"Sorochintsy fair" at the Mariinsky Theatre
On January 9, the theatre will present one of its most colourful opera premieres, in which director Ilya Ustyantsev effectively interprets the ideas of Musorgsky and Gogol.
The plot of Modest Mussorgsky's last opera is based on Nikolai Gogol's story of the same name from "Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka." This work, in which the maestro was able to capture the poetry and humor of Gogol's tale with remarkable precision and paint a vibrant picture of a lively village fair with merriment, dancing, and amusing characters, is remarkably consonant with the atmosphere of the winter holidays.
In "Sorochintsy Fair," which Musorgsky began composing in 1874, the maestro passionately explores the peculiarities of the Russian character. "In the human masses, as in individuals, there are subtle traits that escape our grasp, traits that no one has touched: to notice and study them through reading, observation, conjecture, to study them with all our being and feed them to humanity, like a healthy dish that has never been tasted. That's the task! Delight, and everlasting delight!" the composer reflected in correspondence with art and music critic Vladimir Stasov.
Nevertheless, Musorgsky never completed this work. Work on it occurred during a difficult period in his life: declining health, financial hardship, an avalanche of criticism, and disagreements with his colleagues in the "Mighty Handful." It is noteworthy that many composers subsequently attempted to complete the work. Vissarion Shebalin's version, written in 1931–1932, proved the most successful.
"Sorochintsy Fair" was first performed in concert on March 16, 1911, in St. Petersburg – three decades after the composer's death. The stage premiere took place two years later in Moscow at the Free Theatre. The new production at the Mariinsky Theatre Concert Hall was directed and choreographed by Ilya Ustyantsev.
"Modest Musorgsky was undoubtedly ahead of his time. We see his music being turned to more and more often. Consequently, its relevance, its content, its integrity, and its palette—a reflection of both the social and the inner, spiritual world—are becoming highly sought after," the director emphasizes. "In developing the stage version of this work, we trusted its creators and built friendships with them. Our goal is to make the production not an illustration of the work, but an attempt to understand the problems of the characters' lives and what is more important and valuable to them: buying and selling profitably, or preserving one's soul and friendships."
The plot of Modest Mussorgsky's last opera is based on Nikolai Gogol's story of the same name from "Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka." This work, in which the maestro was able to capture the poetry and humor of Gogol's tale with remarkable precision and paint a vibrant picture of a lively village fair with merriment, dancing, and amusing characters, is remarkably consonant with the atmosphere of the winter holidays.
In "Sorochintsy Fair," which Musorgsky began composing in 1874, the maestro passionately explores the peculiarities of the Russian character. "In the human masses, as in individuals, there are subtle traits that escape our grasp, traits that no one has touched: to notice and study them through reading, observation, conjecture, to study them with all our being and feed them to humanity, like a healthy dish that has never been tasted. That's the task! Delight, and everlasting delight!" the composer reflected in correspondence with art and music critic Vladimir Stasov.
Nevertheless, Musorgsky never completed this work. Work on it occurred during a difficult period in his life: declining health, financial hardship, an avalanche of criticism, and disagreements with his colleagues in the "Mighty Handful." It is noteworthy that many composers subsequently attempted to complete the work. Vissarion Shebalin's version, written in 1931–1932, proved the most successful.
"Sorochintsy Fair" was first performed in concert on March 16, 1911, in St. Petersburg – three decades after the composer's death. The stage premiere took place two years later in Moscow at the Free Theatre. The new production at the Mariinsky Theatre Concert Hall was directed and choreographed by Ilya Ustyantsev.
"Modest Musorgsky was undoubtedly ahead of his time. We see his music being turned to more and more often. Consequently, its relevance, its content, its integrity, and its palette—a reflection of both the social and the inner, spiritual world—are becoming highly sought after," the director emphasizes. "In developing the stage version of this work, we trusted its creators and built friendships with them. Our goal is to make the production not an illustration of the work, but an attempt to understand the problems of the characters' lives and what is more important and valuable to them: buying and selling profitably, or preserving one's soul and friendships."
