Boris Eifman revives a famous ballet Russian Hamlet

On April 26 a new version of the Boris Eifman’s ballet Russian Hamlet will premiere at the Alexandrinsky Theatre (St. Petersburg). The production, which was not performed by the Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg for many years, returns to the repertory in the year of celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Company.

Boris Eifman set Russian Hamlet in 1999 to the music of Ludwig van Beethoven and Gustav Mahler. The premiere of the ballet took place during the tour of Company in Warsaw. In February 2000, the production was presented at the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia.

In his performance, the choreographer referred to the figure of Paul I – one of the most mysterious and contradictory characters in Russian history. Restricting the chronological scope of the production with the period of his heredity, Eifman brilliantly portrayed the tragic confrontation between the extraordinary and fragile personality and a hostile world built on violence, treachery and lies.

During the years of its active stage life, the ballet was performed with incredible success in the USA, France, Italy, Germany, Austria, China, South Korea, Argentina and many other countries. “According to the degree of concentration of findings, scenic metaphors and emotional intensity Eifman outperformed himself, because he has no one to compete with. Two leading ballet critics Anna Kisselgoff and Clive Barnes unanimously gave him the palm tree in the modern ballet,” wrote well-known journalist Bella Yezerskaya after watching Russian Hamlet. The New York Times in the review of the production said that Boris Eifman “has a way with electrifying images and theatrical fantasies that other choreographers do not.” The ballet came off the stage in 2012.

In the jubilee 40th season of Eifman Ballet, Eifman, continuing the practice of reviving his famous performances composed in the 1990s and having fallen out of the repertory, turns to Russian Hamlet again. Leaving the plot outline of the ballet without significant changes, he reinterprets the choreographic score at the same time, making it even more inventive, refined and emotionally intensive.

“Performances have the property of becoming obsolete, and this is an axiom. Their plastic language and stage appearance inevitably acquire features of the archaic. That is why, when I return my old ballets to the stage, I do not restore them, but create new choreographic versions that are adequate to the modern professional and technical capabilities of my theatre. After all, who, if not the author, has the primary right to breathe new life into famous creations?” says Boris Eifman.

The long-time co-author of the choreographer, artist Vyacheslav Okunev, created new costumes for the revived Russian Hamlet, and also perfected the original ballet sets filled with deep symbolism, skillfully combining austerity and imperial splendor. Alexander Sivaev and Boris Eifman worked on the lighting score of the production.

In the main roles the audience will see the stars of the Company – winners of international ballet competitions, laureates of the Golden Mask and Golden Soffit awards, President of Russia’s Prize and the Russian Government prize: the Honored Artist of Russia Oleg Gabyshev, Maria Abashova, Lyubov Andreyeva, Sergey Volobuev, Oleg Markov and others.