Town Musicians of Bremen

About

Gennady Gladkov (1935–2023) was a prolific composer for Soviet-era films, television, animation and musical theatre, including Gentlemen of Fortune, The Twelve Chairs and the cartoon The Bluebird. His 1969 cartoon The Bremen Town Musicians brought him nationwide fame. The musical fantasia, based on Brothers Grimm tales, became a cultural phenomenon with nearly thirty million record sales in two years and inspired a stage version that toured widely across Russia. This production of The Town Musicians of Bremen continues that tradition. It premiered at the Mariinsky Theatre on December 11, 2016, and at the Primorsky Stage on November 25, 2023. The show features beloved songs from the cartoon—such as There Is Nothing Better on Earth, They Say, We Byaki-Buki and Oh, the Guards Rise Early—performed by soloists of the Mariinsky Academy of Young Opera Singers, appealing to children and parents alike.