Alexander Zeldin
Encyclopedia
Alexander Zeldin is a British theatre and opera director. His most high profile productions to date have been a re-staging of Tsypin
and Gergiev's
production of Wagner's Ring Cycle at the Royal Opera House, London, in July 2009, as well as the Russian premiere of Powder Her Face
by Thomas Adès
.
. Zeldin studied French at Merton College, the University of Oxford.
Moderato Cantabile
in which Yannis Philippakis
, the lead singer of Foals, performed as an actor.
After periods of training in Poland, France and the UK, Zeldin made his career breakthrough while still a student with his production of Calderón de la Barca’s
Constant Prince. Partially developed in Egypt, as part of his young company Etha Theatre’s residency at the Egyptian Centre for Culture and Art the ensuing production toured Egypt widely, supported by the British Council
, before transferring to the Arcola Theatre
in London and the Oxford Playhouse.
In October 2007 Zeldin became one of the youngest directors to make his debut at the Mariinsky Theatre
, St Petersburg, with a Russian premiere production of Thomas Adès'
Powder Her Face
, as part of the "Jewel of Russia" festival. Since then, most of his activity has been concentrated at the Mariinsky, where he was mentored by the conductor Valery Gergiev
. Zeldin played a leading role in the creation of the Mariinsky’s festival of contemporary music, New Horizons, which has become a yearly event, with residencies by Henri Dutilleux
and Thomas Adès. In 2008, he staged a double bill of Ravel’s Spanish Hour
and Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi
, conducted by Gergiev, as well as a revival of Powder Her Face for the Stars of the White Nights’s Festival.
In 2008-09 Zeldin was entrusted with the Mariinsky Theatre production of Wagner's Ring Cycle with designs by George Tsypin
and conducted by Gergiev, which had its premiere in St Petersburg before transferring to The Royal Opera House, London in July 2009. His re-imagining of the show based on the original 2003 designs and concept will now continue on a world tour. The Convent Garden performance attracted negative reactions from the British press, although much of this was directed against Gergiev's decision to stage all four parts of the cycle on consecutive nights, and Tsypin's set design. One review noted that inadequate rehearsal time was a considerable problem for the production: "it is a testimony to [Zeldin's] talents that you could so easily tell the passages he had been able to direct, simply from the fact that the singers were acting."
Zeldin is currently working on a production of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet
first developed at the National Theatre Studio for the Teatro Mercodante Theatre in Naples as part of Teatro Festival Italia in June 2010. The production will feature members of the team behind The Constant Prince with design by George Tsypin, music by Alexander Manatskov and lighting by Jean Kalman.
As of December 2009, Zeldin was slated to direct a series of music videos for the pop group Foals.
George Tsypin
George Tsypin is an American sculptor, architect and stage designer .-Early life and education:...
and Gergiev's
Valery Gergiev
Valery Abisalovich Gergiev is a Russian conductor and opera company director. He is general director and artistic director of the Mariinsky Theatre, principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra, and artistic director of the White Nights Festival in St. Petersburg.- Early life :Gergiev,...
production of Wagner's Ring Cycle at the Royal Opera House, London, in July 2009, as well as the Russian premiere of Powder Her Face
Powder Her Face
Powder Her Face is a chamber opera in two acts, Op. 14 by the British composer Thomas Adès , with an English libretto by Philip Hensher. The opera is 2 hours 20 minutes long...
by Thomas Adès
Thomas Adès
Thomas Adès is a British composer, pianist and conductor.-Biography:Adès studied piano with Paul Berkowitz and later composition with Robert Saxton at Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London...
.
Personal life
Alexander Zeldin was born in London and moved to Oxford, UK as a child. He is of Russian-Australian descent, and is the nephew of the philosopher and historian Theodore ZeldinTheodore Zeldin
Theodore Zeldin CBE , President of the Oxford Muse Foundation, is an English philosopher, sociologist, historian, writer and public speaker....
. Zeldin studied French at Merton College, the University of Oxford.
Career
Zeldin started directing while at Magdalen College School, Oxford, with an adaptation of Marguerite Duras'Marguerite Duras
Marguerite Donnadieu, better known as Marguerite Duras was a French writer and film director.-Background:...
Moderato Cantabile
Moderato Cantabile
Moderato Cantabile is a novel by Marguerite Duras. It was very popular, selling half a million copies and being the initial source of Duras's fame.-Plot:...
in which Yannis Philippakis
Yannis Philippakis
Yannis Philippakis is a singer of the alternative indie and dance punk band Foals. He is of Greek and South African Jewish descent. He left Greece with his mother when he was five years old. His father taught him to dance the folk traditional songs and sing...
, the lead singer of Foals, performed as an actor.
After periods of training in Poland, France and the UK, Zeldin made his career breakthrough while still a student with his production of Calderón de la Barca’s
Pedro Calderón de la Barca
Pedro Calderón de la Barca y Barreda González de Henao Ruiz de Blasco y Riaño usually referred as Pedro Calderón de la Barca , was a dramatist, poet and writer of the Spanish Golden Age. During certain periods of his life he was also a soldier and a Roman Catholic priest...
Constant Prince. Partially developed in Egypt, as part of his young company Etha Theatre’s residency at the Egyptian Centre for Culture and Art the ensuing production toured Egypt widely, supported by the British Council
British Council
The British Council is a United Kingdom-based organisation specialising in international educational and cultural opportunities. It is registered as a charity both in England and Wales, and in Scotland...
, before transferring to the Arcola Theatre
Arcola Theatre
Arcola Theatre is a studio theatre in Dalston, in the London Borough of Hackney. The theatre's ambition is to create and present high-quality theatre with a social and political relevance to its multicultural local community as well as a wider audience....
in London and the Oxford Playhouse.
In October 2007 Zeldin became one of the youngest directors to make his debut at the Mariinsky Theatre
Mariinsky Theatre
The Mariinsky Theatre is a historic theatre of opera and ballet in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Opened in 1860, it became the preeminent music theatre of late 19th century Russia, where many of the stage masterpieces of Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky, and Rimsky-Korsakov received their premieres. The...
, St Petersburg, with a Russian premiere production of Thomas Adès'
Thomas Adès
Thomas Adès is a British composer, pianist and conductor.-Biography:Adès studied piano with Paul Berkowitz and later composition with Robert Saxton at Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London...
Powder Her Face
Powder Her Face
Powder Her Face is a chamber opera in two acts, Op. 14 by the British composer Thomas Adès , with an English libretto by Philip Hensher. The opera is 2 hours 20 minutes long...
, as part of the "Jewel of Russia" festival. Since then, most of his activity has been concentrated at the Mariinsky, where he was mentored by the conductor Valery Gergiev
Valery Gergiev
Valery Abisalovich Gergiev is a Russian conductor and opera company director. He is general director and artistic director of the Mariinsky Theatre, principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra, and artistic director of the White Nights Festival in St. Petersburg.- Early life :Gergiev,...
. Zeldin played a leading role in the creation of the Mariinsky’s festival of contemporary music, New Horizons, which has become a yearly event, with residencies by Henri Dutilleux
Henri Dutilleux
Henri Dutilleux is one of the most important French composers of the second half of the 20th century, producing work in the tradition of Maurice Ravel, Claude Debussy, and Albert Roussel, but in a style distinctly his own...
and Thomas Adès. In 2008, he staged a double bill of Ravel’s Spanish Hour
L'heure espagnole
L'heure espagnole is a one-act opera, described as a comédie musicale, with music by Maurice Ravel to a French libretto by Franc-Nohain, based on his play of the same name first performed at the Théâtre de l'Odéon on 28 October 1904...
and Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi
Gianni Schicchi
Gianni Schicchi is a comic opera in one act by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Giovacchino Forzano, composed in 1917–18. The libretto is based on an incident mentioned in Dante's Divine Comedy. The work is the third and final part of Puccini's Il trittico —three one-act operas with...
, conducted by Gergiev, as well as a revival of Powder Her Face for the Stars of the White Nights’s Festival.
In 2008-09 Zeldin was entrusted with the Mariinsky Theatre production of Wagner's Ring Cycle with designs by George Tsypin
George Tsypin
George Tsypin is an American sculptor, architect and stage designer .-Early life and education:...
and conducted by Gergiev, which had its premiere in St Petersburg before transferring to The Royal Opera House, London in July 2009. His re-imagining of the show based on the original 2003 designs and concept will now continue on a world tour. The Convent Garden performance attracted negative reactions from the British press, although much of this was directed against Gergiev's decision to stage all four parts of the cycle on consecutive nights, and Tsypin's set design. One review noted that inadequate rehearsal time was a considerable problem for the production: "it is a testimony to [Zeldin's] talents that you could so easily tell the passages he had been able to direct, simply from the fact that the singers were acting."
Zeldin is currently working on a production of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...
first developed at the National Theatre Studio for the Teatro Mercodante Theatre in Naples as part of Teatro Festival Italia in June 2010. The production will feature members of the team behind The Constant Prince with design by George Tsypin, music by Alexander Manatskov and lighting by Jean Kalman.
As of December 2009, Zeldin was slated to direct a series of music videos for the pop group Foals.