Ilsur Metshin visited the opening of the XXVIII Chaliapin Festival
Yesterday, 8 February, the festival was opened in Tatar academic state opera and ballet theatre of M.Dzhalil with the premiere - opera by Giacomo Puccini "Madame Butterfly".
The main part of the opera Cio-Cio-San sang Sisheng I, who was born in China, graduated from the Shanghai Conservatory, now acts in Europe. In the role of her husband, an American officer Pinkerton was Akhmed Agadi (Mariinsky Theater, St. Petersburg).
In September of last year premiere of the opera opened the 71st season in Tatar academic state opera and ballet theatre of M.Dzhalil. According to the director of premiere performance - laureate of Tatarstan grant of G.Tukay Michael Pandzhavidze (Moscow), the creators of the play "Madame Butterfly" had the task to avoid the traditional for this opera "souvenir gingerbread houses with pretty flowers, bridges and show the clash of civilizations (Eastern and Western). As a result the premiere was solved in high-tech style.
Japanese tragedy "Madame Butterfly" by Giacomo Puccini - a fatal love story of 15-year-old geisha, named for the beauty and elegance Cio-Cio-San (Butterfly). Falling in love with an American officer Pinkerton, who was accustomed "to pick flowers, wherever possible", Cio-Cio-San married him. Young geisha infinitely believes that love is forever, so when after a while Pinkerton is leaving to his homeland and marry there again, inconsolable Cio-Cio-San, learning about it, commits suicide.
The story of Cio-Cio-San is based on a true facts. In the 70 years of XIX century in Nagasaki lived a Japanese woman, who entertained the audience under the name Cio-San, or "Miss Butterfly". During affair with the Scot she became pregnant and has given birth to a son Shisanburo. Soon the boy was taken from mother by husband's family. The boy received the profession of pilot. In August 1945 after the capitulation of Japan and the U.S. atomic bombing of Nagasaki Shisanburo committed suicide.
In the opera "Madame Butterfly" story presented as if through a prism of subsequent events. It is a fantasy on the theme of the Japanese tragedy, where the whole story is seen by adult son of Cio-Cio-San. During the performance he, already a military pilot, periodically appears on the stage and looks at the drama of of his father and mother love.
The scene with decorations made of glass and metal, colorful main characters costumes, lighting and special effects, all of this takes the viewer into another surreal world, with a tragic ending, when Cio-Cio San gently saying goodbye to her son, who is taken away by her beloved husband and his new wife, blindfolds and behind the screen causes a stab.
Let's remind that in this year's Chaliapin festival will perform nearly 50 artists from countries of near and far abroad and the largest theaters in Russia. The festival program - 10 performances of the best of the theater in recent years.