France: Symphonic Mania (21.12.2010).

Taking part in the tour were Novaya Opera choir singers and orchestra members, led by Nikolay Sokolov and Valery Kritskov, Novaya Opera soloists Artyom Garnov, Natalya Darenskikh, Sergey Tuzhik, Alexandra Saulskaya-Shulyatieva, Dmitry Pianov, Elena Mitrakova; accompanist Tatyana Sotnikova, as well the Imperial Russian Ballet and popular singer and pianist Dmitry Malikov, who also tried his hand in conducting. The show was hosted by the well-known French comedian Raphaël Bauville.

The programme comprised excerpts from famous operas: Bizet’s Carmen, Borodin’s Prince Igor, Verdi’s La Traviata, Nabucco and Rigoletto, Bellini’s Norma, Rossini’s Guillaume Tell, Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro; from symphonic pieces: Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No 1, Liszt’s Rève d’Amour, Beethoven’s Symphonies No 7 and No 9, Smetana’s Vltava, Brahms’ Hungarian Dance No 5, Strauss’ On the Beautiful Blue Danube waltz and Tritsch-Tratsch polka, Mozart’s Piano Concerto No 21 and Symphony No 40, Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, and from Tchaikovsky’s ballet The Swan Lake. The French concert halls seated 1500 to 4000 people; the show was sold out for each of the Symphonic Mania performances.