|
|
Cavalleria Rusticana was written in 1890 in the Verismo operatic tradition, a popular movement in the theatre at that time. The distinctive characteristic of Verismo is the extreme simplicity of the plots, which are taken from everyday life but are, as a rule, tragic. Pietro Mascagni’s opera is based on Giovanni Verga’s novella about all-consuming passion, treachery and repentance. The power of this simple yet profound work was so great that its composer instantly became famous and was able to live on the fame and income from productions of the opera for several decades. The Mikhailovsky Theatre is featuring the production of Cavalleria Rusticana by the film director Liliana Cavani, a pupil of Luchino Visconti. On 9 and 10 February the part of Turiddu will be sung by Fyodor Ataskevich, that of Alfio by People’s Artist of Russia Nikolay Kopylov and that of Mama Lucia by People’s Artist of Russia Nina Romanova.
The ballet The Moor’s Pavane is a variation on Shakespeare’s Othello created by the American choreographer José Limón in 1949. The depth and power of Shakespeare’s tragedy is captured in the strict form of a measured 16th century courtly dance. The stage is bereft of scenery – all attention is concentrated on the dance, in which every movement and every glance is full of meaning, regulated and refined. The ballet has been brought to the Mikhailovsky Theatre by Alice Condodina, one of José Limón’s last pupils. She has recreated it jointly with Farukh Ruzimatov. The leading role in The Moor’s Pavane is one of Ruzimatov’s greatest achievements as a dancer. Afisha magazine’s reviewer had this to say about the ballet: “The part of the Moor takes on a special resonance in Farukh Ruzimatov’s performance: tragic tenderness, the heavy weight of doubt and indecision, and the despair of betrayal are conveyed with a photographic clarity that brings the character’s drama to each person’s heart”.
|
Idea Fix