On September 10, 2018, at 19:00, the Great Hall of the State Kremlin Palace will host the Russian premiere of “The Crystal Palace”, a ballet with operatic element incorporated into it. The initiator and main organizer of the project is the European Foundation for Support of Culture (EFSC) headed by Konstantin Ishkhanov. The premiere of the ballet in Moscow was organized jointly with the Association for Support of Cultural Initiatives (APKI) and the State Kremlin Palace.
The world premiere of the ballet “Crystal Palace” was successfully held in Malta on July 21st, 2017. This event was timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Russian Federation and Malta. This year the ballet was staged in Armenia. Now the organizers are preparing to conquer Russia with this unusual performance.
After the premiere in Malta, Vladimir Malygin, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Malta, stressed: “I am particularly pleased to note that the ballet received many enthusiastic responses, including from high-ranking guests who attended the event. It really helped to strengthen the image of Russia as a country with a rich musical and spiritual heritage.”
Stage Scene from “The Crystal Palace”
The audience will see a bright costumed performance with luxurious Baroque decorations with the participation of the stars of the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia and the Mikhailovsky Theater. The action of the ballet takes place in the year 1740, during the reign of the Russian Empress Anna Ioannovna, played by the famous Italian actress Ornella Muti, known for her roles in the iconic films of world cinema: “The Taming of the Shrew (Il bisbetico domato)”, “Life is beautiful (La vita e bella)”, “Madly in Love (Innamorato pazzo)” and many others.
The plot of the Crystal Palace is based on a historical episode that took place at the court of the Russian autocrat. Anna Ioannovna was famous for her love of magnificent celebrations and unusual amusements.
One day she decided to bring about the marriage of a couple of court jesters, but they were to spend the winter night after the nuptials in a specially erected palace right on the River Neva, where the walls, the bed and even the flowers, are made of ice. This is the Crystal Palace.
The roles of the two lovers will be performed by the world ballet star, Honored Artist of Russia Ivan Vasiliev, and leading soloist of the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia Maria Vinogradova.
The star cast also includes the Prima Ballerina of the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia, People’s Artist of Russia Maria Allash, and soloist of the Opera Company of the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia Anna Nechaeva.
The ballet will also feature artists from Russia’s leading musical theatres, the Bolshoi Theatre Children’s Choir and the School of Classical Dance under the direction of Gennady and Larisa Ledyakh.
The ballet is set to the music of the famous American-Maltese composer of Russian origin, Alexei Shor, whose work has received worldwide recognition.
Alexey Shor, born in the Soviet Union and now Maltese-American, the composer for this program.
The development of the dance and musical components of the ballet was led by leading Russian directors and choreographers: Ekaterina Mironova and Alexander Somov, which speak of the play as the “Crystal Palace” of human relations…”
The era of Anna Ivanovna reveals interesting facts to the viewer. Few people know that in 1738 the Empress became the founder of the first Russian “Tantsevalniy – Her Imperial Majesty’s school” (now the Academy of Russian ballet named for Agrippina Y. Vaganova). Historical costumes, embroidered by hand according to the canons of the XVIII century, will amaze the audience with their exclusivity, wealth and splendor.
The two-act performance will be accompanied by a symphony orchestra, the members of which include musicians from some of the premier orchestras of Moscow. Pavel Klinichev, a multiple winner of the Golden Mask award, conducts the program.
The combined ballet / opera “The Crystal Palace” is a large – scale, significant event, the only show of its kind in Russia, with a unique character which is emphasized by great intercultural theatrical and musical connections.
Do not miss the opportunity to dive into the history, and immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the times of the great Empress Anna Ioannovna on September 10!
More information and tickets can be found at this link for the State Kremlin Palace Theater.
The main roles are played by:
Ornella Muti – Empress Anna Ioannovna
Ivan Vasiliev – Lover, Jester
Maria Vinogradova – The Jester’s beloved, a Cracker
Maria Allash – Fairy Frozen flower garden
Anna Nechaeva – Opera Diva
Composer – Alexey Shor
Directors and ballet masters – Ekaterina Mironova and
Alexander Somov
Conductor – Pavel Klinichev
Costume Designer – Elena Netsvetaeva-Dolgaleva
Production Designer – Sergey Timonin
Lighting Designer – Anton Stikhin
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