Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
TOP SIGHT
BOLSHOI THEATRE
The Bolshoi is still one of Moscow's most romantic and entertaining options
for a night on the town. The glittering six-tier auditorium has an electric atmo-
sphere, evoking over 235 years of premier music and dance. Both the ballet
and opera companies perform a range of Russian and foreign works here.
The present pink-and-white beauty was built in 1824. This historic theatre saw the premi-
er of Tchaikovsky's
Swan Lake
in 1877 and
The Nutcracker
in 1919. The facade of the
Bolshoi is famed for the bronze troika that is flying off the front. Gracing Teatralnaya Sq,
the fountain by Vitali, which features bronze sculptures of the three muses, is Moscow's
oldest. A welcome supplement, Bolshoi's new stage was opened next door in 2002.
Opera and ballet directors come and go, leaving their imprint on the repertoire as well as
generating heaps of controversy. But classic gems, such as the iconic
Swan Lake
and
Bor-
is Godunov
, remain. There have been a few very successful experiments with 20th-cen-
tury and modern music in recent years, but they don't tend to linger for long.
Juicy stories about the Bolshoi's singers and ballerinas regularly appear in tabloids. Fol-
lowing the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Bolshoi was marred by politics, scandal and
even outright crime. Yet the show must go on - and it will.
Although it's not entirely impossible to get a ticket from the box office a few days in ad-
vance, don't bet on it - they sell like hot cakes. Your chances are higher in summer, while at
the height of the season (October to December) they are minimal. Tickets can be purchased
online on the theatre's website (go to bolshoi.ru/en/timetable for the English version). Re-
ports suggest that from 2015 standing-room tickets will be available for R100.
It is also possible to buy tickets from a scalper. Scalpers are easy to find; the trick is nego-
tiating a price - expect to pay upwards of R3000. Examine the ticket and the date of the
show (even the year) before money changes hands.
