14.04.2017
Svetlana Moskalenko. Geography Lessons
In the upcoming premier of the opera production Mozart. The Marriage of Figaro, the part of Susanna will be played by leading soloist at the Mikhailovsky Theatre, Svetlana Moskalenko. Following rapturous receptions at the Bolshoi Theatre and the Opéra national de Lorraine at the start of the year, the artist’s schedule is now filled for several seasons to come.
"In January, there were performances at the Bolshoi Theatre. I played the part of the Contessa di Folleville in Gioachino Rossini’s opera Il viaggio a Reims. My character was a socialite and fashionista who loses all of her garments and, left distraught, flaunts her suffering artfully in order to draw everybody around her into her problems. I really enjoy coquettish parts; there’s always plenty there to play with. You can get a bit rowdy, romp around, really go wild. I don’t need to invent, overact, or seek out something elusive. In Moscow I was lucky enough to sing with masters like Marianna Pizzolato and John Osborn, and to be directed musically by Tugan Sokhiev. We did a very thorough job, and enjoyed colossal success.
In Nancy, at the Opéra national de Lorraine, I took part in a production of the opera The Golden Cockerel, in which I played the part of the Tsaritsa of Shemakha. I was extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to work with director Laurent Pelly. The music of Rimsky-Korsakov is as magnificent as it is complex. I don’t think it was a coincidence that they called on Russian soloists — I sang with artists from the Bolshoi and the Mariinsky Theatres. It was received very well by the audience; there was plenty of laughter. The thing is, that it was a French director showing Russia the way Europeans see it. Everything that happens is the Tsar’s dream; it’s in his imagination. The Russian populace in the production are all dressed in black, and as if smeared head-to-toe in coal or dirt. But the Tsar and his noblemen are in white — only the bottoms of their costumes are a little stained, to make it clear where they’ve come from. There’s a lot of truth there, of course, but I would say it’s a little overdone.
In France we worked with the wonderful conductor Rani Calderon. He speaks eight languages, including Russian. He had studied Rimsky-Korsakov’s score inside out, and was very strict in making sure we didn’t miss a single comma — not a single emphasis. I’m very glad to be taking part in a French opera at the start of the next season. It’s Léo Delibes’ Lakmé, which I’ll be performing in Malmö, Sweden. I really love this opera, and keep hoping that one day I’ll have the opportunity to perform it on my home stage."
"In January, there were performances at the Bolshoi Theatre. I played the part of the Contessa di Folleville in Gioachino Rossini’s opera Il viaggio a Reims. My character was a socialite and fashionista who loses all of her garments and, left distraught, flaunts her suffering artfully in order to draw everybody around her into her problems. I really enjoy coquettish parts; there’s always plenty there to play with. You can get a bit rowdy, romp around, really go wild. I don’t need to invent, overact, or seek out something elusive. In Moscow I was lucky enough to sing with masters like Marianna Pizzolato and John Osborn, and to be directed musically by Tugan Sokhiev. We did a very thorough job, and enjoyed colossal success.
In Nancy, at the Opéra national de Lorraine, I took part in a production of the opera The Golden Cockerel, in which I played the part of the Tsaritsa of Shemakha. I was extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to work with director Laurent Pelly. The music of Rimsky-Korsakov is as magnificent as it is complex. I don’t think it was a coincidence that they called on Russian soloists — I sang with artists from the Bolshoi and the Mariinsky Theatres. It was received very well by the audience; there was plenty of laughter. The thing is, that it was a French director showing Russia the way Europeans see it. Everything that happens is the Tsar’s dream; it’s in his imagination. The Russian populace in the production are all dressed in black, and as if smeared head-to-toe in coal or dirt. But the Tsar and his noblemen are in white — only the bottoms of their costumes are a little stained, to make it clear where they’ve come from. There’s a lot of truth there, of course, but I would say it’s a little overdone.
In France we worked with the wonderful conductor Rani Calderon. He speaks eight languages, including Russian. He had studied Rimsky-Korsakov’s score inside out, and was very strict in making sure we didn’t miss a single comma — not a single emphasis. I’m very glad to be taking part in a French opera at the start of the next season. It’s Léo Delibes’ Lakmé, which I’ll be performing in Malmö, Sweden. I really love this opera, and keep hoping that one day I’ll have the opportunity to perform it on my home stage."
