The long-awaited Spartacus by Aram Khachaturian - a spectacular masterpiece of world choreography, one of the favourite ballets of the audience (including the Krasnoyarsk one) - will again be performed at the Hvorostovsky Krasnoyarsk Opera and Ballet Theatre in the 47th season.

The production has not been performed in Krasnoyarsk for more than 10 years. The entire team of teachers of the Krasnoyarsk Opera and Ballet Theatre (headed by Artistic Director, People's Artist of Russia Anna Zharova) as well as invited masters from the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia and NOVAT (People's Artist of Russia Maria Alexandrova, Honoured Artists Mikhail Lobukhin, Mikhail Lifentsev, and Alexander Volchkov) are working on the restoration of the choreography along with the Theatre’s ballet company.  The score for the new Krasnoyarsk version of Spartacus will be edited by maestro Dmitri Jurowski, Music Director and Chief Conductor of the Theatre.

Aram Khachaturian began working on the ballet Spartacus in 1941. The composer considered it extremely important during the war to tell people about the hero who sacrificed himself for the ideals of freedom and the fight against the enslavers: “This should be a monumental heroic performance that will show the Soviet audience the best person in all of ancient history who, according to Karl Marx, Spartacus is.”

The ballet is based on the real history of Ancient Rome. In the 1950s, the composer travelled to Italy and visited the places where those dramatic events took place. The score was completed in 1954. And in 1968, the ballet Spartacus was staged by People's Artist of the USSR Yuri Grigorovich. The legendary choreographer, ballet dancer, and teacher himself came to Krasnoyarsk to stage this ballet in 2007.

The ancient historian Plutarch in his book Parallel Lives describes Spartacus as “a man distinguished not only by courage and physical strength, but also by his intelligence and gentleness of character rising above his position.” His words about Crassus are: “the brilliance of his numerous virtues is overshadowed by only one vice – the greed for gain; and this vice having prevailed over his other ones made them less noticeable.”

Maria Alexandrova, People’s Artist of Russia, performer of the part of Aegina in the Bolshoi Theatre production, invited tutor of the Krasnoyarsk Opera and Ballet Theatre says about the ballet characters:

 “The image of Spartacus is a free male spirit. A slave who urged other slaves to revolt. A pure-hearted person who knows how to love. Being a warrior, he loves Phrygia so sincerely that you understand that he is a 100% positive character. Crassus is the antipode of Spartacus. He is the governor of Rome who amassed all the power for himself: he is engaged in the slave trade, conquers lands. He must hold on to this power. According to the plot, Crassus encounters the slave who dared to declare his rights to freedom! Their relations are purely male ambitions. The women in the show are also completely different. Phrygia loves Spartacus with absolute love and generally looks at life with affection. Aegina is completely different: she is a woman in power. She is a hetaera - the highest caste of courtesans, an educated woman, Crassus's adviser. She’s not his wife, not a queen, she achieves everything herself. The clash of human fates is inevitable here, because everyone has widely different aspirations. Some strive to hold on to power, others want to live a better life - this is an eternal conflict.”

The premiere of the renewed version of Spartacus will be held on October 18, 19, and 20. Tickets can be purchased at the theatre box office (open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.), on the Krasopera.ru website and on the resources of ticket operators (open 24 hours a day).