Rustam Sagdiev (1990 –) has been a soloist of the Mariinsky Academy of Young Opera Singers since 2011. Audiences will have seen him as the Poppy in Tikhon Khrennikov's opera The Boy Giant, Bastien in Mozart's singspiel Bastien und Bastienne, Nikolenka in Scenes from the Life of Nikolenka Irteniev by Sergei Banevich and other chamber operas which are performed at the Prokofiev Hall of the Mariinsky II.
Having significant performing experience, Sagdiev decided to try himself out as a composer. The Little Turnip is his first opera. The idea behind its creation belongs to Larisa Gergieva, Artistic Director of the Mariinsky Academy of Young Opera Singers. She proposed that the young composer write an opera for children based on a Russian theme, the folkloric nature of which would be present not just in the music but also in the texts and plot as well.
"The basic material of the opera is songs from different regions of Russia, somewhat stylised, clearly altered, and yet nevertheless recognisable. In a sense, this opera may be referred to as an iconic example of Russian folklore for children,"the composer says.
The plot, familiar from the fairy-tale to all children, features small additions. As well as the main characters the stage will see appearances by the Little Birch-Tree, the Little Lime-Tree, the Little Aspen-Tree, the Little Nightingale and the Jester, who will act as the storyteller. The composer makes use of such instruments as the triangle, woodblock, the spoons, rattle and balalaika.
Olga Vokina
