- Hermitage Theatre
The Hermitage Theatre ( _ru. Эрмитажный театр, "Ermitazhnïy teatr") in
Saint Petersburg ,Russia is one of five Hermitage buildings lining the Palace Embankment of theNeva River .The palatial theatre was built between 1783 and 1787 at the behest of
Catherine the Great to a Palladian design byGiacomo Quarenghi . The crumbling Third Winter Palace of Peter the Great was demolished to make room for the new structure, although its old foundations are still visible in the ground floor. Quarenghi's designs for the theatre were engraved and published in 1787, earning him a European reputation.The semicircular
auditorium is decorated with color marble and surrounded with ten niches for statues ofApollo and themuse s. As the interior has never been overhauled, the original stage machinery remainsin situ , but the elaborate sets, an acclaimed work of the Turinese artistPietro Gonzaga (1751-1831), were lost during the years of Soviet neglect.The ceremonial opening of the theatre took place on
22 November 1785 . Though the auditorium could seat no more than 250 spectators, it was seldom overcrowded. Usually, the performance would be attended by several dozen aristocratic spectators, all invited by the monarch herself. As a sign of gratitude, a separate loge was reserved for the architect Quarenghi and his family. In the 19th century, selected members of the diplomatic corps were admitted to the theatre as well.Although the building was used to entertain the imperial family until the Russian Revolution, it came to be viewed as a rare monument to Catherine's personal tastes and affections. The empress brought out several comedies specifically to be staged in this theatre, which also saw the premieres of
Domenico Cimarosa 's operas composed to her ownlibretto s. As for the costumes, they were chosen from a 15,000-dress personalgarderobe of the late Empress Elizabeth.Mathilde Kschessinska ,Anna Pavlova , andFyodor Chaliapin were among the great artists who performed at the Hermitage Theatre for the last Russian tsar. Among the ballets performed there was the premiere ofMarius Petipa 's "Harlequinade", in 1900. TheBolsheviks closed the theatre and utilised the building for administrative purposes. It was not until 1991 that performances were resumed on this stage, with the likes ofSvyatoslav Richter ,Mstislav Rostropovich andYelena Obraztsova appearing as guest stars.References
*Avramenko S.I. Воспоминания об Эрмитажном театре. SPb, 1992.
External links
* [http://www.hermitagemuseum.org/html_En/05/hm5_2_5.html Official website of the Hermitage Museum]
* [http://petersburgcity.com/theaters/hermitage/ Historical outline]
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