Posted by admin in Musicals/Performing ArtsSep 13th, 2008 | no responses
Victor Hugo`s tragic gypsy, taken from his book THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, is brought to life in this ballet written by Cesare Pugni in 1844. Performed by the Mussorgsky State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater of St. Petersburg, this performance stars Elvira Khabibullina as the title character and is directed by Nikolai Boyarchikov. Great ballerinas Tatyana Vecheslova--who danced Esmeralda in the mid-20th century--and Matilda Kshesinskaya also offer their recollections of earlier incarnations of the ballet. An informative documentary introduction further situates the ballet historically and artistically.
