THÉÂTRE D’OPÉRA ET DE BALLET MARIINSKY

One, two, three. The heavy, richly decorated curtain rises at full speed. Tonight again, as they have for nearly 160 years, the musicians, singers and dancers of the Mariinsky will perform the show of life. This theater and ballet troupe has become the most famous in the world. Founded in 1860, opposite the great Kamenny Theatre and named after Empress Mary, wife of Alexander II, the Mariinsky Theatre was the first to present works by Glinka, Mussorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Prokofiev... It has welcomed the greatest performers, including Rostropovitch and Richter, and the most famous Russian dancers, such as Istomina, celebrated by Pushkin, Pavlova, Nijinsky and many others.

From 1870, the Mariinsky's ballet troupe was directed by the French choreographer Marius Petitpa, to whom the Russian ballet school owes its formidable development, and whose work with the composer Tchaikovsky marked the history of ballet. In 1895, Swan Lake premiered to Tchaikovsky's music, with the same choreography that you will see tonight. It was followed by European tours, Diaguilev's famous Russian ballets, starring Nijinsky and the Pavlova. All this was before the difficult years of the USSR, when the Mariinsky became the Kirov and lost its prestige to the Bolshoi, the capital's theatre promoted by Soviet power. The flight to the West of the star Nureyev in 1961 during a tour in France also caused a resounding scandal.

Since the fall of the USSR, the illustrious conductor Valery Guergiev has restored an aura to the theatre and his company, but more so to operas. So make no mistake, if everyone is rushing to the sumptuous performances of 19th century ballets, don't hesitate to see the operas, especially Russian ones. The stagings are sublime, even if some will regret the academicism and classicism that Mariinsky is gradually trying to get rid of. Today, the theatre company is placed under the high patronage of the President of Russia. Grigorovitch worked there before leaving for the Bolshoi Theatre. The construction of a second stage of very contemporary design inaugurated in May 2013, but not to the taste of all the St. Petersburgers in the historic centre, marks a new stage in the long history of this world monument of music and dance.

From within. Russians love to dress up for shows, so take the opportunity to dress up too. Another great Mariinsky specialty is ice cream or champanskoe (local sparkling wine) with small sandwiches, which can be enjoyed during intermissions.

Mariinsky II Theatre (Ulitsa Dékabristov, 34). In May 2013, the Mariinsky Theatre was expanded with a new stage, Mariinsky II, inaugurated with great pomp by Vladimir Putin. This annex with its very contemporary architecture is connected to the existing theatre by a footbridge and can accommodate up to 2,000 people on 7 levels. This extension has caused controversy throughout Russia, but no one will question its exceptional acoustics.

The theatre is compared to a shopping centre by its detractors. It's up to you to make up your mind! No one, however, will question its exceptional acoustics