25 replies to this topic

[Kevin Ng]

quote:

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Originally posted by NO7:
How about the cast for the performance on 9 March then? Will it be goddess Vishneva and Fadayev again?

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I just checked the Kirov site and the March casting has been updated for some performances.

http://www.mariinsky...ill?pbmy=200203

The performance on 9 March will be danced by Natalia Sologub and Denis Matvienko.

[Natalia]

Hi Kevin et al - Greetings from St Petes...in fact I'm sitting at a new internet cafe directly across from Kazan Cathedral, on Nevsky Prospekt, if you know where that is. I am having a ball! OK - Zelensky is out with injury; Uliana Lopatkina out on maternity leave; Andrian Fedeev (I think) is also injured, as he is being replaced by Mercuriev as the Prince on Tuesday night's premiere of the new 'Cinderella' which I will attend. Vishneva still scheduled to dance Cinderella.

Tonight I go to 'Raymonda' starring Makhalina/Ivanchenko. Tomorrow night it's a triple bill of Diaghilev=era reconstructions by Nikita Dolgushin, at the Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory: Pulcinella, Pavillon dArmide & one other ballet...Firebird, I think. On Monday (or Tues?) it's 'Esmeralda' at the Maly. etc, etc. Well, this place is hopping with all sorts of ballet, as always.  

Oh - before I forget...there is a nice new Mariinsky Theater shop next-door to the theater, with some nice books, magazines, videos, tutus, tiaras, etc. All sorts of good stuff. *They have just published a GORGEOUS souvenir programme - more like a large book, but soft cover - titled 'Mariinsky Ballet,' with colour photos & descriptions of ALL oballets in the Mariinsky rep, plus bios of all the principals, and 1st and 2nd soloists. Those of you coming next week to the festival should not miss it. Too, this programme announces the festivities for 2003, which will coincide with the 300th anniversary of the city of St. Petersburg. Next year's Mariinsky Intl Ballet Festival will commence on Feb 14h (Valentines Day) & last about 12 days. Too, there will be a HUGE ballet ball at Tsarskoye Selo -- in the main ballroom of the Ekaterinsky Palace -- on May 31, 2003, to be attended by President Putin.

WISH ALL OF YOU WERE HERE! Take care.

[Alexandra]

Thank you, Jeannie!  Some day you'll have to write a guidebook of The Internet Cafes of Russia!   smile.gif   I'm glad you've arrived safely, and I hope you'll keep us posted.

[Natalia]

Thanks, Alexandra. I have a couple of reports to post under Recent Performances! Really DO wish you were here...LOVELY new blanket of snow. Very few tourists in the winter; no lines at the Hermitage. Lots of ballet. Absolutely heavenly.

TIPS FOR THOSE HEADED FOR THE FESTIVAL: You must bring comfortable walking boots, preferably with cleats, as there is quite a bit of 'bumpy ice' beneath that snow. Gore-Tex or some other heavy-duty waterproof material. Ladies, unless you are going to be chauffered 'door-to-door,' choose elegant-yet-practical attire for theater nights. That means, in essence, black pants with pretty sweaters/tops beneath your heavy coats. The latter must be checked in at the theater's guarde-robe...unlike America & Western Europe, the checking of coats is COMPULSORY here, so please don't bring your sables & minks 'cause you're going to have to part with them. And I'm not joking about the snow boots. I have yet to wear anything but them anywhere here, even on gala nights at the theater.

[Kevin Ng]

Jeannie, thanks so much indeed for your tips and your warning about the icy roads.  I now know what to pack in my suitcase.  I look forward to meeting you in St. Petersburg after my arrival this weekend.

[Natalia]

Well, I'm eating my words now, as we have had a warming trend today & the sidewalks are quite slushy. However, it's still a good idea to pack for any eventuality, as today's slush freezes overnight.

A FUN TIP -
Whatever the festival visitors do, they MUST take time to visit an authentic Russian 'banya'! That's the wind-and-crazy Russian equivalent of a sauna, except that it's steam heat instead of dry heat (as in Scandinavia) AND -- the best part -- you get literally beaten up with birch branches by your friends as you lie down on a hot wooden table in the 'parelki' (steam room). Screaming is optional. After that, you run like hell out of the room & plunge into an ice-cold swimming pool (or roll in the snow...whichever is most readily available). Then everyone drinks team or kvas on the picnic table before repeating the entire process about 6 times. Totally relaxing - trust me!

[Kevin Ng]

Nicolas Le Riche will not dance in Le Corsaire on Tue.  Igor Kolb will instead dance Ali.

The programme of the Gala on 18 March is as follows, according to the Festival programme which I bought last night in the Maryinsky Theatre.

Le Jeune Homme et la Mort - Agnes Letestu, Nicolas Le Riche

Le Spectre de la Rose - Zhanna Ayupova, and Vladimir Malakhov

Grand Pas Classique - Agnes Letestu, Jose Martinez

Bakhti - Diana Vishneva, Faroukh Ruzimatov

Tchaikovsky pas de deux - Aurelie Dupont, Manue Legris

Artifact II - Ballett Frankfurt

Diamonds - Svetlana Zakharova, Vladimir Malakhov

[ March 13, 2002, 07:00 AM: Message edited by: Kevin Ng ]

[Alexandra]

Thanks for that casting info, Kevin.

Jeannie, I hope you haven't been swallowed up by the snow   smile.gif  

And I do hope someone will report on the gala.

[Kevin Ng]

I have just been informed of a change in the casting for tonight's closing Gala.  Le Jeune Homme et la Mort will be danced instead by Yulia Makhalina and Andrian Fadeyev.

[ March 19, 2002, 03:34 AM: Message edited by: Kevin Ng ]

[Natalia]

I'm OK, Alexandra! I've actually been swallowed up by "Chicken Wars"...anybody who follows US-Russia trade relations knows what this is all about.   wink.gif  

I now have about five or six 'unwritten reviews' including the phenomenal 'Scheheradaze' at the Kirov on March 10, when the Bolshoi's Tsiskaridze brought down the house. Believe it or not, he eclipsed Vladimir Malakhov (guest in the other two ballets on the bill - 'Chopiniana' & 'Petrushka').

I'm also dying to find the time to tell you about two delightful productions that I recently attended at the Maly-Mussorgsky, 'Giselle' and 'Esmeralda.' This company rarely (ever?) tours North America but are often seen in Japan. I was very taken by the precision of their corps de ballet in 'Giselle' - better than (gulp!) the Kirov-Mariinsky. The soloists, too, are fine, although most of them -- and this sounds AWFUL, I know -- have a flaw of some sort which explains why they are at the Maly instead of the Mariinsky, e.g., too short. This is, on the whole, a shortish company, which makes sense with the smaller stage dimensions. Both 'Giselle' and 'Esmeralda' starred Anastasia Lomachenkova -- a very fine blonde dancer but, alas, less-than-ethereal in romantic roles. Definitely a creature of this earth! I was more impressed, in 'Giselle,' by the dancing of the dynamic Tatyana Miltseva & Dmitri Salimbaev in the Peasant Pas de Deux.

Yeah, I'll do details about the "Armide'/'Pulcinella' at the Conservatory, too. I got your message, Paul. This has been one heck of a week & the Russians are steadfastly holding to the poultry ban.

On a lighter note, I did ny first cross-country skiing EVER on the Finnish Gulf last weekend. Yes, on the Gulf. If the ice breaks, I'll find myself floating to Helsinki on a chunk of ice.  I was screaming my head off with laughter; I'm sure that my Russian buddies thought that I was totally nuts (as I am, just to have tried it).

Sorry, must run.  Kevin - I got your photos. Please update our friends on the festival programs!!!!

- Jeannie
Moscow (present location)

[ March 19, 2002, 05:11 PM: Message edited by: Jeannie ]

[Alexandra]

Thank you, Jeannie.  I loved reading about your skiing exploits, as well as the ballets.  Keep us posted  smile.gif