(Sleeping Beauty pas de deux)
South African
audiences will be given a window into the world of fine Russian culture when
Crown of the Russian Ballet’s 175th Tchaikovsky Anniversary Celebrations grace
South African stages.
Featuring the
esteemed Crown of the Russian Ballet Company, the South African tour comes to
the Playhouse Opera in Durban for performances on April 28 and 29.
The programme has
been specially prepared for South African audiences by the company’s artistic
director Anatoly Emelianov and is certain to thrill classical ballet
enthusiasts of all ages.
The programme opens
with the world premiere of Emelianov’s new production of one of Tchaikovsky’s
undoubted masterpieces, the one-act ballet, Manfred.
The narrative for this work of deep remorse and moral anguish comes from Lord
Byron’s Poem of the same name.
Manfred is a
romantic hero of epic and Faustian proportions. In his idealistic dilemma he is
doomed to destroy the very ones he loves. Imbued with supernatural elements,
the metaphysical torment of Manfred is given the choreographic distinction that
international audiences have come to associate with Emelianov’s work.
The second half
features two evergreen favourites - a suite from The Sleeping Beauty featuring the original Marius Petipa
choreography and the one-act Romeo and
Juliet choreographed by Emelianov.
The tale of
Princess Aurora and her tragic 16th birthday party holds a place in every
child’s heart. Based on the Brothers Grimm version of the famous Charles
Perrault fairy story, The Sleeping Beauty
is quintessential classical ballet straight out of the golden age of Russian
ballet. Ever appealing it has proved to be Petipa’s most enduring work and
certainly one of his ultimate masterpieces of choreography. The Sleeping Beauty Suite will feature
Act 2.
Tchaikovsky was
only 29 years old when he composed his one act Romeo and Juliet. Based on Shakespeare’s tragic love story it is
considered to be Tchaikovsky’s first masterpiece. Love and loss were emotions
that were not foreign to Tchaikovsky. They would become all too familiar in his
lifetime fuelling his passion to create and infusing his compositions with
extraordinary passion.
Edward Downes, the
former programme annotator for the New York Philharmonic, commented that many
composers have been inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet but that “Tchaikovsky is one of the very few who
speaks with the elemental passion and strife that grips us as do the words of
Shakespeare”.
Crown of the
Russian Ballet is proudly presented by impresario Edouard Miasnikov who
specialises in sharing Russian culture with South African audiences in the
interests of widening cultural exchange and dialogue.
Performances take
place in the Playhouse Opera on April 28 and 29 at 19h30. Tickets are priced
from R150 to R280. Booking is Computicket and early booking is advised to avoid
disappointment.
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