Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theater

Marco Spada was created at the Paris Opera in 1857 with choreography from Joseph Mazilier and music adapted from Daniel Auber’s comic opera of Marco Spada. Soon forgotten, the ballet was revived in 1981 with a brand new choreography by Pierre Lacotte for the Rome Opera, with Rudolf Nureyev as the 18th-century Italian bandit pretending to be an aristocrat, and Ghislaine Thesmar as his daughter Angela. At the Bolshoi, Marco Spada was premiered on the historic stage on November 8, 2013. Leading roles were performed by David Hallberg (Marco Spada), Evgenia Obraztsova (Angela), Olga Smirnova (Marchesa Sampietri), Semyon Chudin (Prince Frederici), and Igor Tsvirko (Count Pepinelli). Pierre Lacotte designed sets and costumes.

La Esmeralda is a ballet in three acts and five scenes, inspired by the novel Notre-Dame de Paris by Victor Hugo, originally choreographed by Jules Perrot to music by Cesare Pugni, with sets by William Grieve and costumes by Mme. Copère.

George Balanchine's jewel-themed triptych, strikingly choreographed to the music of Faure, Stravinsky and Tchaikovsky. This three act masterpiece is renowned as the world's first full-length abstract ballet. The Russian-born co-founder of the New York City Ballet, Balanchine was inspired by the artistry of jewellery designer Claude Arpels to create a trio of distinct movements revealing the essence of each precious stone. Each part also evokes three different cities: Paris, New York and St. Petersburg. 'Emeralds' was conceived as a tribute to the French romantic school, with music by Gabriel Faure. The fiery and energetic 'Rubies' taps into the rich tradition of Broadway musicals, with music by Stravinsky. 'Diamonds' honours the grandeur of Imperial Russia and the Maryinsky Theater, choreographed to the music of Tchaikovsky. With its jewel-like costumes, this is a celebration of the influences on the choreographer who was described as the father of American ballet.

Raymonda is betrothed to Jean de Brienne, a gallant knight who pledged to go on a crusade led by the King of Hungary. When her beloved leaves, Abderakhman, a foreign knight, makes a bid for the hand of Raymonda and threatens her fate when she rejects him…

With Tchaikovskys famous and lyrically poignant score, the beloved masterpiece Swan Lakes depiction of tragic love is performed to perfection by the unparalleled virtuosity of Russias great Bolshoi Ballet with the Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra. Recorded in early 2015, this live performance provides an opportunity to see the modern manifestation of this legendary ballet troupe with lead ballerina Svetlana Zakharova along with Denis Rodkin and Artemy Belyakov among others introducing us to the new generation at the Bolshoi.

Live from ROH 2009, TV relay 1/12/2009.

Traveling through Egypt in the 19th century, a Englishman falls asleep inside a pyramid and travels back in time to the days of the pharaohs, where he immediately falls in love with the daughter of the ruler.

Lucien, a young composer, sets out to conquer the Parisian scene in search of glory. His success soon blinds him, and he betrays his friends and his love. Lost Illusions is a new ballet created in Moscow in 2011 by Alexei Ratmansky with dramaturgical advice from Guillaume Gallienne. This stylised adaptation of Honoré de Balzac’s novel features thwarted love, ambition, and disillusionment, with 19th century Paris as its backdrop.

The Bolshoi's acclaimed 80s production of Tchaikovsky's Holiday classic.

A masterpiece of classical dance, this Nutcracker is a magical version of the score by Tchaikovsky filmed at the Bolshoi Theatre. Recorded live in December 2010.

When the beautiful dancer Nikiya and the warrior Solor meet in secret, they swear eternal mutual fidelity. However, the High Brahmin, who is also in love with Nikiya, overhears them. He rushes to reveal their secret to the Rajah, who has decided that Solor will marry his beloved daughter Gamzatti. Recorded live, January 2013.

In 2010, for the first time in its history, the Bolshoi Opera presented Alban Berg’s masterpiece Wozzeck conducted by Teodor Currentzis. Dmitri Cherniakov’s aim with this bold, sensitive transposition was “to highlight the hidden sorrows of a late twentieth-century man dwelling in a megalopolis.”

On his wedding day, the young Scotsman James is awakened with a kiss from an ethereal winged creature, a Sylph. Entranced by her beauty, James risks everything to pursue an unattainable love. La Sylphide is one of the world’s oldest surviving ballets, and a treasure in Danish ballet master August Bournonville’s style. Staged for the Bolshoi by Bournonville expert Johan Kobborg, this production is the ultimate romantic masterpiece. Captured live from the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow.

The Bolshoi presents the famous star-crossed lovers from Shakespeare’s most tragic love story set to Prokofiev’s cinematic score.

For one evening, the Bolshoi takes on a new challenge with audacity in The Cage by Jerome Robbins, Harald Lander’s Études and Alexei Ratmansky’s Russian Seasons.

Opera in four acts by Dmitri Shostakovich (1906 - 1975) Libretto by Dmitri Shostakovich and Alexander Preis after 'Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District' by Nikolai Leskov First performance in Moscow, Stanislavsky-Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre, 8 January 1963

Inspired by heroic stories of brave knights, Don Quixote of La Mancha and his faithful servant Sancho Panza set out on an adventure to meet his ideal woman, Dulcinea. Cervantes’ hero comes to life in the Bolshoi's critically acclaimed staging of this exalting performance. With panache and sparkling technique, principal dancers Ekaterina Krysanova and Semyon Chudin lead the spectacular cast of toreadors, flamenco dancers, gypsies, and dryads in virtuosic dancing that is quintessential Bolshoi. Captured live on April 10, 2016

On the day of his wedding, the young Scotsman James is awoken with a kiss from an ethereal winged creature, a Sylph. Entranced by her beauty, James risks everything to pursue an unattainable love… La Sylphide is not only the oldest of the classical ballets, but it also marks the start of dancing on pointe. The Bolshoi Theatre and Bolshoi Ballet in Cinema showcase Johan Kobborg’s production, which conveys the spirit of the ballet in this romantic tale. Anastasia Stashkevich appears as Sylph and Semyon Chudin as James.

Learning that Albrecht, her beloved, is in fact a nobleman engaged to be married to a princess, the naive peasant girl Giselle dies. The Queen of the Wilis—the spirits of deceased young virgins—decides that Albrecht should follow Giselle to the grave, and condemns him to dance until he dies of exhaustion. But Giselle’s spirit dances with him and saves him. With music by Adolphe Adam and a libretto by Théophile Gautier and Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges, the ballet touches on the great romantic themes: local colour, a pastoral love affair doomed to end in tragedy, a plunge into fantasy and redemption through the power of love.

Captured live, direct from Moscow, Russia, this historic masterpiece of breathtaking beauty born at the Bolshoi Theatre remains an all-time audience favorite.