MOSCOW, June 26. The main opera premiere of the 105th season, «Mermaid» by composer Alexander Dargomyzhsky, will take place at the K.S. Stanislavsky and Vl.I. Nemirovich-Danchenko Musical Theatre. A unique stage space was created for the production and more than 250 historical costumes were sewn.
“There are wonderful, unfairly half-forgotten pages of Russian music. Dargomyzhsky’s “Rusalka” is one of these, and therefore I really want to return it to the stage, let you listen to this fresh, natural element of Russian music. Moreover, the work is based on a Pushkin plot, and this premiere — our gift to the audience on the 225th anniversary of the birth of the main poet of our country, who not only created outstanding works of Russian literature, but laid its foundation. His poetry, prose and the fate of Pushkin himself became part of the Russian mentality,” the press service quotes. theater words from the artistic director of the MAMT opera troupe, director of the performance Alexander Titel.
“Rusalka” was first performed in St. Petersburg in 1856. Its literary basis was the unfinished drama of the same name by Alexander Pushkin. The final scenes were completed by Dargomyzhsky himself, who also acted as the author of the libretto.
The composer is considered one of the pioneers of Russian opera with Slavic motifs in music and a plot with purely Russian characters. The Miller's daughter Natasha is abandoned by the Prince, who married not for love, but according to class etiquette. The insulted girl rushes into the waters of the Dnieper. Years pass, but the Prince cannot forget his first love. And Natasha, who has turned into a mermaid, dreams of revenge.
«Rusalka» is called the first Russian lyric-dramatic everyday opera.
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“The deep psychologism of the work is extremely important for Alexander Titel, who proposes to look at the fantastic world as a projection of the inner world of man: bitter regrets and an acute sense of guilt make ghosts a reality,” the theater noted.
The set design and costumes for the performance were created by the chief artist of MAMT, Vladimir Arefiev. More than 300 employees participated in this process. The most painstaking work was carried out on the construction of a 15 by 16 meter ramp, which will serve as the basis for all scenes of the play. This is a metal frame covered with pine boards, which were processed using a special technology to create texture and painted by hand.
In the hold space under the stage during the performance, the theater’s technical services will work on the realism of the tricks “from the waters of the Dnieper.”
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More than 250 costumes were made for «Rusalka» — for three casts of performers of the main roles, choir artists, mimance, specially invited harpists and artists of the Romany Gypsy Theater «Romen». Historical fabrics and cuts were used in production. The clothes were “aged” using the “living in” technology — by repeated washing and cooking. In addition, the artists needed to create costumes that were easy to change. In one part of the performance, 70 choir artists must change from folk costumes to wedding costumes in about two minutes.
The conductor and director of the opera is Timur Zangiev.
Premiere shows will take place on June 26, 27 and 28.
