The Italian composer of the beginning of the 20th century Umberto Jordano from afar did not see the difference between St. Petersburg and the Siberian prison

"Helikon-Opera" represents another rarity to the Moscow public-inspired by the works of Tolstoy and Dostoevsky opera "Siberia" Italian Umberto Jordano.

"Helicon-Opera" has long been distinguished among Moscow theaters by the number in the repertoire of rare performances. Then they put the Lula - the Polornographic opera of Alban Berg, who had not been playing, but shining in the best world scenes in Russia. They put the “Macropoulos” - the opera of the Czech composer Leosh Yanachek, written in 1926. Then, suddenly, somewhere the score of the opera "Peter the Great" Andre Ernest Modesta Gretry with a funny plot about young Peter the Great. The same line of rarities, elegantly seasoned with the actual love for the homeland, continues the current premiere of Gelikon, the opera of the Italian Umberto Jordano Siberia.
I must say that Russian composers who composed for the musical theater, for Italian topics and plots, have always been willing to take it. The Italian composers, which is not surprising, was infrequently inspired by Russia-the examples literally vied. And we have nowhere to get acquainted with these examples in the genre of the opera theater.
From operas on the Russian theme, most often they recall the "Fedor" of the famous composer-priest, the author of Andre Chenier Umberto Jordano. Meanwhile, the same Jordano created another “Russian” opera - “Siberia” (Siberia, 1903). The librettist Luigi Illik, known for his cooperation with Puccini, assured that he was inspired by "notes from the dead house" of Dostoevsky and the "resurrection" of Tolstoy.
However, it is not easy to find parallels with these two books. Generously mixed fatal passions there could easily be imagined even in Paris, even in Copenhagen, if not for the notorious Siberia, where the main characters go. They get, of course, in court. The first part of the opera sets out the confused history of intrigues around the St. Petersburg courtesan with a truly Russian name of Stefan. The officer Vasily enters the treacherous charming man as a result in hard labor; Stefan decides to break with the past and goes with him to Siberia, where he dies as a result of the intrigues of a former lover. For boring color, imagine mass scenes (first on balls, then in the wild steppes of Transbaikalia), terrible Cossacks and no less terrible officials, as well as luxurious names - Alexis, for example, or Nikon. Music, a clear thing, also should have seemed maximum Russian - the composer used the melodies of the anthem “God, keep the king” and the song “Hey, we will smash”, and in the third action he provided for the solo for the balalaika.
Naturally, the production team of Gelikon decided not to neglect the opening opportunities and observe the maximum of the libretto remark. If the St. Petersburg Ball Hall is spelled out, it means that the full -time artists of Gelikon Igor Telnoy and Tatyana Tulubev and the hall will be built, and the outfits will come up with, so much so that it will not seem enough. Do not wait for Crinolin - in Helicon they always loved experiments, to recall at least their "Carmen" Georges Bizet among garbage tanks or "mermaid" Antonina Dvorzhak with a cut of live fish. But for sure, the authors of the performance do not resist the organization on the stage of natural snow. Fortunately, the place chosen for the production is the scene of the former ET Cetera Theater - allows you to turn around.
Fedor Evgeniev

Rarity
Records Violin

The Hammer Straidivar violin was sold at Christie`s for $ 3.544 million. The amount that an anonymous buyer gave for the violin is a record for auction sales of musical instruments. The previous record - $ 2.32 million - belongs to the Lady Tenant Stradivar violin sold at Christie`s last April. Expertie`s experts expected to receive from $ 1.5 million to $ 2.5 million for Hammer, but the proceeds seemed even to surprise them.
During his life, Stradivarvari created more than a thousand violins, guitars and an Arph. About 650 have survived to this day. Almost all the violinist now known now, such as Maxim Vengerov, Vadim Repin, Vladimir Spivakov, play the tools of work precisely this master. Their choice is not surprising: over time, the violin of Stradivarvari not only does not deteriorate, but, conversely, begin to sound better. The name of the current buyer is kept secret, but the auction press release emphasizes that "a unique violin can be heard in the near future at one of the best scenes of the world." To inform exactly who will play on it, representatives of Christie`s refused.

Explanatory performance
Getty Museum will return stolen
The scandal around the stolen works of ancient art located in the Los Angeles Getty Museum was developed: the director of the museum Michael Brand, after meeting with Greece Culture Minister Georgios Wulgarakis, agreed to return two exhibits to return. The scandal broke out last year: the Greek and Italian authorities said that the former museum of the museum Marion Trus acquired stolen artifacts in Italy and Greece, knowing very well about their origin. It was not so easy to convince American museum workers of this.
The Italian authorities managed to return three exhibits. From the part of Greece, the Minister of Culture Georgios Wulgarakis undertook to rescue the stolen cream. The minister convinced Michael Brand to return two subjects to the Greek authorities, two more will remain in America so far. It is not known exactly what works of art will go to Greece. There are assumptions that it will be a golden burial wreath and a vast relief. Marble sculpture and funeral stele so far remain controversial exhibits of the Getty museum. However, the decision to return the exhibits should still be approved by the board of the museum.

Deja vu
Oval office of an orange house

Claude Monet was returned to the "water lilies". Now bypass the hall of the Orangery Museum with a quick step.

Claude Monet's panoramic cycle is again available to the public in the Orangery Museum that opened after the reconstruction. Over its almost eighty -year history, the museum has survived two significant reconstructions, and each specially reflected on the "water lilies". The former greenhouse for fruit trees, built in the Tuilery Garden in 1852, opened its doors as a museum in 1927. In the oval hall of the new museum there was a panoramic cycle of the “water lilies” Claude Monet, which became the most striking exhibit of this museum - daylight penetrated the hall, and it is difficult to overestimate the value of lighting for the impressionists. Claude Monet presented a cycle of “water lines” of France as his spiritual testament, taking the promise from the authorities to never share the canvases - the artist had a special vision of how fragments of the pond with flowers should hang. Partly the authorities were faithful to their promise. But the reconstruction of the museum in 1960 threw a shadow on the "water lily" - the oval hall was condensed by building another floor, so that natural light no longer penetrated the hall.
After a six -year reconstruction over the oval hall, a glass roof was restored, so that a masterpiece of Monet can be seen as it appeared before the first visitors to Orangery. The curator of the museum Philip Snonya noted: "The light here is the most important thing. 'Lides' in the 'Orangery' is the Sistine Chapel of Impressionism."

Cultural program

Kronos Quartet

May 22-29
In the Moscow Manege, the III International Salon of Fine Arts will be held. The main floor of the arena will take stands of 50 western and domestic galleries. The salon will be presented by both antiques and merchants of contemporary art, Moscow galleries "Aidan", "Ridgin", XL Gallery, Gallery Gallery and Stella Art. The products of well -known jewelry companies, including Van Cleef & Arpels and Bvlgari, will be exhibited on the lower floor of the arena.

May 26

"People x"

In the Russian rental, the continuation of the blockbuster "People X" will be released. In the third picture about mutants, good and evil heroes are forced to unite for a while, because people found a cure for genetic changes. Cast: Hally Berry, Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stuart, Ian McCellen.

May 30
In the St. Petersburg Museum of City Sculpture, the retrospective of the most famous and expensive of modern German artists - Gerhard Richter will begin. The inventor of capitalist realism, a veteran of the Venice Biennale and Kasselskaya Documents, Richter himself selected 27 exhibits of the exhibition in St. Petersburg.

May 30 and 31
In the House of Music on the Red Hills, one of the most famous and respected in the world of ensembles of academic music-"Kronos-Quartet" will give concerts. Among other things, the musicians will perform the famous work of the master of minimalism Terry Riley - "Sun Rings".

June 1

Theodore Krentzis

In the chamber hall of the House of Music performed by the soloists of the Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theater, the Musica Aeterna Ensemble orchestra and the New Siberian Singers choir, Mozart’s opera will do this. The conductor is Theodore Krentzis.

June 1-6
On the stage of the theater. A. S. Pushkin will be held by the VI Moscow International Festival of Modern Dance "Ramfa Moscow". Dance Works Rotterdam (Netherlands), Wee Dance Company (Germany), Provisional Danza (Spain) will come to the capital. Russia will be represented by Ballet Moskva.

June 3-11
In the column hall of the House of Unions will be a festival of symphonic orchestras of the world. In Moscow, the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra (Conductor Zubin Meta), the Philharmonic Orchestra of the France radio (conductor Mühn Vun Chung), one of the best string orchestras of the world - the Holy Academy of St. Martin in the fields (conductor Klaus Peter Flor) - and other famous groups.

June 6

"OMO"

The remake of the legendary horror film "Omen" (1976)-"Omen-666" will be released . The premiere was guided by the ominous date - 06/06/06. Cast: Mia Farrow, Julia Styles, Liv Schreiber.

June 10

Group "Bi-2"

In the Moscow Olympic SK, the Maxidrom-2006 will be held. Among the participants of the XI festival of the Maximum radio-The Cardigans, Fool`s Garden, Pete Murray, "Ocean Elsa", Brainstorm, "Bi-2", Delphin and "Dancing Minus".

June 13
At the Kirov stadium in St. Petersburg, the legendary rock band Rolling Stones will perform as part of the a Bigger Bang tour.

Anna Tolstova leads the heading

Magazine "Kommersant Power" No. 20 dated 05.22.2006, p. 55

Authors:

Anna Tolstova

Actress in Transbaikalia