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180 season 25 May / Thursday
<i>Der fliegende Holländer</i> to close opera season

Der fliegende Holländer to close opera season

The music of Wagner is to be performed at the Mikhailovsky Theatre after a more than 40-year hiatus. Wagner’s opera Der fliegende Holländer will be back on the repertoire to mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of the great composer and conceptualist. The opera has an impressive performance history at the Mikhailovsky: staged by Kurt Sanderling in 1957, it ran for 15 seasons. The new production, which features younger musicians and performers, will continue the glorious tradition of the repertoire and do justice to the composer, who considered opera to be the highest form of art. The premières will be on 6 and 7 July. They will close the theatre’s opera season.
The new production’s musical director is Vasily Petrenko, Principal Guest Conductor of the Mikhailovsky Theatre. He believes that Der fliegende Holländer was a “huge step forward” in the development of opera at the time. “The use of leitmotifs, the development of images, and the desire for uninterrupted action (originally Wagner wanted no intervals) were all great novelties in the 1840s”, the maestro says. Read more
Irina Perren: “I go deep into myself”

Irina Perren: “I go deep into myself”

Irina Perren will dance the lead female role in Nacho Duato’s new ballet, Invisible. The ballet’s première on 23 May marks an important date for the ballerina: it will be the first time that she will perform on stage after a year’s absence following the birth of her daughter. Irina Perren shared her impressions of the new work, and talked about her expectations.
“As usual, Nacho Duato is a man of few words, and the performers interpret his ideas not through stories or explanations, but directly through dance and the movements demonstrated by the choreographer. The music contributes a lot. I had never heard it before, and this newness enhances the emotional impact. Andrzej Panufnik is a Polish composer, but for some reason his music seems very Russian to me, because of its melodies and a certain affectionate warmth in it. The sections which accompany my solos are slightly different — they have depth and a kind of dark tension. This is interpreted through the choreography. I go deep into myself, into my body, and try to live and breathe the music. Read more