Wagner's Ring des Nibelungen in Mariinsky

Der Ring des Nibelungen, one of the most important opera premieres of the Mariinsky Theatre, will be performed in St Petersburg as part of the Stars of the White Nights festival.

The Mariinsky Theatre press service told RIA Novosti that the four parts of the Ring would be performed on the theatre's stage on June 13, 14, 16 and 18.

The tetralogy is to be performed in the Mariinsky for the first time after a century-long break. It was first produced there in the early 20th century by Eduard Napravnik, the theatre's chief conductor and Sergey Volkonsky, Director of the Imperial Theatres. The show was directed by Iosif Palechek. But at that time the operas were performed in Russian.

The current production is the first performance of the Ring in German not only in the Mariinsky Theatre, but also in Russia. Its music director and conductor is Valery Gergiev. Das Rheingold and Die Walkure are directed by Yulia Pevzner, Siegfried and Gotterdammerung were staged by Vladimir Mirzoyev. Decorations for the tetralogy were created by Georgy Tsypin.

A "round table" titled Richard Wagner in Russia Today organised by the Mariinsky Theatre and Goethe German Cultural Centre in St Petersburg will be held on the premiere's days with Wagner researchers from Russia and Germany participating. Its sessions will be hosted on June 15 and 16 by the St Petersburg Conservatoire and the Mariinsky Theatre.