In late March, the Chamber Hall of the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre will present unique chamber evenings, each of them comprising a brilliant music piece, a fascinating story and sand animation.
On March 22, 2024, the audience will enjoy the famous group of four violin concerti by Antonio Vivaldi, Le quattro stagioni, in the format of a theatrical concert. When working on the composition, Vivaldi sought to combine poetry and instrumental music. Following the path envisaged by the composer, the Primorsky Stage company has gone even further. “In our performance of this immortal group of concerti, we have decided not only to voice poetic texts, but also to add graphic and dramatic components in the form of sand animation and four monologues pronounced on behalf of Vivaldi himself; closely echoing the four concerti, these monologues tell about the four stages of the composer’s life, that is, Childhood, Youth, Maturity and Old Age”, comments the Principal Conductor of the Primorsky Stage and screenwriter Pavel Smelkov.
The concert will be held with the participation of the Chamber Orchestra of the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre. Soloists: Pavel Batyan (violin), Elizaveta Sushchenko (cello), Pavel Smelkov (harpsichord). The soloist of the Primorsky Stage Opera Company, Dmitry Nelasov, will appear as Vivaldi.
On March 23 and 24, 2024, the audience will enjoy the recent premiere, the musical performance Ruslan and Lyudmila. Mikhail Glinka’s music will be interspersed with the declamation of the chosen fragments from the poem. The performance will be accompanied by sand animation, allowing the audience to plunge into the fairy tale world of images of the magnificent “Russian fantasy”, which has emerged from the pens of two geniuses of Russian culture. “Mikhail Glinka’s fantasy romantic opera Ruslan and Lyudmila is very special for me. Pushkin’s poem was the first serious book that I read on my own at an early age, and Glinka’s masterpiece was one of the first operas I saw at the Mariinsky Theatre (then the Kirov Theatre). For the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre, I have created an original literary and musical composition, which, based on Glinka’s amazing music, returns Ruslan and Lyudmila to the original Pushkin’s plot. At the same time, several numbers have been removed, and some of the music has been “handed back” to Ruslan. Also, several important plot lines have been brought back, such as the murder and miraculous revival of the main character”, notes Pavel Smelkov.
The main parts in the upcoming performances will be performed by soloists of the Primorsky Stage Opera Company. Reader: Dmitry Nelasov.
The author of the sand animation at both concerts is artist Maksim Shteinberg.
