Ballet Raymonda
The Astrakhan Opera and Ballet Theater invites the audience to see medieval Provence, inspired by legends about a girl who is waiting for her beloved, the Hungarian knight Jean de Brienne, from a crusade.
The charming Raymonda, who lives in the castle of her elderly aunt, is engaged to the Hungarian crusader knight Jean de Brienne. But separation cast a dark cloud over her happiness – her fiancé goes on a military campaign.
At the celebration in honor of Raymonda's birthday, the Saracen knight Abderakhman is introduced to her. He promises to lay all his power and his great treasures at her feet if she agrees to marry him, but Raymonda proudly turns the formidable Saracen down. The girl's refusal makes him furious, and, helped by his people, he endeavours to kidnap the object of his passion, but Jean de Brienne, who has returned from the campaign, suddenly appears on his way. He defeats Abderakhman in a fair fight and marries Raymonda.
One of the most romantic, vivid and spectacular performances of the ballet theater Raymonda was the last work of the great Marius Petipa and the first experience for the composer Alexander Glazunov. Raymonda combines the developing purity of the French classical dance with the Italian virtuosity. The rhythms and intonations of Eastern, Slavic and Hungarian dances will create outstanding color and originality of Raymonda, which rightfully considered one to the best achievements of the Russian classical music.
This ballet masterpiece is more than 100 years old and it enjoys unfailing success and love of the audience and performers.
The author of the scenery and costumes for Alexander Glazunov's ballet Raymonda will be the recognized master, one of the iconic figures of the contemporary musical and theatrical world, the Honored Artist of Russia - Vyacheslav Okunev.
