The epitome of Romantic ballet, Giselle is a poignant tale of unrequited love, remorse, and forgiveness. The role of Giselle, often described as the Hamlet of the ballet world, requires an exquisite stylist with daring dramatic and technical skills. Giselle (by Marius Petipa) is one of the world's favorite romantic ballets, and tells the story of a beautiful village girl who falls in love with a powerful Count, who is disguises himself as a fellow villager. When Giselle learns of his deception and that their love will never be, her world falls apart and she descends into madness. Full info

Although best known for his oriental fantasy Scheherazade, Rimsky-Korsakov principally considered himself a composer of opera. In his autobiography Chronicle of My Musical Life, he wrote, “Snegurochka is not only my best opera, but perhaps the best contemporary opera in general”. It was not a view shared by the press. “The critics treated Snegurochka with scant sympathy… I ‘possessed talent’ as a symphonist, but not as an operatic composer.” Full info

Every year during the Christmas season, thousands of children and their parents visit the theatre to see The Nutcracker, probably the all-time favourite in holiday entertainment. The Nutcracker premiered at the Maryinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia on December 18, 1892. The choreography was by Lev Ivanov after Marius Petipa, who fell ill before beginning to choreograph and passed on his choreographic plan to Ivanov, and the score was composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Italian ballerina Antoinetta Dell’Era and Russian premiere danseur Pavel Gerdt performed the lead roles of The Sugar Plum Fairy and Prince Coqueluche. The ballet was performed as a double premiere with Tchaikovsky’s final opera Iolanta. Tchaikovsky was initially reluctant to write the score for The Nutcracker finding the libretto based on E.T.A. Hoffmann’s children’s tale, The Nutcracker and the King of the Mice, lacking in fantasy. Nevertheless, this production would ultimately become Tchaikovsky’s most popular work. Full info

There’s a good reason why Swan Lake is so often called the ‘ballet of all ballets’. The combination of pure romanticism, the story about love and deception and Tchaikovsky’s famous ballet music all continue to reach new generations of audiences. Swan Lake was Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky's first score for ballet. Its 1877 premiere was poorly received, but it has since become one of the most loved of all ballets. The twinned role of the radiant White Swan and the scheming, duplicitous Black Swan tests the full range of a ballerina's powers, particularly in the two great pas de deux of Acts II and III. Other highlights include the charming Dance of the Little Swans performed by a moonlit lake and sweeping ballroom waltzes in the splendour of the royal palace. Full info

Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin is a radiant example of Russian Lyric Opera. A deeply moving tale packed with big tunes, dances and a heart-stopping duel. As with his ballets, Tchaikovsky brings many symphonic elements to the music, plush orchestrations and highly melodic arias. Onegin is a uniquely Russian opera with a universality that has made it globally popular. None of the characters are easy to associate with and yet the events and their actions ring horribly true. Full info

There are few productions in the world of opera that could compete with this lyrical drama. It is not pretentious, convoluted or emotional — here, the art of opera and the real world collide. It was not by chance that Puccini turned to the only book by Murger that survived its author: The composer knew the protagonists very well: at times, during his studies at the Milan Conservatory, he too had to go without food, just like them. Later, at the time of success and financial independence, he was a centre of the crowd of artists, painters and writers, nicknamed on his initiative ‘The Bohemian Club.’ The composer conceived the idea of the opera in 1893. The opera was created to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica (1853-1919) and Giuseppe Giacosa (1847-1906), yet it was Puccini who shaped the plan and sketched the characters of the protagonists, who differ from those in the original. Puccini was absorbed by the opera and started composing it in 1894, when the libretto wasn’t ready yet. Puccini wrote his opera La bohème contemporaneously with Leoncavallo’s own treatment of the same story. The rivalry ended in a quarrel. By the end of 1985 Puccini’s La bohème was ready and received its première on 1 February 1896 in Turin. Full info

There’s a good reason why Swan Lake is so often called the ‘ballet of all ballets’. The combination of pure romanticism, the story about love and deception and Tchaikovsky’s famous ballet music all continue to reach new generations of audiences. Swan Lake was Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky's first score for ballet. Its 1877 premiere was poorly received, but it has since become one of the most loved of all ballets. The twinned role of the radiant White Swan and the scheming, duplicitous Black Swan tests the full range of a ballerina's powers, particularly in the two great pas de deux of Acts II and III. Other highlights include the charming Dance of the Little Swans performed by a moonlit lake and sweeping ballroom waltzes in the splendour of the royal palace. Full info

There are few productions in the world of opera that could compete with this lyrical drama. It is not pretentious, convoluted or emotional — here, the art of opera and the real world collide. It was not by chance that Puccini turned to the only book by Murger that survived its author: The composer knew the protagonists very well: at times, during his studies at the Milan Conservatory, he too had to go without food, just like them. Later, at the time of success and financial independence, he was a centre of the crowd of artists, painters and writers, nicknamed on his initiative ‘The Bohemian Club.’ The composer conceived the idea of the opera in 1893. The opera was created to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica (1853-1919) and Giuseppe Giacosa (1847-1906), yet it was Puccini who shaped the plan and sketched the characters of the protagonists, who differ from those in the original. Puccini was absorbed by the opera and started composing it in 1894, when the libretto wasn’t ready yet. Puccini wrote his opera La bohème contemporaneously with Leoncavallo’s own treatment of the same story. The rivalry ended in a quarrel. By the end of 1985 Puccini’s La bohème was ready and received its première on 1 February 1896 in Turin. Full info

Il Trovatore (The Troubadour) was one of Verdi’s best-loved operas even during the composer’s lifetime. The opera received a rapturous reception when it was performed for the first time on 19 January 1853 at the Teatro Apollo in Rome and Guiseppe Verdi himself called it his most popular work. Together with La Traviata and Rigoletto the opera is still one of Verdi’s most-performed and popular operas worldwide. The plot is set in the gloomy atmosphere of 15th century Spain and tells the romantic love story of Leonora and her troubadour Manrico. An opera full of love and hate, heroism and revenge. Full info