<Translated from Russian automatically>
On the island of Sardinia, in the city of Cagliari, the traditional Festival of Sant'Efisio opened with Rimsky-Korsakov's opera 'The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevronia,' directed by Eimuntas Nekrošius and conducted by Alexander Vedernikov. This work is a co-production with our Bolshoi Theatre, where the performance will arrive in October. Olga Grinkrug read what the Italian newspapers wrote about it and translated the most interesting parts of their reviews
Repubblica
Into the fabric of his last composition, the former officer of the imperial navy (referring to Rimsky-Korsakov. — OpenSpace) weaves at least four different threads: the "folk" legend of the peasant girl Fevronia, who, out of love for Prince Yuri, causes the city of Kitezh to disappear, saving it from the Tatars' fury; the historical drama, centered on the real invasion of the Tatars in 1223; a pagan ritual glorifying the radiance of nature; and a Christian reflection on the ethics of forgiveness and the light of redemption. To trace all four lines on stage without tangling them is a miracle that could only be achieved by the strict and visionary mind of Eimuntas Nekrošius. He happily avoided all the pitfalls associated with "fantastic narration" and transformed the opera into his usual "theatre of objects." A huge number of extremely concrete object symbols are constantly found on stage: the white contours of wooden deer; a gigantic scoop suspended in the air; a puppet theatre from which giant bird-people peer out; an ephemeral garden with blue alpine bells that reaches the orchestra pit; a lake made of silk cushions; the keels of boats concealing gilded ancient icons. The same analytical approach and extreme precision characterize the performance of the Russian conductor Alexander Vedernikov, whose success was ensured in no small part by the local orchestra.
Corriere della Sera of April 22
The city is supported by a whole forest of beams. A mountain of blue cushions pulls it into the abyss, and tongues of purple silk set it alight. A forest of giant canoes supports the sacred icons. Wooden oars, gilded domes, bouquets of giant blue flowers pointing to the finding of the last haven in the heavenly garden. A world made of water and fire, earth and wood. Of violence, love, and charms. The world of Eimuntas Nekrošius, the brilliant Lithuanian visionary director, a silent man in love with nature and the human soul, capable of conveying all its mysteries and experiences with a few strokes. So his meeting with such a mysterious and attractive work as "The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevronia" was inevitable.
Corriere della Sera of April 27 (the main part of the article is dedicated to the fact that Rimsky-Korsakov is a very good composer)
'The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevronia' has only been staged three times in Italy, and now it has appeared on the stage of the Cagliari Opera House in a very interesting production, realized jointly with the Bolshoi Theatre. The music here presents enormous complexity for both the orchestra and the choir, which actually becomes one of the main protagonists in the performance; in this case, this responsibility fell on the shoulders of local performers. And we must primarily give credit to choirmaster Fulvio Fogliazza.
The theme of the opera is the Tatar invasions that Russian lands were subjected to in the Middle Ages. The pure soul, and one might even say the holiness, of the maiden Fevronia, who grew up in the forests, will evoke a saving miracle, thanks to which the city of Kitezh will be moved beneath the waters of the lake. This will so shock the Tatars that they will flee back to the steppe in horror. Of course, some phrases in the libretto look a little strange from a religious point of view. The saint pronounces: 'Not that saved tear which flows from anguish-sadness, only that saved tear which dews from God's joy.' Perhaps 'anguish-sadness' is meant to imply 'despair,' otherwise these words could be considered heresy.
The success of the performance is ensured primarily by the efforts of the authoritative conductor Alexander Vedernikov, the musical director of the Bolshoi Theatre, as well as Eimuntas and Marius Nekrošius, who developed the production and set design. Tatiana Monogarova honourably comes through the test of the very long role of Fevronia. All the other roles, even the smallest ones, are so bright that the entire remaining cast should be listed by name, and we ask the performers for forgiveness that it is not possible to do so.
La Stampa. (According to an article titled "Holy Rus' – A Funeral Paradise,")
Everything magical in Rimsky-Korsakov's work succeeds brilliantly, while everything mystical is significantly worse. The article states that the feeling of nature, such as the rustle of leaves and bird song, possesses immense charm, noting that bright flashes of music in the orchestra suggest the polygenesis of impressionism and individual fragments anticipate Stravinsky and Janáček. The article identifies the culmination in the third act when the city disappears in a golden haze, calling the first scene of the third act an absolute masterpiece, but finding the final scene overly drawn out and wearying.
The skillful performance successfully emphasized the music's sophistication. Conductor Alexander Vedernikov managed to raise the orchestra and choir, under the direction of Fulvio Fogliazza, to a very high level. The soloists were also good, especially the main heroine, Tatiana Monogarova, as well as tenor Vitaly Panfilov (the Young Prince), bass Mikhail Kazakov (the Prince), and baritone Albert Shafidullin (Poyarok).
Eimuntas Nekrošius's production is very good in the first three acts. Nadezhda Gultyaeva came up with magnificent costumes. The stage, bathed in golden light, is cut through from time to time by blue rays, creating a magical effect. Marius Nekrošius's set designs are distinguished by their symbolism: huge beehives, stylized curtains suspended from beams, silhouettes of animals made of thin wood. These are images that convey the atmosphere of a forest or a peasant house in a fairytale manner. Only the last act did not turn out well: the music falls short, and Nekrošius tries to support it by creating a kind of funeral paradise in black and gold tones.
Source.
On the island of Sardinia, in the city of Cagliari, the traditional Festival of Sant'Efisio opened with Rimsky-Korsakov's opera 'The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevronia,' directed by Eimuntas Nekrošius and conducted by Alexander Vedernikov. This work is a co-production with our Bolshoi Theatre, where the performance will arrive in October. Olga Grinkrug read what the Italian newspapers wrote about it and translated the most interesting parts of their reviews
Repubblica
Into the fabric of his last composition, the former officer of the imperial navy (referring to Rimsky-Korsakov. — OpenSpace) weaves at least four different threads: the "folk" legend of the peasant girl Fevronia, who, out of love for Prince Yuri, causes the city of Kitezh to disappear, saving it from the Tatars' fury; the historical drama, centered on the real invasion of the Tatars in 1223; a pagan ritual glorifying the radiance of nature; and a Christian reflection on the ethics of forgiveness and the light of redemption. To trace all four lines on stage without tangling them is a miracle that could only be achieved by the strict and visionary mind of Eimuntas Nekrošius. He happily avoided all the pitfalls associated with "fantastic narration" and transformed the opera into his usual "theatre of objects." A huge number of extremely concrete object symbols are constantly found on stage: the white contours of wooden deer; a gigantic scoop suspended in the air; a puppet theatre from which giant bird-people peer out; an ephemeral garden with blue alpine bells that reaches the orchestra pit; a lake made of silk cushions; the keels of boats concealing gilded ancient icons. The same analytical approach and extreme precision characterize the performance of the Russian conductor Alexander Vedernikov, whose success was ensured in no small part by the local orchestra.
Corriere della Sera of April 22
The city is supported by a whole forest of beams. A mountain of blue cushions pulls it into the abyss, and tongues of purple silk set it alight. A forest of giant canoes supports the sacred icons. Wooden oars, gilded domes, bouquets of giant blue flowers pointing to the finding of the last haven in the heavenly garden. A world made of water and fire, earth and wood. Of violence, love, and charms. The world of Eimuntas Nekrošius, the brilliant Lithuanian visionary director, a silent man in love with nature and the human soul, capable of conveying all its mysteries and experiences with a few strokes. So his meeting with such a mysterious and attractive work as "The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevronia" was inevitable.
Corriere della Sera of April 27 (the main part of the article is dedicated to the fact that Rimsky-Korsakov is a very good composer)
'The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevronia' has only been staged three times in Italy, and now it has appeared on the stage of the Cagliari Opera House in a very interesting production, realized jointly with the Bolshoi Theatre. The music here presents enormous complexity for both the orchestra and the choir, which actually becomes one of the main protagonists in the performance; in this case, this responsibility fell on the shoulders of local performers. And we must primarily give credit to choirmaster Fulvio Fogliazza.
The theme of the opera is the Tatar invasions that Russian lands were subjected to in the Middle Ages. The pure soul, and one might even say the holiness, of the maiden Fevronia, who grew up in the forests, will evoke a saving miracle, thanks to which the city of Kitezh will be moved beneath the waters of the lake. This will so shock the Tatars that they will flee back to the steppe in horror. Of course, some phrases in the libretto look a little strange from a religious point of view. The saint pronounces: 'Not that saved tear which flows from anguish-sadness, only that saved tear which dews from God's joy.' Perhaps 'anguish-sadness' is meant to imply 'despair,' otherwise these words could be considered heresy.
The success of the performance is ensured primarily by the efforts of the authoritative conductor Alexander Vedernikov, the musical director of the Bolshoi Theatre, as well as Eimuntas and Marius Nekrošius, who developed the production and set design. Tatiana Monogarova honourably comes through the test of the very long role of Fevronia. All the other roles, even the smallest ones, are so bright that the entire remaining cast should be listed by name, and we ask the performers for forgiveness that it is not possible to do so.
La Stampa. (According to an article titled "Holy Rus' – A Funeral Paradise,")
Everything magical in Rimsky-Korsakov's work succeeds brilliantly, while everything mystical is significantly worse. The article states that the feeling of nature, such as the rustle of leaves and bird song, possesses immense charm, noting that bright flashes of music in the orchestra suggest the polygenesis of impressionism and individual fragments anticipate Stravinsky and Janáček. The article identifies the culmination in the third act when the city disappears in a golden haze, calling the first scene of the third act an absolute masterpiece, but finding the final scene overly drawn out and wearying.
The skillful performance successfully emphasized the music's sophistication. Conductor Alexander Vedernikov managed to raise the orchestra and choir, under the direction of Fulvio Fogliazza, to a very high level. The soloists were also good, especially the main heroine, Tatiana Monogarova, as well as tenor Vitaly Panfilov (the Young Prince), bass Mikhail Kazakov (the Prince), and baritone Albert Shafidullin (Poyarok).
Eimuntas Nekrošius's production is very good in the first three acts. Nadezhda Gultyaeva came up with magnificent costumes. The stage, bathed in golden light, is cut through from time to time by blue rays, creating a magical effect. Marius Nekrošius's set designs are distinguished by their symbolism: huge beehives, stylized curtains suspended from beams, silhouettes of animals made of thin wood. These are images that convey the atmosphere of a forest or a peasant house in a fairytale manner. Only the last act did not turn out well: the music falls short, and Nekrošius tries to support it by creating a kind of funeral paradise in black and gold tones.
Source.
«Kitezh» in Sardinia. Review of Italian newspapers
Olga GRINKRUG, forum.balletfriends.ru, May 13, 2008
