To whom we owe happiness, history is silent. Mariinsky had not been in Moscow for such a volume for twenty years already, feeding the metropolitan audience with a couple of operas or a couple of ballet evenings. He meant that any suffering person could jump on a train at any moment and rush to their home; Fortunately, Peter is not a high beam. But now somehow it all coincided. Mariinsky is preparing for a major overhaul, and, therefore, renews his fame on the eve of future tours, inevitable and lengthy. And the sixth Easter festival is not particularly rich in big names, the absence of which must be compensated for by something. Because there are many events, but the main character is one in three persons: Valery Gergiev, Mariinsky Orchestra, Mariinsky Troupe. After the publication of the scope of work of this drummer of artwork, we can confidently say: the only hero is for the better. Now let's look at the theatrical program.

Heroes of the day

The first evening will be the most pathos, a kind of declaration of seriousness of intent. They will show the main reserve of Russian spirituality, the evergreen Swan Lake, with the main goddess of modern Russian ballet Ulyana Lopatkina in the central role. In the version of the Mariinsky Theater, this performance captivates with confidence in its irresistibility. The evil genius Rothbart conjures by hand, not so much as a dance, as in the old pantomime; and with a wave of his hand, the girls disappear in the wings, and instead of them a life-size flock of props swans along the backside. Dances of brides are performed as if each applicant really solves an important problem of her personal life. But seriously, it is in the “white” swan scenes that the Mariinsky corps de ballet shines in all its glory. Ideal postures and phrases, the most accurate distances and precise lines, all that leaves a feeling of "general breathing" are present on the stage in an exemplary form. In other theaters, the corps de ballet is more beautifully textured, but it does not exist more well-trained than the Mariinsky. At all.

In this performance, Lopatkina has been dancing Odette-Odile for a long time, from her first seasons at the Mariinsky Theater. She turns out to be a symbolic bird regal, proud and completely self-sufficient. The courageous prince Igor Zelensky could claim her attention, but, apparently, the concerns of the artistic director of the Novosibirsk ballet do not allow him to dance a lot. However, next to this heroine no one else is needed. Lopatkina plus the Mariinsky corps de ballet - this couple will make a performance, and will do it upscale.

Centenar

The next night they will give Don Quixote in four acts. This performance is exactly one hundred and five years old, it takes three hours, and the main advice for those who watch it for the first time is not to take the plot too seriously. In no case should one be clever, recalling that in that same Cervantes novel, everything was different. Then three hours of action will fly by easily, in joyful dances to the most ballet of all ballet music by Ludwig Minkus. The scenery of the famous artists of the World of Art Alexander Golovin and Konstantin Korovin was restored at the Mariinsky, and the joyful promenade of the finale resembles the Sochi Riviera of the times of the Russian emperor rather than the Spanish wilderness. Here, the main couple of lovers are dancing young and beautiful Olesya Novikova and Leonid Sarafanov. She is chiseled, elegant, very tender in her ardor; he is smiling, nimble and incredibly masterly. The troupe desperately dances the "Spanish crowd" and burns with southern passion.

Theater Hi-Tech

The next three evenings are designed to show the modern achievements of the most advanced theater in Russia. The first will be George Balanchine's Jewels, in which the idea of ​​the performance is friendly to all the ballerinas who want to show off in it. Three parts - “Emeralds”, “Rubies”, “Diamonds” to the music of Foret, Stravinsky and Tchaikovsky, respectively, seem to revive a jewelry store window. With girls dancing girls best friends. But, in addition, different stones symbolize different ballet schools, and diamonds are about us, of course. Soloists are Daria Pavlenko, Victoria Tereshkina, Alina Somova.

The next evening - a show of high-tech choreography. The program "Foresight at the Mariinsky" immediately three one-act ballets. They mesmerize as a previously unknown and very useful computer program. Here everything is different: other relations with space, body motility, movement, partners, light, scenography and so on. “Steptext”, “Two ballets in the manner of the late XX century” and “In the middle, slightly on a raised platform” represent the possibilities of the troupe immeasurable and universal. Is it necessary to add that they don’t dance anything like this in our opera houses? To the already mentioned soloists, Ekaterina Osmolkina and Mikhail Lobukhin will be added.

And in order to put a big exclamation mark in the ending of this story, the Mariinsky Ballet shows the program The best of Balanchine. “Serenade”, “Prodigal Son”, “Ballet Imperial” with charismatic primaries of the theater should plunge even the most convinced skeptics into a stupor. Presenting, respectively, three in one - a plotless “white”, dramatic biblical ballet and a mirage ballet nostalgic for imperial St. Petersburg. If you are suddenly lucky to see all this splendor in a row, know that you watched the best that is in Russian ballet at the beginning of the 21st century. There will be something to tell grandchildren.

And if you want to visit the Mariinsky Theater St. Petersburg in its native walls, then order tickets in advance.

The impossible is possible

One could put an end to this good note. But we are dealing with a workaholic theater. Therefore, a day after the ballet series, Mariinsky will show the latest April premiere of Prokofiev’s Love for Three Oranges. The elegant Frenchman Alain Maratra posed it, and he was not used to burdening the opera with either suspense or even a concept - his easy “Journey to Reims” was brought by Rossini Mariinka last year. Therefore, in the "oranges" nothing more complicated than the score itself with its hit march is not expected. But you are mistaken if you think that this is the last premiere of the theater. On the sixth of May, while the ballet shocked Moscow, these crazy people are releasing another premiere on their native stage. Richard Strauss's "Elektru" directed by Jonathan Kent. And, of course, he conducts Valery Gergiev, who had long accustomed the theater to his regime and seemed to tease unhurried Moscow with them. Even at the Moscow festival teases. And rightly so.