The Bolshoi Theatre ( rus, Большо́й теа́тр, r=Bol'shoy teatr, literally "Big Theater", p=bɐlʲˈʂoj tʲɪˈatər) is a historic theatre in
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
,
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
, originally designed by architect
Joseph Bové
Joseph Bové (russian: Осип Иванович Бове, ''Osip Ivanovich Bove'', also known during his lifetime as Joseph Jean-Baptiste Charles de Beauvais; 4 November 1784 — 28 June 1834, all n.s.) was an Italian-Russian neoclassical ...
, which holds
ballet
Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...
and
opera
Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...
performances. Before the
October Revolution
The October Revolution,. officially known as the Great October Socialist Revolution. in the Soviet Union, also known as the Bolshevik Revolution, was a revolution in Russia led by the Bolshevik Party of Vladimir Lenin that was a key moment ...
it was a part of the
Imperial Theatres Imperial Theatres of Russian Empire ( rus, Императорские театры Российской империи) was a theatrical organization financed by the Imperial exchequer and managed by a single directorate headed with a director; was ...
of the
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...
along with
Maly Theatre The Maly Theatre, or Mali Theatre, may refer to one of several different theatres:
* The Maly Theatre (Moscow), also known as The State Academic Maly Theatre of Russia, in Moscow (founded in 1756 and given its own building in 1824)
* The Maly Thea ...
(''Small Theatre'') in Moscow and a few theatres in Saint Petersburg (
Hermitage Theatre
The Hermitage Theatre ( rus, Эрмитажный Театр, Èrmitážnyj Teátr, ɪrʲmʲɪˈtaʐnɨj tʲɪˈatər) in Saint Petersburg, Russia is one of five Hermitage Museum, Hermitage buildings lining the Palace Embankment of the Neva Riv ...
,
Bolshoi (Kamenny) Theatre, later
Mariinsky Theatre
The Mariinsky Theatre ( rus, Мариинский театр, Mariinskiy teatr, also transcribed as Maryinsky or Mariyinsky) is a historic theatre of opera and ballet in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Opened in 1860, it became the preeminent music th ...
and others).
The
Bolshoi Ballet
The Bolshoi Ballet is an internationally renowned classical ballet company based at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, Russia. Founded in 1776, the Bolshoi is among the world's oldest ballet companies. In the early 20th century, it came to internatio ...
and Bolshoi Opera are among the oldest and best known ballet and opera companies in the world. It is by far the world's biggest ballet company, with more than 200 dancers.
The theatre is the parent company of
The Bolshoi Ballet Academy, a leading school of ballet. It has a branch at the Bolshoi Theater School in
Joinville
Joinville () is the largest city in Santa Catarina, in the Southern Region of Brazil. It is the third largest municipality in the southern region of Brazil, after the much larger state capitals of Curitiba and Porto Alegre. Joinville is also a ...
,
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
.
The main building of the theatre, rebuilt and renovated several times during its history, is a landmark of Moscow and Russia (its iconic
neoclassical façade is depicted on the
Russian 100-ruble banknote). On 28 October 2011, the Bolshoi re-opened after an extensive six-year renovation.
["Bolshoi Theatre to reopen after major refit"]
''BBC News
BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broadca ...
'' on bbc.co.uk, 28 October 2011 The official cost of the renovation is 21 billion rubles ($688 million). However, other Russian authorities and other people connected to it claimed much more public money was spent.
The renovation included restoring acoustics to the original quality (which had been lost during the
Soviet Era
The history of Soviet Russia and the Soviet Union (USSR) reflects a period of change for both Russia and the world. Though the terms "Soviet Russia" and "Soviet Union" often are synonymous in everyday speech (either acknowledging the dominance ...
), as well as restoring the original Imperial decor of the Bolshoi.
[
]
History
Origins
The company was founded on , when Catherine II
, en, Catherine Alexeievna Romanova, link=yes
, house =
, father = Christian August, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst
, mother = Joanna Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp
, birth_date =
, birth_name = Princess Sophie of Anha ...
granted Prince Peter Urusov a licence to organise theatrical performances, balls and other forms of entertainment. Urusov set up the theatre in collaboration with English tightrope walker Michael Maddox
Michael Maddox (1747–1822; Russian: Михаил Егорович Маддокс, ''Mikhail Yegorovich Maddox'', also spelled '' Medoks'', ''Maddocks'', ''Mattocks'') was an English entrepreneur and theatre manager active in Imperial Russia. ...
. Initially, it held performances in a private home, but it acquired the Petrovka Theatre and on 30 December 1780, it began producing plays and operas, thus establishing what would become the Bolshoi Theatre. Fire destroyed the Petrovka Theatre on 8 October 1805, and the New Arbat Imperial Theatre replaced it on 13 April 1808, however it also succumbed to fire during the French invasion of Moscow in 1812.
The first instance of the theatre was built between 1821 and 1824, designed and supervised to completion by architect Joseph Bové
Joseph Bové (russian: Осип Иванович Бове, ''Osip Ivanovich Bove'', also known during his lifetime as Joseph Jean-Baptiste Charles de Beauvais; 4 November 1784 — 28 June 1834, all n.s.) was an Italian-Russian neoclassical ...
based upon an initial competition-winning design created by Petersburg-based Russian architect Andrei Mikhailov that was deemed too costly to complete. The new building opened on 18 January 1825 as the Bolshoi Petrovsky Theatre with a performance of Fernando Sor's ballet, '' Cendrillon''. Initially, it presented only Russian works, but foreign composers entered the repertoire around 1840.
Renovations in the 19th century
In 1843 a large-scale reconstruction of the theatre took place using a design by A. Nikitin, but a fire in 1853 caused extensive damage and so a further reconstruction was carried out, by Alberto Cavos, son of the opera composer Catterino Cavos
Catterino Albertovich Cavos (: Catarino Camillo Cavos; russian: Катери́но Альбе́ртович Ка́вос) (October 30, 1775 – May 10 ( OS April 28), 1840), born Catarino Camillo Cavos, was an Italian composer, organist and con ...
.
20th century
On 7 December 1919 the house was renamed the State Academic Bolshoi Theatre. Only a few days later, however, on 12 December, there was an unsuccessful attempt to shut the institution entirely. Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classical ...
Hall opened on 18 February 1921. Ivan Rerberg
Ivan Ivanovich Rerberg (October 4, 1869 – 1932, Moscow) was a Russian civil engineer, architect and educator active in Moscow in 1897–1932. Rerberg's input to present-day Moscow include Kiyevsky Rail Terminal, Central Telegraph building and ...
directed further reconstruction of the theatre between 1921 and 1923. A bomb damaged the structure during World War II, but this was repaired.
New stage of 2002
A new stage for the Bolshoi Theatre, called the New Stage, went into service on 29 November 2002, constructed to the left of the theatre's historic main stage. Together with auxiliary buildings — a restored 17th-century building, two rehearsal halls, and artists' recreation rooms — it forms a single theatre complex, the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia. The new building is on a natural hill which it shared, until recently, blocks of old houses with communal apartments.
Major rebuilding and renovation (2005–2011)
From July 2005 to October 2011 the theatre was closed for restoration. The building, whose architecture combines three different styles, was damaged and a quick renovation seemed to be necessary.
Repairs were initially estimated at 15 billion rubles ($610 million) but engineers found that more than 75% of the structure was unstable, and as a result the cost estimate jumped to 25.5 billion rubles
The ruble (American English) or rouble (Commonwealth English) (; rus, рубль, p=rublʲ) is the currency unit of Belarus and Russia. Historically, it was the currency of the Russian Empire and of the Soviet Union.
, currencies named ''rub ...
(app. $850 million). At the completion of the work, however, it was announced that only 21 billion rubles ($688 mil) had been spent. According to The Moscow Times
''The Moscow Times'' is an independent English-language and Russian-language online newspaper. It was in print in Russia from 1992 until 2017 and was distributed free of charge at places frequented by English-speaking tourists and expatriates s ...
, the true cost may have been double that, and Der Spiegel
''Der Spiegel'' (, lit. ''"The Mirror"'') is a German weekly news magazine published in Hamburg. With a weekly circulation of 695,100 copies, it was the largest such publication in Europe in 2011. It was founded in 1947 by John Seymour Chaloner ...
quotes a figure of $1.1 billion. The rebuilding and renovation was funded entirely by the federal government.
During the long period of reconstruction, the company continued to mount productions, with performances held on the New Stage and on the stage of the Great Kremlin Palace.
The renovation included an improvement in acoustics, to attempt to replicate the sound believed to have existed in pre-Soviet times, and the restoration of the original Imperial
Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor, or imperialism.
Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to:
Places
United States
* Imperial, California
* Imperial, Missouri
* Imperial, Nebraska
* Imperial, Pennsylvania
* Imperial, Texa ...
decor. Finally, on 28 October 2011, the Bolshoi Theatre re-opened with a concert featuring international artists and the ballet and opera companies. The first staged opera, Ruslan and Lyudmila Ruslan may refer to:
* ''Ruslan'' (film), a 2009 film starring Steven Segal
* Ruslan (given name), male name used mainly in Slavic countries, with list of people
* Antonov An-124 ''Ruslan'', large Soviet cargo aircraft, later built in Ukraine and ...
, followed soon after.
Notable premieres
The Bolshoi has been the site of many historic premieres, including:
*Tchaikovsky
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky , group=n ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer of the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music would make a lasting impression internationally. He wrote some of the most popu ...
's '' The Voyevoda'' and '' Mazeppa''
*Modest Mussorgsky
Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky ( rus, link=no, Модест Петрович Мусоргский, Modest Petrovich Musorgsky , mɐˈdɛst pʲɪˈtrovʲɪtɕ ˈmusərkskʲɪj, Ru-Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky version.ogg; – ) was a Russian compo ...
's one version of '' Boris Godunov'' was given on 16 December 1888.
*Rachmaninoff
Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff; in Russian pre-revolutionary script. (28 March 1943) was a Russian composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, one o ...
's ''Aleko
The Moskvitch-2141, also known under the trade name Aleko ( Russian: "АЛЕКО", derivative from the name of the automaker "Автомобильный завод имени Ленинского Комсомола", ''Avtomobilny zavod imeni Len ...
'' and '' Francesca da Rimini''
*Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov . At the time, his name was spelled Николай Андреевичъ Римскій-Корсаковъ. la, Nicolaus Andreae filius Rimskij-Korsakov. The composer romanized his name as ''Nicolas Rimsk ...
's opera ''The Maid of Pskov
''The Maid of Pskov'' (russian: Псковитянка, Pskovityanka, links=no, Pskov female resident ), also known as ''Ivan the Terrible'', is an 1872 opera originally in three acts (six scenes) by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. The libretto is by the ...
'', with Feodor Chaliapin
Feodor Ivanovich Chaliapin ( rus, Фёдор Ива́нович Шаля́пин, Fyodor Ivanovich Shalyapin, ˈfʲɵdər ɪˈvanəvʲɪtɕ ʂɐˈlʲapʲɪn}; April 12, 1938) was a Russian opera singer. Possessing a deep and expressive bass v ...
singing the role of Ivan the Terrible
Ivan IV Vasilyevich (russian: Ива́н Васи́льевич; 25 August 1530 – ), commonly known in English as Ivan the Terrible, was the grand prince of Moscow from 1533 to 1547 and the first Tsar of all Russia from 1547 to 1584.
Ivan ...
*Dmitri Shostakovich
Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich, , group=n (9 August 1975) was a Soviet-era Russian composer and pianist who became internationally known after the premiere of his Symphony No. 1 (Shostakovich), First Symphony in 1926 and was regarded throug ...
's opera '' Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District'' in 1935.
Other notable facts
*The first symphonic concert by the Bolshoi Orchestra took place at the Bolshoi Theatre on 4 May 1919, conducted by Serge Koussevitzky
* During the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
, at least 34 members of the theatre were infected.
Ballet and opera
The Bolshoi is a repertory theatre
A repertory theatre is a theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation.
United Kingdom
Annie Horniman founded the first modern repertory theatre in Manchester after withdrawing ...
, meaning that it draws from a list of productions, any one of which may be performed on a given evening. Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, there have been a few attempts to reduce the theatre's traditional dependence on large state subsidies. The Bolshoi has been associated from its beginnings with ballet. Tchaikovsky
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky , group=n ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer of the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music would make a lasting impression internationally. He wrote some of the most popu ...
's ballet ''Swan Lake
''Swan Lake'' ( rus, Лебеди́ное о́зеро, r=Lebedínoye ózero, p=lʲɪbʲɪˈdʲinəjə ˈozʲɪrə, link=no ), Op. 20, is a ballet composed by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1875–76. Despite its initial failur ...
'' premiered at the theatre on 4 March 1877. The chief ballet conductor from 1923 to 1963 was Yuri Fayer Yuri Fyodorovich Fayer (also seen as Faier) (3 August 1971), was a Soviet conductor specializing in ballet. He was the chief ballet conductor at the Bolshoi Theatre from 1923 to 1963.
Fayer's range extended from the classical repertoire (he conduc ...
.
After the death of Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as General Secreta ...
, the company toured internationally and became an important source of cultural prestige, as well as foreign currency earnings. As a result, the "Bolshoi Ballet" became a well-known name in the West.
However, the Bolshoi suffered from losses through a series of defections of its dancers. The first occurrence was on 23 August 1979, with Alexander Godunov
Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history.
Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...
; followed by Leonid Kozlov Leonid Kozlov (born February 6, 1947 in Moscow, Soviet Union) is a former principal dancer of the Bolshoi and New York City Ballet. He is also a choreographer, the founder and owner of Kozlov Dance International (KDI) and Youth Dance Festival of Ne ...
and Valentina Kozlova Valentina Kozlova (born August 26, 1957) is a Soviet-born Russian American ballerina and founder of Valentina Kozlova International Ballet Competition. In 1979, while on tour as a young principal dancer with the Bolshoi Ballet, Kozlova defected to t ...
on 16 September 1979; and other cases in the following years. Bolshoi continues to tour regularly with opera and ballet productions in the post-Soviet era.
Until the mid-1990s, most foreign operas were sung in Russian, but Italian and other languages have been heard more frequently on the Bolshoi stage in recent years.
Orchestra
Music director and chief conductor Vassily Sinaisky
Vassily Serafimovich Sinaisky (Russian: Васи́лий Серафи́мович Сина́йский, born in Abez, Komi Republic, April 20, 1947) is a Russian conductor and pianist.
Biography
Sinaisky studied conducting with Ilya Musin at th ...
quit abruptly at the start of December 2013, after a 41-month tenure, citing the need to avoid conflict. General director Vladimir Urin accepted his resignation, and selected Tugan Sokhiev
Tugan Taymurazovich Sokhiev ( os, Сохиты Таймуразы фырт Тугъан, Soxity Tajmurazy fyrt Tuhan; russian: Туга́н Таймура́зович Сохиев; born 21 October 1977, Vladikavkaz, Ossetia) is an Ossetian conduct ...
as replacement. Sokhiev's four-year contract, settled on 20 January 2014, and became effective immediately.
Tugan Sokhiev left his position in connection with the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. An ...
.
Chief conductors and music directors
*Samuil Samosud
Samuil Abramovich Samosud (russian: Самуи́л Абра́мович Самосу́д) (Tbilisi, Georgia, — Moscow, 6 November 1964), PAU, was a Soviet and Russian conductor.
He started his musical career as a cellist, before becomin ...
(1936–1942)
* Ariy Pazovsky (1943–1948)
*Nikolai Golovanov
Nikolai Semyonovich Golovanov (russian: Никола́й Семёнович Голова́нов, Nikoláy Semyónovich Golovánov) ( Adoption_of_the_Gregorian_calendar#Adoption_in_Eastern_Europe.html" ;"title="/nowiki> o.s._9.html" ;"title="Adop ...
(1948 –1953)
*Alexander Melik-Pashayev
Alexander Shamil'evich Melik-Pashayev (russian: Александр Шамильевич Мелик-Пашаев; hy, Ալեքսանդր Մելիք-Փաշայան, Alek’sandr Melik’-P’ashayan; 23 October 1905, in Tbilisi – 18 June 1964), P ...
(1953–1963)
*Yevgeny Svetlanov
Yevgeny Fyodorovich Svetlanov (russian: Евгéний Фёдорович Светлáнов; 6 September 1928 – 3 May 2002) was a Russian conductor, composer and a pianist.
Life and work
Svetlanov was born in Moscow and studied conducting ...
(1963–1965)
*Gennady Rozhdestvensky
Gennady Nikolayevich Rozhdestvensky, CBE (russian: Генна́дий Никола́евич Рожде́ственский; 4 May 1931 – 16 June 2018) was a Soviet and Russian conductor.
Biography
Gennady Rozhdestvensky was born in Moscow. H ...
(1965–1970)
*Yuri Simonov
Yuri Ivanovich Simonov (russian: Ю́рий Ива́нович Си́монов; born 4 March 1941 in Saratov, Soviet Union) is a Russian conductor. He studied at the Leningrad Conservatory under Nikolai Rabinovich, and was later an assistant c ...
(1970–1985)
* Alexander Lazarev (1987–1995)
* Peter Feranec (1995–1998)
*Mark Ermler
Mark Fridrikhovich Ermler (russian: Марк Фридрихович Эрмлер; 5 May 193214 April 2002) was a Russian conductor.
Biography
Mark Ermler was born in Leningrad in 1932. His parents were Vera Bakun, a film set designer, and Fridrik ...
(1998–2000)
*Gennady Rozhdestvensky (2000–2001)
*Alexander Vedernikov
Alexander Alexandrovich Vedernikov (; 11 January 1964 – 29 October 2020) was a Russian conductor. He held major posts with the Bolshoi Theatre the Odense Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Danish Opera, and the Mikhailovsky Theatre.
Biography
Bor ...
(2001–2009)
*Leonid Desyatnikov
Leonid Arkadievich Desyatnikov (russian: Леони́д Арка́дьевич Деся́тников, born: 16 October 1955, Kharkiv, Ukrainian SSR) is a Russian composer who first made a reputation with a number of film scores, then achieving gr ...
(2009–2010)
*Vassily Sinaisky
Vassily Serafimovich Sinaisky (Russian: Васи́лий Серафи́мович Сина́йский, born in Abez, Komi Republic, April 20, 1947) is a Russian conductor and pianist.
Biography
Sinaisky studied conducting with Ilya Musin at th ...
(2010–2013)
*Tugan Sokhiev
Tugan Taymurazovich Sokhiev ( os, Сохиты Таймуразы фырт Тугъан, Soxity Tajmurazy fyrt Tuhan; russian: Туга́н Таймура́зович Сохиев; born 21 October 1977, Vladikavkaz, Ossetia) is an Ossetian conduct ...
(2014–2022)
Cultural status
The Bolshoi Theatre is attracts large numbers of tourists. As a result, prices can be much higher than in other Russian theatres.
Controversies
*The rebuilding and renovation cost was $1.1 billion, sixteen times the initial estimate. In 2009 prosecutors alleged the lead contractor was paid three times for the same work.
* Anastasia Volochkova, a former Bolshoi prima ballerina, has said she sees the theatre "as a big brothel" because, she has claimed, ballerinas are invited to parties by theatre administrators and refused roles if they do not accept.
*On 17 January 2013, Sergei Filin
Sergei Yurevitch Filin (russian: Серге́й Ю́рьевич Фи́лин; born 27 October 1970) is a Russian ballet dancer and the former artistic director of the Bolshoi Theater from 2011 through 2016. He is currently the Director of the ...
, the Bolshoi's ballet director, was attacked with sulfuric acid and as a result lost much of his eyesight. A male dancer was later charged with the crime.
*In the area of box office, a theatre insider told the German publication Der Spiegel
''Der Spiegel'' (, lit. ''"The Mirror"'') is a German weekly news magazine published in Hamburg. With a weekly circulation of 695,100 copies, it was the largest such publication in Europe in 2011. It was founded in 1947 by John Seymour Chaloner ...
that tickets are often sold to mafia dealers, who in turn sell them on the black market for double the face value.
*Performance quality has been criticized by the former music director Alexander Vedernikov
Alexander Alexandrovich Vedernikov (; 11 January 1964 – 29 October 2020) was a Russian conductor. He held major posts with the Bolshoi Theatre the Odense Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Danish Opera, and the Mikhailovsky Theatre.
Biography
Bor ...
(2001-2009). He has claimed the Bolshoi Theatre was putting "bureaucratic interests before artistic ones."
* July 8, 2017, three days before the premiere, the Bolshoi Theatre called off the premiere of a ballet about legendary dancer Rudolf Nureyev
Rudolf Khametovich Nureyev ( ; Tatar/ Bashkir: Рудольф Хәмит улы Нуриев; rus, Рудо́льф Хаме́тович Нуре́ев, p=rʊˈdolʲf xɐˈmʲetəvʲɪtɕ nʊˈrʲejɪf; 17 March 19386 January 1993) was a Soviet ...
. The Director General Vladimir Urin claimed it was due to the bad quality of the dancing, however the principal dancer Maria Alexandrova claimed it was the first sign of a 'new era' of censorship. It was the first time a show has been pulled in such a way since the collapse of the Soviet Union, sparking rumours about the motivation behind it.
See also
*List of productions of Swan Lake derived from its 1895 revival
This is a list of notable major productions of the ballet '' Swan Lake''. Throughout the long and complex performance history of ''Swan Lake'', the 1895 edition of Marius Petipa, Lev Ivanov, and Riccardo Drigo has served as the definitive versio ...
References
Footnotes
*The Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre
The Saint Petersburg Imperial Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre (The Big Stone Theatre of Saint Petersburg, russian: Большой Каменный Театр) was a theatre in Saint Petersburg.
It was built in 1783 to Antonio Rinaldi's Neoclassical ...
used to exist in Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
. It stood next to the Circus Theatre (rebuilt in 1860 as the Mariinsky Theatre
The Mariinsky Theatre ( rus, Мариинский театр, Mariinskiy teatr, also transcribed as Maryinsky or Mariyinsky) is a historic theatre of opera and ballet in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Opened in 1860, it became the preeminent music th ...
), but was replaced in the 1890s by the present-day building of the St. Petersburg Conservatory
The N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov Saint Petersburg State Conservatory (russian: Санкт-Петербургская государственная консерватория имени Н. А. Римского-Корсакова) (formerly known as th ...
. It was at St. Petersburg's Bolshoi that the first great Russian operas, Glinka's ''A Life for the Tsar'' and ''Ruslan and Lyudmila Ruslan may refer to:
* ''Ruslan'' (film), a 2009 film starring Steven Segal
* Ruslan (given name), male name used mainly in Slavic countries, with list of people
* Antonov An-124 ''Ruslan'', large Soviet cargo aircraft, later built in Ukraine and ...
'', premiered.
*In a bit of ideological editing, the Bolshoi Theatre appears to be "destroyed" by the device of a split screen in Dziga Vertov
Dziga Vertov (russian: Дзига Вертов, born David Abelevich Kaufman, russian: Дави́д А́белевич Ка́уфман, and also known as Denis Kaufman; – 12 February 1954) was a Soviet pioneer documentary film and newsre ...
's ''Man with a Movie Camera
''Man with a Movie Camera'' (russian: Человек с киноаппаратом, translit=Chelovek s kinoapparatom) is an experimental 1929 Soviet silent documentary film, directed by Dziga Vertov, filmed by his brother Mikhail Kaufman, an ...
''.
External links
Official Bolshoi Theatre website
Official Bolshoi Theatre webpages YouTube
Official Bolshoi Theatre webpages Facebook
Official Bolshoi Theatre webpages VKontakte
Official Bolshoi Theatre webpages Twitter
Official Bolshoi Theatre webpages Instagram
Bolshoi Theatre in Theatrical Russia Annual Dictionary
* ttp://www.vor.ru/English/MTales/tales_019.html Chief Conductorsbr>Bolshoi Theatre School in Brazil website
Bolshoi Delights Cuba Audience
Photo Feature, ''Havana Times'', Feb 15, 2010
Reconstruction of Bolshoi Theatre, Pictures
The New Stage of Bolshoi Theatre, Pictures
The Bolshoi Theatre at Google Cultural Institute
{{Authority control
Tverskoy District
Tourist attractions in Moscow
Theatres completed in 1825
1825 establishments in the Russian Empire
Neoclassical architecture in Russia