07.04.2017

The Ballet Firebird To Mark the 135th Anniversary of Igor Stravinsky’s Birth at the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre

The April-May Playbill of the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre features an evening of ballet The Firebird, coinciding with the 135th anniversary of Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky’s. birth.

Igor Stravinsky’s ballet the Firebird, commissioned by Sergei Diaghilev for his Ballets Russes, became a major breakthrough for the young composer. Its premiere, starring legendary Tamara Karsavina and Mikhail Fokine, was a resounding success and remained included into the repertoire of Diaghilev’s ballet company throughout the whole period of its existence. The sets and costumes for the first performance was created by celebrated designers Leon Bakst and Alexander Golovin.

The vibrant music of the ballet, filled with orchestral effects, illustrated inimitable sound images of the famous Russian fairy-tale. Many musical numbers from this ballet are frequently performed at instrumental concerts as self-contained pieces of music, for example, “The infernal dance of all King Kashchei’s subjects” imbued in wild unbridled power and rhythmic pulsations. The Firebird became one of the symbols of the Russian culture in the ballet of the 20th century. Throughout the whole century it was staged by such acclaimed choreographers as Léonide Massine, George Balanchine, Maurice Béjart, Boris Eifman and Alexei Ratmansky.

On April 13 and May, 9 the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre presents the Firebird choreographed by Eldar Aliev. The performance is distinguished not only by the characters’ distinctive plastique, colourful costumes by Galina Solovieva and sets by Semen Pastukh, but also by technically challenging special effects. On 13 April, the parts of the Princess and the Firebird will be performed by the Primorsky Stage soloist Anna Samostrelova.

The evening’s programme also includes classical and modern choreographic pieces. The first part will feature Grand pas from Raymonda, Pas de deux The Carnival of Venice from the ballet Satanella, Pas de six from the ballet La Esmeralda, The Swan by Mikhail Fokine and the Inspiration by Sergei Rachmaninoff.

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