One–act opera performances Cavalleria rusticana by P.Mascagni Pagliacci by R.Leoncavallo

ABAI STATE ACADEMIC OPERA AND BALLET THEATRE TOUR

5 July 2019

One–act opera performances

Cavalleria rusticana by Pietro Mascagni

                        Pagliacci by Ruggero Leoncavallo

The premiere took place at the Abai State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre in 2018

 

Music Director and Conductor: Askar BURIBAYEV, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan

Conductor: Yerbolat AKHMEDYAROV

Production Director: Lorenzo MARIANI (Italy)

Director: Lyailim IMANGAZINA, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan

Set Designer: William ORLANDI (Italy)

Choreographer: Luciano CANNITO (Italy)

Lighting Designer: Roberto VENTURI (Italy)

Chorus Master: Aliya TEMIRBEKOVA, Chief Chorus Master of the Abai State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre

Assistant Directors: Natalija STANKOVIĆ, Şahan GÜRKAN (Italy)

 

 

Ballet dancers, Chorus and Orchestra of the Abai State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre

 

In the late 70s of the 19th century, a new creative movement appeared in Italy, which maintained the position of merciless truthfulness and reflection of the real life, with all its cruel realities and unrealizable romantic illusions. Verist writers chose novella as the main literary genre, in the centre of which was a person who was doomed to a joyless existence.

The brightest staples of musical verismo are the operas by the Italian composers: Cavalleria rusticana by Pietro Mascagni and Pagliacci by Ruggero Leoncavallo. Following the writers' creative experience, the verist composers also drew their focus toward a realistic depiction of life.

Both operas are written in a very laconic one-part form. The main attention of the composers was paid to the personal dramas of the heroes, conveyed by “bright and strident tones”: no subtexts, just facts.

 

Pietro Mascagni

CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA

Drama in one act

 

The opera Cavalleria rusticana was written in Rome in 1890 and brought worldwide acclaim to its creator. The Italian title of the opera Cavalleria rusticana is translated as “rustic” or “village” chivalry. You can see the cruel irony of the title, because while listening to the opera, each spectator will understand that the behavior of almost all the characters is dishonest. When working with the literary source - the novella by Giovanni Verga, Pietro Mascagni softened the character traits of the heroes in the musical material of the opera.

 

LEAD ROLES AND PERFORMERS:

Santuzza: Gulzat DAURBAYEVA, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan

Turiddu: Nurzhan Bazhekenov

Lucia: Yelena NIKONOVA

Alfio: Yevgeniy SHAGAROV

Lola: Oksana DAVYDENKO

 

 

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Ruggero Leoncavallo

PAGLIACCI

Drama in two acts

 

The opera Pagliacci is one more staple that has become a classic example of verismo in opera. The content of the opera is based on a real story that the composer retained in his childhood memories.

At that time, no composer was able to create music that would so well convey the world of wandering comedians who performed ridiculous roles just to get away from reality, and when it came close to them, they continued to pretend so that not to keep their eyes open to their own insignificance.

The premiere of the one-act operas Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci at the Abai State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre took place in 2018. An artistic production group from Italy was invited to stage the performances, including director Lorenzo Mariani, set and costume designer William Orlandi, lighting designer Roberto Venturi and choreographer Luciano Cannito.

 

LEAD ROLES AND PERFORMERS:

Canio: Baluan BERKENOV

Nedda: Zarina ALTYNBAYEVA

Tonio: Alexandr SMETANIN

Beppe: Darkhan ZHOLDYBAYEV

Silvio: Andrey TREGUBENKO, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan