On January 22 and 24, 2021 the world large-scale premiere of Alexander Smelkov’s The Idiot opera (concert performance) was held at the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre. The Russian composer’s opera is based on the libretto by Yuri Dimitrin after the novel of the same name by Fyodor Dostoevsky. The event is dedicated to 200 years since the birth of Fyodor Dostoevsky. The primary parts were sung by the lead soloists of the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre such as Mergen Sandanov, Alexei Bublik, Elena Razgulyaeva, Vyacheslav Vasilyev, and Maria Suzdaltseva. The Mariinsky Orchestra of the Primorsky Stage was under the baton of Pavel Smelkov, a Principal Conductor of the Primorsky Stage.
The Idiot is the seventh opera by Alexander Smelkov, a Russian composer. Graduated from the Leningrad Conservatory, he composed some symphonies, cantatas, and a lot of chamber and vocal compositions. After the celebrated premiere of his opera The Karamazov Brothers at the Mariinsky Theatre in 2008, the composer became well known among music addicts.
The Idiot became the second part of the operatic triptych conceived by the composer after Fyodor Dostoevsky’s legendary novels. The opera was created by Alexander Smelkov in a creative partnership with the brilliant librettist Yuri Dimitrin. The child chorus – the children attend the Prokofiev Art School No. 1 with Elena Petukhova as a Chorus Master – occupies a particular place in the opera. The children’s voices are a throwback to Prince Myshkin years of treatment in Switzerland and a reminder of his innocence for the Prince is as pure as a child. Moreover, the image of Prince Myshkin in his childhood is introduced into the final scene, where the Prince’s solo is sung by a child.
After the second performance of The Idiot, the media conference was held at the Primorsky Stage, which was attended by Pavel Smelkov, a Musical Director and a Conductor of the premiere, Olga Krukovich, responsible for musical preparation, and the soloists singing the primary parts: Mergen Sandanov (Prince Myshkin), Alexei Bublik (Rogozhin), and Maria Suzdaltseva (Aglaya). The composer Alexander Smelkov, by videoconference from Saint Petersburg, highly appreciated the results of work done by the Primorsky Stage company and expressed his special thanks to Olga Krukovich who was responsible for musical preparation of the opera. In his opinion, the soloists, the Chorus and the Orchestra had met all operatic challenges brilliantly. According to Alexander Smelkov, the role of Pavel Smelkov, the composer’s son who conducted the opera, was essential in creating the opera and staging its concert version.
Pavel Smelkov said that the Primorsky Stage company worked with great enthusiasm on the premiere. He also noted that the fully choreographed opera with set designed and scenic movement brought to perfection was expected to be presented to the public 2 or 3 months later. The sets would be designed by Pyotr Okunev, a Chief Designer of the Primorsky Stage who was known by his works at other Russian theatres. The opera would be staged by Oleg Khristolyubskiy, a stage director from Saint Petersburg. The Primorsky Stage’s plans envisage that The Idiot will be shown both in Russian cities and abroad.
