John Neumeier`s ballet "Le Sacre" (image from www.hamburgballett.de)
Tribute festival to Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes
Published 12 October, 2009, 18:55
The “Diaghilev. Postscriptum” festival opens in St.Petersburg in the memory of a Russian art critic, ballet impresario and founder of Ballets Russes, whose contribution to ballet and theatre can hardly be underestimated.
The festival, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Ballets Russes, from which many famous dancers and choreographers arose, opens on October 12 with ballets staged by well-known American ballet dancer, choreographer, and director John Neumeier in the Alexandrinsky Theater.
His world famous troupe will present three ballets themed to “Ballets Russes”, never before staged in Russia. The first one is dedicated to the memory of Vaslav Nijinsky and set to the music of Bach.
The second one will be Neumeier’s version of one of Ballets Russes’s best ballets “The Rite of Spring” here titled as “Le Sacre”. The last one will be “Armida’s pavilion”, another well-known Diaghilev’s ballet. The St.Pete public will be among the first to see this performance – the world premiere was in June of this year in Hamburg.
The next day, on October 13th, the Philharmonic Hall will host “Dedication to Diaghilev” gala concert, featuring young Russian opera singers – Ekaterina Gubanova, Aleksey Dolgov, Aleksey Markov and others – performing fragments from operas written by Diaghilev circle's composers – Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Borodin and Mussorgsky.
On Sunday, October 18, the Sheremetevsky palace will see the “Imperial Collection” concert of the St.Petersburg House of Music, performed by young Russian musicians. What’s special about the performance is that the musicians will play instruments from a unique collection of the State Museum of Theater and Music started by Tsar Alexander III.
The next day the festival will close with a gala concert of world ballet’s stars. Moscow’s Bolshoi Theater will present Aleksey Ratmansky’s one-act ballet “Ballets Russes”.
Exhibition program of the festival
Within the festival several exhibitions will appear in the city’s main museums. On October 14, the State Hermitage will open two exhibitions of Diaghilev troupe’s leaders’ portraits.
The Russian Museum will open its “Diaghilev.Beginning” display, which will tell about Serge Diaghilev as a critic, a curator and an art historian. Here fragments of Russian art of the beginning of the 20 century exhibitions, organized by Diaghilev will be presented.
The Ethnographic Museum will display stage costumes created by Leon Bakst and Alexandre Benois, and theatrical accessories that belonged to the stars of early 20th Century stage.
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