Nureyev & Friends: A Gala Tribute

Yolanda Sonnabend's Faberge'-inspired designs evoke a world of Imperial Russia in Anthony Dowell's acclaimed production for The Royal Ballet of 'Swan Lake', one of the world's best-loved ballets. Marianela Nunez as Odette/Odile and Thiago Soares as Prince Siegfried bring new vitality to a compelling story of tragic romance. Valeriy Ovsyanikov conducts the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House in Tchaikovsky's glorious romantic score.

Tchaikovsky's The Sleeping Beauty is one of the best loved of classical ballets, combining in a single work all the enchantment and virtuosity that ballet has to offer. The royal court, the panoramic journey of the Prince to the overgrown castle, and the great celebratory dances of the happy ending (in which other famous fairy-tale figures appear) are all brought to life by the luscious designs of this celebrated production, created in 1946 for The Royal Ballet. The inspired performances of its revival for the 75th anniversary of the Company in 2006, together with a magnificent High Definition recording, make this a superb tribute to The Royal Ballet's unique style and visual splendour.

Marius Petipa’s exotic ballet set in legendary India is a story of love, death and vengeful judgement. Natalia Makarova’s sumptuous recreation of Petipa’s choreography, with atmospheric sets by Pier Luigi Samaritini and beautiful costumes by Yolanda Sonnabend, stars Tamara Rojo as the Bayadère (temple dancer) Nikiya, Carlos Acosta as Solor, and Marianela Nuñez as Gamzatti, whose alluring presence challenges Solor’s love for Nikiya. Live performance recorded in 2009.

The version of Le Corsaire by Manuel Legris arrives at La Scala, his first revival of a nineteenth century classic, fully highlighting the intent and innovativeness of his choreographic approach and his musical and dramaturgic quest. With its clear and accessible plot, notable attention to musicality and relations among characters, the sumptuous and evocative décor and costumes by Luisa Spinatelli, it will be an occasion recombining the energy virtuosity, the lyricism and romanticism of one of the 19th century’s most adventurous and thrilling ballets d’action with the talents of the La Scala dancers.

Since its 1856 premiere at the Paris Opera, Le Corsaire has been regarded as one of the most impressive narrative ballets of the 19th century. The work became particularly popular in the versions by Jules Perrot and Marius Petipa and, of course, through the spectacular “Le Corsaire pas de deux,” made world-famous by Dame Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev. For this first performance of the ballet in full at the storied Wiener Staatsoper in 2016, Wiener Staatsballett director Manuel Legris—after a 23-year tenure as an étoile dancer of the Paris Opera Ballet!—choreographed a new version based largely on the rich French and Russian performance traditions. Action, music, choreography, scenery and costumes are carefully combined into a new overall picture which focuses on the high points of the colorful events surrounding the leading couple of Conrad and Medora, sublimely danced by Robert Gabdullin and Maria Yakovleva!