178. Giselle at the Mariinsky Theater
The Mariinsky Theater (named in honor of Empress Maria Alexandrovna, the first wife of Alexander II) is the most prestigious venue for opera and ballet in St. Petersburg, and along with the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, one of the best-known theaters in Russia, if not all of Europe. The current building was constructed in 1860, although its predecessor was built in 1783 for a drama, ballet, and opera troupe established by Catherine the Great. It is located on the western side of the city center, a 20-minute walk from the nearest Metro station (a station at the theater complex - Teatralnaya - has been planned for years, and may finally open in 2020). The Mariinsky has long been the venue for leading productions in Russia, and has featured the premiere of numerous major works as well as performances by the top artists of the nineteenth, twentieth, and twenty-first centuries.
The Mariinsky is one of the must-see landmarks in St. Petersburg that I did not manage to visit during my first seven months living here, so I made a point to go inside in mid-December. A Sunday night production of the ballet Giselle seemed like the perfect opportunity to visit the historic theater (rather than the Mariinsky II, Concert Hall, or Chamber Halls - all of which are part of the same large complex but of much more recent construction). The building is richly decorated - the entrance halls and staircases are quite nice, and the theater itself is spectacular. I particularly liked the luxurious curtain from 1914 (designed by Aleksandr Golovin) that is still in place.
I was not previously familiar with Giselle, but this ballet is apparently among the most popular among Russian audiences. The music is composed by the early nineteenth century French composer Adolphe Adam (with whom I must admit I was also completely unfamiliar). This turned out to be my favorite of the four ballets I attended in St. Petersburg this year (Swan Lake at the Alexandrinsy Theater was a very close second). The Mariinsky ballet company attracts the top talent from throughout Russia, so the dancing was flawless. The pacing was an improvement over several of the Tchaikovsky ballets (The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker, in particular), which both have plots that derail a bit in the second act, in my opinion. This one was action-packed throughout, with unrequited love, broken hearts, deaths, curses, and ghosts keeping things exciting until the final curtain.
The Mariinsky is one of the must-see landmarks in St. Petersburg that I did not manage to visit during my first seven months living here, so I made a point to go inside in mid-December. A Sunday night production of the ballet Giselle seemed like the perfect opportunity to visit the historic theater (rather than the Mariinsky II, Concert Hall, or Chamber Halls - all of which are part of the same large complex but of much more recent construction). The building is richly decorated - the entrance halls and staircases are quite nice, and the theater itself is spectacular. I particularly liked the luxurious curtain from 1914 (designed by Aleksandr Golovin) that is still in place.
I was not previously familiar with Giselle, but this ballet is apparently among the most popular among Russian audiences. The music is composed by the early nineteenth century French composer Adolphe Adam (with whom I must admit I was also completely unfamiliar). This turned out to be my favorite of the four ballets I attended in St. Petersburg this year (Swan Lake at the Alexandrinsy Theater was a very close second). The Mariinsky ballet company attracts the top talent from throughout Russia, so the dancing was flawless. The pacing was an improvement over several of the Tchaikovsky ballets (The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker, in particular), which both have plots that derail a bit in the second act, in my opinion. This one was action-packed throughout, with unrequited love, broken hearts, deaths, curses, and ghosts keeping things exciting until the final curtain.
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