The regiment has arrived: Dmitry Bertman returned to Helikon with Prince Igor
The premiere of Prince Igor by A. P. Borodin at the Helikon Opera is not just a new production, but an important emotional milestone for the theater: it is associated with the return to active work of artistic director Dmitry Bertman after a serious illness. The idea has been maturing for years, and now that all the components have converged, the play takes on a special meaning. The director himself cannot be in the audience yet. Izvestia visited the scenes of Helikon, talked with the production team and appreciated the premiere.
"Live rehearsal"
Tickets for the premiere of "Prince Igor" were sold out in a couple of days. The fans were waiting for this production, watching the poster. The performance began in the foyer of the theater. The audience was greeted by archers in chain mail, the guslar plucked the strings, tuning in to the upcoming performance. Meanwhile, the orchestra, led by maestro Valery Kiryanov, was honing the chords, and the artists were applying final makeup backstage. Everything has to be perfect so that director Dmitry Bertman and the first audience are satisfied.
Directed by Dmitry Bertman
"Dmitry Alexandrovich is currently in rehabilitation," Rostislav Protasov, the deputy artistic director of the theater, told Izvestia. — We all hope that he will appear in the theater and will be able to see the play not only on the broadcast from rehearsals. But doctors insist on caution.
At the same time, Bertman remains at the center of the creative process: he watches the rehearsals through the camera in the hall, and he still makes all the key decisions.
As Dmitry Bertman himself says, it was not easy to decide on such a huge canvas, but this unprecedented collection of musical hits and unexpected revelations attracted him inexorably.
— When they ask me: "Why did you decide to stage Prince Igor?", I answer: "Because this opera is brilliant," says Dmitry Bertman. "But that's only part of the truth. Russian opera is generally the greatest miracle, and Borodin's immortal creation occupies a special place in this extraordinary series. The story of its creation is a saga. The design and orchestration is a detective story.
More than 20 years ago, Bertman staged Prince Igor twice in Turkey. The theaters of Istanbul and Aspendos are famous for their large stages. But the Helikon space required a different approach.
In 2011, Dmitry Alexandrovich staged an opera in concert with the Helikonites at the House of Music. At the same time, they decided to open the "Prince Igor" stage of their theater after the reconstruction, which took place in November 2015. But it didn't work out. Dmitry Alexandrovich Bertman always chooses his repertoire very carefully: he takes a long time to match the material, and the production appears only when all the components of success coincide.
How the image of Prince Igor was born
The part of Prince Igor is performed by baritone Konstantin Brzhinsky for the first time on the Helikon stage. For the artist, this is his debut in the title role — the work on the image went on for a long time and in detail.
— We met at Dmitry Alexandrovich's house for a reading, discussed the tasks of the hero in each situation, like dramatic actors, — says Konstantin Brzhinsky. — Then the music was gradually added, the mise-en-scene grew out of the phrasing. And already at the rehearsal, the analysis was underway: each artist was told where to "tighten" and where to loosen. And so on until the execution becomes accurate.
Bertman's method does not imply ready—made "good/bad" ratings: its purpose is to give the viewer space for their own thoughts, and the artist the opportunity to offer an image that everyone can interpret in their own way.
The performer of the main role of Prince Igor Konstantin Brzhinsky
There is no problem with performers at Helikon: the troupe has a full range of voices. Yulia Sitnikova plays the role of Yaroslavna. Igor's son, Vladimir, is sung by Sergey Ababkin. Dmitry Skorikov's Prince Galitsky is a violent, impudent, vicious and very belligerent antagonist of the ruler, whose bass gives goosebumps. Khan Konchak also has a bass part — the appearance of the brutal Mikhail Guzhov is a delight to the audience.
The team deliberately refused to modernize: the authenticity of the context resonating with the music is important. Director Ilya Ilyin emphasizes that the team did not seek to turn "Prince Igor" into a "museum exhibit."
"This opera is not about the distant past, but about a timeless choice: to remain in hatred or to find a way to reconciliation," says Ilyin. — It's amazing how, in such a seemingly warlike story, Borodin's music brings us to the ability to hear another, even an enemy. I wanted to show not a battle, but a moment when confrontation turns into understanding.
200 costumes, dancing choir, cyclopean idols
The main artist Igor Nezhny worked on the visual series: the scenery turned out to be large-scale. The performance opens with a curtain with the image of a solar eclipse in the flames of a conflagration, then on the stage are the facades of the temples of Putivl, replaced by cyclopean idols of nomads and a solar eclipse against the background of a conflagration.
— Our design includes references to Byzantine frescoes, to the churches of the Intercession on the Nerl, Suzdal, Yuriev-Polsky: this is our tangible heritage, — explains Rostislav Protasov. — An attempt to bring "Prince Igor" to the present, for example, by adding glass high-rise buildings, will not give the desired response.: there will be no coupling with the music.
More than two hundred costumes for the artists were created by artist Tatiana Tulubyeva: all of them are made in the style of the pre-Mongol period of Ancient Russia.
The editing of Anna Bulycheva's score is of particular value: the musicologist returned the material to Borodin's drafts, moving away from Rimsky-Korsakov's usual editing. "Prince Igor" is loved by music lovers for his hits. The chorus "Glory to the red Sun!" in the prologue, Yaroslavna's lament, Galitsky's song "If only I could wait for honor," Prince Igor's aria "No sleep, no rest for a tortured soul." And "Polovtsian Dances" is a pure masterpiece. Just to hear the chorus of the slave girls "Fly away on the wings of the wind," many go to the opera.
An unusual decision was to end the performance with "Polovtsian dances" as a wedding celebration. Konchak marries his daughter to Prince Vladimir.
The finale of the production is decided as a reflection on the Russian soul.: Prince Igor, Yaroslavna and their son appear on Cathedral Square on a wooden horse, and a projection of St. George the Victorious striking a serpent is displayed on the walls of the cathedral.
From Vasnetsov to Stalin's "favorite artist"
For the premiere, the exhibition "The Word about Igor's Regiment in Fine Art" opened in the foyer of the theater. The exhibition features works by Viktor Vasnetsov, Ilya Glazunov, Ivan Bilibin, Nikolai Roerich, Dmitry Stelletsky.
A special emphasis is placed on the monumental paintings of Alexander Gerasimov, who is often called Stalin's favorite artist. The exhibition presents his painting "Polovtsian Dances", created in the last years of the master's life, who sincerely loved the theater. No less remarkable is the portrait of the People's Artist of the USSR Maxim Mikhailov, the famous bass and favorite singer of the leader, depicted in the image of Khan Konchak. These works become an expressive bridge between the era, politics and art.
The artists and the team hope that Dmitry Bertman will soon be able to personally attend the Helikon he created and see the result of many years of work.
"This production is special for us,— says Rostislav Protasov. — Dmitry Alexandrovich went to see her for a long time, and now we want him to be able to share this moment with us.
In the future, the theater will have new names, including Rimsky—Korsakov's The Tale of Tsar Saltan and Bellini's Norma. In the meantime, the whole team is putting maximum energy into Prince Igor.: this is a large-scale, long-suffering work, extremely honest in relation to music, lyrics and the audience. The opera premieres from July 2.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
