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

Spartacus, or Spartak, is a ballet by Aram Khachaturian (1903-1978). The work follows the exploits of Spartacus, the leader of the slave uprising against the Romans known as the Third Servile War, although the ballet's storyline takes considerable liberties with the historical record. Khachaturian composed the ballet in 1954, and for this was awarded a Lenin Prize that year. It was first staged, with choreography by Leonid Yakobson, in Leningrad 1956.Since the middle of last century, for decades, this ballet was among the most popular and beloved ones in the ballet repertory of the Mariinsky Theater. Over the last seasons, this performance have been carefully restored, and a number of young ballet artists of the Mariinsky Theatre took a great interest to learn the new for them style and roles of the main characters, enriched with a great drama, theatricality generous and sincerely expressive with respect to what is being called simple human feelings.Choreography by Leonid Yakobson features a combination of dance, drama and pantomime. It has a careful attitude to the era of storytelling and original details of plots. Revival of this ballet represents one of the most important periods in the development of the Mariinsky Ballet in the 20th century and its popularity these days proves that they have stood the test of time and now it is once again in the repertoire of the Mariinsky Theatre. Full info

Now it‘s time to show you something REALLY RUSSIAN! Here in a cozy and nicely decorated Concert Hall of the Nikolaevsky Palace we will give you more than just an opportunity to see unforgettable folk show performance "Feel Yourself Russian": you will not only FEEL involved - you will BE really involved! During two hours of this dynamic colorful and pictureous show, you will hear tuneful folk songs - romantic, and full of life, watch sparkling dances of different provinces of Russia, - and learn that some items - such as saws, wooden spoons, and other traditional household appliances, - can also be used as musical instruments! And - oh, miracle! - suddenly you will find yourself right on the stage dancing like a real Russian, playing folk games and enjoying yourself! Full info

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

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

Now it‘s time to show you something REALLY RUSSIAN! Here in a cozy and nicely decorated Concert Hall of the Nikolaevsky Palace we will give you more than just an opportunity to see unforgettable folk show performance "Feel Yourself Russian": you will not only FEEL involved - you will BE really involved! During two hours of this dynamic colorful and pictureous show, you will hear tuneful folk songs - romantic, and full of life, watch sparkling dances of different provinces of Russia, - and learn that some items - such as saws, wooden spoons, and other traditional household appliances, - can also be used as musical instruments! And - oh, miracle! - suddenly you will find yourself right on the stage dancing like a real Russian, playing folk games and enjoying yourself! Full info

Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without The Nutcracker. Come and enjoy Mary and Franz's wonderful adventures as they meet a magician with strange secrets, join an army of valiant toy soldiers to fight a villainous Mouse King and take a trip to a land where everything is made of sweets. This really is an evening of magic: classical ballet at its most visually entrancing, with something to appeal to everyone, young and old. Tchaikovsky's sparkling, effervescent score contains a wealth of famous melodies, and the production is a visual delight from start to finish. Come and experience some special magic this Christmas and into the New Year. Full info

Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without The Nutcracker. Come and enjoy Mary and Franz's wonderful adventures as they meet a magician with strange secrets, join an army of valiant toy soldiers to fight a villainous Mouse King and take a trip to a land where everything is made of sweets. This really is an evening of magic: classical ballet at its most visually entrancing, with something to appeal to everyone, young and old. Tchaikovsky's sparkling, effervescent score contains a wealth of famous melodies, and the production is a visual delight from start to finish. Come and experience some special magic this Christmas and into the New Year. 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

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

Now it‘s time to show you something REALLY RUSSIAN! Here in a cozy and nicely decorated Concert Hall of the Nikolaevsky Palace we will give you more than just an opportunity to see unforgettable folk show performance "Feel Yourself Russian": you will not only FEEL involved - you will BE really involved! During two hours of this dynamic colorful and pictureous show, you will hear tuneful folk songs - romantic, and full of life, watch sparkling dances of different provinces of Russia, - and learn that some items - such as saws, wooden spoons, and other traditional household appliances, - can also be used as musical instruments! And - oh, miracle! - suddenly you will find yourself right on the stage dancing like a real Russian, playing folk games and enjoying yourself! Full info

Regarded as one of the greatest operas ever written, Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro (Le nozze di Figaro) is a screwball comedy complete with disguises, surprises, and compromises. Figaro, the wily barber and part-time matchmaker, has finally fallen in love. But, like everything else in his life, it's complicated. On the eve of Figaro’s marriage to Susanna, his master, Count Almaviva, sets his wandering eye on the lovely bride-to-be. Servant and master go head to head, and even the Countess Rosina gets in on the action when she learns of her husband’s desires. But is she embroiled in a dangerous liaison of her own? From the opening notes to the final curtain, Mozart’s score delivers a tangled love story with great farce and satire. Full info

Cosi Fan Tutte, a comic tale of love tested by deception and seduction. The title, literally translated, “thus do they all” suggests that women are easily seduced and quick to fly from the arms of one love to another. The opera was a great success in its day, but for most of the nineteenth through the first half of the twentieth century, its subject matter was deemed too racy for public consumption. Since that time, it has returned to the standard repertoire and, according to recent tabulations, is the eleventh most popular opera being performed today. Full info

Classics of the Italian Opera. This heart-wrenching opera is a tragic tale of love and loss. Though the opera is full of beautiful arias, one of it's most well-known aria's is Vissi d'arte.Tosca sings that though she has been faithful to the Lord and lived her life as loving as she possibly could, she was still rewarded with misfortune. Full info

Le nozze di Figaro had its premiere in 1786 at the Burgtheater in Vienna. Lorenzo da Ponte – with whom Mozart later collaborated on Don Giovanni and Così fan tutte – created the libretto. It was based on Pierre Beaumarchais’ controversial play Le Mariage de Figaro, which was banned in Vienna due to its seditious content. David McVicar’s acclaimed production sets the action in a French chateau in 1830 on the eve of revolution, amplifying the opera’s undercurrents of class tension. The entire household is drawn into the notoriously complex plot, which covers all shades of human emotion: spirited playfulness, such as when Figaro sends Cherubino off to war in ‘Non più andrai’, is combined with heartfelt despair, such as the Countess’s grief at her husband’s infidelity in 'Dove sono i bei momenti'. But affection and fidelity prevail in this most warm-hearted of operas: the Count’s plea for forgiveness in the final act, ‘Contessa, perdono’, is one of the most moving moments in opera. Full info

Neglected and mistreated by her step-family, poor Cinderella dreams of a better life. The magical appearance of her Fairy Godmother restores hope, and all her wishes are granted. Able to take her place amongst the ladies at Prince Charming’s ball, the Prince is enchanted with the beautiful girl. But when the magic fades at midnight and she flees, leaving behind only a slipper –will the Prince find his true love again? And can Cinderella find her happy ending? The enduring tale of Cinderella will delight audiences with the beauty and majesty of classical ballet wrapped in the promise of “happily ever after.” Full info

Verdi’s dark-hued Macbeth examines the corrosive consequences of tyranny. At the urging of his scheming wife, Macbeth murders the king to claim the crown. His desperate and deadly reign of terror devastates his country and hastens his doom in this masterwork based upon Shakespeare’s classic thriller. Full info

In the early- and mid-twentieth century, the three major Tchaikovsky ballets -- Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker -- were viewed as the three greatest full-length ballets. Not surprisingly, they were also more popular by wide margins than all other works in the genre. By the latter quarter of the century, however, Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet had entered the trio's select company and remains exceedingly popular today. Some have even asserted it is the greatest of full-length ballets. Certainly, it is one of Prokofiev's supreme masterpieces and, via the three suites extracted from it, among his most often-played music. The dramatic story of two lovers unfolds against a background of life in an Italian city where nothing stands still, not even for a moment. Lyric scenes alternate with depictions of street festivities in a commedia dell’arte style, rudely interrupted by the skirmishes between the warring clans. Full info

Now it‘s time to show you something REALLY RUSSIAN! Here in a cozy and nicely decorated Concert Hall of the Nikolaevsky Palace we will give you more than just an opportunity to see unforgettable folk show performance "Feel Yourself Russian": you will not only FEEL involved - you will BE really involved! During two hours of this dynamic colorful and pictureous show, you will hear tuneful folk songs - romantic, and full of life, watch sparkling dances of different provinces of Russia, - and learn that some items - such as saws, wooden spoons, and other traditional household appliances, - can also be used as musical instruments! And - oh, miracle! - suddenly you will find yourself right on the stage dancing like a real Russian, playing folk games and enjoying yourself! Full info

The death of French actress Adrienne Lecouvreur inspired many plays and operas, of which Francesco Cilea’s Adriana Lecouvreur is the finest and most enduring. The opera would become Cilea’s greatest success, renowned particularly for his heroine’s arias ‘Io son l’umile ancilla’ in Act I and ‘Poveri fiori’ in Act IV – though Cilea’s atmospheric and elegant score offers much more besides, with Maurizio’s aria ‘La dolcissima effigie sorridente’, the Act III ballet and Adriana’s intense spoken recitation at the end of that act particular highlights. Full info

Dashing Count Almaviva has lost his heart to the spunky Rosina, whose doddering guardian is determined to marry her himself. It’s Figaro to the rescue, as the resourceful barber conjures up wacky schemes and strategies to unite the young lovers.A topnotch cast sails through the score’s bel canto glories, thrilling the audience as characters that are just as vivid today as when they first took the stage. Rossini’s razor-sharp musical wit glints through every scene of this delicious comedy, one of the most playful and popular in the entire operatic repertoire. Full info

Now it‘s time to show you something REALLY RUSSIAN! Here in a cozy and nicely decorated Concert Hall of the Nikolaevsky Palace we will give you more than just an opportunity to see unforgettable folk show performance "Feel Yourself Russian": you will not only FEEL involved - you will BE really involved! During two hours of this dynamic colorful and pictureous show, you will hear tuneful folk songs - romantic, and full of life, watch sparkling dances of different provinces of Russia, - and learn that some items - such as saws, wooden spoons, and other traditional household appliances, - can also be used as musical instruments! And - oh, miracle! - suddenly you will find yourself right on the stage dancing like a real Russian, playing folk games and enjoying yourself! Full info

Now it‘s time to show you something REALLY RUSSIAN! Here in a cozy and nicely decorated Concert Hall of the Nikolaevsky Palace we will give you more than just an opportunity to see unforgettable folk show performance "Feel Yourself Russian": you will not only FEEL involved - you will BE really involved! During two hours of this dynamic colorful and pictureous show, you will hear tuneful folk songs - romantic, and full of life, watch sparkling dances of different provinces of Russia, - and learn that some items - such as saws, wooden spoons, and other traditional household appliances, - can also be used as musical instruments! And - oh, miracle! - suddenly you will find yourself right on the stage dancing like a real Russian, playing folk games and enjoying yourself! Full info

Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov is Russia’s national epic: a tale of splendour, suffering, and the all-too human price of power. It’s one of the supreme achievements in Russian opera. If the Mariinsky is Russia’s national opera company, Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov – premiered at the Mariinsky in 1874 - is surely Russia’s national opera. Certainly, few operas look more penetratingly at the soul of a nation: scenes of pageantry are undercut by private soul-searching and state-sanctioned murder. The opera paints Russia’s artistic self-image. Full info

The opera Manon Lescaut is considered to be one of Giacomo Puccini’s finest works. Originally staged in Turin in 1893, it was the composer’s first undoubted triumph. The libretto is based on the novel L’histoire du Chevalier des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut by the Abbй Prйvost, one of the first ever psychological novels, which was very popular throughout Europe. The creators of the Mikhailovsky Theatre production, director Jьrgen Flimm and designer George Tsypin, have kept the action in Paris but have changed the period, setting the events in the early twentieth century. In their vivid adaptation, the heroine is a budding movie star and her lover is also an actor, whilst her wealthy admirer is a Hollywood producer. The set design for the show resembles film noir in style with its characteristic lighting contrasts and dramatic shadows. The striking costumes are very much in keeping with the cinematography of the 1930s and 1940s. The emotional content is unchanged, succinctly described by the director as: “One woman, two men — catastrophic consequences.” Full info

Now it‘s time to show you something REALLY RUSSIAN! Here in a cozy and nicely decorated Concert Hall of the Nikolaevsky Palace we will give you more than just an opportunity to see unforgettable folk show performance "Feel Yourself Russian": you will not only FEEL involved - you will BE really involved! During two hours of this dynamic colorful and pictureous show, you will hear tuneful folk songs - romantic, and full of life, watch sparkling dances of different provinces of Russia, - and learn that some items - such as saws, wooden spoons, and other traditional household appliances, - can also be used as musical instruments! And - oh, miracle! - suddenly you will find yourself right on the stage dancing like a real Russian, playing folk games and enjoying yourself! Full info