As it was expected the Novosibirsk audience was interested in the first premiere at the renovated Isidor Zak hall, an opera by Rimsky-Korsakov “Mozart and Salieri” staged by the Chief Stage Director of NOVAT Vyacheslav Starodubtsev. The show was sold out on 27th and 28th January.
“We were honored to start a new narrative for the unique chamber hall of our theatre. We were aiming to create something new on classical basis. That’s why we engaged young talented co-directors, who helped create this performance blurring the definitions of theatre genres as we know them – told Vyacheslav Starodubtsev – Eldar Nagiev, premier violin of NOVAT orchestra made his debut as co-directing conductor, prop master Timur Gulyaev appeared as production designer for the first time, theatre’s sound engineer, composer Ilya Oleynik created sound design for the performance, ballet dancer Kirill Novitsky debuted as choreographer, Sergey Zakharov actor and director of Roman Viktyuk theatre for the first time in Novosibirsk designed the plastique concept for a performance”.
Vyacheslav Starodubtsev used the actual Mozart’s music in Rimsky-Korsakov’s musical narrative – the performance includes “Requiem” presented by the theatre’s adult choir, the children’s choir also was engaged for this occasion. Musical Director of the theatre Dmitri Jurowski designed the orchestra arrangement for an excerpt of Rimsky-Korsakov’s opera which is usually performed on the piano. A famous theatre director Roman Viktyuk voiced Mozart’s letters particularly for this production.
Visual aspect of the performance follows the black and white concept highlighting the contrast of light and shade, stressing the inseparable unity of opposites, mentioned in the narrative of Pushkin’s “Mozart and Salieri”: genius and villainy, love and betrayal, talent and average. This concept is emphasized by Sergey Skornetsky’s lighting design and plastique solution – dancing characters Black and White performed by the artists of NOVAT ballet Company.
Production designer Timur Gulyaev admitted the visual concept of the performance was largely inspired by the auditorium of Isidor Zak hall: “White color on stage is suggested by the white of the hall’s interior, the black follows it as the inevitable antagonist… The unusual orchestra disposition is also inspired by the hall’s interior. We divided the stage on two areas to separate the musicians from the action – the orchestra platform represents the piano deck, whose strings separate the orchestra and the stage. The symbolism of this performance is simple, but every detail, every feature of costume or setting has its meaning, its right to be there. At first sight the costumes fit the described period of time, but they are slightly different. The piano and the metronome on stage symbolize Mozart and Salieri. Piano represents Mozart’s musical talent, metronome signifies Salieri and his attempts to set his thoughts straight, “fix” his inflamed mind. The two speechless characters (Black and White) are the “spirits” representing mental disorder, internal struggle within Salieri’s conscious”.
The next “Mozart and Salieri” performance is on Saturday, March 3rd.
