The theatre

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The theatre in Russia

The Mariinsky Theatre is a historic theatre of opera and ballet in St Petersburg, Russia. Opened in 1860, it became the preeminent music theatre of late 19th century Russia, where many of the stage masterpieces of Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky, and Rimsky-Korsakov received their premieres. Since Yuri Temirkanov's retirement in 1988, the conductor Valery Gergiev has served as its general director. The Mariinsky Theatre is home to the Mariinsky Ballet, Mariinsky Opera and Mariinsky Orchestra.

The theatre is named after Empress Maria Alexandrovna, wife of Tsar Alexander II. There is a bust of the Empress in the main entrance foyer.

The Imperial opera and ballet theatre in St Petersburg was established in 1783 at the behest of Catherine the Great, although an Italian ballet troupe had performed at the Russian court since the early 18th century. Originally, the ballet and opera performances were given in the wooden Karl Knipper Theatre on Tsaritsa Meadow, near the present-day Tripartite Bridge (also known as the Little Theatre or the Maly Theatre). The Hermitage Theatre, next door to the Winter Palace, was used to host performances for an elite audience of aristocratic guests invited by the Empress.

A permanent theatre building for the new company of opera and ballet artists was designed by Antonio Rinaldi and opened in 1783. Known as the Imperial Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre the structure was situated on Theatre Square. Both names were coined to distinguish it from the wooden Little Theatre: "Kamenny" is the Russian word for "stone" and "Bolshoi" is the Russian word for "big". In 1836, the Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre was renovated to a design by Albert Cavos (son of Catterino Cavos, an opera composer), and served as the principal theatre of the Imperial Ballet and opera.

On 29 January 1849, the Equestrian circus (Конный цирк) opened on Theatre Square. This was also the work of the architect Cavos. The building was designed to double as a theatre. It was a wooden structure in the then-fashionable neo-Byzantine style. Ten years later, when this circus burnt down, Cavos rebuilt it as an opera and ballet house with the largest stage in the world. With a seating capacity of 1,625 and a U-shaped Italian-style auditorium, the theatre opened on 2 October 1860 with a performance of A Life for the Tsar. The new theatre was named Mariinsky after its royal patroness, Empress Maria Alexandrovna.

Under Yuri Temirkanov, Principal Conductor from 1976 to 1988, the Opera Company continued to stage innovative productions of both modern and classic Russian operas. However, since 1988, under the artistic leadership of Valery Gergiev, the Opera Company has entered a new era of artistic excellence and creativity.

Read the words in bold and translate them. Pay attention to the pronunciation

Make up 5 sentences using the words in bold

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Find out the names of famous people. Read them

Underline the name of well-known performance. Try to translate it

Translate the given phrases.

preeminent music theatre

home to

named after

at the behest of

renovate

auditorium

Principal Conductor

artistic excellence

Make up the dialogue. Mary doesn’t like theatre. She prefers cinema and rock concerts. John is fond of Russian theatre, especially Mariinsky Theatre. He is persuading her to go to the theatre

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Read the small texts about theatre. Say your own opinion. Do you agree or not? What is your attitude to the theatre?

David Stone, 42, artist. I am quite fond of the theatre, even though I don’t go there too often. In my opinion, the value of the theatre is rather the same as of art in the broad sense of the word: it is the focus of the spiritual life of the nation. As for the contemporary theatre, I think that it sadly lacks genuine poetry, harmony and heroic spirit. The prevailing tendency of today is to stage the tragedy in such a way that it loses its noble spirit and lofty passions. I don’t think that is the appropriate way to bridge the gap between, let us say, Shakespeare and the contemporary audiences. Somehow, Shakespearean atmosphere should be preserved. I am all for high tragedy.

Charles Sanders, 30, musician. The theatre is a splendid art. It is also a very difficult art, and a defenceless one, because everyone sees only the tip of the iceberg but is quite sure that he sees it all, and has something to say about it.

Personally I am not a passionate theatre-goer. I prefer to sit at home and read the play. The theatre dictates to me: they put their dish before me and insist on my swallowing it. I won’t have it. I prefer to have my own vision of the play.

Of course, one mustn’t lose sight of the educational role of the theatre. But education should by no means become the primary aim, it shouldn’t be too obvious, too didactic. The educational aim is best achieved when suddenly some secret spring is touched, and the spectator feels: here is the moment of Truth. It is for this precious moment of Truth that people go to the theatre.

How often do you go to the theatre? What do you prefer: cinema or theatre? What are their advantages and disadvantages? Prove your own ideas

Look at the pictures of various theatres. Try to match them with their names: Asian theatre, Globe theatre, Russian theatre.Explain your choice

Make up the flier of your own theatre. It can be classical or modern. Think about slogan and name, don’t forget about the famous actors and plays