Tag Archives: Tchaikovsky

Tchaikovsky Night at L’Europe, St Petersburg

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Grand Hotel Europe is one of the most prestigious hotels in St Petersburg. Centrally located, this hotel has been a cultural and culinary landmark for over 130 years. Fully equipped for business and leisure guests with the highest expectations, it boasts beautiful bedrooms, fine restaurants, shopping outlets, a beauty salon and much to my excitement, a pastry shop.

We visited on a Friday evening in December; as snowflakes began to fall outside we were relieved to step inside the warm, cosy lobby. After a brief look at the stylish new suites, we sat at the bar for a classic cocktail, while a jazz pianist played in the background. The hotel suits jazz, the old glamorous décor evokes a bygone era of opulent luxury.

The hotel’s main eatery, L’Europe is Russia’s oldest continuously serving restaurant. The elegant art nouveau room is a wonder – one is surrounded by stunning stained glass windows and regal detailing. We were lucky enough to be present for a famed Tchaikovsky Night, which takes place here every Friday – guests enjoy a wonderful performance of music and ballet accompanying the top cuisine.

We were seated at 8pm, at an isolated table close to the small stage. Dimly lit with flickering candles, it was a very intimate and romantic setting. We sampled a range of Russian cuisine which the L’Europe team created with care and innovation. A glass of bubbly was the perfect start to the meal, perking up our tastebuds for the food ahead.

The menu is lengthy and varied with traditional and modern dishes to please every palate. I tried country style Russian blinis filled with pan-fried cabbage and minced beef and served with whipped sour cream, herbs and a hint of garlic. They were like soft spring rolls with a sweet meaty filling and topped with contrasting cream. More international was the grilled scallops with Iberico ham, warm chard, zucchini, green beans and potato, a subtle combination of flavours and textures.

For main course we ordered Beef Stroganoff, which is obligatory when in Russia! This dish can be clumsy and laborious to eat but L’Europe create a refined version, a creamy sauce with high quality meat and topped with delicious crispy onions. The best bit for me was the pile of silky smooth buttery mash which complemented the meat dish. The waiter insisted we try Russian wine which was surprisingly tasty and well matched with the food.

To complete the lovely evening of culture and culinary delights, we shared an indulgent rich chocolate fondant with vanilla ice cream and a pot of fresh mint tea. Sophisticated food and dazzling music by talented musicians – you couldn’t hope for a more special night in St Petersburg.

More information and book here.

Swan Lake, Mariinsky Theatre, St Petersburg

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Attending a performance of the English National Ballet’s Nutcracker is a Christmas tradition for me, so when I had the chance to experience Swan Lake in St Petersburg I was thrilled.

Russia has a wonderful theatre and dance culture and Tchaikovsky is the most beloved of all Russian composers, proudly upholding the country’s musical heritage. Tchaikovsky’s most familiar compositions today are his ballets, the Nutcracker and Swan Lake, which attract huge audiences, especially over the festive season.

For grand musical performances in St Petersburg head to the Mariinsky Theatre, where the talented company produce a plethora of shows every season. There are now several buildings which house the shows in order to keep up with the audience demand, this also allows the company to show ballet and opera simultaneously. The old Mariinsky Theatre is without doubt more prestigious and glorious in its design, but the modern Mariinsky II is also very striking and luxurious.

When I visited Swan Lake was performed on the Mariinsky II stage and was a triumph. The music soared from the orchestra pit filling the auditorium and the dancers moved across the stage with precision and grace. This ballet premiered in Moscow in 1877 and still captures the hearts of viewers, young and old.

This fantasy ballet is split into four scenes and follows the love story of Prince Siegfried and his Odette, who is cursed under the spell of the evil magician Rothbart, so that she is a swan by day, a human by night. The spell will only break with the power of devoted love. The dancers in this production were focused throughout dancing with an effortless charm. It was particularly moving to watch the Song of the Swans dance which was a flutter of white feathers and tutus. The only thing that distracted was the constant (forbidden) photography from the certain members of the audience, this seems to be a bit of a trend with the Russian audiences.

A visit to a Mariinsky show is essential when visiting St Petersburg, seeing this beautiful production of Swan Lake was a highlight of my trip.

More information on Swan Lake at the Mariinsky Theatre here.

The Nutcracker 2013, The Coliseum

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A growing Christmas tree, a floating hot air balloon, hurrying ice-skaters, mean rats, dancing snowflakes, a heroic nutcracker… Tchaikovsky’s magical ballet is the ultimate Christmas show, always elegant and wonderfully imaginative. Slump into a comfortable velvet Coliseum seat and let the immaculate dancing and mesmerising set engross you.

The orchestra bring a new energy to this familiar score. The narrative is slightly overcomplicated by the part-sharing and splitting: Junor Souza dances as the masked Nutcracker, whilst Vadim Muntagirov dances him unmasked as well as taking on the role of the Drosselmeyer’s nephew; meanwhile grown-up Clara also dances as the Sugar Plum Fairy, completely confusing me! At least the dancers seem to know what they are doing and seamlessly float from scene to scene, excelling in Wayne Eagling’s virtuosic choreography.

The lead couple, Daria Klimentova and Vadim Muntagirov complement each other, and move effortlessly in the main sequences. While James Streeter is fantastically gruesome as the shudderingly menacing King Rat. It is Eagling’s ensemble dances which really shine in this production, the pretty snowflake chorus and the second act Waltz of the Flowers highlights the English National Ballet talent.

The Tring Park School kids are a joy on stage. Assured and adorable, they animate the production, and dance and sing with an excited spring in their step.

Another magical production of the Nutcracker at the Coliseum completes the Christmas festivities.

View more information about the English National Ballet productions here: www.ballet.org.uk