La Scala di Seta captivated Belarusian audience
One of the most beloved touring performances was chosen for the first acquaintance with the Belarusian audience: La Scala di Seta, directed by Ala Simonishvili (Italy). Light and memorable, comical and bright, one-act opera buffa, performed by Astana Opera’s vocalists and musicians, is a beloved production both in Kazakhstan and abroad. Its premiere opened the Piccolo Theatre project in 2019. Since then, it has traveled to St. Petersburg and five Kazakhstani cities. Now it has found fans in Belarus.
In many ways, this was facilitated by a memorandum of cooperation signed by the two opera houses this autumn, according to which a creative exchange is actively carried out. Thanks to this interaction, in November, the Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan Saltanat Akhmetova took the stage of the Bolshoi Theatre of Belarus as the Queen of the Night in Mozart’s opera Die Zauberflöte. In turn, the principal dancers of the Belarusian Theatre Liudmila Khitrova and Dmitry Uksusnikov (Minkus’ ballet Don Quixote) and opera soloists Daria Gorozhanko and Alexander Mikhnyuk (Tchaikovsky’s opera Eugene Onegin) successfully performed at the Zhibek Zholy International Festival, which recently ended at Astana Opera.
Once again, Saltanat Akhmetova, already beloved by Minsk opera fans, took the Belarusian stage as Giulia from the La Scala di Seta, as well as in the Gala Concert of world opera stars, which took place on December 18. (to be clarified)
The audience also applauded the wonderful performers of Gioachino Rossini’s operatic farsa comica: Saltanat Muratbekova – Lucilla, Arthur Gabdiyev – Dorvil, Yerzhan Saipov – Blansac. Ruslan Sovet (Dormont) and the Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan Azamat Zheltyrguzov (Germano) were warmly welcomed by the audience.
«The opera La Scala di Seta is not often featured in opera houses’ repertoires, and the fact that Astana Opera turned to this rather rare score speaks volumes. A comic opera is especially dangerous, because it has little action and it is assumed that the audience should enjoy vocals and good performances, so it is especially important here that all the singers rise up to this task and give their best. In addition, performing Rossini is always technically difficult: the complexity of the coloratura, passages, difficult tasks. I really liked the performance. I think that traditionally Kazakh vocalists are very strong, because there are good genes for vocals and an excellent school. Today this was confirmed for me. Saltanat Akhmetova is a wonderful singer with a flying voice with a silvery tint. She has a mobile voice, it reaches the amphitheatre, reaches all tiers, and she masters it wonderfully. Moreover, the singer is very organic, because she moves well onstage, creates a very convincing portrayal. Saltanat Muratbekova also has a wonderful voice, Azamat Zheltyrguzov has a very beautiful timbre, Arthur Gabdiyev has a good upper register. I really liked Blansac (Yerzhan Saipov) – he has a strong timbre, clearly comprehensible enunciation. With his voice he paints a portrait of a ladies’ man, an adventurer,» music critic from Russia Alexander Maksov gave his assessment.
«Firstly, it is wonderful that Astana Opera brought La Scala di Seta. This opera is not performed in any of the Russian opera houses. I am delighted with the orchestra, which really played flawlessly in the Rossini style. After today’s performance, it became clear to me that you have real admirers of bel canto. I heard the artists as good performers, they all have artistic charisma,» music critic from Russia Vladimir Dudin noted.
«I have a special relationship with the culture of Kazakhstan. Your artists always come to us and really bring the best. The wonderful Kazakh soloists who perform at our festivals always create a celebration of art. Today’s performance is proof of that! What was very interesting to me was that Rossini’s Italian opera never lost its style and at the same time became a very national performance of a Kazakh opera company. The smallest details in costumes, in behavior, have developed into the national culture of Kazakhstan. I look, and I see that it was your opera house that staged it, but at the same time, Rossini style was observed. Absolutely wonderful voices, and a very finely nuanced interpretation of the ensembles. One voice comes to the fore, then gives the opportunity for others to show themselves off. Everyone was able to do it, and the conductor gave them such an opportunity. To be honest, I was very worried, because your production runs on a chamber hall stage. I was afraid of the soloists’ voices getting lost. However, what I heard was incredible, all the voices were flying. We know Saltanat Akhmetova very well, not only because she often performs with us, but also because we closely followed her participation in the Big Opera television project and voted for her victory. She and all the other artists brought a very interesting interpretations of the parts, reflected the subtlest psychological things, the performance turned out to be amazing,» music critic from Belarus Nadezhda Buntsevich concluded.
Right before the tour to Minsk, Astana Opera’s symphony orchestra, choir and opera company brilliantly came into the spotlight on the historical stage of the Azerbaijan Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre. The Bolshoi Theatre of Belarus has become the final point of the international tour of the capital’s opera house in 2022.
