“A senior violinist at Russia’s Bolshoi Theatre has died after falling into the orchestra pit below the stage,” reports the BBC on Thursday (7/17). “Viktor Sedov, 65, a veteran of the opera house’s orchestra for four decades, played in the second violins. Bolshoi spokeswoman Katerina Novikova confirmed the incident happened on Tuesday and Sedov died of his injuries in hospital on Wednesday. She added Sedov was much loved in the theatre for his ‘sense of humour and extraordinary erudition.’ The exact circumstances of the incident remain unclear. His death is the latest tragedy at the Bolshoi.… Anatoly Iksanov, the former head of the Bolshoi Theatre, was removed from his post earlier this month, following a series of scandals including an acid attack on the ballet company’s artistic director, Sergei Filin. The Russian government appointed a new general director, Vladimir Urin, who previously headed Moscow’s highly-regarded Stanislavsky Musical Theatre, in an attempt to lead the Bolshoi out of its crisis.” In a similar incident reported in April, Olga Enns, acting director of Russia’s Perm Opera and Ballet, died after a fall into an unfenced opera pit.
Posted July 18, 2013
