Register Your Cart

News

The Oprichnik premieres at Mikhailovsky Theatre

21.04.2021

The Oprichnik premieres at Mikhailovsky Theatre

On 18 and 20 May, the Mikhailovsky Theatre will host première performances of Tchaikovsky’s opera The Oprichnik. The Mikhailovsky is turning its attention to this rarely performed work to demonstrate its value as ‘the real Tchaikovsky’: a fully fledged, powerful score from Russia’s master of the craft. Working on the production are director Sergey Novikov and set and costume designer Alexander Kupalian. The musical director will be Alexander Soloviev, Principal Conductor of the Mikhailovsky Theatre.

It was The Oprichnik, Tchaikovsky’s third opera and his first to see the stage, that won him a reputation as an ‘opera composer’. Tchaikovsky felt its two predecessors, The Voyevoda and Undina, were not up to scratch, and destroyed them. He composed the libretto himself, borrowing the subject from a historical drama by Ivan Lazhechnikov. The première took place in April 1874 in St. Petersburg, conducted by Eduard Nápravnik. The opera then became part of the repertoire at the Mariinsky Theatre, where it was performed 14 times in the space of 18 months. Tchaikovsky himself, though, was aware of an ‘unevenness of style’ and the occasional ‘carelessness’ in The Oprichnik, and, already an acknowledged genius at the peak of his prowess, resolved to revisit and rework his score. He was ultimately unable to realize his vision, however.

“The subject of power on stage is always very sensitive,” says director Sergey Novikov. “Historical experience shows that extreme permissiveness has destructive consequences for humanity, for our personality and our soul. The oprichnina lasted for only seven years, ending when Ivan the Terrible dissolved it and prohibited people, on pain of death, from even using the word. In spite of this, almost five centuries later the term ‘oprichnina’ persists in popular memory, associated with a brutal chapter of Russian history. Our challenge is to open up this fascinating opera again for our audience. As Fyodor Chaliapin, who appeared in the role of Prince Vyazminsky, said, The Oprichnik undoubtedly enriched the precious casket of Russian culture.”

The Oprichnik may be little known, but it is the forerunner of Tchaikovsky’s major symphonic and operatic works,” says Alexander Soloviev, the production’s musical director. “Tchaikovsky is looking for ways to exert a profound effect on the human psyche through music. It’s fascinating to trace the emergence of the composer’s style, finding little shoots, thick branches, and sometimes mighty trunks that Tchaikovsky would come back to in the future. The Oprichnik requires a detailed reading, and staging it demands a serious effort of the mind and the soul.”

Appearing in the production’s lead roles will be Valentina Fedeneva, Olga Cheremnykh, Ivan Gyngazov, Sergey Kuzmin, Ekaterina Egorova, Svetlana Tokareva, Alexander Bezrukov, Alexander Kuznetsov, Sofia Fainberg, and Vadim Volkov.

USER AGREEMENT



1. GENERAL PROVISIONS

1.1.    This User Agreement (hereinafter referred to as the ‘Agreement’) defines the procedure for accessing the website of the St. Petersburg State Funded Cultural Institution, the St. Petersburg Mussorgsky State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre – Mikhailovsky Theatre (hereinafter referred to as the ‘Mikhailovsky Theatre’) located at the domain www.mikhailovsky.ru.

1.2. This Agreement regulates the relationship between the Mikhailovsky Theatre and the users of this website.



2. DEFINITION OF TERMS

2.1. For the purposes of this Agreement, the terms indicated below shall have the following meaning:

2.1.2. Mikhailovsky Theatre Site Administrators – those employees authorized to manage the website, acting on behalf of the Mikhailovsky Theatre.

2.1.3. User of the Mikhailovsky Theatre Site (hereinafter the ‘User’) – a person having access to and using the website via the Internet.

2.1.4. Site – the Mikhailovsky Theatre website located at the domain www.mikhailovsky.ru.

2.1.5. Content of the Mikhailovsky Theatre Site – the protected results of intellectual activity, including extracts from audiovisual productions, their names, forewords, annotations, articles, illustrations and covers, with or without text, graphic, textual, photographic, derived, composite, and other works, user interfaces, visual interfaces, logos, and also the design, structure, selection, coordination, external appearance, general style, and placement of the Content making up the Site and other intellectual property whether together and/or separately contained in the Mikhailovsky Theatre Site and the Personal Area, from where it is then possible to purchase Mikhailovsky Theatre tickets.



3. SUBJECT OF THE AGREEMENT

3.1. The subject of this Agreement is the provision to the User of access to the services available on the Site.

3.1.1. The Mikhailovsky Theatre Site shall provide the following services to the User:

- access to information about the Mikhailovsky Theatre and information about how to purchase tickets

- purchase of electronic tickets

- discounts, promotions, concessions, and special offers

- receipt of information about Theatre news and events, including via news and information distribution services (email, phone, text message)

- access to electronic content, with the right to view such content

- access to search and navigation tools

- the opportunity to post messages and comments

- other services provided through the pages of the Mikhailovsky Theatre Site

3.2. This Agreement covers all services existing (or functioning) at the present time on the Mikhailovsky Theatre Site, and any subsequent modifications to them and additional services which may appear in the future.

3.2. Access to the Mikhailovsky Theatre Site shall be provided free of charge.

3.3. This Agreement is a public offer. In obtaining access to the Site, the User shall be deemed to have opted in to this Agreement.

3.4. Use of the materials and services on the Site shall be governed by the provisions of current Russian Federation legislation.



4. RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF THE PARTIES

4.1. The Mikhailovsky Theatre Site Administrators shall have the right:

4.1.1. To change the rules for use of the Site and to change the Content of the Site. Changes to usage rules shall enter into force from the moment the new version of the Agreement is published on the Site.

4.2. The User shall have the right:

4.2.1. User registration on the Mikhailovsky Theatre Site shall be for the purpose of identifying the User in order to provide Site services, distribute information and news (by email, post, telephone, text message, or other means), and to obtain feedback and a record of the provision of concessions, discounts, special offers, and promotions.

4.2.2. To use all of the services available on the Site.

4.2.3. To ask any questions relating to the information presented on the Mikhailovsky Theatre Site.

4.2.4. To use the Site solely for the purposes and in the manner provided for by this Agreement and not prohibited by Russian Federation legislation.

4.3. The User shall:

4.3.2. Take no action which may be considered to be in breach of the normal functioning of the Site.

4.3.3. Avoid any actions which may result in a breach of confidentiality with regard to information protected by Russian Federation legislation.

4.4. The User may not:

4.4.1. Use any device, program, procedure, algorithm or method, automated devices, or similar manual processes in order to access, acquire, copy, or track the Content of the Site.

4.4.3. Circumvent in any way the navigational structure of the Site in order to obtain or attempt to obtain any information, documents, or material by any means which are expressly not provided by the Site services;

4.4.4. Breach the security or authentication systems of the Site or any network associated with the Site. Carry out reverse searches, track, or attempt to track any information about any other User of the Site.



5. USE OF THE WEBSITE

5.1. The Site and the Content contained therein belong to and are managed by the Mikhailovsky Theatre Site Administrators.

5.2. The Content of the Site may not be published, reproduced, transferred, or distributed by any means, nor posted on the worldwide networks of the Internet without the written consent of the Site Administrators.

5.5. The User shall be personally responsible for the confidentiality of the information in his/her account, including his/her password, and for all activity, without exception, which is carried out on behalf of the User of the account.

5.6. The User must immediately notify the Site Administrators of any unauthorized use of his/her account or password, or of any other breach of the security system.



6. LIABILITY

6.1. Losses which the User may suffer in the event of a deliberate or negligent breach of any provision of this Agreement, or as a consequence of unauthorized access to the communications of any other User, shall not be reimbursed by the Mikhailovsky Theatre Site Administrators.

6.2. The Mikhailovsky Theatre Site Administrators shall not be liable for:

6.2.1. Delays or malfunctions in the process of carrying out operations arising as a result of force majeure circumstances, nor for any faults in the telecommunications, computer, electronic, or other related systems.

6.2.2. The actions of banking, transfer, and payment systems, nor for delays connected with their operation.

6.2.3. Improper functioning of the Site in cases where the User does not have the technical equipment required for its use, nor do the Administrators accept any obligation to provide Users with such equipment.



7. BREACH OF THE TERMS OF THIS USER AGREEMENT

7.1. The Mikhailovsky Theatre Site Administrators shall have the right to terminate and/or block access to the Site, without prior notice to the User, if the User has breached this Agreement or the terms of use of the Site contained in other documents, or in the event of the Site ceasing to function, or due to technical glitches or problems.

7.2. The Site Administrators shall not be liable to the User or third parties for termination of access to the Site in the event of a breach by the User of any of the provisions of this Agreement or any other document containing the terms of use of this Site.

7.3. The Site Administrators shall have the right to disclose any information about the User as may be necessary for the execution of the provisions of current legislation or judicial rulings.



8. DISPUTE RESOLUTION

8.1. In the event of any disagreements or disputes arising between the Parties to this Agreement, a mandatory condition before resorting to the courts is that a claim should be submitted (a written proposal for voluntary resolution of the dispute).

8.2. The recipient of the claim shall, within 30 calendar days of receipt, notify the claimant in writing of the results of consideration of the claim.

8.3. If it is not possible to settle the dispute by voluntary means, either Party may apply to the courts for protection of their rights as provided for under current Russian Federation legislation.



9. ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS

9.1. In opting in to this Agreement and leaving his/her information on the Mikhailovsky Theatre Site by completing the registration form, the User:

9.1.1. Consents to the processing of the following personal information: full name; date of birth; telephone number; email address; payment details (if the service is used to purchase electronic tickets to the Mikhailovsky Theatre);

9.1.2. Confirms that this personal information belongs to him/her personally;

9.1.3. Gives the Mikhailovsky Theatre Site Administrators the right to carry out, without limit in time, the following actions (operations) with his/her personal information:

- collection and accumulation

- storage for an unlimited period of time (indefinitely) from the moment that the information is provided until it is recalled by the User by means of an application to the Site Administrators

- clarification (renewal, modification)

- destruction

9.2. The User's personal information shall be processed in accordance with Article 6.1.5 of Federal Law No. 152-FZ dated 27.07.2006 ‘On Personal Information’, solely for the purposes of performing the obligations accepted by the Mikhailovsky Theatre Site Administrators under this Agreement with respect to the User, including those indicated in clause 3.1.1 of this Agreement.

9.3. The User accepts and confirms that all of the provisions of this Agreement and the terms of processing his/her personal information are understood by him/her, and expresses his/her consent with the terms of processing his/her personal information without reservation or limitation. The User’s consent to the processing of his/her personal information is specific, informed, and conscious.