Bolshoi Theatre facts for kids
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Большой театр
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Bolshoi Theatre
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 Bolshoi Theatre
Location in Central Moscow
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| Address | Teatralnaya Square 1, Tverskoy District, Moscow, Russia |
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| Coordinates | 55°45′37″N 37°37′07″E / 55.76028°N 37.61861°E |
| Public transit | Teatralnaya or Okhotny Ryad (Moscow Metro) |
| Capacity | 1,740 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1825 |
| Architect | Joseph Bové |
The Bolshoi Theatre (Russian: Большо́й теа́тр, lit. 'Grand Theater') is a famous opera house in Moscow, Russia. It was first designed by architect Joseph Bové. For a long time, it was part of the Imperial Theatres of the Russian Empire.
The Bolshoi Ballet and Bolshoi Opera are two of the oldest and most famous ballet and opera groups in the world. The Bolshoi Ballet is the largest ballet company, with over 200 dancers. The theatre also has its own ballet school, The Bolshoi Ballet Academy, which is a top school for ballet dancers. It even has a branch in Joinville, Brazil.
The main building of the theatre has been rebuilt and fixed up many times. It is a well-known symbol of Moscow and Russia. You can even see its famous neoclassical front on the Russian 100-ruble banknote. The Bolshoi Theatre reopened on October 28, 2011, after a big six-year renovation. This work helped bring back the original sound quality and the beautiful old decorations inside.
History of the Bolshoi Theatre
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How the Bolshoi Began
The Bolshoi company started on March 28, 1776. This was when Catherine the Great gave Prince Peter Vasilyevich Urusov permission to create theatre shows and balls. Urusov worked with an English tightrope walker named Michael Maddox.
At first, they performed in a private house. Later, they got the Petrovka Theatre and started putting on plays and operas there on December 30, 1780. This was the beginning of what would become the Bolshoi Theatre. The Petrovka Theatre was destroyed by fire in 1805. A new theatre replaced it, but it also burned down during the French invasion of Moscow in 1812.
The first building for the Bolshoi Theatre was built between 1821 and 1824. Joseph Bové designed and oversaw its construction. The new building opened on January 18, 1825. It was called the Bolshoi Petrovsky Theatre. The first show was the ballet Cendrillon. At first, only Russian works were performed, but foreign music was added around 1840.
Changes in the 19th Century
In 1843, the theatre had a big reconstruction. Then, a fire in 1853 caused a lot of damage. So, another major rebuilding happened. This work was done by Alberto Cavos.
The Bolshoi in the 20th Century
On December 7, 1919, the theatre was renamed the State Academic Bolshoi Theatre. A new hall, called Beethoven Hall, opened on February 18, 1921. Ivan Rerberg led more reconstruction work between 1921 and 1923. The building was damaged by a bomb during World War II, but it was quickly repaired.
New Stage Opened in 2002
A new stage for the Bolshoi Theatre, known as the New Stage, opened on November 29, 2002. It was built next to the historic main stage. This new building, along with other parts like rehearsal halls, forms one big theatre complex. It is called the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia.
Big Renovation (2005–2011)
From July 2005 to October 2011, the theatre was closed for a big restoration. The building needed repairs because it had been damaged over time.
During this long time, the theatre company still put on shows. They performed on the New Stage and at the Great Kremlin Palace. The renovation brought back the original sound quality of the theatre. It also restored the beautiful old decorations from the time of the Russian Empire. After the renovation, the theatre can hold 1,740 people. The Bolshoi Theatre reopened on October 28, 2011, with a special concert. The first opera performed after the reopening was Ruslan and Lyudmila.
Famous First Performances
Many important operas and ballets had their very first performances at the Bolshoi. Some of these include:
- Tchaikovsky's The Voyevoda and Mazeppa
- Modest Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov (a version of it) in 1888.
- Rachmaninoff's Aleko and Francesca da Rimini
- Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's opera The Maid of Pskov, with Feodor Chaliapin singing.
- Dmitri Shostakovich's opera Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District in 1935.
Other Interesting Facts
- The first concert by the Bolshoi Orchestra was on May 4, 1919.
- During the COVID-19 pandemic, some members of the theatre company became ill.
Ballet and Opera
The Bolshoi is a repertory theatre. This means they have a list of shows they can perform. The Bolshoi has always been famous for its ballet. Tchaikovsky's famous ballet Swan Lake first premiered here on March 4, 1877.
After the death of Joseph Stalin, the company started touring around the world. The "Bolshoi Ballet" became very well-known in other countries. The Bolshoi still tours regularly with its opera and ballet shows today.
Until the mid-1990s, most foreign operas were sung in Russian. But now, you can hear them more often in their original languages, like Italian.
Orchestra
The Bolshoi Theatre has its own orchestra. The music director and chief conductor is in charge of the orchestra. Vassily Sinaisky was the chief conductor until December 2013. Then, Tugan Sokhiev took over in January 2014. In December 2023, Valery Gergiev was appointed artistic director.
Chief Conductors and Music Directors
- Samuil Samosud (1936–1942)
- Ariy Pazovsky (1943–1948)
- Nikolai Golovanov (1948–1953)
- Alexander Melik-Pashayev (1953–1963)
- Yevgeny Svetlanov (1963–1965)
- Gennady Rozhdestvensky (1965–1970)
- Yuri Simonov (1970–1985)
- Alexander Lazarev (1987–1995)
- Peter Feranec (1995–1998)
- Mark Ermler (1998–2000)
- Gennady Rozhdestvensky (2000–2001)
- Alexander Vedernikov (2001–2009)
- Leonid Desyatnikov (2009–2010)
- Vassily Sinaisky (2010–2013)
- Tugan Sokhiev (2014–2022)
- Valery Gergiev (2023–present)
Cultural Importance
The Bolshoi Theatre is a very popular place for tourists to visit. Because it is so famous, tickets can sometimes be more expensive than at other theatres in Russia.
See also
In Spanish: Teatro Bolshói (Moscú) para niños
- List of productions of Swan Lake derived from its 1895 revival
