09.02.2015

Chaliapin Festival’s week one gives audience masterpieces by Verdi, Bizet and Donizetti

The international opera festival after Fedor Chaliapin continues.

(Kazan, 9 February, Tatar-inform). The 33rd edition of Chaliapin Opera Festival continues on the stage of Tatar Opera and Ballet Theatre. Week one gave to the audience masterpieces by Verdi, Bizet and Donizetti, the schedule for this week including La Traviata, Evgeny Onegin, Madame Butterfly, Boris Godunov and Rigoletto.

Kazan residents saw three shows staged by the famous Russian theatre director Yuri Alexandrov. They are the completely diverse in style, story and historical material The Elixir of Love, Aida and The Barber of Seville. The classically-directed Aida engaged singers from Italy, lead parts being performed by Susanna Branchini, Dario Di Vietri and Annunziata Vestri.

Dario Di Vietri said later he had performed the part of Radames for the first time and was pleasantly surprised by the Kazan audience's warm reception.

The Barber of Seville is set in different ages and uses quite extraordinary costumes, unspecific for a particular period, including ones from comedia dell’arte, tuxedoes and cabaret outfits. Figaro is played by Vladimir Moroz of Mariinsky Theatre, Rosina is played by Victoria Yarovaya of Moscow’s New Opera, while Alexei Tatarintsev of New Opera performs the part of Count Almaviva.

Despite the tradition, Carmen, Elena Maksimova of Vienna Opera, appeared on stage with her natural blond hair, not raven-black, as is customary for gypsies. Ahmed Agadi and Pavel Kudinov were brilliant in performing the parts of Don Jose and Escamillo.

The Chaliapin Festival runs until 17 February.