Helikon Opera
Encyclopedia
Helikon Opera is a Russia
n opera company based in Moscow, specializing in unconventional productions. Their main performing base is the 250 seat Mayakovsky Theater
, the former ballroom in the palace of the Shakhovskoi-Glebov-Streshneva family who were patrons of the arts in 19th century Moscow. The company was founded by Dmitry Bertman
and gave its first performance, Stravinsky's Mavra
, on April 10, 1990.
Helikon Opera gives 200 performances a year, primarily in Moscow but also abroad, performing in the UK for the first time in 1997. The company's repertoire includes both mainstream works and rarely performed operas and chamber opera
s. In the past they have staged Fleishman
's Rothschild's Violin
, Hindemith's Hin und zurück
and Prokofiev's Maddalena
and were the first company to revive Tchaikovsky's Undine
(1994) and to stage Prokofiev's The Ugly Duckling (1992). In October 2010, Helikon gave the first performance of Tchaikovsky's Mazeppa
to be seen in Moscow in six years.
During the restoration works on the palace, begun in 2006, the company has performed temporarily in a small theatre at 11 Novy Arbat.
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n opera company based in Moscow, specializing in unconventional productions. Their main performing base is the 250 seat Mayakovsky Theater
Mayakovsky Theater
Mayakovsky Theater is a theater in Moscow, Russia, founded in 1920, first as Terevsat , then Revolution Theater and Drama Theater...
, the former ballroom in the palace of the Shakhovskoi-Glebov-Streshneva family who were patrons of the arts in 19th century Moscow. The company was founded by Dmitry Bertman
Dmitry Bertman
Dmitry Alexandrovitch Bertman is a Russian theatre and opera director and the founder and artistic director of Helikon Opera in Moscow.-Biography:...
and gave its first performance, Stravinsky's Mavra
Mavra
Mavra is a one-act opera buffa composed by Igor Stravinsky, and one of the earliest works of Stravinsky's 'neo-classical' period. The libretto of the opera, by Boris Kochno, is based on Aleksandr Pushkin's The Little House in Kolomna. Mavra is about 25 minutes long, and features two arias, a...
, on April 10, 1990.
Helikon Opera gives 200 performances a year, primarily in Moscow but also abroad, performing in the UK for the first time in 1997. The company's repertoire includes both mainstream works and rarely performed operas and chamber opera
Chamber opera
Chamber opera is a designation for operas written to be performed with a chamber ensemble rather than a full orchestra.The term and form were invented by Benjamin Britten in the 1940s, when the English Opera Group needed works that could easily be taken on tour and performed in a variety of small...
s. In the past they have staged Fleishman
Veniamin Fleishman
Veniamin Iosifovich Fleishman, was a Soviet composer.While studying under Dmitri Shostakovich at the Leningrad Conservatory , he began a one-act opera Rothschild's Violin based on Anton Chekhov’s short story about Bronza, a Russian country coffin-maker and violinist, and his combative relationship...
's Rothschild's Violin
Rothschild's Violin
Rothschild's Violin is a one-act opera by Russian composer Veniamin Fleishman set to the Russian libretto by the composer after the short story Rothschild's Fiddle by Anton Chekhov....
, Hindemith's Hin und zurück
Hin und zurück
Hin und zurück is an operatic 'sketch' in one scene by Paul Hindemith, with a German libretto by Marcellus Schiffer....
and Prokofiev's Maddalena
Maddalena (opera)
Maddalena is an opera in one act by the Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev, who also wrote the libretto based on a play by Magda Gustavovna Lieven-Orlov under the pen-name Baron Lieven.-Origins:...
and were the first company to revive Tchaikovsky's Undine
Undina (Tchaikovsky)
Undina is an opera in 3 acts by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The work was composed in 1869. The libretto was written by Vladimir Sollogub, and is based on Vasily Zhukovsky's translation of Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué's Ondine.The opera was composed during the months of January to July, 1869, but...
(1994) and to stage Prokofiev's The Ugly Duckling (1992). In October 2010, Helikon gave the first performance of Tchaikovsky's Mazeppa
Mazeppa (opera)
Mazeppa, properly Mazepa , is an opera in 3 acts by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The libretto was written by Victor Burenin and is based on Pushkin's poem Poltava....
to be seen in Moscow in six years.
During the restoration works on the palace, begun in 2006, the company has performed temporarily in a small theatre at 11 Novy Arbat.
Staff
- Artistic director, stage director — Dmitry Bertman
- Principal conductor — Vladimir Ponkin
- Set and costume designers — Igor Nezhny and Tatiana Tulubieva
- Director of creative groups — Ilya Ilin
- Chief chorus master — Denis Kirpanev
- General manager — Viktoria Pavlova
- Technical director — Rostislav Protasov
Soloists
Soloists with the company include:- Marina Andreeva (soprano)
- Alisa Gitsba (soprano)
- Anna Grechishkina (soprano)
- Marina Karpechenko (soprano)
- Elena Kachura (soprano)
- Tatiana Kuindji (soprano)
- Ekaterina Oblezova (soprano)
- Ksenia Viaznikova (mezzo-soprano)
- Elena Guschina (mezzo-soprano)
- Elena Ionova (mezzo-soprano)
- Larisa Kostiuk (mezzo-soprano)
- Nikolay Dorozhkin (tenor)
- Vadim Zaplechny (tenor)
- Anatoly Ponomarev (tenor)
- Andrey Vylegzhanin (baritone)
- Igor Tarasov (baritone)
- Sergey Toptygin (baritone)
- Sergey Yakovlev (baritone)
- Dmitry Ovchinnikov (bass)
- Mikhail Guzhov (bass)
- Alexander Kiselev (bass)
- Alexey Tikhomirov (bass)
- Stanislav Shvets (bass)
- Dmitry Skorikov (bass)
External links
- Helikon Opera official website (English version)