Tokyo audience was imtrodused to the purest essence of Russian classics.
The 21st of June, 2009, became an important date for all Japanese opera-goers. The State Academic Bolshoi Theatre of Russia opened their Japanese tour with a brand new interpretation of one of the most famous Russian operas – “The Queen of Spades” by Pyotr Tchaikovsky based on a short story under the same name by Alexander Pushkin. Just the sound of these names make all Russians trembele with awe. However, you will be even more amazed if you look at the theatre programme – beginning with the list of the soloists, that includes Elena Obraztsova , a piece of art herself, and the star of the Mariinsky Theatre (St. Petersburg) Vladimir Galuzin, it is crowned by the brilliant director Valeri Fokin and the gifted conductor Michael Pletnev. One of the most intriguing things is that this opera is a debut for both maestros, as long as it is the first expirience for Fokin, who is basicaly a theatre director, to put an opera on stage, and it is the first time for Pletnev, who has gained the fame as an amazing pianist and a splendid conductor of symphonic orchestra, to conduct an opera orchestra.
The first thing that captures your attention is the work of the conductor. From the first sounds of the overture you understand that it won’t be the same old “Queen of Spades” – Pletnev is not afraid to experement with the respectable music score – he slows down the tempo and then increases it steeply, that highlights the dramatic atmosphere of the opera. Every little emotion is so perfevtly interpreted by the orchestra that it feels like all the sadness of the heartbrake, all the despare of the madness and the fear are nearly floating in the air.
The only musical disadvantage seems to be that the orchestra tend to overpower the soloists. Most likely, it is strongly connected with the fact that Michael Pletnev is not an opera conductor after all and he is used to express all the ideas through the orchecstra, not through the singers.
However, initable Elena Obraztsova cannot be overshadowed by anything – her strong rich voice and wonderful stage performance is something, that I am sure, will remain in the memory of the Tokyo audiene for a long time. She managed to create a terrifying image of the old Countess, who had practically sold her soul to find out the secret of the three winning cards.
Vladimir Galuzin has done a perfect job as a soloist – his voice really saturates every note and makes music palpable. Nevertheless, his stage performance can’t be called impressive. It looks like this part simply was not ment for him… or he sould have played this part couple of decade before. Hamlet immediately comes to my mind – despite the fact that Shakespeare ment Hamlet to be a chuddy man in his late 30s, we never imagine him like this, but Pushkin never ment to portray Herman like this. Moreover, Galuzin’s participation in this opera make you realize that Russian opera is strongly in need of new male soloists.
Fokin has done an interesting job as a director, but it actually leaves you with mixed feelings. The stage is divided into two floors by a forged gallery that strongly reminds the audience of the bringes of St. Petersburg – the scene of the opera. Shadows of choir singers in the back look like sketches that Pushkin was so famous for. The whole set and all the costumes are black and white. It stresses the growing feeling of despair that saturates the whole performance. In this condition the light becomes another important participant in the opera, and the lights are set perfectly. However, the gallery limits the action somehow and even slows it down.
Nevertheless, the Tokyo audienced applauded passionetly after the final act, and it looked like everyone returned home satisfied – eithr because of the great rendering of the great opera or because of a three hour sleep after the tiring week full of work.
The 21st of June, 2009, became an important date for all Japanese opera-goers. The State Academic Bolshoi Theatre of Russia opened their Japanese tour with a brand new interpretation of one of the most famous Russian operas – “The Queen of Spades” by Pyotr Tchaikovsky based on a short story under the same name by Alexander Pushkin. Just the sound of these names make all Russians trembele with awe. However, you will be even more amazed if you look at the theatre programme – beginning with the list of the soloists, that includes Elena Obraztsova , a piece of art herself, and the star of the Mariinsky Theatre (St. Petersburg) Vladimir Galuzin, it is crowned by the brilliant director Valeri Fokin and the gifted conductor Michael Pletnev. One of the most intriguing things is that this opera is a debut for both maestros, as long as it is the first expirience for Fokin, who is basicaly a theatre director, to put an opera on stage, and it is the first time for Pletnev, who has gained the fame as an amazing pianist and a splendid conductor of symphonic orchestra, to conduct an opera orchestra.
The first thing that captures your attention is the work of the conductor. From the first sounds of the overture you understand that it won’t be the same old “Queen of Spades” – Pletnev is not afraid to experement with the respectable music score – he slows down the tempo and then increases it steeply, that highlights the dramatic atmosphere of the opera. Every little emotion is so perfevtly interpreted by the orchestra that it feels like all the sadness of the heartbrake, all the despare of the madness and the fear are nearly floating in the air.
The only musical disadvantage seems to be that the orchestra tend to overpower the soloists. Most likely, it is strongly connected with the fact that Michael Pletnev is not an opera conductor after all and he is used to express all the ideas through the orchecstra, not through the singers.
However, initable Elena Obraztsova cannot be overshadowed by anything – her strong rich voice and wonderful stage performance is something, that I am sure, will remain in the memory of the Tokyo audiene for a long time. She managed to create a terrifying image of the old Countess, who had practically sold her soul to find out the secret of the three winning cards.
Vladimir Galuzin has done a perfect job as a soloist – his voice really saturates every note and makes music palpable. Nevertheless, his stage performance can’t be called impressive. It looks like this part simply was not ment for him… or he sould have played this part couple of decade before. Hamlet immediately comes to my mind – despite the fact that Shakespeare ment Hamlet to be a chuddy man in his late 30s, we never imagine him like this, but Pushkin never ment to portray Herman like this. Moreover, Galuzin’s participation in this opera make you realize that Russian opera is strongly in need of new male soloists.
Fokin has done an interesting job as a director, but it actually leaves you with mixed feelings. The stage is divided into two floors by a forged gallery that strongly reminds the audience of the bringes of St. Petersburg – the scene of the opera. Shadows of choir singers in the back look like sketches that Pushkin was so famous for. The whole set and all the costumes are black and white. It stresses the growing feeling of despair that saturates the whole performance. In this condition the light becomes another important participant in the opera, and the lights are set perfectly. However, the gallery limits the action somehow and even slows it down.
Nevertheless, the Tokyo audienced applauded passionetly after the final act, and it looked like everyone returned home satisfied – eithr because of the great rendering of the great opera or because of a three hour sleep after the tiring week full of work.
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*The image is taken from TIMEOUT.RU
