Abai

Akhmet Zhubanov, Latif Khamidi

Abai

Opera in 4 acts

Performed in Kazakh

(accompanied by synchronised supertitles in Russian and English)

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

Please note that the age limit is 10+

Management reserves the right to substitute performers

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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

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

Abai –        Talgat MUSSABAYEV, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan /

                   Zhanat SHYBYKBAYEV, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan

Aidar –       Meir BAINESH, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan /

                   Talgat ALLABIRINOV

Azhar –      Saltanat AKHMETOVA, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan /

                   Aizada KAPONOVA, Holder of the Order of Kurmet

Azim –       Beimbet TANARYKOV / Merei KADYRKHANOV

Zhirenshe –       Talgat GALEYEV /

                          Altynbek ABILDA, laureate of the State Youth Prize “Daryn”

Karlygash – Tatyana VITSINSKAYA /

                     Aigerim AMANZHOLOVA, laureate of the State Youth Prize “Daryn”

Kokbai –    Sultan BAKYTZHAN

Syrttan –     Valery SELIVANOV /

                   Shyngys RASYLKHAN, laureate of the State Youth Prize “Daryn”

Narymbet – Ramzat BALAKISHIYEV / Arthur GABDIYEV

Mes –         Arthur GABDIYEV / Nurlybek KOSPARMAKOV

OPERA SOLOISTS, ORCHESTRA, CHORUS, BALLET AND EXTRAS OF THE ASTANA OPERA HOUSE

PRODUCTION GROUP

Music Director and Conductor: Alan Buribayev, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan, Laureate of the State Prize of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Conductor: Elmar Buribayev

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

Opera Company Director: Meir Bainesh, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan

Assistant Conductor: Ruslan Baimurzin

Assistant Director: Yerenbak Toikenov

Assistant Costume Designer: Arassel Dosmuratova

Please note: there are animals (horse) in the performance

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.

Tickets purchased at the Astana Opera are exchangeable and refundable only in cases of cancelled or postponed performances. In all other cases, no refunds and exchanges are possible.