Jullien Dassin

Opera without Words

Opera without Words

The concert “Opera without words” will be held in the Chamber Hall of the Astana Opera House.

On the programme: paraphrases and transcriptions on themes from operas by classical composers.

Paraphrase in music is a virtuoso instrumental fantasia, usually for piano based on themes from popular songs, operatic arias etc. A number of masterly paraphrases were composed by F. Liszt (such as those based on themes from G. Verdi’s opera Rigoletto and on the polka from P. Tchaikovsky’s opera Eugene Onegin etc).

Transcription means rewriting or adaptation of a musical composition for another instrument or for more convenience (greater virtuosity) of setting for the same instrument. Transcriptions appeared in the 16th and 17th centuries; however, they became one of the most popular virtuoso and concert genres in the first half of the 19th century. Piano transcriptions differed from other transcriptions in virtuoso salon type. They often have the form of arrangements of popular operatic melodies.

The concert will feature operatic arias and scenes, masterly interpreted by the Astana Opera orchestra musicians.

Performed by:

Dolores Umbetaliyeva (winner of international competitions, piano)

Kalamkas Zhumabayeva (violin)

Valeriy Moiseenko (violin)

Akhmet Sultanov (viola)

Fakhriddin Khusniddinov (cello)

Anatoliy Yakushkin (double bass)

On the programme:

  1. A. Bazzini. Fantasia on a Theme from G. Verdi’s opera La Traviata
  2. N. Paganini. Variations on a Theme from G. Rossini’s opera Moses
  3. I. Frolov. Concert Fantasia on a Theme from G. Gershwin’s opera Porgy and Bess
  4. F. Proto. Toreador’s Couplets from G. Bizet’s opera Carmen 
  5. M. Glinka. Divertissement on a Theme from V. Bellini’s opera La Sonnambula
  6. F. Liszt. Paraphrases on Themes from G. Verdi’s opera Rigoletto

Running time – 1 hour 30 minutes

 

Management reserves the right to substitute performers and works performed