ballet in two acts Music: Aram Khachaturian Libretto: George Kovtun Choreography: George Kovtun Set and costumes designer: Vyacheslav Okunev
Premiere of the production: April 29, 2008
Running time: 2 hours 50 minutes
Under the artistic direction of Farukh Ruzimatov, choreographer Georgy Kovtun’s new production of Spartacus is a full-length entertainment extravaganza.
With elaborate gilded sets and matching gold costumes by Vyacheslav Okunev and an onstage opera chorus a Roman drama unfolds on a grand scale. The choreography includes high, stage-sweeping jumps and difficult lifts. Metal swords splay out sparks as the gladiators and centurions go for each, and the crowd, so crucial to any portrayal of Rome, moves like a menacing, single organism, flowing across the stage.
The production proceeds in high-energy mode from start to finish. Kovtun’s Spartacus captures the flavour of Rome and the feel and energy of the circus in a Coliseum, effectively garnished with a Bacchanalian orgy. Those looking for emotional depth and a dramatic connection to the artists won’t be left disappointed.