U-M celebrates St. Petersburg's founding with multi-arts festival

"Celebrating St. Petersburg: 300 Years of Cultural Brilliance," a multi-arts festival hosted by U-M, will feature rich and diverse offerings in art, music and drama all during the fall.

Todd Lottman, a volunteer curator for the School of Music's Stearns Collection of Musical Instruments, prepares the current exhibit outside the school's library. "Music in St. Petersburg" is part of the University's celebration of the 300th anniversary of the founding of St. Petersburg Russia and contains a mid-19th century bugle and a Balalaika of Russian origin from the same time period. Here Lottman is situating a full score of Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka's opera "Zhizn za tsaris" ("A Life for the Tsar"), which was published by St. Petersburg-based Fyodor Stellovsky. This is a first edition of the full orchestrated score of the opera, which premiered in 1836 in St. Petersburg. The Stearns Collection purchased the score two years ago from an antiquarian dealer in the United Kingdom. (Photo by Paul Jaronski, U-m Photo Services)

"The Romanovs Collect: European Art from the Hermitage" at the Museum of Art (UMMA) will display 140 pieces of fine and decorative art that chronicle the royal family's passion for collecting all things European. The exhibition will be the exclusive U.S. venue, and it marks the first collaboration between the State Hermitage Museum and a North American university.

The University Musical Society (UMS) will offer the U.S. premiere of Declan Donnellan's production of "Boris Godunov," one of only two U.S. venues for the performance. The full festival offerings of UMS will feature additional Russian companies as well.

U-M's 50-year-old Center for Russian and East European Studies (CREES) has played a critical role in establishing the cultural partnership between U-M and the artistic leadership of St. Petersburg. CREES has organized a dance symposium and a "theme semester" that extend the cultural impact of the activities.

The end of October will mark a high point of the festival, when the exhibition "Boris Godunov" and the dance symposium will occur.

Event summaries

"The Romanovs Collect: European Art from the Hermitage" at UMMA

The exhibition will document the evolving aesthetic of the Russian tsars with art that includes furniture, jewels, tapestries, porcelain, drawings, paintings and sculpture bearing the names of Wedgwood, Meissen, Aubusson, Lorenzo Bernini and Jacob Jordaens. Curators from the Hermitage and scholars of Russian art history will offer a series of lectures to complement the exhibition.

The exhibition is made possible by Ford Motor Co., which marks its Centennial in 2003.

UMS features Russian works by Russian performers

UMS will present seven events that express St. Petersburg's cultural history in music, dance and theater. In addition to "Boris Godunov," the epic drama that follows a climactic struggle for power in tsarist Russia after the death of Ivan the Terrible, offerings will include the St. Petersburg Academic Capella Choir. The choir sang at the inauguration of St. Petersburg in 1703 and boasted Peter the Great as an occasional member.

Dance presentations will feature the work of St. Petersburg-born George Balanchine, performed by the dance companies of two Balanchine protégés—Edward Villella's Miami City Ballet and the Suzanne Farrell Ballet. The Kirov Orchestra, conducted by Valery Gergiev, and violinist Vadim Repin and the St. Petersburg String Quartet will round out the schedule.

Celebrating the distinctive cultural life of St. Petersburg

CREES, together with UMMA and UMS, will present a series of events celebrating the distinctive cultural life that flourished in St. Petersburg from its founding in 1703 to the present. St. Petersburg, conceived by Peter the Great as a "window to Europe," became the country's new capital representing opposition to the former capital of Moscow.

"From the Mariinsky to Manhattan," an academic symposium, will feature Balanchine dancers Suzanne Farrell, Violette Verdy and Edward Villella, who will share their perspectives of the practicing artist and reminisce about their training with Balanchine. Russian and U.S. scholars will examine the influence of George Balanchine on American ballet.

CREES also has spearheaded a St. Petersburg theme semester for Fall 2003, which will include courses in history, art, political science and Russian language, tied to the St. Petersburg celebration.

University units will add activities on the festival theme

The University Library will draw on its Special Collections Library to present "St. Petersburg: Window on the West/Window on the East"; the Department of Theatre and Drama in the School of Music will present dramas by Russian playwrights; and the Dance Department will feature choreography to music by St. Petersburg composers.

A concert by Arthur Greene, professor and chair of the Department of Piano, School of Music, will close the festival with works byRussian composers.

Events are subject to change. For additional information and details of exhibitions, performances and educational opportunities, visit http://www.umich.edu/stpetersburg/index2.html.

Calendar of events

The Romanovs Collect: European Art from the Hermitage Sept. 21-Nov. 23

10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat.; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Thurs.; noon-5 p.m. Sun.

Presenting 140 exceptional works of fine and decorative arts from the world-famous State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg.

Location: UMMA

Presenter: UMMA

St. Petersburg: Window on the West/Window on the East

Through Nov. 22

10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.€“Fri.; 10 a.m.-noon Sat. on Sept. 20; Oct 4 and 11; and Nov. 1, 8 and 15

An exhibit devoted to St. Petersburg's publishing history and the role that it played in nurturing the arts.

Location: Special Collections Library, 7th Floor, South Building and North Building Lobby, Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library

Presenter: University Library

‘Moonrise’ by Caspar David Friedrich, from the State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia. Taken from the exhibit, “The Romanovs Collect: European Art from the Hermitage,” showing Sept. 21-Nov. 23 at the Museum of Art.(Courtesy of the State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, 2003)

The Jewish World in Postcards

Through Sept. 26

Noon-6 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 1-5 p.m. Sun.

An exhibition of 235 postcard images of Russian Jewish life in the late 19th and early 20th centuries from the Jewish Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia

Location: Media Union Gallery, North Campus

Presenter: Jean and Samuel Frankel Center for Judaic Studies

French Textiles in Russia: Western Influences on the Russian Taste in Interior Decoration, 1750-1800

Noon Sept. 10

A lecture by Tatiana Lekhovich, curator of textiles, West European Art Department, The State Hermitage Museum

Location: 1636 School of Social Work Building, International Institute

Presenters: UMMA, CREES and The State Hermitage Museum

Porcelain and the Culture and Politics of Imperial Russia

4 p.m. Sept. 16

A lecture by Lidia Liackhova, curator of porcelain, Western European Art Department, The State Hermitage Museum

Location: 1636 School of Social Work Building, International Institute

Presenters: UMMA, CREES and The State Hermitage Museum

Russian Royalty and German Romantic Art

4 p.m. Sept. 17

A lecture by Mikhail Dedinkin, curator of 19- and 20th-century German drawings, Western European Art Department, The State Hermitage Museum

Location: 1636 School of Social Work Building, International Institute

Presenters: UMMA, CREES and The State Hermitage Museum

The Legacy and Myths of St. Petersburg

7:30 p.m. Sept. 18

A lecture by Anatole Senkevitch Jr., Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning

Location: Chesebrough Auditorium, Chrysler Center, 2121 Bonisteel Blvd., North Campus

Presenter: CREES

Beyond the Pale: Jewish Life in Pre-Revolutionary St. Petersburg

4-6 p.m. Sept. 24

A lecture by Benjamin Nathans, Department of History, University of Pennsylvania

Location: 3050 Frieze Building

Presenters: Jean and Samuel Frankel Center for Judaic Studies and CREES

St. Petersburg and Early 20th-Century Russian Literature and the Arts

8 p.m. Sept. 25

A lecture by Kelly Miller, Department of Russian Language and Literature, Dickinson College

Location: Special Collections Library, 7th Floor, Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library, South Building

Presenter: University Library

Becoming Russian: The Evolution of Russian Style in the Imperial Court

3 p.m. Sept. 28

A lecture by Alexey Leporc, Department of Art History, European University at St. Petersburg

Location: UMMA

Presenters: UMMA, CREES and The State Hermitage Museum

Literary Petersburg: From Pushkin to Brodsky

7:30 p.m. Oct. 2

A lecture by Michael Makin, Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures, U-M

Location: Alumni Center

Presenter: CREES

Concert by the St. Petersburg String Quartet and Maxim Mogilevsky, piano

8 p.m. Oct. 3

Featuring chamber music of Destyanikov, Shostakovich and Tchaikovsky

Location: Rackham Auditorium

Presenter: UMS

Concert by the Kirov Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theatre

8 p.m. Oct. 6

Valery Gergiev, artistic director and conductor. Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet Fantasy, Shostakovich's Symphony No. 9 in E-flat Major, Op. 70, Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade

Location: Pease Auditorium, College Place, Ypsilanti

Presenter: UMS

The Anglomania of the Russian Tsars

4 p.m. Oct. 7

A lecture by Elizaveta Renne, senior researcher and Keeper of British and Scandinavian Painting, Western European Art Department, The State Hermitage Museum

Location: 1636 School of Social Work Building, International Institute

Presenters: UMMA, CREES and The State Hermitage Museum

Balanchine Study Club

7-9 p.m. Oct. 7

A basic introduction to understanding ballet and the works of George Balanchine, led by Beth Genné, associate professor of dance, School of Music, and associate professor of art history, Residential College, LSA

Location: Vandenberg Room, 2nd Floor, Michigan League

Presenter: UMS

Mandelstam's "Noise of Time": Autobiography and History

4-6 p.m. Oct. 8

A lecture by Michael Stanislawski, Nathan J. Miller Professor of Jewish History, Department of History, Columbia University

Location: 3050 Frieze Building

Presenter: Jean and Samuel Frankel Center for Judaic Studies and CREES

St. Petersburg: City as History

7:30 p.m. Oct. 9

A lecture by William G. Rosenberg, Alfred G. Meyer Collegiate Professor, Department of History, U-M

Location: Alumni Center

Presenter: CREES

Exploring St. Petersburg: A Workshop for Teachers

8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Oct. 11

1-5 p.m. Oct. 19

A two-day workshop for middle and high school teachers focusing on St. Petersburg's art collections, dance and drama

Locations: Various venues; registration required

Presenters: UMMA, CREES, UMS and Wild Swan Theater

The End of St. Petersburg

8:30 p.m. Oct. 15

A film by director Vsevolod Pudovkin; Soviet Union, 1927, 87 minutes (Russian with English subtitles), silent film depicting the struggle between socialism and capitalism in the transformation from tsarist St. Petersburg to communist Leningrad

Location: Auditorium A, Angell Hall

Presenter: CREES

Ballet Master Class

7-9 p.m. Oct. 17

An advanced ballet technique master class, led by the Ballet Master of the Miami City Ballet. For registration, contact (734) 747-8885.

Location: Dance Gallery Studios, 815 Wildt St.

Presenter: UMS

Family Day

1-5 p.m. Oct. 18

UMMA and UMS join together to offer an afternoon of family activities. Participants can attend one event or both for an afternoon of family-friendly arts experiences.

1-2 p.m.: UMS Miami City Ballet Family Performance (Power Center). One-hour family performance featuring the work "The Neighborhood Ballroom." For tickets, call the UMS Box Office at (734) 764-2538 or visit http://www.ums.umich.edu/ .

2-5 p.m.: UMMA Family Event for "The Romanovs Collect" (Apse and Galleries, UMMA). Drop-in activities include gallery exploration activities for families to do together, performance/demonstrations and art-making projects. All activities are free. However, pre-registration is required for the oil pastel drawing workshop, "St. Petersburg Mirrored in Water," led by Elena Townsend-Efimova, founder of Ann Arbor's Talking Colors Art School. Pre-registration is required for the drawing workshop only. To register for the drawing workshop, please call (734) 647-0522. All children are admitted free to "The Romanovs Collect: European Art from the Hermitage." Adult tickets are $8 and may be purchased through Tickets Plus—(800) 585-3737, ticketsplus.net, or at participating Meijer stores, or in person at the museum.

Location: Power Center for the Performing Arts

Presenters: UMS and UMMA

UMS Artist Interview

6 p.m. Oct. 18

A pre-concert performance talk by Edward Villela, artistic director, Miami City Ballet

Location: Vandenburg Room, Michigan League

Presenter: UMS

Balanchine/Stravinsky!

8 p.m. Oct. 18

2 p.m. Oct. 19

Performances by the Miami City Ballet, Edward Villella, artistic director. Repertoire includes Balanchine/Stravinsky Apollo, Agon and Stravinsky Violin Concerto

Location: Power Center for the Performing Arts

Presenter: UMS

The Collection of Peter the Great

4 p.m. Oct. 20

A lecture by Sergey Androsov, Head of 19th- and 20th-Century Painting and Sculpture, Western European Art Department, The State Hermitage Museum

Location: 1636 School of Social Work Building, International Institute

Presenter: UMMA, CREES and The State Hermitage Museum

Boris Godunov and the "Time of Troubles"

7:30 p.m. Oct. 21

A lecture by Valerie Kivelson, U-M Department of History

Location: Alumni Center

Presenter: CREES

October

8:30 p.m. Oct. 22

A film by director Sergei Eisenstein; Soviet Union, 1928, 103 min. (Russian with English subtitles). A reenactment of the 10 days in October 1917 in St. Petersburg when the Bolsheviks brought down the Kerensky government

Location: Auditorium A, Angell Hall

Presenter: CREES

Nicholas I and The Hermitage: Builder, Collector, Tastemaker

3 p.m. Oct. 26

Lecture by Anne Odom, curator emeritus, Hillwood Museum and Gardens, Washington, D.C.

Location: UMMA

Presenters: UMMA, CREES and The State Hermitage Museum

Recital by Violinist Vadim Repin and Pianist Alexander Korsantia

6 p.m. Oct. 26

Featuring compositions by Mozart, Prokofiev, Ysaye and Richard Strauss

Location: Rackham Auditorium

Presenter: UMS

Military Collections of Russian Emperors

4 p.m. Oct. 28

A lecture by Georgy Vilinbakhov, first deputy director of The State Hermitage Museum; State Herald, corresponding member of the International Academy of Heraldry

Location: 1636 School of Social Work Building, International Institute

Presenters: UMMA, CREES and The State Hermitage Museum

Peter the First, Part I

8:30 p.m. Oct. 29

A film by director Vladimir Petrov; Soviet Union, 1937, 96 minutes (Russian with English subtitles). A lavish production covering the early reign of Peter the Great

Location: Auditorium A, Angell Hall

Presenter: CREES

Boris Godunov

Oct. 29€“Nov. 2

8 p.m. Wed.-Sat., 2 p.m. Sat.-Sun.

Alexander Pushkin's lyric masterpiece staged and directed by Declan Donnellan with actors from Russia's leading theaters (performed in Russian with English supertitles)

Location: U-M Sports Coliseum, corner of 5th Ave. and Hill St.

Presenter: UMS

Balanchine/Tchaikovsky!

8:30 p.m. Oct. 31

A performance of the Suzanne Farrell Ballet, Suzanne Farrell, artistic director. Includes Balanchine/Tchaikovsky Mozartiana, Pas de Deux, Meditation, "Elegie" from Suite No. 3 and Serenade

Location: Power Center for the Performing Arts

Presenter: UMS

From the Mariinsky to Manhattan: George Balanchine and the Transformation of American Dance

8:30 a.m.-1 p.m., 2-5:30 p.m. Oct. 31

9:30 a.m.-noon, 2-4 p.m. Nov. 1

Public symposium about Balanchine's work and its impact in Russia and the United States. Presented by dance scholars and Balanchine-trained dancers

Location: Rackham Auditorium

Presenters: CREES and Department of Dance

How Schloyme-Zanvl Rappoport Invented S. An-sky: The Jew as a Petersburg Writer

4 p.m.-6 p.m. Nov. 4

A lecture by Gabriella Safran, Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures, Stanford University

Location: 3050 Frieze Building

Presenter: Jean and Samuel Frankel Center for Judaic Studies and CREES

The Burglar

8:30 p.m. Nov. 5

A film by director Valeri Ogorodnikov; USSR, 1987, 83 min. (Russian with English subtitles). A dark commentary shot in documentary style about a young punk musician and his idolizing younger brother in the growing rock music scene of 1980's Leningrad

Location: Auditorium A, Angell Hall

Presenter: CREES

Concert by the St. Petersburg State Academic Capella Choir

8 p.m. Nov. 6

Vladislav Chernushenko, artistic director, featuring Rachmaninoff's Vespers

Location: St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, 2250 East Stadium Blvd.

Presenter: UMS

Window to Paris

8:30 p.m. Nov. 12

A film by director Yuri Mamin; Russia and France, 1994, 87 min. (French and Russian with subtitles with English subtitles). A group of Russian friends discover a magical doorway in their St. Petersburg apartment leading them to Paris.

Location: Auditorium A, Angell Hall

Presenter: CREES

The Diary of a Scoundrel

Nov. 20-23

8 p.m. Thurs.-Sat.; 2 p.m. Sun.

Alexander Ostrovsky's classic Russian comedy directed by Malcolm Tulip and performed in English translation by theater students

Location: Lydia Mendelssohn Theater, 911 N. University

Presenter: Department of Theatre and Drama

Brother

8:30 p.m. Dec. 3

A film by director Aleksei Balabanov; Russia, 1997, 96 min. (Russian with English subtitles). A gangster film mixed with a pointed social consciousness set in post-Soviet St. Petersburg's underworld

Location: Auditorium A, Angell Hall

Presenter: CREES

Celebrating St. Petersburg Finale Concert

8 p.m. Dec. 4

A concert by Arthur Greene, Department of Piano, School of Music, featuring works by Balakirev, Lyadov, Lyapunov, Prokofiev, Shostakovich and Tchaikovsky

Location: Rackham Auditorium

Presenters: CREES and School of Music

The Firebird

Dec. 10-Dec. 14

10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Wed., Thurs.;

10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Fri.; 2 p.m. Sat.-Sun.

Russia's most famous folklore tale recounts the adventures of young prince Ivan and his perilous journey to recover the dazzling but elusive Firebird. For tickets, call (734) 424-9591.

Location: Towlsley Auditorium, Morris Lawrence Building, Washtenaw Community College, 4800 East Huron River Dr., Ypsilanti

Presenter: Wild Swan Theater

Heart's Plunder

8 p.m. Dec. 12

An open rehearsal of a work-in-progress, this program integrates the poetry of Anna Akhmatova with Prokofiev's Visions Fugitives danced by Peggy Lyman, former principal dancer with the Martha Graham Company, and Peter Sparling, U-M. Readings by Sarah-Jane Gwillim, U-M.

Location: Dance Gallery Studio, 815 Wildt St. (at West Summit Street)

Presenter: Department of Dance and CREES

Dances for St. Petersburg

Feb. 5-8

8 p.m. Thurs.-Sat.; 2 p.m. Sun.

The University Dance Company delves into St. Petersburg's rich traditions of dance and music. Dances choreographed by guest artist Alonzo King, and U-M faculty Peter Sparling, Jessica Fogel, Gay Delanghe and Ruth Leney-Midkiff.

Location: Power Center for the Performing Arts

Presenter: Department of Dance

The Quick Change Room

Feb. 12-15

8 p.m. Thurs.-Sat.; 2 p.m. Sun.

Nagle Jackson's bittersweet comedy about the disintegration of the Soviet Union into a market-driven Russia, as seen through changes in a state-run St. Petersburg theater.

Location: Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre

Presenter: Department of Theatre and Drama

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