Composer Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka Librettists Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka and Valerian Shirkov and Mykola Markevych and Nestor Kukolnik and K. Bakhturin and A. Shakhovskoi Based On the poem by Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin Company San Francisco Opera Association Location San Francisco, CA Venue War Memorial Opera House Season 1995-1996 Language Russian Creative/Crew Conductor Valery Gergiev Alexander Titov(9/26, 29) Production Lotfi Mansouri Original production designers Alexander Golovin Original production designed by Konstantin Korovin Recreated and realized by Thierry Bosquet Lighting Designer Thomas J. Munn Special assistant to Mr. Mansouri Paula Williams Kirov Opera Consultant Katia Sirakanian Chorus Director Ian Robertson Original choreography by Michel Fokine Realized by Alexander Shavrov Assistant to Mr. Shavrov Tatiana Bessarabova Musical Preparation Susanna Lemberskaya Valery Ryvkin Peter Grunberg Larissa Gergieva Bryndon Hassman Svetlana Gorzhevskaya Prompter Jonathan Khuner Assistant Stage Director(s) Yefim Maizel Stage Manager(s) Theresa Ganley Fight Consultant Larry Henderson Supertitles Christopher Bergen Cast Bayan, a minstrel Yuri Marusin Ratmir, Prince of Khazar Elena Zaremba Farlaf, a Northern knight Vladimir Ognovenko(9/9,14,19,29) Gennadi Bezubenkov(9/17,22,26) Svetozar, Grand Duke of Kiev Gabor Andrasy Ruslan, a knight of Kiev, Lyudmila's fiancé Jeffrey Wells(9/9,14,19,26,29) Vladimir Ognovenko(9/17,22,26) Lyudmila, Svetozar's daughter Anna Netrebko Finn, a good-natured wizard Vladimir Atlantov Naina, an evil sorceress Catherine Cook Voice of the Giant Head Gennadi Bezubenkov Gorislava, Ratmir's rejected lover Valentina Tsidipova(9/9,14,17,19,22) Zvetelina Vassileva(9/26,29) Chernomor, an evil dwarf Michael Lee Gogin Ballet Soloist Tatiana Bessarabova Olga Volobueva Marina Chirkova Galina Yablonskaya Fyodor Lopukhov Vladimir Ivantsov Show Dates Sat, Sep 9 1995, 7pm Thu, Sep 14 1995, 7:30pm Sun, Sep 17 1995, 1:30pm Tue, Sep 19 1995, 7:30pm Fri, Sep 22 1995, 7:30pm Tue, Sep 26 1995, 7:30pm Fri, Sep 29 1995, 7:30pm Time and Place Legendary Kiev Scenes Act I -- Svetozar's palace INTERMISSION Act II, Scene 1 -- Finn's cave Act II, Scene 2 -- A forest Act II, Scene 3 -- A deserted battlefield Act III, Scene I -- Naina's garden Act III, Scene 2 -- Naina's castle INTERMISSION Act IV, Scene 1 -- Chernomor's garden Act IV, Scene 2 -- Chernomor's castle Act V, Scene 1 -- An encampment Act V, Scene 2 -- Svetozar's palace Media Image Anna Netrebko (Lyudmila), Ruslan and Lyudmila, Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka. San Francisco Opera, 1995-96. Photographer: Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera. Anna Netrebko as Lyudmila in her United States debut role Credit Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera Image Michael Lee Gogin (Chernomor), Ensemble, Ruslan and Lyudmila, Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka. San Francisco Opera, 1995-96. Photographer: Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera. Michael Lee Gogin (long white beard), surrounded by attendants to the evil dwarf Chernomor Credit Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera Image Gabor Andrasy (Svetozar), Anna Netrebko (Lyudmila), Jeffrey Wells (Ruslan), Ruslan and Lyudmila, Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka. San Francisco Opera, 1995-96. Photographer: Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera. (Top) Gabor Andrasy as Svetozar, the Grand Duke of Kiev, approves of his daughter Lyudmila's (Anna Netrebko, right) wedding to Ruslan (Jeffrey Wells, left) Credit Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera Image Catherine Cook (Naina), Ruslan and Lyudmila, Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka. San Francisco Opera, 1995-96. Photographer: Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera. Catherine Cook as Naina, an evil sorceress Credit Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera Image Vladimir Atlantov (Finn), Ruslan and Lyudmila, Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka. San Francisco Opera, 1995-96. Photographer: Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera. Vladimir Atlantov as Finn, a good-hearted wizard Credit Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera Image Valentina Tsidipova (Gorislava), Ruslan and Lyudmila, Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka. San Francisco Opera, 1995-96. Photographer: Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera. Valentina Tsidipova as Gorislava Credit Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera Image Elena Zaremba (Ratmir), Ruslan and Lyudmila, Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka. San Francisco Opera, 1995-96. Photographer: Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera. Elena Zaremba as Ratmir, the Prince of Khazar Credit Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera Sponsors The performance of September 22nd is sponsored by Meyer Sound Laboratories Acknowledgements This production is made possible, in part, by generous gifts from Mr. and Mrs. Reid W. Dennis and Mr. and Mrs. John R. Hamilton Notes Libretto by the composer with K. Bakhturin, A. Shakhovskoi, V. Shirkov, M. Gedeonov, N. Kukolnik and N. Markevich"Ruslan and Lyudmila" is a co-production with the Kirov Opera, St. PetersburgScenery owned by the Kirov OperaCostumes owned by the Kirov Opera and the San Francisco OperaADDITIONAL PERFORMERSDANCERSCelia Fushille BurkeJill CassimatisKara DavisKrista KastnerCorinne LarsenJessica RadetskyLee BellHarlan BengalDuncan CooperMikhail TchoupakovCharles TorresEric WolframCHILDREN DANCERSReona MorimuneStephanie OrzaMalachi RoseVladimir VladMIMESMarc BaumanBrian ChungRousdem DjoraevSerge MorelLouis SchillingMike SmithEric WilcoxDaniel WilsonSTUNT DOUBLESRuslan -- Marc BaumanChernomor -- Michael Lipsky Supernumeraries Megan Alexander Sarah Alexander Mary Freeman Kristina Kling Andrea Kohlruss Lisa Lorea Susan Mead Jan Moody Dorothy Papo Stephanie Salter Valentina Simi Mimi Timberlake Laurel Winzler Bob Acker John Atkinson Marc Bauman Jordan Berner Mark Burstein Peter Cannon Dante Cecchini Aloysius V. Cummings Jim Dyvad Milko Encinas Angelo Festa Eugenio Gámez Eddy Gordillo Todd Jones Frank Jorgensen M. T. Kildow Michael Lipsky Wayne McCord Charles McGee Albert Malkin Ivan R. Munoz Thomas Newman David Norton William Perasso Oliver Pollard Patrick Presto Lucas Rebston Will Sanderson Geoff Skidmore Frank Sommers Michael Strickland Raymond Sullivan Tom Tillman Lord Veerman Pierre Vulliez Richard Weil Ron Wizelman Kit Wynkoop
Image Anna Netrebko (Lyudmila), Ruslan and Lyudmila, Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka. San Francisco Opera, 1995-96. Photographer: Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera. Anna Netrebko as Lyudmila in her United States debut role Credit Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera
Image Michael Lee Gogin (Chernomor), Ensemble, Ruslan and Lyudmila, Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka. San Francisco Opera, 1995-96. Photographer: Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera. Michael Lee Gogin (long white beard), surrounded by attendants to the evil dwarf Chernomor Credit Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera
Image Gabor Andrasy (Svetozar), Anna Netrebko (Lyudmila), Jeffrey Wells (Ruslan), Ruslan and Lyudmila, Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka. San Francisco Opera, 1995-96. Photographer: Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera. (Top) Gabor Andrasy as Svetozar, the Grand Duke of Kiev, approves of his daughter Lyudmila's (Anna Netrebko, right) wedding to Ruslan (Jeffrey Wells, left) Credit Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera
Image Catherine Cook (Naina), Ruslan and Lyudmila, Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka. San Francisco Opera, 1995-96. Photographer: Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera. Catherine Cook as Naina, an evil sorceress Credit Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera
Image Vladimir Atlantov (Finn), Ruslan and Lyudmila, Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka. San Francisco Opera, 1995-96. Photographer: Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera. Vladimir Atlantov as Finn, a good-hearted wizard Credit Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera
Image Valentina Tsidipova (Gorislava), Ruslan and Lyudmila, Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka. San Francisco Opera, 1995-96. Photographer: Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera. Valentina Tsidipova as Gorislava Credit Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera
Image Elena Zaremba (Ratmir), Ruslan and Lyudmila, Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka. San Francisco Opera, 1995-96. Photographer: Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera. Elena Zaremba as Ratmir, the Prince of Khazar Credit Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera