Vasily Barkhatov gets to work

Vasily Barkhatov, whose appointment as Artistic Director of the Mikhailovsky Theatre opera company was announced during the summer, has taken up his duties. The director, who made his debut at the Mariinsky Theatre at the age of 23 and was responsible for eight opera premières there, has staged productions at the Bolshoi Theatre and the Lithuanian National Opera. He has also tried his hand at drama, musicals, and films, but has never before held a management post. Vasily Barkhatov’s first project following his appointment will be a grand gala concert to celebrate the Mikhailovsky Theatre’s anniversary. The director has already made one entry in the theatre’s glorious 180-year history, dating back to 8 November 1833. Last summer saw the première of his production of Der fliegende Holländer. The production aroused huge interest, and not just because it marked Wagner’s return to the Mikhailovsky Theatre stage after an interval of 40 years. Barkhatov reinterpreted the romantic legend, offering a „director’s crossword puzzle“ instead of truisms, and achieved something that was, at any rate, „impossible to take your eyes off“ (Rossiyskaya Gazeta). The production, which provoked heated discussion in the operatic world, can be seen on 16 and 19 October. The grand gala concert will take place on 27 October.