ROYAL OPERA HOUSE

 

 

Romeo and Juliet

This exciting Mariinsky Ballet season opens with the return of one of the most cherished and admired of 20th-century Russian ballets: Leonid Lavrovsky’s celebrated realisation of Romeo and Juliet. The dramatic force and lyric power of Sergey Prokofiev’s score movingly portrays Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers and the Renaissance society which frames their tragedy.

Swan Lake

The Mariinsky Ballet’s entrancing production of Konstantin Sergeyev‘s Swan Lake, based on Petipa and Ivanov’s great masterpiece. Lyrical and dramatic, mysterious and majestic, the incomparable Mariinsky create an imaginary world where Prince Siegfried and the swan-princess Odette affirm their love for each other, conquering the forces of evil. Tchaikovsky’s ravishing music combines with peerless choreography showing the Mariinsky’s famed corps de ballet in its superlative beauty.

THE GENIUS OF BALANCHINE

Apollo
A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Two spellbinding ballets by the great 20th-century choreographer, George Balanchine. The Mariinsky’s acclaimed 2012 production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream will be performed for the first time outside Russia. Balanchine’s joyous transformation of Shakespeare’s comedy of romantic love, mishap, illusion and magic is set to Mendelssohn’s enchanting music. Apollo, set to Stravinsky’s radiant score, portrays the mythological Greek god of music in scenes of exquisite Classical beauty.

The Firebird
Marguerite and Armand
Concerto DSCH

A spectacular programme of three great ballets. The powerful splendour of Mikhail Fokine’s The Firebird, to Stravinsky’s glittering score, vividly evokes the mystery and colour of mediaeval Russia. Marguerite and Armand is Frederick Ashton's celebrated version of Duma fils's tale of passion and loss. Set to Liszt's romantic music, the ballet contains two of the greatest roles in the ballet repertory. Enthralling, tender, exhilarating, Alexei Ratmansky's acclaimed Concerto DSCH, to a thrilling score by Shostakovich, displays the breathtaking versatility of the Mariinsky dancers.

Cinderella

The beloved fairy tale of Cinderella is given fresh, multi-faceted insights in this spectacular version by the celebrated choreographer Alexei Ratmansky. Suffering, magic, humour and love combine in the timelessly touching story of the beautiful, downtrodden girl who, despite the comic intrigues of her jealous stepmother and ugly stepsisters, wins the hand of her handsome Prince. The inspired and innovative choreography perfectly captures the joy, lyricism and wit of Prokofiev’s unforgettable score.