The Maryinsky Theatre, Saint Petersburg
Created | Updated Feb 9, 2002
The Maryinsky Theatre is home to both the Kirov Ballet and Kirov Opera companies. While the ballet is better known abroad, the opera company has a long and distinugished history.
Opera in Saint Petersburg
While Saint Petersburg was founded in 1703, the first opera performance there was in 1736. Under the Tsars, there was always rivalry between Italian opera, performed by imported casts, and the home-grown Russian school, more popular with the people but at first less popular at Court.
The Foundation of the Mariinsky
This theatre was founded in 1860, replacing a previous theatre which had burnt down. It was intended as a home for the performance of Russian opera, while Italian opera was performed at the rival Great Stone Theatre (or Bolshoi Kammeniy). 1. It was called the Maryinsky in honour of the Tsarina. The first performance was of Glinka's 1836 Russian opera A Life for the Tsar. Over the next 30 years, the popularity of Italian opera in Saint Petersburg waned, and the Maryinsky and its Russian repertoire became increasingly important.
Famous Premieres
A number of great Russian operas had their premieres here, including Tchaikovsky's The Maid of Orleans (1881) and The Queen of Spades (1890). Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov got its first full performance here in 1874, and appeared again in Rimsky-Korsakov's revision in 1896. Many of Rimsky-Korsakov's own operas also received their first performances here, including The Maid of Pskov (1873)and the Invisible City of Kitezh (1907).
"and "Khovanshchina", Borodin's "Prince Igor" "
"The orchestra's "golden age" is associated with the name of Eduard Napravnik, who entered the theatre as an assistant conductor in 1863 and went on to head it for over half a century. He trained a large number of famous conductors and developed what subsequently became known as the Russian school of conducting."
The Mariinsky under Soviet Rule
After the Russian Revolution, the Maryinsky Theatre re-opened in 1919 as the State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet, renamed the Kirov Opera and Ballet Theatre in 1935. It was a centre for more traditional interpretaions of the classic russina tradition, while the Maly theatre was a centre for more avant-garde and experimental work, such as Shostakovitch's ill-fated Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk.
?the Fiery angel?
Borodin?
The Building
The building has a capacity of xxxxxx. "it's splendid azure, crystal and gilt auditorium, it's subtle yet majestic facade, comfortable boxes and famous curtain are all the work of A.Golovin. "
"and the construction of a separate staircase and foyer for the Tsar's box. The auditorium of the Mariinsky is wonderfully impressive: the refined aristocratic range of colours composed of gilt molded decorations, white sculptures and blue velvet chairs, and the splendid thee-tiered chandelier, created by E.Frachioli according to the design of professor C.Duzi."
The Mariinsky Today
Under the present director, Valery Gergiev, both the Kirov Opera and Ballet companies are flourishing. Both companies undertake regular and successful international tours. The theatre' own website can be found at Mariinsky Theatre website note panoramic view of auditorium
1Many references say that the premiere of Verdi's La forza del destino was at the Maryinsky, when in fact it was at the Bolshoi Kommeniy theatre.
