4th Annual Russian Rhapsody
Royal Albert Hall, London, 11 April 2005
In 2005, Russian Rhapsody moved to the world-renowned stage of the majestic Royal Albert Hall, which was transformed into London largest - and most flamboyant - dining room for the 4th annual Russian Rhapsody.
It started in style, with a Moet & Chandon Champagne reception in the Gallery of the Royal Albert Hall, where HRH The Duke of York circulated among the guests.
Under the direction of impresario Dmitry Bertman (who three days prior to Russian Rhapsody was awarded the honour of People's Artisit of Russia), the artist and creative genius behind Moscow's Helikon Opera, Rhapsody took a dramatic new direction in 2005, offering a rich diversity of musical styles and genres.
Russian Rhapsody certainly provided an eclectic mix of spectacle, music and theatre. World-renowned classical maestro Yuri Bashmet and his symphony orchestra played pieces by Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Brahms and Sviridov counteracting a more contemporary musical 'menu' performed by Moscow's avant-garde Helikon Opera, where each piece was designed to suit the food and drink being served, for example, Champagne Couplets from Johann Strauss' Die Fledermaus or Vodka by George Gershwin. This was very interactive, with performers on stage and moving throughout the tables. Following dinner, the tempo of the evening changed, with a performance from the unique contemporary Russian folk singer Pelageya. Her performance included a rock and roll version of the Russian folk song Valenki, ritual Shaman rhythms and regular hard rock guitar passages. Vivid Collection presented a dramatic aerial display, featuring hire-wire aerialists descending from the gloriously lit roof.
The theatrical nature of the performance was mirrored in the extravagant specially designed stage set, which had been shipped from Russia by the Helikon Opera, and in the "Le Coq d'Or" theatre curtain (1914, 1000x1700cm), an enormous artwork by Natalia Gontcharova, which was brought to the event by Galerie Gmurzynska.
The stark black and white styling of the Hall from the galleries to the auditorium floor pointed to a decidedly theatrical, jazz age theme, a departure to the more traditional feels of Rhapsodies past.
