30.04.2013
Savonlinna Festival: Verdi and Tchaikovsky
This summer, for the first time, the Mikhailovsky Theatre will be guest of honour at the Savonlinna Opera Festival, one of the most significant musical events in Finland. Our northern neighbours refer to the festival as the ’calling card’ of Finnish cultural life; it traces its history back to 1912, and is now in its second century. The festival is held at Olavinlinna Castle. During the festival, the inner courtyard of the fortress is festooned with uniquely designed canopy-like structures, turning it into a theatre with a capacity of more than 2,000. The medieval fortress, surrounded by crystal-clear lakes, provides the perfect location for opera productions under the soft light of the northern summer nights. Discerning audiences will appreciate the magical combination of music, a uniquely designed space in which to enjoy it, and the unobtrusive beauty of the landscape. Such surroundings will add colour and nuance to even the best-known productions.
The Mikhailovsky Theatre has chosen two operas for the Savonlinna Festival: Eugene Onegin, directed by Andriy Zholdak, and Un ballo in maschera, directed by Andrejs Žagars. The production of Un ballo in maschera is dedicated to the 200th anniversary of the birth of Giuseppe Verdi. It is one of the composer’s most accomplished works, and at the same time, is a piece that met with resistance and controversy, having undergone censorship and endless reworkings. Žagars’ production, according to critics, is „spectacular, without any conceptual frills or paradoxical resolutions.“ It may be considered a very traditionalist production with evident directorial self-restraint. While working on the production, the director stated: „There are two kinds of truth: the real one and the operatic one. An attempt to prove they are equal is quite dangerous. For me as a stage director, it is important to understand which of them wins.“ His work results in the absolute predominance of musical authenticity: the clash of passions, the tension, and the jubilation of the score are manifested in full, with maximum artistic freedom.
Eugene Onegin, which premiered this season, represents the opposite pole of operatic stage direction. Andriy Zholdak, whose encounter with Tchaikovsky’s lyrical scenes marked his first steps into the world of opera, has provoked a heated debate with his production, regarding whether it is possible to stage an unconventional reading of this Russian classic. Music critic Yekaterina Biryukova wrote, „Such a tightly packed libretto, such precise pictorial qualities, and so many parallel meanings in the operatic staging are hard to find in any other piece.“ She adds that at the same time, there are aspects of the work which are „provocative for those in the musical community.“ In any case, the new version of Eugene Onegin will offer Finland what foreign audiences have come to expect from Russian theatre: a masterpiece of Russian opera based on a classic work of Russian literature.
The particular features of the stage in Savonlinna will impose their own demands on the productions, and both will be adapted for festival performance. Directors Andrejs Zagars and Andriy Zholdak are prepared to make certain changes to their productions. The maestros have yet to disclose any details, and their creative ’post-production’ work at the festival promises to add to the intrigue surrounding this event.
The Mikhailovsky Theatre has chosen two operas for the Savonlinna Festival: Eugene Onegin, directed by Andriy Zholdak, and Un ballo in maschera, directed by Andrejs Žagars. The production of Un ballo in maschera is dedicated to the 200th anniversary of the birth of Giuseppe Verdi. It is one of the composer’s most accomplished works, and at the same time, is a piece that met with resistance and controversy, having undergone censorship and endless reworkings. Žagars’ production, according to critics, is „spectacular, without any conceptual frills or paradoxical resolutions.“ It may be considered a very traditionalist production with evident directorial self-restraint. While working on the production, the director stated: „There are two kinds of truth: the real one and the operatic one. An attempt to prove they are equal is quite dangerous. For me as a stage director, it is important to understand which of them wins.“ His work results in the absolute predominance of musical authenticity: the clash of passions, the tension, and the jubilation of the score are manifested in full, with maximum artistic freedom.
Eugene Onegin, which premiered this season, represents the opposite pole of operatic stage direction. Andriy Zholdak, whose encounter with Tchaikovsky’s lyrical scenes marked his first steps into the world of opera, has provoked a heated debate with his production, regarding whether it is possible to stage an unconventional reading of this Russian classic. Music critic Yekaterina Biryukova wrote, „Such a tightly packed libretto, such precise pictorial qualities, and so many parallel meanings in the operatic staging are hard to find in any other piece.“ She adds that at the same time, there are aspects of the work which are „provocative for those in the musical community.“ In any case, the new version of Eugene Onegin will offer Finland what foreign audiences have come to expect from Russian theatre: a masterpiece of Russian opera based on a classic work of Russian literature.
The particular features of the stage in Savonlinna will impose their own demands on the productions, and both will be adapted for festival performance. Directors Andrejs Zagars and Andriy Zholdak are prepared to make certain changes to their productions. The maestros have yet to disclose any details, and their creative ’post-production’ work at the festival promises to add to the intrigue surrounding this event.
