In December NOVAT will present G. Puccini’s opera Turandot on the stage of Astana Opera.
“Astana Opera” theatre is known as the pride of Kazakhstan. Located in the heart of Eurasia, the theatre became a stage with a world name in only several years. The theatre building is constructed in accordance with best traditions of world architecture, in the meantime, national colour is preserved. During its first seasons national opera and ballet productions were staged. Co-productions with world-known European and Russian companies, such as Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, Teatro alla Scala, Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux, The Bolshoi Theatre of Russia, Mariinsky Theatre, Boris Eifman Theatre of Ballet became the important part of the repertoire policy. Not by chance, the fronton of the theatre building carries an image of a magic bird Samruk: like a mediator between the worlds, it symbolizes close relations and firm cultural links between leading theatre companies. For the first time NOVAT will present a full-scale performance at “Astana Opera” in December.
Turandot opera became one of the most successful premieres of the last season. Riddles of the insidious Princess Turandot, the proud and self-willed daughter of the Chinese Emperor Altoum, are to be solved by those who crave for the hand of the most beautiful women of all. Death awaits the losers. Prince Calaf takes a decision to win Turandot's hand at any price. Stage director Vyacheslav Starodubtsev staged the last Puccini’s masterpiece in a form of an “opera quest”. Set and costumes designers Sophia Tasmagambetova and Pavel Dragunov from Kazakhstan have already made designs for the stage of “Astana Opera”, NOVAT will present one more artistic solution.
The first tour of the theatre was in 2014. 1-act ballets Carmen by R. Petit and Whisper in the Dark by E. Liang were presented to the audience of the capital. The tour program also included a concert of opera soloists. This winter soloists of the opera, chorus and orchestra will visit Astana. Dmitry Jurowsky will conduct the performance.