01:15Russia: Debut for Mariinsky II
Russia: Debut for Mariinsky II
The famous Mariinsky Theatre opened its doors for the second day with a performance of a three-part ballet "Jewels" on Friday in Saint Petersburg.
The theatre in Saint Petersburg unveiled a new ballet and opera house with a gala ceremony attended by 2,000 guests as well as Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday. "Jewels" was presented by the George Balanchine Trust and was produced in accordance with the Balanchine style and technique which has been established by the Trust.
Yekaterina Kondaurova, a ballet dancer at the Mariinsky Theatre said of the new building, "The new scene, it's always something new, yes, there is still some discomfort but it's more of a professional nature and nobody should know about it except for the artists. I think we can handle everything very quickly, get used to all the new aspects of the theatre because the viewer is old it helps to feel support."
The festivities included a gala opening conducted by the world renowned artistic director of the theatre, Valery Gergiev and featured performances from musicians, opera singers and ballet dancers such as Placido Domingo, Yuri Bashmet, Diana Vishneva and others. The concert was directed by Vasily Barkhatov.
The 80,000 sq ft glass and limestone building has cost an estimated $700 million and was assigned by Jack Diamond of the Canadian architectural firm Diamond and Schmitt Associates. The final opening followed almost eight years of construction work accompanied by heated debates and criticism over the project. Called the Mariinsky II, the new building is connected to the original 19th century Mariinsky Theatre by a bridge over a canal. The original theatre was the birthplace of classic ballets such as Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty.
01:15Russia: Debut for Mariinsky II
The famous Mariinsky Theatre opened its doors for the second day with a performance of a three-part ballet "Jewels" on Friday in Saint Petersburg.
The theatre in Saint Petersburg unveiled a new ballet and opera house with a gala ceremony attended by 2,000 guests as well as Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday. "Jewels" was presented by the George Balanchine Trust and was produced in accordance with the Balanchine style and technique which has been established by the Trust.
Yekaterina Kondaurova, a ballet dancer at the Mariinsky Theatre said of the new building, "The new scene, it's always something new, yes, there is still some discomfort but it's more of a professional nature and nobody should know about it except for the artists. I think we can handle everything very quickly, get used to all the new aspects of the theatre because the viewer is old it helps to feel support."
The festivities included a gala opening conducted by the world renowned artistic director of the theatre, Valery Gergiev and featured performances from musicians, opera singers and ballet dancers such as Placido Domingo, Yuri Bashmet, Diana Vishneva and others. The concert was directed by Vasily Barkhatov.
The 80,000 sq ft glass and limestone building has cost an estimated $700 million and was assigned by Jack Diamond of the Canadian architectural firm Diamond and Schmitt Associates. The final opening followed almost eight years of construction work accompanied by heated debates and criticism over the project. Called the Mariinsky II, the new building is connected to the original 19th century Mariinsky Theatre by a bridge over a canal. The original theatre was the birthplace of classic ballets such as Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty.