North American Premiere Anna Karenina

What lengths would you go to for love? This question sits at the heart of Spuck’s ballet, which follows the aristocratic Anna Karenina through an extramarital affair that both liberates and condemns her. Anna’s love triangle with Count Alexei Vronsky and her husband Alexei Karenin is the epicentre of a detailed portrait of Russian society in the 19th-century and its parallel stories of love and infidelity. Anna is ostracized for her desire – stripped of her status, separated from her child and driven to suicide – revealing the inequities within her society.

Prologue

Martin Donner: Trains I Sergei Rachmaninoff: Moment musical op. 16, no. 3, Andante cantabile, (B minor)

Salon I
Stiva is cheating on his wife Dolly with the female maids. Kitty is being pursued by landowner Konstantin Levin, who has come to town specifically for this purpose.

Sergei Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dances op. 45, no. 2, Andante con moto (Tempo di Valse)

Arrival in Moscow
Anna Karenina has come to Moscow from St. Petersburg where she intends to mediate between Stiva and Dolly. Stiva is waiting for Anna on the platform, while her travelling acquaintance, Countess Vronskaja, is being collected by her son Alexei. Anna Karenina and Count Alexei Vronsky are introduced to one another and this first sighting remains unforgettable for both.

Witold Lutosławski: Novelette for Orchestra, no. 1, Announcement

The Ball
Levin asks for Kitty’s hand in marriage and she turns him down. She is infatuated with Vronsky and is hoping he will propose to her. However, Vronsky’s only desire is to see Anna Karenina again at the ball. When Anna appears and Vronsky only has eyes for her, Kitty’s world falls apart. Anna realizes that she is the reason for Kitty’s destroyed hopes and leaves.

Sergei Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dances op. 45, no. 2, Andante con moto (Tempo di Valse)

To St. Petersburg
Vronsky follows Anna to St. Petersburg. They become closer during the journey. In St. Petersburg, Anna Karenina is collected by her husband Alexei and their son Sergei.

Sergei Rachmaninoff: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini op. 43, for piano and orchestra, Variation 12
Martin Donner: Trains II

In the Country I
After his refused proposal, Levin flees to the solitude of his estate and avoids society.

Sergei Rachmaninoff (Arr.: Christophe Barwinek): Noch' pechal'na, op. 26 no. 12, The Night is Sad

Betsy’s Salon
The salon of Princess Betsy Tverskaja, a friend of Anna’s, is the meeting point of the decadent Petersburg society. While Dolly and Stiva continue to argue here, Anna and Vronsky enjoy their reunion. When Karenin turns up to collect his wife, she refuses to go home with him. The Karenins are the subject of much discussion in the salon: A shadow has been cast over Anna’s reputation – Vronsky.

As society becomes more distant, Anna and Vronsky’s passion for one another can no longer be assuaged. Vronsky’s love allows Anna to forget the feelings of guilt and shame about the breakdown of her marriage.

Sergei Rachmaninoff: Piano Concert no. 2 in C-minor op. 18, 3rd movement
Witold Lutosławski: Chain 3 for Orchestra, III. 38

Horse Racing
The distinguished society meets at a horse race, including the Karenins, Stiva, Dolly, Betsy and Countess Vronskaja. The fact that Anna screams when Vronsky falls with his horse is proof of her unfaithfulness for Karenin and those present. Karenin demands the fulfilment of marital obligations from Anna.

Sergei Rachmaninoff: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini op. 43, Variations 8 and 9
Witold Lutosławski: Piano concert, second movement

In the Country II
Levin takes part in haymaking, forgets his heartache and finds new meaning in life in the shared work with his farmers.

The transformed Kitty comes to the country and she and Levin become closer to one another.

Martin Donner: Sensen>
Sergei Rachmaninoff (Arr.: Christophe Barwinek): Ne poy, krasavitsa! op. 4, no. 4, Don’t sing, beautiful

At the Home of the Karenins
After the birth of Vronsky’s daughter, Anna is under threat of death. This situation causes Karenin to forgive her and his love rival. Vronsky, who fears that Anna will return to her husband, attempts suicide.

Sergei Rachmaninoff (Arr.: Christophe Barwinek): Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini op. 43, Variation 17
Witold Lutosławski: Piano Concert, 1st Movement

Intermission

Prelude: Witold Lutosławski: Novelette for Orchestras, no. 1, Announcement

Italy/Russia
Vronsky is in Italy with Anna. She has left her old life behind – including Sergei. Vronsky has given up his career in the military for her. They enjoy their abundance of happiness as a pair but soon Anna misses her son, while Vronsky misses life in society. They return to Russia. Dolly appears to have come to terms with remaining at the side of the notoriously unfaithful Stiva.

Sergei Rachmaninoff: Piano Concert no. 2 c minor op. 18, second movement

Wedding
Kitty and Levin have come together and marry.

Sulkhan Tsintsadze (Arr.: Christophe Barwinek): Miniatures for String Quartet, 5th harmony

Sergei's Birthday
In secret, Anna visits her son Sergei, who is now being looked after by the confidante of the Karenins, Countess Lidia Ivanovna. They both bring the reunion of mother and son to an abrupt end. Anna and Karenin have a heated discussion, after which Anna remains alone and shattered.

Sergei Rachmaninoff: Prelude C-sharp minor op. 3, second movement

Loneliness I
Anna is devastated. She now doubts Vronsky’s faithfulness and tries to numb her pain and jealousy with opium.

Sergei Rachmaninoff (Arr.: Christophe Barwinek): Uvyal tsvetok o. op. (The flower is withered; Text page 74)

Isolation
While Vronsky is able to continue to take part in public life, Anna is perceived as an adulteress and is shunned by and cut off from society. Even her once friend Betsy turns away from her. Her jealousy and delusions turn obsessive and she suspects that Princess Sorokina, who Countess Vronskaja has chosen for her son, is a love rival.

Witold Lutosławski: Novelette for Orchestra, no. 2, First Event
Witold Lutosławski: Novelette for Orchestra, no. 1, Announcement
Sergei Rachmaninoff: Prelude F-sharp minor op. 23, first movement

Loneliness II/Anna’s Death
All relationships and ties have dissolved for Anna and Vronsky is also no longer a reason for her to stop. She kills herself.

Josef Bardanashvili: Concerto quasi una fantasia, 2. Sostenuto
Sergei Rachmaninoff: Ne poy, krasavitsa! op. 4, no. 4, Prelude

Anna Karenina
An aristocratic woman admired and trapped by 19th-century Russian society, Anna fits easily into the role of high-society wife and devoted mother. But she yearns for greater passion and pursues an affair with the dashing County Vronsky, igniting a scandal that ultimately leads to her death.

Alexei Karenin
Anna’s husband and a high-ranking government official, Karenin values duty over passion, with marriage and family always secondary to his career. When Anna’s affair shatters his ordered existence, he flounders – exposing how much life she once brought to his world.

Count Alexei Vronsky
A wealthy, charismatic military officer who falls deeply in love with Anna. Yet Vronsky’s passion has limits and he both accepts and benefits from social expectations to a greater degree than Anna, who is punished for their affair while he continues to live freely.

Konstantin Levin
A thoughtful and sincere landowner whose happy marriage to Kitty offers a contrast for Anna’s tragic path. Unlike the aristocratic elite, Levin finds meaning in the simplicity of rural life and he comes to express a deep sense of faith.

Kitty
Beautiful and popular, Kitty understands the societal pressure for a young woman to marry well. Heartbroken when Vronsky courts her but fails to propose, she finds a role model in a friend and matures into a happy marriage with Levin.

Dolly
Kitty’s older sister, Dolly is a loving mother and long-suffering wife to the unfaithful Stiva, whom she stays with for the sake of their children. Resilient and compassionate, Dolly is the only one who remains loyal to Anna amidst her scandal.

Stiva
A government official whose affair with his children’s governess nearly ends his marriage to Dolly and brings Anna – his sister – to St. Petersburg. Rather than malicious, Stiva instead reflects a society that overlooks his infidelities while condemning Anna for the same.

• Spuck created Anna Karenina for Ballett Zürich in 2014 and it has drawn widespread praise for its powerful storytelling.
   
• Vivien Leigh, Greta Garbo and Keira Knightley are just a sampling of the women who have portrayed Tolstoy’s great heroine, Anna Karenina, in its countless adaptations.
   
• Slender birch trees, opulent society balls and snowy landscapes are part of an evocative design by Spuck’s trusted creative team.
   
• Tieni Burkhalter’s black-and-white video projections of trains feel like a home movie and foreshadow Anna’s derailment and eventual suicide on the tracks.
   
• The score follows the emotional tides of the story, moving from the lyricism of Rachmaninoff to the more strident sounds of Lutoslawski.

Anna Karenina: A Triumph of Storytelling
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German choreographer Christian Spuck joined Stuttgart Ballet in 1995 and became Resident Choreographer in 2001. He was Artistic Director and Resident Choreographer of Ballett Zürich from 2012 to 2022 and is now Artistic Director of Berlin State Ballet. Spuck was awarded the prestigious Prix Benois de la Danse for best choreography in 2019 for Winterreise.

The curated score to Anna Karenina is comprised of selections from several 20th century composers including Sergei Rachmaninoff and Witold Lutosławski, reflecting the complexities and intricacies of Tolstoy’s tragic story.  This juxtaposition in the quality of the music reveals Anna’s inner conflict as she moves towards her unhappy end.

Choreography:
Christian Spuck

Staged by:
Katja Wünsche, Birgit Deharde and Daniel Mulligan

Music:
Sergei Rachmaninoff, Witold Lutosławski, Sulkhan Tsintsadze and Josef Bardanashvili

Guest Conductor:
Matthew Rowe

Pianist:
Adrian Oetiker

Sopranos:
Emily Rocha and Jonelle Sills

Set Design:
Christian Spuck and Jörg Zielinski

Costume Design:
Emma Ryott

Lighting Design:
Martin Gebhardt

Video Design:
Tieni Burkhalter

Sound Collages:
Martin Donner

Dramaturge:
Claus Spahn

Intimacy Consultant:
Anisa Tejpar

Costumes and Scenery Courtesy of Opernhaus Zürich and Den Norske Opera & Ballett

World Premiere: Ballett Zürich, Switzerland, October 12, 2014

The National Ballet of Canada Premiere: Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, Toronto, June 13, 2025

Lead philanthropic support for Anna Karenina is generously provided by Tony Arrell, C.M. & Anne Arrell, Laura Dinner & Richard Rooney, and the Walter Carsen New Creations Fund. Additional support is provided by The Producers’ Circle (2025).

The Producers’ Circle (2025): John & Claudine Bailey, Indra & Rags Davloor, Laura Dinner & Richard Rooney, Gail Drummond & Bob Dorrance, Ira Gluskin & Maxine Granovsky Gluskin, Anna McCowan-Johnson & Donald K. Johnson, O.C., Judy Korthals & Peter Irwin, Mona & Harvey Levenstein, Jerry Lozinski, O.C. & Joan Lozinski, O.C., The Honourable Margaret Norrie McCain, C.C., Julie Medland, Sandra Pitblado, C.M. & Jim Pitblado, C.M., The Jack Weinbaum Family Foundation and Alexander Younger & Sarah Richardson.