The Maestro Returns

[Dr_Woland]

After nearly a decade of bungling which has brought the theatre to its knees both financially and artistically, a new Artistic Director has been appointed at the Bolshoi Theatre.

For the first time in four decades, the new Artistic Director is not a ballet specialist (remember, the repertoire is 50/50 opera and ballet), but Gennady Rozhdestvensky - probably the greatest living Russian conductor.

Although aged 69, Rozhdestvensky is still in excellent health, and undertakes the same punishing schedule he did when half his present age. He is also one of the few artists of his generation to have worked for his most creative years in the West, but with soviet blessing - conducting the Stockholm Philharmonic, and two of the world's most legendary orchestras at that time (1970's), the BBC Symphony, and the Vienna Philharmonic.

Most importantly, though, he is known, and hugely respected, at the Bolshoi - where he conducted his first performances when only 20 years old, and where he was Chief Conductor in the 1960's, and where he has always been a welcome guest.

So who - if the Artistic Director is an "opera man" - will appear on the ballet side?

Dr Woland's money is on the man Literaturnaya Gazeta called "the most talented of our young choreographers", Alexei Ratmansky. Ratmansky has been in "artistic exile" from the Bolshoi, who mysteriously refused to employ him under the old regime, despite being one of their best young stars as a dancer - he is currently working in Denmark at the Royal Ballet, and before that was in Toronto. In the damning article which appeared last week, accusing the (now-sacked) management of gross incompetence, the failure to hire Ratmansky was described as "a national scandal, that our best artists cannot work in their own country".

Watch this space :-)

Meantime, I wish Maestro Rozhdestvensky - for whom my respect is almost unlimited! - the best of success in restoring standards at the Bolshoi to what the country deserves.

Dr W

[Dr_Woland]

a bit of a Bolshoi update...

.... new Artistic Director Rozhdestvensky (see above) has cancelled all new ballet productions except Prokofiev's "Spartacus", saying that they do not reach the standards people expect of the Bolshoi.

He is reputed to be negotiating for the return to Russia of someone "currently overseas" to mastermind the new Ballet schedule.

Watch this space....

Dr W.

[katy]

Thank you for your information. I would be very grateful if you update it sometimes.
Katerina


[Edited by katy on 18th January 2001 at 07:38]

[Dr_Woland]

As the good Doctor predicted.... Alexei Ratmansky (once told "you'll never work in Russia again" by the previous Bolshoi administration) presented his ballet "Scenes from Japan" at the Bolshoi Theare last month....

Dr W.