Astana Opera: New Heroines of Qyz Zhibek
On January 21, Galina Cheplakova made her debut as Zhibek in the production about the tragic love of the tender Zhibek and the brave Tolegen. The vocalist approached her first performance in one of the best operas of Kazakh musical art at the country’s leading opera house with special reverence, the Astana Opera’s official website reads.
«My heroine is still a very young girl, she is mischievous, friendly, and at the same time she has a strong-willed character and deep wisdom. Studying the original source – the folk lyrical-epic poem, one can understand that by nature Zhibek is an unfaltering, confident, brave person with a strong inner core, which is especially manifested at the end of the opera. For me, the fortitude of this girl is particularly relatable, because, despite some restraint of character, such qualities as purposefulness and responsibility are very important for me, which allow me to achieve good results in the profession,» the soloist said.
During preparation, the artist did a tremendous job on the text, honing the smallest nuances of pronunciation and style. «The music in this opera is incredibly beautiful, and the author of the new musical version, Abzal Mukhitdin, simply gave a second life to this work. It was a pleasure for me to perform this opera, and I want to sincerely thank my colleagues, accompanist Zhanyl Rakhimbekova, who helped me, and together we managed to create such a masterpiece. My family, especially my husband Medet Chotabayev, helped me a lot in learning the part. He supported me and was proud of all my successes. Even our youngest son was singing the arias at home. I would like to note that both psychologically and vocally, the final scene, when Zhibek mourns her dead beloved, is the most difficult one in the performance. When it is your real-life spouse who performs the part of Tolegen and does it so highly professionally, your heart stops and it becomes impossible to react with a cool head,» Galina Cheplakova shares.
On the second day of the performance, January 22, Assem Sembina took the capital’s stage for the first time with her interpretation of the romantic image of Zhibek.
«I dreamed of performing the part of Zhibek in Yevgeniy Brussilovsky’s opera Qyz Zhibek since I was a student at the conservatory. It was a great pleasure to present this iconic character in national art at our native opera house. Starting to work on the portrayal, I experienced a whole range of feelings: pleasant excitement, joy, inspiration from the performance of the long-awaited role of Zhibek,» Assem Sembina said. «The heroine of this story is a very tender, beautiful, freedom-loving, high-minded girl. In my opinion, determination and devotion to her love are important in this character. I find much in common with Zhibek: her tender soul, her proud disposition. I believe that dignity, beauty, kindness, and love of freedom are inherent in all girls in the Kazakh steppe. The greatest emotional intensity occurs in the fourth act, when Bekezhan informs Zhibek about the death of her beloved Tolegen. Here you need to convey to the viewers a state of grief and deep loss.»
According to the singer, the complexity of this part lies in the fact that there are recitatives in the manner of colloquial speech in Yevgeniy Brussilovsky’s original version. Thus, the soloists need to constantly readjust their vocal apparatus from the singing manner to the colloquial speech and back again. «This opera is presented at Astana Opera in a new version, supplemented and improved by our Maestro Abzal Mukhitdin. He arranged colloquial speech into notes very beautifully and logically. It has become much more convenient for vocalists to perform this opera, since there is no need to endlessly readjust,» Assem Sembina concluded.
These days, Astana Opera’s brilliant opera soloists, symphony orchestra, choir, ballet, supernumeraries and children’s studio performed under the baton of conductor Ruslan Baimurzin. Medet Chotabayev and Meir Bainesh presented the part of Tolegen. Rassul Zharmagambetov, Talgat Galeyev portrayed the striking image of Bekezhan. Shege – Ramzat Balakishiyev, Beimbet Tanarykov, Bazarbai – Bolat Yessimkhanov, Zhanat Shybykbayev, Qamqa – Gulzhanat Sapakova, Qarlyghash – Assem Sembina, Aigul Niyazova, Batsaiy – Tatyana Vitsinskaya, Saltanat Muratbekova, Duriya – Aigerim Amanzholova (debut), Ulpan Aubakirova.
As a reminder, the opera Qyz Zhibek to Gabit Musrepov’s libretto was first staged in 1934 at the Kazakh Musical Theatre (now the Abai Kazakh National Opera and Ballet Theatre). The score includes beloved Kazakh vocal and instrumental works, songs and kyuis by folk composers. The spectacular production premiered at Astana Opera with great success in 2017. It is important to note that the national opera gem is presented at the capital’s opera house staged by the famous director Mikhail Pandzhavidze. Sofya Tasmagambetova and Pavel Dragunov’s colorful costumes and large-scale sets, Sergei Shevchenko’s lighting and Pavel Suvorov’s mesmerizing 3D video projections made the production truly unforgettable. Choirmaster – Yerzhan Dautov, choreographer – Mukaram Avakhri, consultant – Askhat Mayemirov, assistant director – Yerenbak Toikenov, head of the children’s choir – Altynganym Akhmetova, opera company director – Azamat Zheltyrguzov.
Photo: astanaopera.kz