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The compelling and enigmatic <i>Don Pasquale</i>

19.01.2016

The compelling and enigmatic Don Pasquale

„He must surely be demented, who would marry when he’s old, Soon his folly is repented and his passion soon grows cold.“ It is with these words that the curtain comes down on the series of comical mishaps which constitute the plot of the opera Don Pasquale. Gaetano Donizetti’s famous opera will continue our series of concert performances of some of the world’s classical music masterpieces.

„It is neither a comedy nor a drama, but rather belongs to a mysterious, standalone genre, which Donizetti termed drama buffa“, said Riccardo Muti, who presented his own interpretation of the opera to Moscow and St. Petersburg audiences several years ago, in an interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta. The eminent Italian maestro considers Don Pasquale to be „an absolute masterpiece in its harmony of structure and depth of subtext. The libretto is a rare example of high literary style in opera, so elegantly brought to life by the music. The main strength of the work is the balance between a comic fable and sad, often nearly tragic, philosophical impulses, a balance which gives this opera its appeal“ (www.rg.ru)

The Mikhailovsky Theatre opera company’s young soloists will reveal the special qualities and beauty of this wonderful composition. There are just four main characters in the opera, but each of them is afforded an unusual variety of plot twists and an extraordinary emotional versatility. Don Pasquale features a sham marriage, true love, witty shenanigans, and cruel trickery, with a final denouement in which all the masks come off and no secrets are left undiscovered. „The soloists will have a chance to stretch their vocal and artistic talents to the limit“, said Olga Kapanina, Director of the Mikhailovsky Theatre Opera Company. „In a concert performance, you can’t hide behind a director’s inventions, elaborate makeup, or magnificent costumes. Here, the singers must make the most of their own abilities, and that is why I consider this kind of work to be so important for the artistic development of young vocalists.“

Rehearsing for the première concert performance of Don Pasquale are Yury Monchak and Dmitry Skorikov for the role of Don Pasquale, Boris Pinkhasovich and Alexander Shakhov for Doctor Malatesta, Svetlana Moskalenko, Natalia Mironova, and Ekaterina Fenina for Norina, and Boris Stepanov and Evgeny Akhmedov for Ernesto. Mikhail Tatarnikov will assume the role of Musical Director and Conductor.