Bolshoi Theater

Bolshoi Theater is one of the major tourist attractions in Russia. Located in Moscow, it is a famous theater, which features opera and ballet performances. Your tour to Moscow will remain incomplete if you don’t visit the Bolshoi Theater.


In Russian dialect, the Bolshoi Theater means the Great or Grand Theater. It was planned by the renowned designer Joseph Bové. The Bolshoi Opera and the Bolshoi Ballet are among the biggest and oldest opera and ballet companies of the world. Bolshoi Theater is the owner of The Bolshoi Ballet Academy, a world famous ballet school. The name of the theater has been changed to State Academic Bolshoi Theater of Russia.

Given below are the

important dates related to the history

of the Bolshoi Theater:

• March 17, 1776 — A day of establishment of the Bolshoi Theater (formation of a company)
• December 30, 1780 — The Petrovsky Theater was opened
• October 8, 1805 — Fire and demolition of the structure of the Petrovsky Theater
• 1806 — Theater receives the position of the Imperial Theater
• April 13, 1808 —New Arbat Imperial Theater was opened
• 1812 — Fire and demolition of the structure of Theater as a result of the French army attacking Moscow
• 1821—1824 - Construction of a new Theater from the plan by Joseph Bové
• January 6, 1825 — The Bolshoi (Big) Petrovsky Theater was opened
• 1843 — Mass-scale rebuilding of the Theater from the plan by A. Nikitin
• March 11, 1853 — Fire and demolition of the structure of the Theater
• May 14, 1855 — Sanction of a renovation plan of the structure of the Theater. A plan was made by А. Kavos.
• August 20, 1856 —The Bolshoi Theater came into operation
• December 16, 1888 — First performance of the opera Boris Godunov of Modest Mussorgsky
• 1895 — Major maintenance work of the structure of the theater
• October 10, 1901 — First performance of the opera The Maid of Pskov Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov with Feodor Chaliapin playing the role of Ivan the Terrible
• May 4, 1919 — Foundation of the inaugural symphony concert of the orchestra of the Bolshoi Theater. Orchestral conductor was Sergei Koussevitzky
• December 7, 1919 — Decree to change the name: the State Academic Bolshoi Theater
• December 12, 1919 — Endeavor to ban the Bolshoi Theater
• February 18, 1921 — The Beethoven hall was opened
• 1921—1923 – Rebuilding of the structure of the Theater under patronage of Ivan Rerberg
• 1935 — First performance of the Dmitri Shostakovich’s opera Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District

Bolshoi Theater's Ballet and Opera

The Bolshoi Theater has been hosting opera and ballet events since late 19th Century. The history of the theater is closely related to the introduction of ballets. The famous ballet of Tchaikovsky, Swan Lake gave its first performance at the theater on March 4, 1877. Other famous pieces hosted at this theater include the following:

• The Nutcracker and The Sleeping Beauty by Tchaikovsky
• Giselle by Adam
• Romeo and Juliet by Prokofiev
• Spartacus by Khachaturian

Since the death of Stalin, overseas troupes from the Bolshoi Theater became a significant generator of cultural esteem and foreign exchange. As a consequence of this, the Bolshoi Ballet became a renowned name in the Western Society. The Bolshoi Opera troupe performed the following Russian classics:

• A Life for the Tsar by Glinka
• Boris Godunov by Mussorgsky
• The Tsar’s Bride by Rimsky-Korsakov
• Operas by Thaikovsky
  
  A number of operas by western musicians also took place at this theater, particularly pieces of Italian composers like Verdi, Rossini, and Puccini. A few operas like Prince Igor by Borodin, incorporate long series of ballet.
  

  Bolshoi Theater's Famous music directors

  Given below are the names of the famous music directors who have conducted music at the Bolshoi Theater:
  • Leonid Desyatnikov
  • Vassily Sinaisky
  • Gennady Rozhdestvensky
  • Alexander Vedernikov
  • Peter Feranec
  • Mark Ermler
  • Yuri Simonov
  • Alexander Lazarev
  • Evgeny Svetlanov
  • Gennady Rozhdestvensky
  • Nikolai Golovanov
  • Alexander Melik-Pashayev
  • Samuil Samosud
  • Ari Pazovsky
  • Fuat Mansurov
  Contact Details:
  Postal Address: Teatralnaya sq. 1, Moscow, Russia, 125009
  Email address: pr@bolshoi.ru
  Tel.: + 7 495 692 08 18
  Fax: + 7 495 692 33 67