsky was initially reluctant to write the score for The Nutcracker finding the libretto based on E.T.A. Hoffmann’s children’s tale, The Nutcracker and the King of the Mice, lacking in fantasy. Nevertheless, this production would ultimately become Tchaikovsky’s most popular work.
Classical Ballet "Swan Lake" (ballet in 2 acts)
There’s a good reason why Swan Lake is so often called the ‘ballet of all ballets’. The combination of pure romanticism, the story about love and deception and Tchaikovsky’s famous ballet music all continue to reach new generations of audiences. Swan Lake was Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky's first score for ballet. Its 1877 premiere was poorly received, but it has since become one of the most loved of all ballets. The twinned role of the radiant White Swan and the scheming, duplicitous Black Swan tests the full range of a ballerina's powers, particularly in the two great pas de deux of Acts II and III. Other highlights include the charming Dance of the Little Swans performed by a moonlit lake and sweeping ballroom waltzes in the splendour of the royal palace.
Classical Ballet Peter Tchaikovsky "The Snow Maiden" (ballet in two acts)
Tchaikovsky wrote his incidental music for Ostrovsky's Snow Maiden in 1873, and though he accepted it was not his best, he retained an affection for it and was upset when Rimsky- Korsakov came along with his full-length opera on the subject. The tale of love frustrated had its appeal for Tchaikovsky, even though he was not to make as much as Rimsky did of the failed marriage between Man and Nature. But though he did not normally interest himself much in descriptions of the natural world, there are charming pieces that any lover of Tchaikovsky's music will surely be delighted to encounter. A strong sense of a Russian folk celebration, and of the interaction of the natural and supernatural worlds, also comes through, especially in the earlier part of the work.
Classical Ballet Peter Tchaikovsky "Sleeping Beauty" (ballet in 3 acts)
From the simplicity and intimacy of the famous fairy tale on which it is based, the ballet opens out into a spectacle of grand virtuosity, generous and incomparable displays of technique, ravishing stagecraft and unapologetic theatrical ostentation. The Sleeping Beauty has long been considered an almost ideal instance of the integration of music and dance and it is arguably the greatest of the Tchaikovsky-Petipa collaborations. Its breadth of musical and choreographic vision, its incorporation of so many dance styles and traditions into one radiant whole and its combination of sophistication and accessibility make it a classical ballet nonpareil.
SCHEDULE 06 April 2015 - 09 April 2015
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