CAST
Svetosar - Mikhail Kit
Lyudmila- Anna Netrebko
Ruslan - Vladimir Ognovenko
Ratmir - Larissa Diadkova
Farlaf - Gennady Bezzubenkov
Gorislava - Galina Gorchakova
Finn - Konstantin Pluzhnikov
Naina - Irina Bogachova
Bayan - Yuri Masurin
Kirov Orchestra, Opera Chorus & Ballet, St Petersburg
Valery Gergiev
Directed for the stage by Lofti Mansouri
Executive Producer: Jane Seymour
Produced by Colin Wilson
Directed for video by Hans Hulscher

ABOUT THIS DVD
This is the first and only production of Glinka’s masterpiece Ruslan and Lyudmila (staged uncut) to appear on DVD.
Glinka’s opera Ruslan and Lyudmila is regarded as the first truly Russian opera, and the work that established the tradition of Russian grand opera that embraces Moussorgsky’s Boris Godunov and Khovanshchina, Borodin’s Prince Igor, Dargomishky’s The Stone Guest, through to the operas of Tchaikovsky. Indeed, it was described by Tchaikovsky as the “Tsar of Operas”, and it has since occupied a special and beloved position in the hearts of Russian opera lovers. The libretto adapts Pushkin’s comic-epic drama, a magical mix of sorcery, knight errantry and romance.
The Kirov Opera staging (produced in association with the San Francisco Opera) is a meticulous recreation of an historic original, a spectacular piece of stagecraft from the height of Russia’s pre-Revolutionary artistic “golden age”. In addition to the brilliant cast of singers (including Gorchakova, Diadkova, Masurin, and the new young star Anna Netrebko) under the dynamic direction of Valery Gergiev, the opera also boasts an extensive ballet, featuring the original Fokine choreography and danced by the Kirov Ballet.

Bonus Features
* This 2-DVD release is complemented by no less than two documentaries. The first is an 18-minute interview feature with Valery Gergiev, introducing the opera to first-time listeners. The second is a substantial, 55-minute documentary on the life and career of maestro Valery Gergiev, following his hectic life as music director of the Kirov Opera. Both documentaries are English-language films (without subtitles). The release is completed by a 20-minute showreel, introducing over a dozen Decca and Philips DVDs.
* Furthermore, this spectacular staging is presented in anamorphic widescreen, complete with a DTS 5.1 surround, as well as LPCM stereo.
* Full subtitling in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Chinese.
Timing: 211 mins (opera) + 73 mins (documentaries) + 20 mins (showreel)