Opening of the XXnd season in Moscow musical theatre under Dmitry Bertman

31.08.2011

Opening of the XXnd season in Moscow musical theatre under Dmitry Bertman

On the 31st of August the meeting of the Helikon's troupe, devoted to the opening of theatre's XXnd season, took place in Novy Arbat, 11.
The Artistic Director of “Helikon-Opera” Dmitry Bertman summarized the events of the latest season. Then video by Ilya Ilin about the past events was shown. Dmitry Alexandrovich told artists and journalists about theatre’s plans for the new season. The informational letters were handed to the artists in the end of the meeting. See the photo report below.

PRESS RELEASE

“Helikon-Opera” opens the season of 2011-2012 by the gala-concert on Poklonnaya mountain on the 3rd of September. The concert is devoted to the Memory Day of Victims of Terror and will take place in the contest of the Day of the City of Moscow. The program consists of the masterpieces both of Russian classical and sacred music and western opera classics.

Helikon in Arbat
Expecting the return to their home stage in Bolshaya Nikitskaya, which according to plans of the Moscow government , should take place in the next 23rd season, the theatre actively performs on its temporary stage in Arbat.
On the 26th of October the Russian premiere of the only comic opera by R. Wagner “Das Liebesverbot” will take place in “Helikon-Opera”. Being 22, R. Wagner wrote this work upon his own libretto after W. Shakespeare’s “Measure for Measure” play. The stage-director of the performance is Dmitry Bertman, set and costume designer is Hartmuth Schoerghoffer (Austria), musical director – Vladimir Ponkin.

On the 29th of October the premiere performance of “Das Liebesverbot” will be shown in the context of Galina Vishnevskaya anniversary. Galina Vishnevskaya, a great Russian singer, is a big Helikon’s friend.
On the 13th of November “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” performance will be devoted to 100th anniversary since birth of Pavel Lisitsian, a great Russian baritone. Once he debuted as Fiorello on stage of Bolshoi theatre. On that day in “Helikon” the performance will be full of humour and surprises. The family of Lisitsians will be present.

In the end of 2011, according to a tradition, “Die Fledermaus” performances will take place in Helikon in Arbat. A soloist of Bolshoi theatre Alexander Vedernikov, an outstanding bass, who is going to celebrate his 87 birthday on the 27th of December, will be the Guest of one of them.

Since the 3rd of January till 9th of January “The Snow Queen” New Year performances for children will take place on stage of “Helikon in Arbat”
Besides the repertoire performances, “Helikon-Opera” will show a number of concerts:
On the 25th of December the 260th anniversary since Russian composer D. S. Bortniansky birth is celebrated. Artists of the choir of the theatre will perform Russian sacred music in one of the churches of Moscow.
On the 19th of January Helikon people devote “Pokrovsky baptizing” concert to a 100 year anniversary since birth of a great Russian stage director, a big friend and a tutor of the theatre Boris Pokrovsky.

On the 11th of February, a day of 110th anniversary of Lyubov Orlova, Helikon-Opera will present “Back to the USSR”, a concert of hits from Soviet films.

On the 27th of March “Die Fledermaus” performance, created under musical directorship of Mstislav Rostropovich, will be shown. Helikon people will celebrate the 85th anniversary since birth of Rostropovich, conductor, friend, outstanding musician and person.
On the 5th of April the 770th anniversary since the Battle on Chudskoye Lake will be celebrated with the performing of Alexander Nevsky cantata.

A real surprise, “KLASsnaya Opera”, a recital of maestro Eri Klas, the People’s Artist of USSR, a great Estonian conductor and a real Helikon fan, is being prepared for spectators in the new season.

On the 10th of April Helikon-Opera is inviting friends and permanent spectators for the gala-concert, devoted to theatre’s 22nd birthday
A collaboration of the theatre with Moscow International House of Music continues:
On the 7th of November on stage of theatrical hall of Moscow International House of Music (MIHM) the musical performance for children V. Ulanovsky’s “The Honest Robbers” upon V. Orlov’s play in Dmitry Bertman’s production will be held. On the 3rd of February 2012 “Die Fledermaus” performance will be shown in Svetlanovsky Hall, and “Gershwin-gala” will be shown there too on the 3rd of April.

“TSARINA”
The triumphal Helikon’s tour across the cities of Russia with D. Tukhmanov’s “Tsarina”, organized by META Enlightment Fund under support of “Uralsib” Finance Corporation continues. This grandiose performance has been already seen by the spectators in Moscow, Saint-Petersburg, Krasnodar, Ufa, Chelyabinsk, Orenburg and Nizhny Novgorod. In September and October 2011 this performance will be shown in Samara, Krasnoyarsk, Vladivostok, and in 2012 the tours to Novosibirsk, Irkutsk, Yekaterinburg and Kiev are planned. On the 23rd of January Helikon people will show “Tsarina” on stage of State Kremlin Palace in Moscow.

Tours
Last season theatre successfully performed in Spain (San Sebastian), Sultanate Oman (Mascat), France (Paris and Cannes), Hungary (Miskolc), Estonia (Tallinn). The new season the theatre will tour a lot in Spain, Italy, Hungary, Estonia, France.
The main tour event of the year, “The Season of Helikon” will happen on “Opera Days in Saaremaa” International festival in Estonia in July 2012. “Helikon” will show “Boris Godunov”, “Il Barbiere di Siviglia”, “Rasputin” (its composer Jay Reise will come from USA to visit the performance), “Kaffeekantate”, chorus concert of sacred music and big gala-concert of artists of the theatre with the world’s famous Karita Matilla (Finland).

The warm relations connect Helikon and Estonia. The theatre often tours to this European country, artistic director of “Helikon” Dmitry Bertman staged several performances on stage of National Estonia theatre. Estonian President awarded Dmitry Bertman with an Order of Santa Maria Land of IVth grade and State Estonian prize for the production of “Wallenberg” opera by Erki Sven-Tuur. Dmitry Bertman is also a laureate of Estonian Theatrical Union prize. In August 2012 Dmitry Bertman is going to produce “Faust” by Ch. Gounod, the premiere of which is going to take place of National Estonia theatre on the 20th of September 2012.

PHOTO REPORT