Performing arts in Russia have earned an esteemed
reputation around the world. From Russia's renowned classical music composers, ballet dancers
and opera singers, to Russian and Soviet
playwrights, directors and actors, many
Russian and Ukrainian names are synonymous with
excellence in music and theatre. To give visitors an
introduction to Russian performing arts, we've
outlined a brief history of each art
form, noted some of the most recognized names in
music, dance and drama, and listed the must attend
theatre and concert hall venues.
Classical music in Russia can be broken down
into several different periods of the
Classical, Romantic,
and Soviet eras. Throughout
each period, Russian and Soviet conservatories
have produced numerous celebrated composers, as
well as a wealth of renowned musicians and
conductors.
Some of Russia's most recognized musicians include
pianists Vladimir Horowitz, Sviatoslav Richter
and Emil Gilels, violinists David Oistrakh and Gidon Kremer, as well as one of the greatest
cellists of the 20th century, Mstislav Rostropovich.
Western music tradition was
originally introduced to Russia by Czar Peter the Great in the early 18th century as part of his reforms to modernize
Russian society. During the reign of subsequent
Russian rulers, the imperial court invited many
prominent Italian musicians who brought with
them Classical traditions of
opera, chamber music and symphony. While this
foreign influence helped inspire Russia's early
Classical musicians, Russian composers were also
sent abroad to refine their skills. A few of the
early Russian / Ukrainian composers of the Classical period include the
likes of Maksim Berezovsky, Dmitri Bortniansky,
and Artem Vedel.
The origin of Russian opera can be traced back to
1731 when Frederick Augustus I (King of Poland and
Elector of Saxony) lent his Italian opera troupe to
Empress Anna for the celebration of her coronation in Moscow. Giovanni Alberto Ristori
presented this first opera, Calandro,
with the assistance
of his father Tommaso Ristori, 13 actors and nine
singers. Making an obvious impression, the Empress
invited another Italian opera troupe, led
by composer Francesco Araja, four
years later.
Francesco Araja went on to spend a total of 25 years in
Russia and wrote at least 14 operas for the Russian Imperial Court.
A few notable operas of the Italian composer include Bellerofonte
(1750) - the first opera to include a Russian participant (singer Mark Poltoratski),
and Tsefal i Prokris (1755) -
the first opera written in Russian language.
Another foreigner to have a longstanding
influence in Russian opera was composer Hermann Raupach.
The German composer spent 18 years in Russia serving
as a court composer and eventually, as an instructor
at the Imperial Academy of Arts in St Petersburg. Raupach
wrote the second opera in Russian language, Alceste (1758).
18th Century Russian Composers of Opera
As the 18th century progressed early Russian composers, trained at home and abroad,
started to appear. A few of the 18th century
Russian...
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about Russian Opera Theatre
Russian Ballet, like other western art forms, had
its origins under the reign of Peter the Great in
the early 18th century. As part of his reforms to
modernize Russian society, the Czar and his
successors invited French
and Italian teachers of the arts. One of the first
ballet teachers, Jean Baptiste Lande, brought his students
who performed for the court of Russian Empress Anna Ivanovna.
So impressed was she by the spectacle, that the
Empress decided to start a ballet school in Russia
in 1738. Initially called the Imperial Ballet School,
it is now known as the world famous Vaganova Academy.
Named in honor of legendary Agrippina
Vaganova, a Russian ballet
teacher who perfected the teaching of
Classical ballet into a workable
syllabus, Fundamentals of the Classical Dance (1934),
the Vaganova Academy has trained
world renowned dancers such as Anna Pavlova,
George Balanchine, and Vaslav Nijinsky.
Another famous ballet school, the Moscow Choreography College
(commonly known as the Bolshoi Ballet Academy),
had its origins later in the 18th century when
Catherine the Great saw to the opening of the
school at a Moscow orphanage in 1773. It was at
this same time that private ballet theatres were
also starting to appear and thrive amongst the courts
of Russian aristocratic families.
By the 19th century ballet became a favorite art
form within Russia. Special privileges were given
to ballet amongst other art forms, privileges
that included
government grants, new theatre development, and
the appointment of French ballet master Marius Petipa
as chief choreographer for the Imperial Ballet
School in 1871. Pepita's appointment...
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about Russian Ballet
Russian drama theatre has its roots in traveling
performers - actors, singers, musicians, dancers and animal trainers - known as
skomorokhi (скоморохи). Emerging
from the peasantry and restricting their activities
largely to that class, skomorokhi became an
integral part of the cultural life in Kievan Rus' by
the 11th century.
Often incorporating elements of social satire
and protest against the church and ruling
classes, skomorokhi soon found themselves at
odds with ecclesiastical authorities. Demonized
by the Orthodox Church as a symbol of paganism,
persecution of these wandering actors and
performers was common
by the 17th century.
At the same time that skomorokhi were being
persecuted, the Orthodox Church began to stage its own
performances. By the 17th century
several private theatres were in existence.
A few of these included the Greco-Latin Theological Academy
in Kiev, Novgorod Seminary
and the Bishop's house in Rostov.
The main stage for the Moscow Philharmonic Society,
the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall is one
of the centers of musical and
cultural life in Moscow. Officially
opened in 1940 (to celebrate the one
hundred year anniversary of Peter
Tchaikovsky's birth), the recently
renovated, state-of-the-art concert
hall can seat 1505 spectators and
hosts roughly 300 performances per
year. Apart from concerts
staged by the Moscow Philharmony and
local artists, the concert hall also
hosts different international music
festivals and invites some of the
most famous troupes and orchestras
from around the world as well.
One of the most well-known
concert halls in Russia and all of
Europe, the
Shostakovich Philharmonic Hall is
bursting with history and prestige.
It is home to the Saint Petersburg Philharmonic
Society (Europe's oldest, established
in 1802) and plays host to two world renowned
symphony orchestras - the Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra (Russia's
oldest, formed in 1882) and the
Saint Petersburg Academic Symphony Orchestra
(founded in 1931). Built in 1839,
the hall itself has been the center
of Russia's musical life since the
1840s. With seating capacity for
more than 1500 people, and an
exquisite interior, its a treat to
take in a concert and experience a
part of Russia's cultural heritage.
Presently called the National
Philharmonic, and/or the Kiev
Philharmonic, the building
(built in 1882) originally went by the name Merchants' House.
Used by the Merchants' Assembly for
all sorts of cultural gatherings, it
was particularly recognized for musical performances due to its
amazing acoustics. The
State Philharmonic
Society was bequeathed the damaged,
but still standing concert hall
after the Germans' retreat in 1944.
Since that time the National Philharmonic Society of Ukraine
(as its officially called) has used the
facility to stage a wide range of
programs. In the main concert hall,
known as the Lysenko Hall of Columns,
visitors can enjoy
a full season of concerts by Symphony and Chamber Philharmonic Orchestras,
folk ensembles, plus
various music festivals and competitions
with distinguished national and international participants.
Also known as the Moscow State Academic Chamber Musical Theatre,
the popular Moscow opera theatre is
home to a company known as the Pokrovsky Opera.
Founded in 1971, the theatre bears
the name of founder Boris Pokrovsky, a former operatic stage director
of the Bolshoi Theatre (from 1943 to 1982).
Over the decades the exacting and
uncompromising director has helped
develop a diverse and innovative
repertoire of both classical and
contemporary works. Combine this
with a state-of-the-art theatre that
seats up to 240 people and you get
an intriguing, very entertaining
night at the opera.
One of the oldest opera and ballet theatres in Russia,
the Mikhailovsky Theatre was founded
in 1833 at its historical location
on Arts Square (Iskusstv Ploschad).
While it currently goes by its
original name, you may also notice
locals using
its other name (used from 1989 to
2007) - Mussorgsky Opera and Ballet Theatre.
Regardless what you want to call it,
visitors have the opportunity to
view major opera and ballet works of
the 19th and 20th centuries,
performed and directed by some of
the most talented and respected
artists from Russia and abroad.
Officially named the National Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet named after T.G. Shevchenko,
Kiev's oldest musical theatre dates
back to 1867. Following a 1896 fire
that destroyed the original
building, the theatre moved into its
current, neo-Renaissance style
facility, in 1901. Throughout the
turbulent 20th century the opera
house adopted various names and
followed different ideological
directions (from classical Russian
and European performances, to a
period of Ukrainization and liberalization,
to Socialist Classicism in which
more contemporary works were largely
condemned). Despite the change, the
one thing that remained constant was
the high artistic level of the
troupe. Today the theatre stages a
wide range of opera and ballet
performances, both classical and
contemporary, and has earned awards
and recognition both at home and
around the world.
One of the oldest and most famous
theatres in the world, the Bolshoi
theatre company dates back to 1776,
while the building itself dates back to
its 1825 Grand opening which staged
Fernando Sor's ballet Cendrillion.
Since then the Bolshoi theatre has
hosted many historical opera and
ballet premiers and gone through
many restorations.
The most recent (and ongoing)
restoration is expected to be
complete for the 2011-2012 theatre
season. In the meantime audiences
can enjoy classical productions and
modern opera and ballet performances
on the new stage directly behind the
historical building.
The Mariinsky Opera and Ballet Theatre, often referred to as
the
Kirov Opera and Ballet
(as it was known during Soviet
times), is home to one of the most
famous ballet companies in all the
world. Opened in 1860, it became the
premiere
music theatre of late 19th century Russia.
The "Mariinka" as it is
affectionately called today, is a
architectural masterpiece unto
itself, so whether you take in a
ballet or opera you are in for a
marvelous treat.
A contemporary dance theatre
founded in 2006, Kyiv Modern-Ballet
is the creation of Radu Poklitaru, one of the most famous young
ballet masters in Europe. Poklitaru
has set out to take well-known
theatrical plots and choreograph his
own experimental, audacious
interpretations. At present the
theatre company has produced over 20
one-act and full length performances
that can be viewed around Kiev,
Ukraine and abroad.
One of Moscow's most well-known
theatres, the Lenkom is recognized
for its creative enthusiasm,
innovation, bold experiments and
longevity. Officially started under
the name Theatre for Working Youth
(TRAM) in 1927, the building itself
has been staging theatrical
performances since it was built in
1907 to house a Merchant's Club. The
Soviet youth theatre later went by
the name Moscow Leninist Komsomol Theatre,
which earned it the nickname LENKOM
(LENinist KOMsomol), which
eventually (post Soviet Union)
became its official name. Staging
both classical and contemporary
plays, plus some outstanding
musicals, there are few theatres in
Moscow that can compete with its
exceptional stage direction or
acting.
Also known as the Russian State Pushkin Academy Drama Theater,
Alexandrinsky Theatre is one of the oldest and most
respected drama theatres in all of Russia.
Founded in 1756, the theatre has occupied its current location
(part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site) on Alexandrinsky Square since 1832.
Today the "theatre of masters" is
most recognized for its drama
productions, but also stages
excellent ballet performances as
well.
address: 2, Ploschad Ostrovskovo (just off Nevsky Prospekt)
The historic home of the Russian
Drama Theatre, originally known as Bergognies House, dates back to 1875
when it initially housed a circus. Also home
to the theatre's predecessor, the Solovtsov
theatrical troupe, it was Soviet
authorities who ultimately created
the official Theatre of Russian
Drama in 1926. Originally used to
support Socialist ideologies, the
theatre, nevertheless, has been an incubator
of many great actors, writers and
directors since
its beginning. Named in 1941 after renowned
Ukrainian poet Lesya Ukrainka (1871-1913), and given the status of
Academic Theatre in 1966, the
present day Russian language theatre
has gained national and
international acclaim for its
interpretation and presentation of
classical and modern playwrights.
Below we have outlined some of the most popular
theatre and concert hall venues for travelers
seeking the inspiring performing arts culture of
Russia and nations of the former Soviet Union. Not only
will you find information on historic venues in
Moscow, St. Petersburg
and Kiev, but those of regional cities, from
Lviv to
Vladivostok as well.
