In the second of two visits to St Petersburg's famous Mariinsky Theatre, Valery Gergiev r conducts Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka 's magical five-act opera that is seen as symbolising the birth of Russia's own distinctive musical culture.
One of the first Russian fairy-tale operas, Ruslan and Lyudmila is based on a poem by Alexander Pushkin. Its libretto was written chiefly by Vaierian Fyodorovich Shirkov , with minor contributions by others. With a plot that wanders freely through time and distance, switching between fantasy and reality, it was the precursor of a new tradition of operas deriving their material from Russian legends.
The story concerns bride-to-be Lyudmila. Abducted on her wedding day by the evil dwarf Chernomor, she is rescued by herfiance, the knight Ruslan, in a tale of adventure packed with magic transformations, knights, princes and sorcerers, as well as a singing, disembodied giant's head sporting a huge beard.

The principals are joined by the chorus, ballet and orchestra of the Mariinsky Theatre in a stunning production with original designs by Alexander Golovin, based on a staging that took place at the Mariinsky in 1904 and which was later taken to
Paris by the impresario Diaghilev. This production is directed for the stage by Lofti Mansouri and is showing in widescreen.
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