01.02.2017
Mozart’s alter ego
The premiere of Mozart. The Marriage of Figaro is taking place at the Mikhailovsky Theatre on 11 May. Director Vyacheslav Starodubtsev, known for his subtle interpretations of classic opera plots, met with our theatre’s performers and spoke about his concept for the production. In particular, he explained why the composer’s name has been included in the title.
“Musically speaking, this will be a fairly classic production,” Starodubtsev began. “I would like to combine Mozart’s music with the style that was very popular in his era: chinoiserie. This is still in the rococo style, but typically with more inspiration from Chinese culture. In our performance, we’re going to broaden this concept slightly; there will be Japanese motifs as well, including from modern Japanese culture.”
The opera company were also introduced to the team, with whom the director had already worked on several projects. The costume designer is Zhanna Usachova, the stage designer Pyotr Okunev, and lighting designer Sergey Skornetsky. Artur Oshchepkov is the choreographer.
“The Mikhailovsky Theatre is unique — you can see the performers’ eyes here,” the director continued. “It’s a joy for me to work on a stage where the acting style is so visible.” The stylistic qualities of Asian theatre — their gestures and facial expressions — will be noticeable in this production. I want the company to be immersed in this culture and in particular to become familiar with kabuki. Listening to Mozart, you will feel that the blend with chinoiserie is very logical. You can sense it in the notes and stage directions."
Starodubtsev explained that his method of working with singers stresses the individual approach and creating a unique image “for every artist”. “You can’t have two identical Cherubinos,” the director said. This rule extends not only to acting style but also to the character’s appearance, “which is why no performance will look like another”.
“Why has the composer’s name been included in the production’s title?” came a question from the audience.
“Because Figaro is Mozart’s alter ego,” answered the director.
The meeting with the opera company took place on the eve of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s birthday.
“Musically speaking, this will be a fairly classic production,” Starodubtsev began. “I would like to combine Mozart’s music with the style that was very popular in his era: chinoiserie. This is still in the rococo style, but typically with more inspiration from Chinese culture. In our performance, we’re going to broaden this concept slightly; there will be Japanese motifs as well, including from modern Japanese culture.”
The opera company were also introduced to the team, with whom the director had already worked on several projects. The costume designer is Zhanna Usachova, the stage designer Pyotr Okunev, and lighting designer Sergey Skornetsky. Artur Oshchepkov is the choreographer.
“The Mikhailovsky Theatre is unique — you can see the performers’ eyes here,” the director continued. “It’s a joy for me to work on a stage where the acting style is so visible.” The stylistic qualities of Asian theatre — their gestures and facial expressions — will be noticeable in this production. I want the company to be immersed in this culture and in particular to become familiar with kabuki. Listening to Mozart, you will feel that the blend with chinoiserie is very logical. You can sense it in the notes and stage directions."
Starodubtsev explained that his method of working with singers stresses the individual approach and creating a unique image “for every artist”. “You can’t have two identical Cherubinos,” the director said. This rule extends not only to acting style but also to the character’s appearance, “which is why no performance will look like another”.
“Why has the composer’s name been included in the production’s title?” came a question from the audience.
“Because Figaro is Mozart’s alter ego,” answered the director.
The meeting with the opera company took place on the eve of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s birthday.
