White Nights'05 - pricier than Mariinsky Festival

[Natalia]

I don't recall who recently asked the question, "What is the difference between attending the Mariinsky Int'l Ballet Festival & the White Nights Festival?"

Well, here's your answer. Following is the initial ballet-evenings schedule of this year's festival & the prices for foreigners (not to mention the laughably pretentious names of the categories!):

* May 30, Monday 18:00 Ballet - Adolphe Adam ''Giselle''(fantastic ballet in two acts)

* June 01, Wednesday 19:00 Ballet - Ludwig Minkus "Don Quixote"(grand ballet in four acts, seven scenes with prologue)

* June 03, Friday 19:00 Ballet - Ludwig Minkus "La Bayadere" (ballet in 3 acts)

* June 04 , Saturday 19:00 Ballet - Peter Tchaikovsky "The Nutcracker" (ballet in two acts)

* June 06, Monday 20:00 Ballet - Peter Tchaikovsky "Swan Lake"

* June 07, Tuesday 19:00 Ballet - Peter Tchaikovsky "Sleeping Beauty" (version of soloist Sergey Vikharev)

* June 09, Thursday 19:00 Ballet - Ballets of William Forsythe

At the moment tickets of all seat categories are available

1а. Exclusive (Parterre 1-5 rows middle) $282

2a. VIP for Ballet (Parterre 6-8 rows middle; 13 row) $249

2b. VIP for Opera (Dress Circle 11,12 boxes) $228

3a. VIP (Parterre 1-8 rows lateral; 9-12 rows) $208

3b. VIP (Benoire 6-17 boxes; Dress Circle 7-15 boxes) $190

4a. Super Luxe (Parterre 14-18 rows) $167

4b. Super Luxe (Benoire 1-5, 18-24 boxes; Dress Circle 1-8, 16-19 boxes) $155

5a. Luxe (I circle 4-13 boxes) $115

5b. Luxe (I circle 1-3, 14-16 boxes; II circle) $98

6. Business (III circle 1 row middle) $44

7. Economy (III circle 1 row lateral, 2-3 rows) $35

8. Student (III circle 4-6 rows) $26

Source: www.mariinka.org forum

[Dale]

I was told that the White Nights is the pet project of Gergiev, and therefore reflects his taste (and price structure).

Nice to see the New/Old "Sleeping Beauty (version of soloist Sergey Vikharev)" being performed.

[Mel Johnson]

While I think that Giselle could be considered a "fantastic" ballet - i.e., one rooted in the realm of imaginary creatures and legend, I don't think Don Quixote works as a "grand ballet". "Grand ballet" is just like "grand opera", it's about nationalism. "Marco Spada" is a grand ballet, and unless you argue that Don Q is about finding an ancestral homeland for amiable wack jobs, it's not a grand ballet, no matter how grand the presentation.

[Natalia]

Mel, those are the original subtitles (descriptions) in Petipa's libretti. In the 19th C., ballets were given these florid, descriptive titles, e.g. "ballet-feeri in prologue and three acts" for Sl.Beauty. The Mariinsky has maintained those descriptive titles in their p.r. literature, including posters & playbills, to this day...whether or not they are accurate.

Another thought - For $285 a seat, it had better be a "FANTASTIC ballet"!

[Mel Johnson]

Don Q is a grand ballet? You mean it's actually ABOUT Spanish nationalism and a triumph over tyranny? You coulda fooled me. (Camacho must have been much meaner in 1869) And yes, a ballet-féerie is about enchantment, so "fantastic" is good.

[DancingGiselle]

WOW!!! Those are some expensive seats! I hope the ballets turn out to be worth it -- I'm leaving St. Petersburg a few days before the festival starts, so I won't be able to catch any of them, but I guess I really wouldn't be able to afford good seats anyway (although I pay the regular, non-foreigner price).