ROME, October 30. /Corr. Vera Shcherbakova/. Prime Minister of the Bolshoi Theater Igor Tsvirko performed the main role of the ballet “Marco Spada” on the stage of the Rome Opera House. The performance recreates the work of French choreographer Pierre Lacotte, made especially for the Italian theater in 1981, when Rudolf Nureyev played the role of the noble robber.
Local critics highly appreciated the skills of the Russian dancer. Tsvirko told reporters that this work is very special to him. Lacotte himself chose Tsvirko for this role in 2013, when he was just starting his career as a soloist of the Bolshoi Theater. “It was important for me to come here and pay tribute to Lacotte, thanks to whom my career took a new turn in 2013 at the Bolshoi Theater, when among all the soloists he noticed and chose me,” shares the dancer. He said that for the current production in Rome, scheduled for 2023, Lacotte, who died the same year, wanted to see him again as Marco Spada in his first production on this stage in more than 40 years. “This is a connection between generations and eras: Rome – Moscow – Bolshoi Theater – Rudolf Nureyev, and now, it turns out, I have been included in this history. And this is interesting, I will not hide it,” the artist admitted.
In the same cast as Tsvirko, the Bolshoi Theater's leading soloist, Dmitry Vyskubenko, dances the role of Prince Federici. “I bring here experience, skills, what teachers taught me at the Bolshoi, the biggest and greatest theater,” he told reporters.
Russian dancers admit that it is important for them to represent the domestic ballet school, demonstrate their skills and bring joy to the public. “The cultural exchange, the harmony that has developed on the stage of the Roman Theater is proof of mutual respect for cultures. The French Lacotta team, Russian and Italian dancers work here,” Tsvirko noted. They shared the stage with Berlin Ballet ballerina, native of Kyiv, Yana Salenko. The artist added: “Artists treat each other with respect, because we understand that our profession is short and together we try to bring joy to the audience from one stage.”
Russian Italian “Marco Spada”
The Roman Theater celebrates a special connection with the Bolshoi Theater, because the historical Roman performance was later transferred to the historical stage of the Bolshoi Theater. Russian dancers always dance at Marco Spada. The ballet, the music of which was written by Daniel François Esprit Aubert, was based on the opera of the same name, which was quickly forgotten after its premiere in France in 1852, but even then it was taken to St. Petersburg. New life was breathed in by Pierre Lacotte, who revived some of the forgotten ballet, restoring it in 1981 in Rome with Nureyev. Then the ballet was staged the next season in Rome, then – at the Paris Opera House. Lacotte later staged the ballet in Monte Carlo, and then in the national ballet troupe of Nancy and Lorrain, which he directed, where the main role was played by Andrei Fedotov, whose artistic career began in the ballet troupe of the Bolshoi Theater. In 2013, Lacotte brought “Marco Spada” to the Bolshoi stage, where the ballet will continue into the 2023 season.
The current Roman performance, staged in the style of classical romance, as its original concept was, is no different from the performance 40 years ago. As the theater management said, they even found old clothes. “Of course, some have fallen into disrepair. But all the sketches and sketches have been used,” said a reporter.
From November 1, a new “reconstruction” of Giacomo Puccini's opera “Tosca” will take place on the stage of the Rome Opera House, in the historical form in which it premiered on this stage 125 years ago. State television will broadcast live on the occasion.
