Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Hall of the Moscow Conservatory. Giving hundreds of concerts a year, the orchestra is still
the standard bearer for orchestral music in the capital, if not in the country.
Across town at the International House of Music, the National Philharmonic Orchestra of
Russia was the country's first private symphony orchestra when it was founded in 1990.
Also around that time, the feisty Levine sisters founded the Moscow Symphony Orchestra
(MSO), an upstart assemblage that still operates on a relatively small budget, under the dir-
ection of the young Vladimir Ziva. The MSO performs at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conser-
vatory.
CONTEMPORARY MUSIC
Live bands and DJs travel from other parts of Russia and all over Europe to perform in Mo-
scow's many clubs and theatres. Summer is an especially busy concert season, with several
big outdoor music festivals. Check the schedules of local clubs or look for signs advertising
the biggest names.
THEATRE
Due to the language barrier, drama and comedy are less alluring prospects for non-Russian
speakers than are music and dance. Nonetheless, Moscow has a long theatre tradition, which
remains vibrant today. The capital has around 40 professional theatres and countless ama-
teur theatres, staging a wide range of plays.
CIRCUS
The circus has long been a favourite form of entertainment for Russians young and old.
There are two highly lauded, permanent circuses in Moscow, putting on glittering shows for
Muscovites of all ages. Near the centre of town, Tsvetnoy bulvar has been the site of the
Moscow circus since 1880. This so-called 'Old' Circus - now named for the famous clown
Yury Nikulin - had always set the standard by which all other circuses were measured. Until
1971, that is, when the new Bolshoi Circus on Vernadskogo was built. This state-of-the-art
facility was bigger and better, with five replaceable arenas (water, ice, equestrian, etc) and
room for 3500 spectators.
The shows performed by both companies feature acrobatics and animals, as well as
dance, cabaret and clowns. The displays of daring-do are truly amazing, especially the aerial
arts. Only the Nikulin Circus features big cats in their performances, but both venues have
monkeys, bears and sea lions. The animals are apparently not mistreated - though their very
involvement in the show might make you cringe.
