Abay

2021 / 2022                 Main Hall                  the 9th Season

6 November * Saturday * 6:00 pm

7 November * Sunday * 6:00 pm

 

DEDICATED to the 115th ANNIVERSARY of L. KHAMIDI

 

Akhmet Zhubanov, Latif Khamidi.

Abai

Opera in 4 acts

Libretto by Mukhtar Auezov

The premiere at the Abai State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre: 24 December 1944

The premiere at the Astana Opera House: 25 September 2015

PRODUCTION GROUP

Music Director and Conductor: Alan Buribayev, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan, Laureate of
the State Prize of the Republic of Kazakhstan (7.11)
Conductor: Ruslan Baimurzin (6.11)
Director: Giancarlo del Monaco
Consultant Director: Yesmukhan Obayev, People’s Artist of Kazakhstan
Set Designer: Ezio Frigerio
Costume Designer: Franca Squarciapino
Choirmaster: Yerzhan Dautov, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan
Projection Designer: Sergio Metalli
Lighting Designer: Vinicio Cheli
Choreographers: Тursynbek Nurkaliyev, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan / Galiya
Buribayeva, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan
Assistant Director: Yerenbak Toikenov
Assistant Costume Designer: Arassel Dosmuratova
* * * * *

The opera Abai by Akhmet Zhubanov and Latif Khamidi, a masterpiece of national
classics, will be performed in a new version by the conductor Alan Buribayev and the opera
director Giancarlo del Monaco. The high order of intelligence and cultural level, as well as the
subtle sense of musical material are the distinctive features of the score-reading of Music
Director of the production - Principal Conductor of the Astana Opera House, Honoured Worker
of Kazakhstan Alan Buribayev. Under his direction the Orchestra sounds fantastic!
The wonderful creative duo of the renowned stage designer of our time Ezio Frigerio and
the costume designer, Academy Award winner Franca Squarciapino delights the audience with
the originality of scenic solutions. Thus, Abai’s study clearly reveals the poet’s multi-faceted
world: there is a library shining with gilded covers of books, a globe, an armillary sphere and
busts of great philosophers ... And the doors of the study open directly into the huge world!
The final scene and 3D technologies used in it, hit the mark, causing a storm of emotions
and a powerful patriotic uplift.

ROLES AND PERFORMERS

6 NOVEMBER
Abai – Zhanat SHYBYKBAYEV, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan
Aidar – Meir BAINESH, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan
Azhar – Saltanat AKHMETOVA, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan
Azim – Ramzat BALAKISHIYEV
Zhirenshe – Talgat GALEYEV
Karlygash – Malika MINISINI
Kokbai – Yerzhan SAIPOV
Syrttan – Bolat YESSIMKHANOV
Narymbet – Yerulan KAMEL
Mes – Khaidar MUSTAPIN

* * *

7 NOVEMBER
Abai – Talgat MUSSABAYEV, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan
Aidar – Meir BAINESH, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan
Azhar – Aigul NIYAZOVA, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan
Azim – Beimbet TANARYKOV
Zhirenshe – Yevgeniy CHAINIKOV
Karlygash – Saltanat MURATBEKOVA
Kokbai – Yerzhan SAIPOV
Syrttan – Bolat YESSIMKHANOV
Narymbet – Yerulan KAMEL
Mes – Shyngys RASYLKHAN

OPERA SOLOISTS, ORCHESTRA, CHORUS, BALLET AND EXTRAS

OF THE ASTANA OPERA HOUSE

In 2018, the State Opera and Ballet Theatre “Astana Opera” was awarded
the State Prize of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Literature and Art for the
production of A. Zhubanov and L. Khamidi’s opera Abai.

Performed in Kazakh
(with Russian and English subtitles)

Running time: 2 hours 30 minutes (including one interval)