with full company and orchestra
of over 220
at the Royal Opera House
19 July to 7 August 2004
The word Bolshoi conjures up visions of spectacular ballets in the minds of balletomanes worldwide. During a history spanning more than 225 years, the Bolshoi Ballet's vast repertoire is linked to a roster of legendary names who, from generation to generation, have remained custodians of their heritage. For the Company's first London season for five years, under its new Artistic Director, Alexei Ratmansky, audiences are invited to participate in a journey through this illustrious history and to experience some of its most significant moments.
Remarkably, one of its oldest works,
The Pharaoh's Daughter, only now receives its UK premiere.
Petipa's first work is an extravaganza of immense proportions and opulent designs which, since its creation in 1862, has enjoyed sensational success.
The season opens with another Petipa favourite,
Don Quixote, in a production by Alexei Fadeyechev, which received great acclaim during the Company's last visit to London.
Swan Lake, provides a rare opportunity to see the masterpiece in a production by Yuri Grigorovich, in which he returns to the original version of the ballet contained in Tchaikovsky's music.
An electrifying new production of
Romeo & Juliet, directed by Declan Donnellan and seen for the first time outside Russia, reveals an entirely new and exciting face of the Bolshoi Ballet.
Spartacus, set to Khachaturian's passionate score, first took London by storm in 1969. Created only one year earlier, Grigorovich's epic work epitomised the unique Bolshoi style, remaining to this day one of the world's most acclaimed ballets.
With over 220 artists, including the great Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra and a host of superb soloists, the Bolshoi will present five stupendous ballets spanning a period of no less than 140 years. It is truly a history well worth celebrating.
