Swan Lake – St George's Hall

AN UNUSUALLY large audience filled this celebrated Bradford venue last Monday for La Classique Moscow Ballet’s production of Tchaikovsky's immortal Swan Lake.

It was my fifth visit this autumn season and a particular tribute to the undying appeal of a truly great masterpiece by a truly great composer.

The Russian company touring the country does not boast an orchestra or expensive scenery but its costumes and lighting gave the splendid dancers all they needed.

A 14-strong corps de ballet filled the stage and the twin role of white and black swan was exquisitely delivered by Nadejda Ivanova, a young soloist trained at St Petersburg.

The great surprise of the evening. However was the huge success of Maxim Marenin in the part listed as The Fool, whose natural participation in the plot's activities was priceless.

He even started thumping a banjo until it was snatched from him. His curtain-call cheer as expected was second only to the prima ballerina's.

A pity the expert director Elik Melikov, a graduate of the Moscow Art University was missing to take his deserved bow.

* Coming up at St George’s Hall tomorrow is Brussels Philharmonic, one of the leading orchestras to have emerged from Europe in recent years.

John Pettitt