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| | Arts Calendar / June 20 / Opera |
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 Opera in three acts by Vincenzo Bellini. Libretto by Count Carlo Pepoli, based on the play T?tes rondes et cavaliers written by Jacques-Fran?ois Ancelot and Joseph Xavier Boniface, known as Saintine. Musical Director: Valery Gergiev. Director: Vladislav Furmanov. Sung in Italian. The terrace of Lord Walton's castle welcomes the dawn and the guards change shifts. Officer Bruno Robertson joins the guards and morning prayers are heard. Today, Elvira, the daughter of General Governor Walter Walton commanding Cromwell's forces is to be wed. Guests gather for the celebration, including Sir Richard Forth, a colonel, who confesses to Robertson his dismay about the wedding as he was supposed to marry Elvira. Meanwhile, Elvira in her chambers talks with Sir George Walton, her father's brother. Elvira loves Lord Arthur Talbot and is unaware that her betrothal to Richard Forth has been annulled. She is saddened by the impending marriage. Her uncle brings joyous news: he convinced his brother to give Elvira's hand to Arthur Talbot. Lord Walton's decision wasn't easy: his family are Puritans, whereas Arthur Talbot is a Royalist, a Stuart supporter. Arthur Talbot arrives at the castle with his entourage bearing luxurious bridal gifts, including a splendid bridal veil. Elvira, her father, and uncle accept the gifts and the guests praise the young couple. Among the guests is a noble lady, Walton's prisoner, a Royalist. The General Governor informs her that she must go to London to face Parliament. Arthur sympathizes with the prisoner, realizing she faces death as a Stuart supporter...
Bolshoi Theater  |
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 Based on the opera in two acts by Giuseppe Verdi. 130 min (with one intermission). Musical version: Evgeny Kolobov. Conductor: Valery Kritskov. Sung in Italian with Russian surtitles. This production prefers black to bright colours. Novaya Opera’s La Traviata is not a romantic love story, but a tragedy of love and death. The performance begins and ends with Violetta’s death. In the interim, Violetta, like a wounded bird, thrashes and rushes about, trying to break out from the closed circuit of her own destiny. The production reveals the gap between the current and the last century. The theatre not only feels sympathy for Violetta and Alfredo, but mourns over them. "Such a professional in all its components, complete and unpredictable performance has not been seen not only at the Novaya Opera, but in the whole of Moscow for a long time," The Kultura newspaper. "In this performance the nerves are naked. The reactions are rapid and spontaneous. The producers have enlarged the emotions of the characters, leaving only the gist of the story and throwing off what in their opinion is useless entourage, d?cor," Supplement to the Pervoe Sentyabrya — Iskusstvo newspaper. "Traviata is an example of a present-day production as it should be like but seldom is — intellectual, stylish, benecial and infatuating," The Moscow Tribune newspaper.
Novaya Opera Theatre |
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 Opera in three acts by Gaetano Donizetti. Libretto by Gaetano Rossi after the play La Grace de Dieu by Adolphe-Philippe d’Ennery and Gustave Lemoine. Conductor: Anton Grishanin. Stage Director: Roman Feodori. Designer: Daniil Akhmedov. Presented with two intervals, 200 min. Sung in Italian. Antonio and Maddalena, whose lives passed in the village, fear that they and their daughter Linda will soon have to leave their homes if the mistress of the land, the Marquise, does not renew their lease. They hope for the intercession of the Marquise’s brother, who is favorable towards them and Linda. The Marquis’s beneficence extends so far that he is ready to take Linda from the village to the castle, promising to arrange her future. However, as Linda herself is not at home, the Marquis has to be content with the gratitude of her parents. The choir of the villagers praises the kindness of the owner of the estate. Linda is waiting for her beloved Carlo, whom she knows as a poor artist. Linda’s friend Pierotta, a young orphan, sings a ballad about a girl who did not save her honor as she left home – and when she returned home, she found only her mother’s grave. Carlo comes to Linda. The lovers exchange tender vows, but Carlo claims that he cannot connect his life with Linda right now – some secret is blocking their marriage...
Boris Pokrovsky Chamber Stage |
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