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| | Arts Calendar / October 19 / Ballet |
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 Ballet to music by Sergei Prokofiev. 125 min (with one intermission). Libretto by Sergei Prokofiev and Mira Mendelson-Prokofieva. Choreography: Yury Grigorovich. Music Director and Conductor: Felix Korobov. "The Stone Flower" staged by Yuri Grigorovich had the premiere in 1957 at the Kirov (now Mariinsky) Theatre. In 1959 it was transferred to the Bolshoi Theatre. The premiere of "The Stone Flower" marked a departure from the "dramballet" and the beginning of a new phase of the Russian Soviet ballet whose absolute leader was Yuri Grigorovich. It was the work on "The Stone Flower" that was the beginning of his collaboration with Simon Virsaladze, who proved the choreographer’s veritable co-creator. Many a star of the Russian Soviet ballet, such as I. Kolpakova, A. Osipenko, A.Gribov, Yu. Solovyov, M. Plisetskaya, E. Maksimova, V. Vasiliev, and N. Timofeeva, danced in "The Stone Flower." In Moscow, "The Stone Flower" had not been performed since 1994. The production of 2008 at the K. S. Stanislavsky and V. I. Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre was the first encounter of the Theatre’s ballet troupe with Yury Grigorovich.
Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Moscow Music Theater  |
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 Christopher Wheeldon after the play of the same name by William Shakespeare. Music by Joby Talbot. Choreographer: Christopher Wheeldon. Music Director: Anton Grishanin. Set and Costume Designer: Bob Crowley. The Winter’s Tale is a quite complicated play to make successful performance. However, Christopher Wheeldon has found his right approach to it and demonstrated an ability to follow the age-old ballet traditions, successfully refracting them in a modern way. He refused of naive pantomime – peculiar to old-time ballet performances and being a stumbling block for modern narrative ballet – and replaced it with more precise and significant gestures. He managed to tell this story (omitting some plot twists, of course) in a simple and clear language. Perhaps, today the image of Leontes, king of Sicilia, is more relevant than the simple-minded Othello (if the latter does not want to believe the suspicions, the first, an evil neurotic, persists, not wanting to dispel them, and as if he draws some perverted delight in them). Wheeldon shapes this character with classical choreographic language and broken spider-like plastic, finely transmitting the growing mental stress of the sadist king. The Bohemian second act highlights a young loving couple (Prince Florizel and servant-mistress Perdita). There is also a dashing mass shepherds' dance that is simply breathtaking, in part because it takes place against a gorgeous giant tree and with accompaniment of a stage orchestra, equipped with such rare music instruments as bansuri and dulcimer. As for personal approach, Christopher Wheeldon demonstrates it in the most effective way in the finale – in gentle and very touching duet of penitent Leontes and his wife’s statue, which comes to life. She descends from her pedestal alone, her little son will forever remain a marble sculpture and will become a real loss and payment for unforgivable sins. And after all, it is the young Prince (as you'll see by reading Shakespeare) who explains why this tale is a winter’s tale - it's a sad story.
Bolshoi Theater |
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