New Opera Theater: history, repertoire

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Capital theater-goers know and love all musical institutions in Moscow. Among them, the New Opera stands out. This is a relatively young theatre. It was opened in the early 90s of the 20th century. Conductor Yevgeny Kolobov is rightfully considered its creator. Today the organization bears his name.

The first years are the hardest

The New Opera Theater was created almost simultaneously with the collapse of the Soviet Union. Those were difficult years. Lack of money, low salaries and lack of prospects forced many talented artists to leave the country. At the same time, the first years of the new Russia were marked by an unprecedented creative upsurge. During this period, Evgeny Kolobov, with the support of the mayor of our capital, Yuri Luzhkov, organized this unique project.

The "New Opera" theater positioned a special approach to the repertoire. In the Soviet Union, mostly well-known works of the past were staged. The operatic masterpieces of Mozart, Puccini and Tchaikovsky were very popular and in demand by the public. The team of the new musical and theater institution in Moscow has set completely different goals.

Forgotten Masterpieces

The main direction of Evgeny Kolobov's work wasperformances of classical compositions previously unknown in Russia. The Novaya Opera Theater for the first time showed the audience "Mary Stuart" by Donizetti, "The Two Foscari" by Verdi, "Hamlet" by Tom and many other undeservedly forgotten works.

Work on little-known masterpieces in Russia, especially in the difficult period of the early 90s, had its own characteristics. Scores often had to be ordered from Europe, sometimes even archival research was required. The costumes and sets were expensive. But the artistic director did not turn off the chosen path. Evgeny Kolobov, who was called the "furious maestro" for his style and manner of performance, showed will and firmness of character.

Today the Novaya Opera Theater is one of the best Moscow institutions of artistic profile. It entered the history of the city and even the whole country. It is the Novaya Opera that has the great honor of the first performance in Russia of Modest Mussorgsky's work Boris Godunov in the author's version. This premiere inscribed the name of the theater in the history of the culture of our state in golden letters.

Frantic Maestro

For more than ten years, the Novaya Opera was directed by Kolobov. During these years, the theater bore a bright imprint of his creative personality. After the death of the conductor, the staff of the institution continued the traditions of the maestro. The Moscow theater "New Opera" today, as before, includes unknown pages of Russian and foreign classics in its repertoire.

The poster is decorated with director's versions of popular and beloved operatic masterpieces, in particular Tchaikovsky's "Eugene Onegin" and Verdi's "Rigoletto". An important part of the repertoire are works by composers of the 20th and 21st centuries. The stage was seen by "Capriccio" by Richard Strauss, "Child and Magic" by Maurice Ravel, "School for Wives" by Vladimir Martynov.

Mirror Hall and Epiphany festivals

Modern operas require significant performing forces. They are complex and often incomprehensible to the general public. The New Opera has overcome these obstacles. The performances are very popular. The works of the German composer and playwright Richard Wagner also require no less effort from the musicians. The productions of his operas require significant material and technical resources. The New Opera Musical Theater accepted the challenge and performed the Moscow premiere of Tristan and Isolde, one of the most complex Wagnerian masterpieces.

Yevgeny Kolobov has laid down another tradition that has been supported by the creative team for many years - the performances of artists in the foyer. This room is also called the Hall of Mirrors. Here, in a relaxed atmosphere, children's performances and concerts of choral, vocal and instrumental music are held. The visiting card of the theater is the Epiphany Festival. In these winter days, the team pleases its fans with premieres.

The poster and the masterpieces decorating it

The "New Opera" theater, whose repertoire is very rich, offers the audience magnificent operas. Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov still breaks attendance records, and Puccini's famous La bohème talks about the unhappy love of a poor man.poet. The familiar and outwardly traditional "Eugene Onegin" rings with a tragic note. The interpretation of "Prince Igor" is ambiguous. This opera by Alexander Borodin is one of the exemplary works of Russian music. However, the director managed to reveal new aspects of the work beloved by the people. For the sake of a special concept, even the sequence of numbers is changed. The opera ends not with the solemn "Glory" (as it is written in the author's score), but with the tragic chorus of peasants who have lost their homes.

A unique project - "The Voice of a Woman". It consists of three one-act performances: "Tenderness" by Gubarenko, "Letters from a Stranger" by Spadavecchia and "Expectations" by Tariverdiev. In these operas, there is only one character - a woman who breaks the chains of suffering with the power of her love.

Theater poster is decorated:

• Gianni Schicchi by Puccini;
• Cinderella and The Barber of Seville by Rossini;
• Wagner's Lohengrin;
• Donizetti's Love Potion;
• Trovatore, La Traviata and Nabucco by Verdi;
• "Norma" Bellini;
• The Marriage of Figaro by Mozart;
• The Queen of Spades by Tchaikovsky;
• "The Snow Maiden" and "The Tsar's Bride" by Rimsky-Korsakov.

Toddler shows and musical performances

The team of the "New Opera" pleases children with their art. Young viewers can see two fairy tales with music by Sergei Prokofiev on stage: The Ugly Duckling and Peter and the Wolf. The original project is the puppet show "Cat's House".

On the stage of the theater, the audience will be able to watch theatrical performances, for exampleBravissimo, as well as the opera The Nutcracker, remade from the legendary Tchaikovsky ballet. How the musical action is solved by Mozart's Requiem.

The New Opera Theater, whose address is: Moscow, st. Karetny Ryad, 3, building 2, is waiting for its audience. The legendary team shows high vocal and acting skills. Among the soloists of the theater there are laureates and students of all-Russian and international competitions. Conductors and stage directors are masters of their craft.