Source: CCTV.com

12-26-2007 13:06

China's new National Grand Theatre formally opens the Opera Hall Wednesday night. The world renowned, Marrinsky Theatre Opera Company from St. Petersburg, accompanied by the Kirov Symphony Orchestra and Ballet group, has the honour of the opening night stage.

The Mariinsky Theater Opera Company will perform Alexander Borodin's medieval classic, "Prince Igor." The production was chosen to accentuate the complex's lush, dazzling interiors and sophisticated acoustics. The production is under the direction of Valery Gergiev, one of the world's leading conductors. He became the first foreign visiting conductor at New York's Metropolitan Opera in over a century.

The Mariinsky Theatre Opera Company will play 11 consecutive nights. Prince Igor is followed by Swan Lake, Balanchine's Jewels and Le Corsaire. The productions were all chosen to underscore the high standards of its artistic mission.