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Summer 2009 at the Mariinsky Theater


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The lone Juliet in May will be Irina Golub on the 20th, making us wonder when Somova may be making her debut as Juliet. June 6 will be the very last R&J back home before the London tour, as the Mariinsky website now lists all performances between now and July 31. So either "Ms X" debuts on June 6 or she may be debuting in London, at the start of the tour.

The biggest recent news, as far as I'm concerned, is Tatyana Tkachenko having replaced -- at the 11th hour --Irma Nioradze in one of last week's two Raymondas. (Kolegova danced the 2nd performance.) Tkachenko is really making a move. It's been a long time coming. She also essays Zarema in Bakh Fontan this Sunday, opposite Dumchenko.

More justice prevailing: Tonight Yana Selina finally debuts in a leading classical role in a full-evening ballet -- La Sylphide! She graduated the Vaganova Academy in '96 or '97 and had been confined to "Chorypheeland" for at least a decade, before being promoted to 2nd Soloist last fall. It's about time. She's the Mariinsky's long-time counterpart to POB's Thibault.

Then Ekaterina Osmolkina debuts as the Tsar Maiden in Ratmansky's Little Humpbacked Horse on the 10th.

Admirers of Vikharev's reconstructions can take heart that Flora's Awakening will reawaken on June 11. (However, it's still the 1952 Soviet Beauty being presented at the Mariinsky, sorry to report. EXTRA! Edited on May 18 when the playbill was changed to show that the 1890 version of Beauty would be presented on June 18.)

The highly-anticipated Vaganova Academy Graduation Performances commence June 20.

The premiere of a new production of Yakobsen's full-length Shuraleh takes place on June 29, repeated June 30.

The announcement for the annual three-month Stars of the White Nights Festival is found here:

http://www.mariinsky.ru/en/news1/pressa/xviiwnf_programme/

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[carrying over from the Amsterdam tour thread]

Casting now up for most of June (though not yet for the two Shurales on the 29th & 30th):

Viktoria Terioshkina -- not Alina Somova, as many of us speculated -- will debut as Juliet on June 6:

http://www.mariinsky.ru/en/playbill/playbi...009/6/6/1_1900/

Maya Dumchenko's debut as Zarema -- yes, you read correctly; not her usual role of Maria -- in Fountains of Bakhshiserai:

http://www.mariinsky.ru/en/playbill/playbi...009/6/9/1_1900/

Obraztsova in 1st mvt of In the Night (her 2nd perf in the role) & 'Big Red' in Symph in C-2nd mvt:

http://www.mariinsky.ru/en/playbill/playbi...09/6/11/1_1900/

Daria Pavlenko returns to Emeralds; Denis Matvienko debuts in Rubies:

http://www.mariinsky.ru/en/playbill/playbi...09/6/12/1_1900/

Oksana Skorik debuts as Queen of Dryads in Don Q!

http://www.mariinsky.ru/en/playbill/playbi...09/6/14/1_1900/

***EXTRA! EXTRA! The return of Sleeping Beauty 1890 production, with a bunch of debuts, incl the Matvienkos as Aurora/Desire and young, tall beauty Lilia Lischuk as Lilac Fairy:

http://www.mariinsky.ru/en/playbill/playbi...09/6/18/1_1900/

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The premiere of a new production of Yakobsen's full-length Shuraleh takes place on June 29, repeated June 30.

http://www.mariinsky.ru/en/news1/pressa/xviiwnf_programme/

Casting is now up.

June 28

Siyumbike: Yevgenia Obraztsova

Ali-Batyr: Mikhail Lobukhin

Shurale: Leonid Sarafanov

http://www.mariinsky.ru/en/playbill/playbi...09/6/28/1_2000/

June 29

Siyumbike: Yekaterina Osmolkina

Ali-Batyr: Denis Matvienko

Shurale: to be announced

http://www.mariinsky.ru/en/playbill/playbi...09/6/29/1_1900/

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Earlier, I had reported:

***EXTRA! EXTRA! The return of Sleeping Beauty 1890 production, with a bunch of debuts, incl the Matvienkos as Aurora/Desire and young, tall beauty Lilia Lischuk as Lilac Fairy

That's just been reversed. It will be the Soviet 1952 version after all. The Mariinsky-KIROV Powers have prevailed:

http://www.mariinsky.ru/en/playbill/playbi...09/6/18/1_1900/

So much for that.

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just came across with it ;-))

sorry that it's all in russian, but great dancing, and on OFFICIAL site of Mariinski.

Adore Tereshkina's interpretation of Juliet and how she prepared, got tears in my eyes at the end.

Loved the words of their coach "I teach them not to dance with the music, but to DANCE THE MUSIC"

http://www.mariinsky.ru/news1/media/

and Lopatkina with Chistyakova

http://www.mariinsky.ru/news1/media/lopatkina

Humpback rehearsals -

http://www.mariinsky.ru/news1/media/konyok

Enjoy, i surely DID

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It's just one day before the big ballet premiere of the White Nights -- the revival of Yakobsen's SHURALE -- and still no casting announcements on the Mariinsky website or the posters in front of the theater. An earlier (June 2) announcement of Evgenia Obraztsova (Simbiuke, the bird maiden), Mikhail Lobukhin (Ali Batir, the hero) and Leonid Sarafanov (Shurale, the monster) as the opening night stars was retracted within days that it went up, you may recall, as per Rosa's posts, above. Also, the lovely Ekaterina Osmolkina and Denis Matvienko had earlier been announced as the leads of the 2nd cast and that, too, was retracted. [However, reliable sources say that Obraztsova may still be the opening Siumbike...was seen in the costume shop, being fitted with the Siumbike costumes. Ditto Osmolkina, for 2nd cast. No flexible gymnast was seen in the costume shop that day.]

Ninel Kurgapkina -- coach of Obraztsova -- who passed away a month ago, was the leading stager, along with Tatyana Terekhova -- coach of Somova and, I think, Osmolkina. After Kurgapkina's death, Terekhova took over as leading stager. Whose charge will show up on the stage tomorrow night, for the honor of the opening night? It's the biggest mystery in the St. Petersburg ballet world.

Link to story of ballet:

http://www.mariinsky.ru/en/playbill/playbi...09/6/28/1_2000/

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It's just one day before the big ballet premiere of the White Nights -- the revival of Yakobsen's SHURALE -- and still no casting announcements on the Mariinsky website or the posters in front of the theater. An earlier (June 2) announcement of Evgenia Obraztsova (Simbiuke, the bird maiden), Mikhail Lobukhin (Ali Batir, the hero) and Leonid Sarafanov (Shurale, the monster) as the opening night stars was retracted within days that it went up, you may recall, as per Rosa's posts, above. Also, the lovely Ekaterina Osmolkina and Denis Matvienko had earlier been announced as the leads of the 2nd cast and that, too, was retracted. [However, reliable sources say that Obraztsova may still be the opening Siumbike...was seen in the costume shop, being fitted with the Siumbike costumes. Ditto Osmolkina, for 2nd cast. No flexible gymnast was seen in the costume shop that day.]

Ninel Kurgapkina -- coach of Obraztsova -- who passed away a month ago, was the leading stager, along with Tatyana Terekhova -- coach of Somova and, I think, Osmolkina. After Kurgapkina's death, Terekhova took over as leading stager. Whose charge will show up on the stage tomorrow night, for the honor of the opening night? It's the biggest mystery in the St. Petersburg ballet world.

Link to story of ballet:

http://www.mariinsky.ru/en/playbill/playbi...09/6/28/1_2000/

In the link to Maryinsky-Playbill you provided, Obsbratsova,D Matvienko and A Sergeyev are listed for the openning night.

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Natalia, I believe Osmolkina is actually injured - one Russian board reports that Irina Golub will be second-cast Siyumbike in her absence, but since the Mariinsky website now signals the first cast, the second will likely be up soon.

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Thanks. Just checked now, too. No 2nd cast yet. This is particularly nice for Alexander Sergeev; a feather in his cap to be named to the opening night cast. However, I wonder what happened with Sarafanov, who had originally been listed to dance the title role of the forest monster.

Very sad news about Osmolkina, if so...but great news for Golub. Let's hope that it materializes. (wink)

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This is particularly nice for Alexander Sergeev; a feather in his cap to be named to the opening night cast. However, I wonder what happened with Sarafanov, who had originally been listed to dance the title role of the forest monster...
I know nothing of Sergeev; if he's as impressive as Sarafanov, then I'm in for a treat.
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Just back from the Mariinsky. It was a spectacular evening.

As for tomorrow's cast, based on the premiere booklet, it's likely to be:

Irina Golub

Mikhail Lobukhin

Anton Pimonov

Alexander Sergeyev was impressive as Shurale, Denis Matvienko was outstanding, and Obraztsova was simply breathtaking.

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Thanks, windflyer.

Well, YouTube works quickly. Several vids of tonight"s SHURALE revival-premiere are up, including these two.

Adagio, Obraztsova/Matvienko:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9uZakx8HB4...feature=channel

Act II Tatar wedding folk dance, with Obraztsova, female corps and enormous silk scarf (a-la Denishawn Soaring):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69327u6CInI

By all accounts, another big hit for the Mariinsky, certainly for knowledgeable 'locals' who adore old-fashioned spectacle and pure elegance.

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Natalia,

Very nice videos. I even liked the distinctly "non-Western" feel of the music, too. :) (The music reminded me of the orchestral music from China with its distinctly Asian themes I would hear from documentaries produced by the Chinese government.)

(Methinks someone had a hard drive digital camcorder and was able to quickly download it to a computer, encode it to YouTube specs, and quickly upload it to YouTube.)

Obraztsova, as usual, was excellent in the role of Siyumbike. :clapping::flowers:

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By all accounts, another big hit for the Mariinsky, certainly for knowledgeable 'locals' who adore old-fashioned spectacle and pure elegance.
Agree. Setting aside for a moment the finer points of dancing, the production is, IMHO, a major triumph—amazing sets, many many beautiful costumes, exotic music, yes, lots of dancing (but not in a <yawn> parade of variations), and a nice dose of humour (there is one variation where four drunk tatar women dance in the courtyard doing a subtle send-up of the cygnettes in Swan Lake :clapping: ).

I found it an amazing experience, and most importantly, a very unique spectacle (in umpteen years of going to the ballet)!!

I personally think that *this* is the kind of thing that the company should throw its resources after (this coming from someone who a couple of years ago wondered why the Mariinsky would bother with Ondina).

I even liked the distinctly "non-Western" feel of the music, too. :)
The central-Asian feel is certainly one of the most attractive elements of the ballet, not just as it pertains to the music and the costumes but also some of the dances.

I think of myself as very fortunate to have been able to attend the premiere.

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Again - many, many thanks for your on-the-ground insights, Windflyer. :)

Mireille, I can compare with regard to the length as I've seen both the video and a live production by another Russian troupe in Egypt. The Terekhova video lasts about 90 minutes, so at least 30 minutes of the ballet had to be cut out of the filming, including a number of character-folk dances. As far as the dancing is concerned, Obraztsova seems to bring a softer edge to the bird-maiden than does the phenomenal technician Terekhova (and main stager here, after Kugapkina's passing). Matvienko, in early You Tube clips, seems to be stronger and more heroic than the very fine Vadim Budarin in the film. I'd LOVE to see a clip of Alexander Sergeev in the title role of the slimy monster...I heard that he came close to stealing the show last night.

I saw so much 'Odette' in those few clips of Obraztsova. Could Swan Lake be far behind for her? Yes, she can!!!

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