Ballet & Opera
The new season starts in September 2010. The Belarusian National Ballet is considered by many to be amongst the best in the world and a visit to a performance is a must if you get the chance. You may think that ballet is just for girls, like I did before I first attended a performance. But don’t judge it until you have experienced the beauty and the athleticism of the performers and the stunning art that forms the back drops. The orchestra isn’t bad either and the ticket prices are low.
The edge of the old town, the theatre is a distinctive round building can be seen from many points in the city. It’s within easy walking distance of the centre. Alternatively, the nearest metro station in Nemiga, from where it’s only one stop away on any bus or trolleybus heading across the river.
The official address is Ploshad Pazrizhskoy Kommuni 1 (пл. Парижской коммуны 1), which translates as Paris Commune Square. If the concert you want to attend is sold out it’s always worth turning up anyway. People with spare tickets hang around near the ticket office looking for takers. They are people whose friends or family cannot make the concert rather than touts, so any ticket you pick up here should be available at face value.
Buying tickets
It’s best to buy tickets in advance, especially for the ballet, and the booking offices at all the venues are open daily. Alternatively there are ticket offices across the city centre. Here are a few…
• The subways of the Oktyabrskaya, Yakub Kolas and Institut Kulturi metro stations.
• The second floor of the GUM department store.
• The Theatrical booking offices on Prospekt Nazvisimosti at numbers 13, 19 and 44.
If the concert you want to attend is sold out it’s always worth turning up anyway. People with spare tickets hang around near the ticket office looking for takers. They are generally people whose friends or family cannot make it, so any ticket you pick up here should be available at face value.
Forthcoming Ballet events
22 October, Friday, 19:00 – 21:00, 1 act
The Russian Seasons: Sheherazada + The Fire Bird
2 November, Tuesday, 19:00 – 20:55, 2 acts
La Fille mal Gardee (Ferdinand Herold)
3 November, Wednesday, 19:00 – 20:55, 2 acts
La Fille mal Gardee (Ferdinand Herold)
6 November, Saturday, 19:00-21:05, 2 acts
The Nutcracker (Pyotr Tchaikovsky)
10 November, Wednesday, 19:00-21:35, 3 acts
Romeo & Juliet (Sergey Prokofiev)
12 November, Friday, 19:00-21:10, 3 acts
Korsar
14 November, Sunday, 11:30-13:35, 3 acts
Chipolino (Children’s fairy tale. Chipolino being an onion...)
16 November, Tuesday, 19:00-21:35, 3 acts
Cinderella (Sergey Prokofiev)
17 November, Wednesday, 19:00-21:35, 3 acts
Cinderella (Sergey Prokofiev)
19 November, Friday, 19:00-21:45, 3 acts
Swan Lake (This was originally advertised as Sleeping Beauty. Tickets for Sleeping Beauty on this date are now valid for this performance instead)
21 November, Sunday, 11:30-13:00, 2 acts
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
27 November, Saturday, 19:00-21:15, 3 x 1 act ballets
Chopiniana / Paquita / Tristian and Isolde
28 November, Sunday, 19:00-21:15, 3 x 1 act ballets
Chopiniana / Paquita / Tristian and Isolde
29 November, Monday, 19:00-20:40, 2 acts
The Nutcracker (Performed by the Kiev Modern Ballet)
1 December, Wednesday, 19:00-21:40, 3 acts
La Bayadere (Ludwig Minkus)
3 December, Friday, 19:00-21:15, 3 acts
The Fountain of Bakhchisarai (Boris Asafjev)
4 December, Saturday, 19:00-21:15, 3 acts
The Fountain of Bakhchisarai (Boris Asafjev)
14 December, Tuesday, 19:00-21:35, 3 acts
Romeo & Juliet (Sergey Prokofiev)
15 December, Wednesday, 19:00-21:35, 3 acts
Romeo & Juliet (Sergey Prokofiev)
17 December, Friday, 19:00-21:45, 3 acts
Swan Lake (Pyotr Tchaikovsky)
19 December, Sunday, 11:30-12:40, 2 acts
The Three Little Pigs (Children’s matinee)
27 December, Monday, 19:00-21:10, 2 acts
Giselle (Adophe Adam)
28 December, Tuesday, 11:00-12:10, 2 acts
The Three Little Pigs (Children’s matinee)
28 December, Tuesday, 13:30-14:40, 2 acts
The Three Little Pigs (Children’s matinee)
Forthcoming Opera Events
17 October, Sunday, 19:00 – 21:50, 3 acts
La Boheme (Giacomo Puccini)
3 November, Wednesday, 19:00 – 20:55, 2 acts
La Fille mal Gardee (Ferdinand Herold)
4 November, Thursday, 19:00-22:10, 3 acts
Yevgeni Onegin (Pyotr Tchaikovsky, based on the verse novel by Pushkin)
5 November, Friday, 19:00-21:45
The Magic Flute (Mozart)
6 November, Saturday, 11:30-14:15, 2 acts
The Magic Flute (Mozart)
9 November, Tuesday, 19:00-22:00, 2 acts
Prince Igor (Alexander Borodin)
11 November, Thursday, 19:00-22:30, 4 acts
The Marriage of Figaro (Mozart)
13 November, Saturday, 19:00-22:30, 3 acts
Khovanshchina (Modest Moussorgsky)
14 November, Sunday, 19:00-21:45, 3 acts
La Traviata (Guiseppe Verdi)
18 November, Thursday, 19:00-21:15, 2 acts
The Barber of Seville (Gioacchino Rossini)
20 November, Saturday, 19:00-22:05, 3 acts
Un Ballo in Maschero (Guiseppe Verdi)
21 November, Sunday, 19:00-21:50, 3 acts
Madame Butterfly (Puccini)
23 November, Tuesday, 19:00-20:50, 2 acts
Iolanta (Pyotr Tchaikovsky)
28 November, Sunday, 11:30-13:00, 2 acts
The Little Tower Chamber (Children’s matinee)
30 November, Tuesday, 19:00-22:20, 3 acts
Carmen (George Bizet)
2 December, Thursday, 19:00-21:00
Requiem (Guiseppe Verdi)
7 December, Tuesday, 19:00-22:10
Nabucco (Giuseppe Verdi)
8 December, Wednesday, 19:00-22:20, 3 acts
Carmen (George Bizet)
9 December, Thursday, 19:00-21:50
Minsk International Christmas Opera Forum
Tosca
10 December, Friday, 19:00-21:45
Minsk International Christmas Opera Forum
La Traviata, performed by the Latvian National Opera
11 December, Saturday, 19:00-21:50
Minsk International Christmas Opera Forum
The Barber of Seville, performed by the Moscow New Opera
12 December, Thursday, 19:00-21:30
Minsk International Christmas Opera Forum
A gala concert featuring “the stars of world opera”
16 December, Thursday, 19:00-20:20, 1 act
Cavalleria Rusticana (Pietro Mascagni)
18 December, Saturday, 19:00-21:30, 2 acts
La Traviata (Guiseppe Verdi)
19 December, Sunday, 19:00-21:50, 3 acts
La Boheme (Giacomo Puccini)
21 December, Tuesday, 19:00-20:50, 2 acts
Iolanta (Pyotr Tchaikovsky)
23 December, Thursday, 19:00-21:50, 3 acts
Madame Butterfly (Giacomo Puccini)
26 December, Sunday, 11:30-13:00, 2 acts
The Little Tower Chamber (Children’s matinee)
26 December, Sunday, 19:00-21:45, 3 acts
La Traviata (Guiseppe Verdi)
27 December, Monday, 11:30-13:15, 2 acts
Magic Music (Mark Minkov)
29 December, Wednesday, 19:00-21:00
Gala concert with the stars of Belarusian opera
30 December, Thursday, 19:00-21:00
Gala concert with the stars of Belarusian opera
31 December, Friday, 19:00-20:00
Gala concert with the stars of Belarusian opera
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