On 21 July, there will be a pre-premiere show of The Crystal Palace in the Republic Hall of the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta. The staged ballet, play and musical performance will be held within the framework of events celebrating the 50th anniversary of Russian-Maltese diplomatic relationships.
The music of the famous contemporary composer Alexey Shor has been specially selected for this performance. Shor, like no other, connects Russia and Malta through his musical pieces. Born in the former Soviet Union, he is now a composer-in-residence with the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra Academy.
Based on historical archives, Russian theatre professionals will recreate the atmosphere of the 18th century using original Baroque decorations and costumes for the Valletta pre-premier.
The Crystal Palace takes place in 1740, at the court of the Russian Empress Anna Ioannovna. In the capital, luxurious celebrations have been organised. In one of them Her Majesty learns about two sweethearts and orders them to marry. But the hearts of the lovers are not filled with joy. For the bride and groom, by the order of the Empress, must spend the winter night after the nuptials in a specially-erected palace, where the walls, the bed, and even the flowers, were made of ice.
Celebrities and special guests from Russia and Malta taking part in the production include soloists of the Bolshoi and Mikhailovsky Theatres, ballet dancers of leading Moscow theatres, as well as the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, the Malta Children's Choir and students of the Maltese Brigitte Gauci Borda School of Ballet.
The soloists include Ivan Vasiliev, permanent guest premiere of the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, La Scala Theatre in Milan and the American Ballet Theatre in New York, premiere of the Mikhailovsky Theatre in St Petersburg; Maria Allash, prima ballerina, soloist of the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow; Maria Vinogradova, leading soloist of the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow and Anna Aglatova, opera singer, soloist of the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow.
The show will be under the direction of conductor Pavel Klinichev, conductor of the Bolshoi and Theatre in Moscow and director Ekaterina Mironova, guest ballet master of the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, Honoured Worker of Culture of Russia. Choreographer is in the hands of Alexander Somov, choreographer, actor of theatre and cinema, former soloist of the Bolshoi Ballet, stage designer is Sergei Timonin, guest stage designer of the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow and costume designer is Elena Netsvetaeva-Dolgaleva.