May, 27 , 2014. Issue No. 30

May 27 - 31, June 1 - premiere performances of the opera "Così fan tutte, ossia La scuola degli amanti"

May 27 & 28 - The 22 International Ballet Festival "Benois de la Danse" at the Bolshoi Theatre The Bolshoi Theatre presents "Cosi fan tutte" The Bolshoi Theatre presented its final opera premiere of the season - the opera "Così fan tutte, ossia La scuola degli amanti" by W.A. Mozart. Photos: Damir Yusupov Newsletter

This Mozart drama giocoso belongs to "scuola di sentimenti" that was quite popular in his time and has not been staged in Russia very often. Photo: Damir Yusupov All of them - energetic Alina Yarovaya (Despina), the lyric tenor Yuri Gorodetky from Minsk (Fernando), the artistic bass Alexander Miminoshvili from the Helikon-Opera (Guglielmo), Alexandra Kadurina, the mezzo-soprano that has remarkable technique (Dorabella) and the graceful Anna Kraynikova (Fiordiligi) - fill the production with energy and drive; they keep the audience's attention all the time. The conductor Stefano Montanari makes the orchestra play at an incredibly quick tempo and makes everyone immerse themselves into this total game even more. As for novelties in the musical interpretation, there are hammerklavier "improvisations" to Mozart's theme that are performed together with recitatives secco. This adds some Mozart-like "charm" to the unpredictable and charming game, started by "Cosi fan tutte" characters - a game of love and chance. A musical tragedy The opera "Così fan tutte, ossia La scuola degli amanti" premiered at the Bolshoi Theatre. At the curtain calls the audience gave the production team a well-deserved ovation: the director Floris Visser, the designer Gideon Davey and the conductor Stefano Montanari created a wonderful production for the Bolshoi. "Cosi fan tutte" is an opera that people have tried to save for the last 100 years. The plot where two girls, who are madly in love, cannot recognize their fiancés, who simply changed clothes, and allow some strangers to seduce them and then sign a marital agreement, written by their own maid, dressed as a notary, seemed quite absurd past

the 18 century. This is why directors always created some development that would justify whatever happened on the stage; in most cases the maid or the fiancées themselves figured out what their fiancés were up to in ten minutes and joined the game. Floris Visser does not invent anything and follows the libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte closely; he justifies all the conventionalities of the plot using the easiest possible way: this is theatre, therefore, everything is possible here. This is something that is rather widely used and has already become a cliché; but the director uses it to the best effect, both wittily and charmingly. In this version of "Cosi fan tutte" he plays a game; he presents us with the theatre of Mozart's time. We see its façade - a beautiful hall with a crystal chandelier, box attendants wearing mandilions, cutest cupids (children), we see its backstage space with ropes and lifting mechanisms' weights, watercolor-painted sets and wonderful machinery that simulates rough seas or the movement of a traveling coach, we also see bathtubs in the dressing rooms and folding screens, made from sets for old productions. There is no irony and mocking "ancient stuff", but rather a great love for wonders of everyday life at the theatre back then. The audience hall serves as a "stage" that was made into Don Alfonso's bedroom (he is the "director" and "conductor" of this "production") and into a green garden with a swing; in the finale it is packed with public (well, if we want it to be very precise from the historic point of view, people in the stalls should be standing): the show gathers full houses and is a great success!
V isser does not use a playful comedy element, but at the same time he does not lose the drama and the tragic part of this story either: his characters, which are young and extremely happy, face betrayal and change at the end of this story. Not all of them are ready to be generous and to forgive a person, who was a dear one yesterday, but a total stranger today. Cupids - like in the famous painting by Rafael. Photo by Damir Yusupov; photo courtesy of the Bolshoi Theatre press-office The director gives Fiordiligi and Ferrando a chance and, just like Mozart, restores the timbre of justice - a soprano should be together with a tenor, but not a baritone, as the composer has them in the beginning of the opera (perhaps, this was done on purpose!). But Dorabella and Guglielmo stay alone. Young soloists that participate in the production add some expression, charm and even truth. Here are the great results of the Young Opera Artists Program's 5-year existence - the opera by Mozart is performed at the Bolshoi as it should be; there is no give-away and no one is talking about their young age, lack of experience and so on. The conductor Stefano Montanari (an interesting young man, wearing leather bracelets and various metal rings), a specialist in authentic performance, made a compromise. The Bolshoi Theatre does not have a special orchestra and instruments, but nevertheless, the plastique of manner and phrasing, contrast dynamics, strokes and even imitation brass - everything was about Mozart's manner and style. Anna Kraynikova (Fiordiligi), Alexandra Kadurina (Dorabella), Alexander Miminoshvili (Guglielmo), Yuri Gorodetsky (Ferrando), Nikolai Kazanksy (Don Alfonso) makes a wonderful ensemble; Alina Yarovaya, who performs the comic part of a vain maid Despina, is a real star of the opening night cast. The inside of the theatre The opera "Cosi fan tutte" premiered at the Bolshoi Theatre. This piece by Mozart turned out to be a parable about the evil forces of art "Cosi fan tutte" is ideal material for a director: Mozart's well-structured opera gives a chance to make it as dark as one desires. Who is this Don Alfonso, who makes a bet with young people and makes them check how faithful their fiancées are? Is he just a reasonable teacher of life or a devil incarnate, who destroys the young flowers of love vindictively? In the production by Floris Bisser he is the owner of the theatre; following his will, tiny ships and armies appear, young cupids start doing magic next to the main characters, a nymph and a satire inspire them with their erotic example. Meanwhile these young people, who are in love, are not really actors - but they have to pretend something in life, for example, to pretend being crazy in love. The director did not invent it: in Mozart's opera the girls communicate using roulades, just like heroines of operas-seria. In the production, staged by Visser, the fiancées admire portraits of their fiancés, as the latter use swords, trying to find out what good qualities their loved ones have. A bet with Don Alfonso is just another one of those games. The set designer Gideon Davey shows the audience the façade and the inside of his "theatre inside the theatre". In the finale art plays an evil joke on the dilettantes that got absorbed in the game: the characters of the opera realize that they have been performing for the audience, that is now looking at them disapprovingly from both sides of the curtain. This production is a costume one and a concept one at the same time (costume designer - Dieuweke van Reij, dramaturg - Klaus Bertisch); Don Alfonso plays the main part in it. Nikolai Kazansky creates an image of a sleek guy, who looks like John Malkovich in "Dangerous Liasons". The cast is quite even: there is Anna Kraynikova (Fiordiligi), Alexandra Kadurina (Dorabella) and Yuri Gorodetsky (Ferrando), Alexander Miminoshvili (Guglielmo) and Alina Yarovaya (Despina) are absolutely perfect, while the sense of style unites them all. May, 27 2014 Newsletter

The conductor Stefano Montanari presented a stylish work as well; the orchestra sounds energetic and even a bit baroque-like, the maestro also accompanies the recitatives himself, having stuck his baton behind his collar. In the finale the main characters realize that they have been performing for the audience. Photo: Damir Yusupov It is dif ficult to give the Bolshoi Theatre the highest score for this production, because we compare it with the production of the same opera that was staged in Perm three years ago and was brought to Moscow. The work of the stage director Mattias Remus was even more beautiful and smart, and Teodor Currentzis did a great job with the soloists' ensemble and the orchestra, which played ancient instruments in an authentic manner; the conductor set such high standards that will be difficult to reach for any theatre. The Bolshoi Theatre presents the last opera premiere of the season - "Cosi fan tutte" by W.A. Mozart During the whole of the Bolshoi's history operas by Mozart have been staged at the theatre for only a little more than 10 times /…/ The Bolshoi Theatre General Director Vladimir Urin mentioned in his interview to IT AR-T ASS: "Mozart is a rare guest at the Bolshoi Theatre". According to Mr. Urin, during the whole of the Bolshoi's history operas by Mozart have been staged at the theatre only a little more than 10 times. The plot of the opera The plot is based on the story that was composed by the librettist Lorenzo da Ponte more than two centuries ago. Two officers, the friends and the fiancés of two sisters, yield to a provocation of their common friend, who does not believe in female fidelity, and plays a joke on their fiancées to check how faithful they are. They tell the women that they are going to a war, then pretend to be exotic guests from Albania and start seeking the love of the girls; each man is seeking the love of his friend's girlfriend. The girls do not reject them; many comic situations appear as the story develops. But the finale, when the fact that men have changed their clothes and the women have not remained faithful is revealed, does not look like a happy end. A story with no winners The young director Floris Visser (the Netherlands), who staged the production at the Bolshoi, says: "There are no winners here; in the finale everyone has a broken heart, and this is the sad lesson of this opera". Other members of the international production team agree with this concept. The British designer Gideon Davey created the set. The famous Italian conductor and a specialist in authentic performance Stefano Montanari conducts the orchestra. This is his fourth production of "Cosi fan tutte". Stefano Montanari admits: "I personally like to take a fresh look at a piece I have already conducted. My point of view changes with time. Besides, each time I need to combine my perception with the director's concept, which can be very interesting. For example, now Floris focuses on the drama story of the two couples, and pays particular attention to Don Alfonso. What he is doing seems convincing to me. I do not believe there is a happy ending either. Love stories are ruined. The heroes take their roles - male and female roles, as they are trying to find ways to co-exist". Maestro Montanari is absolutely convinced that "Cosi fan tutte" is a timeless story. This is a story about what a man is and what a woman is. The director considers: "We basically have not changed during the whole history of humanity". He remembers that when he was reading the libretto for the first time, he kept telling himself: "Oh, this is really so!" Maestro also notes: "At the same time, the best thing about Mozart is that he is always new. He never repeats himself; he finds new means every time. Each of his operas is a discovery". The cast of "Cosi fan tutte" The conductor also considers it is important that all singers that participate in the production are as young as their characters. The cast stars participants and graduates of the Bolshoi Theatre Young Artists Opera Program, as well as the company's soloists and guest soloists: Anna Kraynikova and Ekaterina Morozova (Fiordiligi), Alexandra Kadurina and Yulia Mazurova (Dorabella), Alina Yarovaya and Nina Minasyan (Despina), Yuri Gorodetsky and Alexei Neklyudov (Ferranvo), Alexander Miminoshvili and Andrei Jilihovschi (Guglielmo), Nikolai Kazansky and Oleg Tsybulko (Don Alfonso). The opera "Così fan tutte, ossia La scuola degli amanti" was composed by Mozart on commission from the Emperor Joseph II. It was first performed at the Burgtheater in V ienna on January 26, 1790. It has been a part of the world's leading opera houses' repertoire ever since. "Cosi fan tutte" was staged at the Bolshoi Theatre only once - in 1978. Yuri Simonov conducted the orchestra at the opening night; Natalia Kasatkina and Vladimir V asiliev staged the production; Valery Levental designed the set. The opera was performed 52 times and was removed from the repertoire in 1986. In 1989 T eatro alla Scala (Milan) brought the opera "Cosi fan Tutte" to the Bolshoi Theatre. In 2012 the Bolshoi Theatre returned to this opera and presented its concert version at the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall. Two years later "Cosi fan Tutte" is presented to the audience in its "full" version. w ww.n ytim es.c o m /2 01 4/0 5/2 2/a rts /d an ce /th e-b ols h oi- b alle ts -g is e lle -in - washington.html?_r=0

The program "Artistic Council". May 26 2014

On May 26 the Bolshoi Theatre Young Artists Opera Program artistic director Dmitry Vdovin and the Bolshoi Theatre's soloist Alexandra Kadurina were guests at the night show "Culture News". The premiere of the opera "Così fan tutte, ossia La scuola degli amanti" took place at the Bolshoi Theatre. Alexandra Kadurina performs the part of Dorabella. The Bolshoi Ballet presents guest performances in Washington, D.C. Mass media about the Theatre May, 27 2014 Newsletter

The ballet "Oscar" will turn 22

The 22 International Ballet Festival "Benois de la Danse" will take place at the Bolshoi Theatre on May 27 and 28 Ballet fans always look forward to this mini-festival, because "Benois" means not only a concert of nominees and last years' laureates, but it is also about a world ballet elite get-together. Each festival materializes in Moscow approximately one fifth of the ballet Mendeleev table.
W e are talking about a competent jury. This May the following people will evaluate the nominees: Yuri Grigorovich (the head of the jury), the legendary Ana Laguna a Spanish ballerina and Mats Ek's companion, an Italian ballerina and the ex-director of the Rome Opera Ballet Carla Fracci, a famous Soviet ballerina Gabriela Komleva, who is now a pedagogue at the Mariinsky Theatre, the head of the Dance Program of the New York State Council on the Arts (1980-201 1) Beverly D'Anne, the Paris Opera etoile, repetiteur and costume designer Agnès Letestu, the artistic director of the Hong Kong Ballet Madeleine Onne and The Teatro ColГіn ballet company artistic director Lidia Segni. Y uri Grigorovich Four choreographers - Patrick de Bana, Fei Bo, Mauricio Wainrot and Alexei Ratmansky - will compete for the prize that all critics love so much and that is awarded for the best choreography created in 2013. The German choregrapher Patrick de Bana, who was nominated for the award a couple of years ago with his interesting ballet "Maria Antonieta" and last season made his debut in Russia with his version of "The Rite of Spring" (staged at the Novosibirsk theatre), staged the production "Wind Games" to the music by P. T chaikovsky at Vienna State Ballet. Fei Bo presented his version of "Bolero" to the music by M. Ravel at the National Ballet of China. Mauricio Wainrot was nominated for the ballet "The Song of the Earth" to the music by G. Mahler, staged at Teatro San-Martin (Buenos Aires). Alexei Ratmansky was nominated for several ballets that he staged at the ABT : the trilogy to the music by Shostakovich (Symphony No. 9", "String Quartet" and "First Piano Concert") and "Tempest" to the music by J. Sibelius. Male and female dancers are nominated for "Benois" not because they necessarily participated in those productions that are nominated. A totally different rule works here - members of the jury that represent a particular theatre, city or even country, nominate their candidates. This is how the New York City Ballet's Ashley Boulder was nominated for the solo part

in the 4 movement in Symphony No. 9 to the music by H. Kay, the leading part in Choleric ("The Four Temperaments" to the music by P. Hindemith), the leading part in "V espro" to the music by Bruno Moretti, choreographed by Mauro Bigonzetti and finally for the part of Cigarette in the ballet "Namouna" to the music by E. Lalo, choreographed by A. Ratmansky. Liu Yu-yao from the Hong Kong Ballet made her debut in the part of Valencienne in the ballet "The Merry Widow" to the music by F. Lehár, choreographed by R. Hynd. Mariko Kida from the Royal Swedish Ballet danced the part of Juliette in the newest interpretation of the Shakespeare's play - the ballet "Juliete and Romeo", choreographed by Mats Ek to the music by P. T chiakovsky. Nadia Muzyca performed the part of Grete in the ballet "Cinderella", choreographed by Renato Zanella to the music by J. Strauss at the Teatro Colon ballet company (Buenos Aires). Our fellow country woman Polina Semionova was nominated for several parts, performed at the ABT, where she is currently working. The ballerina starred in the ballet "Partita" to the music by J.S. Bach, choreographed by T. Tharp; she also performed leading roles in such ballets, as "Theme with Variations" to the music by P. T chaikovsky, choreographed by G. Balanchine, Mazurka and Waltz No. 7 in "Les Sylphides" to the music by F. Chopin, choreographed by M. Fokine, and "Symphony No. 9" to the music by D. Shostakovich, choreographed by A. Ratmansky. V ictoria Tereshkina from the Mariinsky Theatre was nominated for the award "Benois de la Danse" for her performance of the main role in the ballet "Carmen-suite" to the music by G. Bizet - R. Shchedrin, choreographed by A. Alonso. Laura Hecquet represents the Paris Opera; she performed the role of Princess Aurora in "Sleeping Beauty" to the music by P. Tchaikovsky, choreographed by R. Nureyev (based on choreography by M. Petipa). Seven noble men will compete for the title of the best dancer. T imur Askerov from the Mariinsky Theatre was nominated for his performance of leading parts in classical ballets - the part of Basilio in "Don Quixote" and the part of Prince Desire in "Sleeping Beauty".
Audric Bezard, the premier of the Paris Opera, was nominated for the part of Prince Desire in "Sleeping Beauty", choreographed by R. Nureyev. Shen Jie from the Hong Kong Ballet was nominated for his performance of the part of Pao Y u in the ballet "The Dream of the Red Chamber" to the music by M. Nyman, choreographed by Wang Xin Peng. Claudio Coviello from La Scala Theatre Ballet (Milan) made his debut in the role of Quasimodo in the ballet "Notre Dame de Paris" to the music by M. Jarre, choreographed by R. Petit. John Neumeier May, 27 2014 Newsletter

The ABT premier German Cornejo was nominated for several parts. In 2013 he made his debut with parts of Aminta in the ballet "Sylvia" to the music by L. Delibes, choreographed by F. Ashton and Caliban in the ballet "Tempest" to the music by J. Sibelius, choreographed by A. Ratmansky; he also performed the leading part in the ballet "Symphony No. 9" to the music by D. Shostakovich, choreographed by A. Ratmansky, and the leading part in the ballet "Cheri" to the music by C. Debussy and others, choreographed by M. Clarke at "Signature" Theatre (New York, off- Broadway). Juan Pablo Ledo performed the part of Prince Siegfried in the ballet "Swan Lake" to the music by P. Tchaikovsky, choreographed by P. W right at the Teatro Colon ballet (Buenos Aires). Niklas Ek was nominated for his performance of the part of Prince Fürsten in the ballet "Juliete & Romeo" to the music by P. Tchaikovsky, choreographed by M. Ek (Royal Swedish Ballet). Niklas created an image of a policeman or an inspector that supervises everything and everyone in Verona. This part was choreographed by his elder brother, the great Mats Ek, especially for him. The program of the nominees' concert has already been announced. Svyatoslav Belza and the Bolshoi Theatre ballerina Maria Alexandrova will be the MCs. Soloists of the Ballet Contemporáneo del Teatro San MartГ­n Ivana Santaella and Gerardo Manturano will present a fragment from the ballet "The Song of the Earth", choreographed by Mauricio Wainrot. Soloists of the National Ballet of China will present the piece "Sacrifice", choreographed by "Benois de la Danse" nominee Fei Bo. Kirill Kurlyaev from Vienna State Ballet will dance a fragment from the ballet "The Labyrinth of Solitude" by Patrick de Bana. As for A. Ratmansky's choreography that he was nominated for, we will have to watch it on the screen. Out of 14 nominees-soloists only 10 will come to Moscow and participate in the concert. Liu Yu-Y ao and Li Jiabo will dance a pas de deux from the ballet "The Merry Widow" to the music by F. Lehár, choreographed by R. Hynd. La Scala soloists Vittoria Valerio and Claudio Coviello will present a pas de deux from the ballet "Romeo and Juliet", choreographed by K. MacMillan. Ashley Bouder will perform together with Semyon Chudin (the Bolshoi Theatre), who has already received the famous prize; the dancers will present a pas de deux from the ballet "Les Sylphides", choreographed by A. Burnoville. Dancers from Paris - Laura Hecquet and Audric Bezard - will dance a pas de deux from the ballet "Jewels", choreographed by G. Balanchine. Mariko Kida and Itina Lavrenova will dance a fragment from "Juliet & Romeo" by M. Ek, and it looks like this number will be the centerpiece of the concert's program. Nadia Muzyca and Juan Pablo Ledo from Teatro Colon Ballet will present a pas de deux from "Cinderella", choreographed by R. Zanella. Hong Kong Ballet soloists Shen Jie, Li Jiabo and Frank van Tongeren will perform a trio from a ballet, choreographed by Nacho Duato. The ballet has an intriguing title "Castrati".
T imur Askerov (Basilio) will dance together with Kristina Kretova (Kitri) from the Bolshoi Theatre. The program of the last years' laureates' concert is a secret. Most likely, we will see those laureates that could not participate in the last year's ceremony due to their busy schedule, like Olga Smirnova and some other artists last year. There will be some surprises at the ceremony as well - awards will be given to composers and set designers, there will be special awards given out, and so on.

On May 24 the opera "Così fan tutte, ossia La scuola degli amanti" by W.A. Mozart premiered at the Bolshoi Theatre. We uploaded pictures to the Bolshoi Theatre of ficial pages in the social networks. .vk.com/public52257710 Bolshoi Theatre in the Internet Photos: Damir Yusupov Premiere performances will also take place on May 27 - 31 and June 1. T ickets are available online; price - 1500-2000 rubles (approx. $ 45 - $60): May, 27 2014 Newsletter

May, 27 2014