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| | Arts Calendar / September 23 / Opera |
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19:00 | La Serva Padrona/The Telephone |
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 Evening of one-act operas. How can you see baroque Italy and America of the 20th century in one evening? In “Helikon-Opera” we came up with an idea of how to combine these two kinds of pleasure: we organise evenings of one-act operas! This novelty of the season will undoubtedly impress the audience and give an opportunity to enjoy such different but always gorgeous music. When Giovanni Pergolesi was creating his opera-buffa “La Serva Padrona” (The Servant Turned Mistress), he could not even imagine that it would become the reason of “Querelle des Bouffons” in Paris – the name given to the irreconcilable argument of great musical philosophers about old and new opera. However, it was not a problem for the “troublemaker” to dashingly gain popularity and make the name of the Italian composer famous all over the world. “La serva padrona” is an immortal story about old capricious bachelor Uberto, young charming servant Serpine and cunning servant Vespone. It will be performed in the first part of the evening. In the second one Giancarlo Menotti’s opera “The Telephone” is presented. Despite an Italian name, Menotti is considered as an American composer. Giancarlo moved to America when he was 18 years old and lived there till the old age. His comic opera in one act “The Telephone” is a mosaic of all sorts of comic situations that happen during an ordinary telephone chitchat. The plot is simple and quite modern: Ben is in love with Lucy and is going to propose to her but always fails as the girl is constantly talking on the phone. When his patience is over, a brilliant idea comes to his mind: to call Lucy and tell her about his feelings on the phone… How will this funny story end? Of course, there is a happy finale! Viewers will leave the theatre in a good mood.
Helikon Opera  |
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 Opera in three acts by Antonín Dvořák. 220 min (with two intervals). Libretto by Jarolslav Kvapil. Conductor: Ainārs Rubiķis. Stage Director: Timofei Kulyabin. Set Designer: Oleg Golovko. In Czech. From the first to the last word in this opera the main heroine is doomed. Despite the fantastically beautiful music and all the hardships: she goes through the accusation of her fellows, the transformation, the betrayal, the curse, the final redemption, and the acquisition of the soul. She is always suffering: her father doesn’t understand her, the Prince doesn’t love her in a proper way and eventually breaks up with her, and then she's suffering because of her curse. She is a victim of circumstance, lives under constant stress and that makes her very static. I wanted Rusalka to be always different, I wanted her character to change drastically in each act. As a result, we have three very different acts. And they differ not only in scenery, different realities, or acting – Rusalka herself is very different in each act.
Bolshoi Theater New Stage |
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