227: Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow, from the 1000 places to see before you die book

It’s a big resounding success for Patricia Schultz on this one. I have to admit to even having teary eyes just sitting in my chair gazing around. A $680m refurb that took 7 years and has only just opened within the last year was obviously very well done, if the number of Muscovites taking photos of the grand building was the measure!

Theres something about the Russian women though- they all look like very well kept mistresses when young (and there were a number cavorting in front of the 12 foot high gilded mirrors here having their photos taken in full knowledge that their crotch length red dresses and knee high black boots gave passing men a glimpse of both sides of their bodies) and then they turn into babushkas from the ages of 50. Meanwhile the men- all blonde hair, moody things in suits- looked like they’d leapt straight out of a Bond film.

And one big issue when travelling around Russia- no one, and I mean no one, in Moscow talks English. Consequently I faced another interesting 

15 minutes of being pointed in various directions by an assortment of helpful babushkas as they steered me towards a cloak room, a place to rent binoculars, the champagne bar and, finally, my seat.  

Still I accidentally got to see parts of the Bolshoi, which if I could have read Russian, I would have wanted to anyhow, so alls well that ends well!! From the soaring hall with a display of porcelain figurines and a baby grand piano (again draped by Russian booted beauties with sheer stockings to counter the -1 degrees outside), to an ante room, to another sitting room where you couldn’t sit, to function rooms and finally the grand (which is what Bolshoi stands for) theatre itself, I had a bit of a laugh.

The staircase entrance

Credit must be given now to my concierge team Quintessentially- the ticket was pricey but the seat was fantastic! 

Newly opened towards the end of 2011 (the past 7 years has seen its smaller sister stage used while the main stage was undergoing renovations) ,  I was overwhelmed by the beauty of it. Ive never been to the Teatro, Ive been to His Maj in Perth, and Ive never been to the Albert Hall, so I cant actually compare to any of the other great theatre venues around the world. However, I can state that I haven’t seen quite so much baroque, red velvet, gold drapes, painted vaulted ceilings, massive chandeliers….and not to mention the Bolshoi Ballet itself. 

The ceiling dome

Holding over 2000 people it was fully packed for the ballet premier of Ivan The Terrible.  Such is the brand name of The Bolshoi- that I even thought Guerlain had produced a scent for it- simply known as Le Bolshoi, Saison 2012, La Traviata” when I opened my programme...but I think that was just clever labelling on a bottle!

Awaiting the curtain rise

The orchestra

I wasn't in the box!

Im not much into ballet- I have to admit falling asleep at the Nutcracker production I saw in Kazakhstan many years ago- albeit that might have had more to do with the ballerinas than my love of ballet- but I was enthralled for the two hour production. Unfortunately the programme wasn’t equally translated into English but the “one” page overview summed it up pretty succinctly.

“The story of times old and troubled.

Anxious and uncertain; of the

XVI century, when Rus, turn asunder

By feuds and foreign invasions,

Was sounding the alarm over the need

For consolidation. The story of the young

Tsar van IV.

Of his beloved Anastasia, poisoned

By rebellious boyars, of Prince

Kurbsky who betrayed his country

And fled abroad; of the Russian

people who withstood all the trials

and tribulations and emerged

triumphant: the story this ballet tells.

So there you have it! Anyhow it was spectacular. World class. The costumes were fantastic as was the orchestra. Even better- Id seen the real ivory chair of Ivan the Terrible in the Armory Museum at the Kremlin the day before, so it all fitted in quite nicely.

Obviously no photos could be taken throughout the performance, but following the Muscovites I snapped a few of the curtain call.

Afterwards I followed the 1000 places to see before you die  book and visited the Hotel Metropol over the road..."an enclave of early 20th century Russsian opulence." A glass of $30 champagne (did I say just how expensive Russia is) was a fitting end to a great day.