3- Bolshoi Theatre

3- Bolshoi Theatre

The Bolshoi Theatre is a historic theatre in Moscow, Russia, designed by architect Joseph Bove, which holds performances of ballet and opera. The theatre's original name was the Imperial Bolshoi Theatre of Moscow, while the St Petersburg Bolshoi Theatre(demolished in 1886), was called the Imperial Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre.

 

Bolshoi Theatre in 2012

Renovations in the 19th Century-

In 1843 a large-scale reconstruction of the theatre took place using a design by A. Nikitin, but a fire in 1853 caused extensive damage and so a further reconstruction was carried out, by Alberto Cavos, son of the opera composer Catterino Cavos, On 20th August 1856 the Bolshoi Theatre reopened. Other repairs of the building took place in 1896. 

                                      The old Bolshoi Theatre in the early 19th century                                       

                                      Bolshoi Theatre in 1883 after reconstruction by                                         
                                                            Alberto Cavos                                                                  

20th Century- 

On 7 December 1919 the house was renamed the State Academic Bolshoi Theatre. Only a few days later, however, on 12 December, there was an unsuccessful attempt to shut the institution down entirely. Beethoven hall opened on 18 February 1921. There was further reconstruction of the theatre between 1921 and 1923 under the auspices of Ivan Rerberg. Bomb damage occurred during World War II, but this was promptly repaired. 

New stage of 2002- 

A new stage for the Bolshoi Theatre, called the New Stage, went into service on 29 November 2002. It was built to the left of the theater's historic main stage. Together with auxiliary buildings — a restored 17th-century building, two rehearsal halls, and artists' recreation rooms — it forms a single theater complex, the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia. The new building is on a natural hill where, until recently, there were blocks of old houses with communal apartments. 

                                                      Bolshoi Theatre in 1905                                                          

Major Rebuilding and Renovation (2005-2011)                                                                                 

From July 2005 to October 2011 the theatre was closed for restoration. It had undergone many renovations in its time, but none as major as this. The building, whose architecture combines three different styles, was damaged and a quick renovation seemed to be necessary.

Repairs were initially due to cost 15 billion rubles ($610 million) but engineers found that more than 75% of the structure was unstable, and as a result the cost estimate jumped to 25.5 billion rubles (app. $850 million). At the completion of the work, however, it was announced that only 21 billion rubles ($688 mil) had been spent. According to The Moscow Times, the true cost may have been double that, and Der Spiegel quotes a figure of $1.1 billion. The rebuilding and renovation was funded entirely by the federal government. 

During the long period of reconstruction, the company continued to mount productions, with performances held on the New Stage and on the stage of the Great Kremlin Palace.

                                                       Bolshoi Theatre in 1932

The renovation included an improvement in acoustics, to attempt to replicate the sound believed to have existed in pre-Soviet times, and the restoration of the original Imperial decor. The building's foundation and brickwork were thoroughly reset. Inside, the entire space was stripped from the bottom up. The 19th-century wooden fixtures, silver stage curtain and French-made red velvet banquettes were removed for repair in specialist workshops. Outside, on the top of the facade, the double-headed eagle of the original Russian coat of arms was installed in the place where the Soviethammer and sickle had been mounted for decades. 

                                         Bolshoi Theatre in 2006 before the renovation 

                          Auditorium of the Bolshoi Theatre, (before the 2005-2011 renovation)

Finally, on 28 October 2011, the Bolshoi Theatre re-opened with a concert featuring international artists and the ballet and opera companies. The first staged opera, Ruslan and Lyudmila, followed soon after. 

                                                      Bolshoi Theatre at night

Notable Premiers- 

The Bolshoi has been the site of many historic premieres, including- 

1- Tchaikovsky's The Voyevoda and Mazeppa

2- Modest Mussorgsky's one version of Boris Godunov was given on 16 december 1888 

3- Rachmaninoff's Aleko and Francesca da Rimini

4- Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's opera The Maid of Pskov, with Feodor Chaliapin singing the role of Ivan       the Terrible

5- Dmitri Shostakovich's opera Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District in 1935 

                                           Performance in the Bolshoi Theatre, 1856

Other Notable Facts-

1- The first symphonic concert by the Bolshoi Orchestra took place on 4th May 1919, conducted by       Serge Koussevitzky.

2- Leonid Sobinov, Antonina Nezhdanova, Ksenia Dzerzhinskaya, Galina Vishnevskaya, and the dozens of other outstanding opera singers have performed at the Bolshoi

 Address- Theatre Square, 1, Moskva, Russia, 125009 

Opened- January 6, 1825

Architectural style- Neoclassical architecture

Phone- +7 495 455-55-55 

Architects- Joseph Bove, Alberto Cavos, Andrei Mikhailov 

Function- Opera House, Theatre