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The Bolshoi Theatre Reopens (with a Grand YouTube Broadcast)

I visited the Bolshoi Theatre only once, in early 1999. Together with my uni friend we listened to the Stone Guest (Don Juan) opera. We sat literally under the roof, and I got to see the beautiful murals.

Today, October 28, 2011, the Bolshoi Theatre reopens after a few years of restoration works. The gala will take place in just a few hours, and will be a live broadcast on YouTube. With all similar things YouTube have done over the years, I am incredibly proud that Google and the Bolshoi have co-operated for what promises to be perhaps a more widely watched event this year than the Royal Wedding.

To watch the live broadcast, go to The Bolshoi Theatre channel: http://www.youtube.com/Bolshoi

A host of celebrated Russian and foreign figures of Arts and Culture have sent their best wishes to the Bolshoi Theatre. Below are the cordial addresses from Tony Hall, Chief Executive of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and Roman Viktuyk, a renowned Russian/Ukrainian stage director.

Translation: The Bolshoi Theatre… A paradoxic worldly doctrine of salvation. A marriage of aesthetic opposites. Apollo is the ideal of Beauty, a Greek god of Light and Prophetic vision, the god of Music and Poetry, Apollo represents a dream of beautiful exterior. Dionysius is a Greek god of the grape leaves and wine, the god of irrational force, of ecstasy in dance, he is the god of Joy, of Laughter, of Festival – today’s festival included. This is the festival of an Artist’s theatre, the Bolshoi Theatre, it is the celebration of a harmonious duet of Apollo and Dionysius. The triumph of this duet is the paradoxic worldly doctrine of salvation, the God-given doctrine. The Bolshoi, I greet you on the occasion of celebration of your Beauty’s renewal, the celebration of salvation through Beauty. Roman Viktuyk.

On behalf of myself and you, I congratulate this grand, old, and beatiful Russian theatre with a re-opening and wish it many happy returns of theatrical seasons on the new stage!

Read about how the Bolshoi Theatre brought me back to Moscow from the UK, and about two ballets with the Bolshoi stars that my uncle, Vadim Derbenyov, filmed: Carmen Suite and Spartacus.

Vadim Derbenyov and Yuri Grigorovich – Spartacus

I continue showing you Russian films, songs, and the work of outstanding Russian actors and directors that are available online. Previously I already told the story of El Poema de las Danzas that was filmed by my uncle, starring Maya Plisetskaya. The other week I discovered that another ballet filmed by Vadim Derbenyov appeared on the web, on Mosfilm’s own YouTube channel. This is Spartacus to the music by Aram Khachaturian, choreographed by Yuri Grigorovich (read more about ballet). Without further ado, here is the full video of the ballet, starring Vladimir Vasiliev as Spartacus, Maris Liepa as Crassus, Natalia Bessmertnova as Phrygia, and Nina Timofeyeva as Eghina.

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