Written in 1898, Raymonda is deemed to be Glazunov's finest ballet, stately and melodious. Raymonda bids farewell to her betrothed Jean de Brienne, who presents her with a silk shawl as a farewell gift and goes to fight in the Crusades. She dreams of him, but her dreams are frequently interrupted by the ocurrence of a Saracen warrior. Abderakhman is fascinated by the beautiful noblewoman and ultimately attempts to abduct her, duelling with Jean who, by this time, has now returned home. The Bolshoi adaption of this piece, choreographed by Yuri Grigorovich based on Marius Petipa and Alexandr Gorsky, is recognized for its fantastic set and costume design, with both the hero and heroine dressed in pure white. Natalya Bessmertnova's take of the title role is wonderfully delicate, and she has also an devoted and coequal partner in Yuri Vasyuchenko.