Tchaikovsky Overtures by Alexei Ratmansky
The Bavarian State Ballet
Cast
Alexei Ratmansky — Choreographer
Jean-Marc Puissant — Set designer, costume designer
James F Ingalls — Lighting designer
Elmira Karakhanova — Soprano
Alexei Kursanov — Tenor
Bavarian State Ballet
Bayerisches Staatsorchester — Orchestra
Mikhail Agrest — Conductor
Program notes
In collaboration with the Bayerischen Staatsballett, Alexei Ratmansky, one of the most renowned choreographers and dancers of our time, pays a triple tribute to Tchaikovsky. Overtures breathes new life into three of the great Russian composer’s Shakespeare-inspired works: Hamlet, The Tempest, and Romeo and Juliet. French designer Jean-Marc’s Puissant’s geometric set design brings a captivating atmosphere to this production.
Presented in 2022, this tragic triptych immerses us fully in the Shakespearean drama while also offering a poignant representation of the Russian-born, Ukrainian-raised Ratmansky’s strong emotions over the invasion of Ukraine. By combining 19th-century Russian music with Renaissance English theatre, Ratmansky navigates his unflinching impressions of the contemporary world while demonstrating the universal power and eternal relevance of art.
