Prince Igor (Alexander Sergeev) holds aloft a huge sword as he dreams of war. The demon Div (Vasily Tkachenko) looks on in delight
Tischenko’s ballet “Yaroslavna” at the Mariinsky II, a telling of Prince Igor’s campaigns in the east and a warning of demonic influence on men who wage war. Visually stunning, occasionally violent, and musically somewhere between Stravinsky’s “Rite” and a cacophony. Igor’s desire to fight unnecessary wars ultimately results in death and destruction – only the timely intervention of an eclipse saves him. Still, Igor wants war as revenge. Princess Yaroslavna eventually manages to persuade him not too, and the demons fade away – for now. Dramatic and different, and a timely note about today’s political climate. A Mariinsky video about the making of the ballet can be seen here: I found it thrilling, dramatic and a very relevant parable for an increasingly stressed world.
Igor dances in front of his troops as they amass for a campaign. They would fail.
Princess Yaroslavna tries to persuade Igor from waging war as an eclipse occurs as a warning
The Oracles ponder Igor’s fate
The demon Div bangs the drums of war
Princess Yaroslavna dances for peace during the eclipse