L'île de Tulipatan
PREMIERE
Jacques Offenbach
«L'île de Tulipatan»
One act opéra-bouffe
Libretto by Alfred Duru Henri Chivot and Henri Chivot
Director, project's author: Dmitry Bertman
Stage-director: Ilya Ilyin
Conductor: Filipp Selivanov
Set designer: Rostislav Protasov
Costume designer: Nika Velegzhaninova
Lighting designer: Vladislav Alexandrov
Choreographer: Edvald Smirnov
Choirmaster: Artem Davydov
Scriptwriter and the russian libretto author: Marina Skalkina, Shura Nikitin
Was first performed at the Théâtre des Bouffes Parisiens, Paris, on 30 September 1868
Helikon-opera premiere will took place on 9 February 2022
Jacques Offenbach, unsurpassed master of the comedy genre, numbers among outstanding French composers of the mid-to-late XIX century. In his lifetime (he died at the age of 61) this amazing musical feuilletonist, satirist-buff, improvisator had created more than 100 operettas, 2 operas (although the world only knows one), big amount of the symphonic, vocal, choral and religious works. Possessing an exceptional melodic gift, he had been creating as breathing. Not coincidentally, he was named “Mozart of the Champs Elysees”. His melodies were singing by all the Europe and later – America. Offenbach had even founded his own theatre in Paris - Théâtre des Bouffes Parisien, where his operettas were staged with a great success.
Offenbach’s music is clear, fresh and distinguishes with melody and wit, his plots are bold and original. So, in the opéra-bouffe “L'île de Tulipatan” mockery and sarcasm are deeply intertwined with spicy plots and jokes. The performance team of the Helikon-opera decided, that Russian text will convey the meaning of the complicated story more closely and characters’ emotions. That is why “L'île de Tulipatan” will be performed in Russian.
“We live in complex time, when there are suffers and pain all-around, losses and uncertainty, - tells the stage-director Ilya Ilyin. – That is why we want the audience forget about the reality at least for one hour, delve into the atmosphere of joy and happiness! We'll have transformations, pranks, only funny intrigues and laughter. The action takes place out there – in the ocean - on the island Tulipatan. This is the island of freedom, love, to be more exact, island of the free love, where you can laugh, smile and joking as much as you want.