Boris Pokrovsky's Bolshoi staging of "The maid of Orleans", played out against magnificent sets by Valery Levental, potently mixes realism and symbolism in this famous story of Joan of Arc. It is set against a background of France's struffle to avoid defeat at the hands of the invading English army. Tchaikovsky's beautiful score contains music of great delicacy and transparency, particularly in the orchestral introductions and transitions between vocal numbers.