The document summarizes opera performances that the author attended at the White Nights Festival in St. Petersburg, Russia. Some of the highlights included powerful performances by baritone Nikolai Putilin in Mussorgsky's Khovanshchina and the title role in Borodin's Prince Igor. Viktoria Yastrebova gave a tour de force performance as Violetta in La Traviata. The productions were classical in style with the exception of an innovative staging of Aida featuring descending glass pillars. The orchestra and choir performances were consistently of a high standard.

1. 24
ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT S U N D A Y, S E P T E M B E R 2 , 2 0 1 2 T H E J E R U S A L E M P O S T
24
ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 2, 2 0 1 2 T H E
, JERUSALEM POST
COMIC RELIEF: ‘To me, there is nothing like
it... nothing quite like a stand-up comic who
is there because he really wants to be there.
And that’s what I am about. It’s really all I
do,’ says Seinfeld. (John Gress/Reuters)
OPERA FESTIVAL REVIEW
• By IRVING SPITZ
The ballroom scene in
Tchaikovsky’s ‘Eugene Onegin’
White Nights (Nikolay Krusser)
Saint Petersburg
May to July
F
rom May to July, St. Petersburg’s Mari-
insky Opera hosts the White Nights
Festival. One of the most impressive
performances that I attended was Mus-
sorgsky’s opera Khovanshchina, and the
most imposing soloist was baritone Nikolai
Putilin, who took on the daunting role of
the Boyar Shaklovity. With his powerful
voice and imposing stage presence, he
brought out the dynamism of the role.
This was a performance to cherish.
Another exciting voice in Khovanshchina
was that of great Russian tenor Vladimir
Galuzin as Prince Vasily Khovansky. Bass Ildar
Abdrazakov was most convincing in the chal-
lenging role of the priest, Dosifei, who unsuc-
cessfully tried to negotiate peace between
the opposing parties and, in the end, under-
went immolation with the other Old Believ-
ers. This particular performance marked the
jubilees of mezzo-soprano Larisa Diadkova Viktoria Yastrebova as Violetta in
and bass Sergei Aleksashkin. Diadkiva was an ‘La Traviata’ (Natasha Razina)
impressive and impassioned Marfa.
In Borodin’s opera Prince Igor, pride of es was the brilliant Mariinsky choir directed
place again went to Nikolai Putilin, who by Andrei Petrenko. Especially notable were
took on the title role. His monologue, its magnificent bass and baritone sections.
when bemoaning the fate of Russia, the The other main operatic venue of St.
capture of his army and the subjugation Petersburg is the Mikhailovsky Theater,
of his country by the Tartars, was one of which also has an illustrious history and was
the great moments in the performance. only secondary to the unfolding drama. Act 2 produced some of the greatest impressive was the Amonastro of baritone the site of several notable premieres. I
Here was this consummate artist notch- The other stand-out in the perform- singing of the night. Vladislav Sulimsky. attended a performance of Tchaikovsky’s
ing up another triumph only three days ance was Vladimir Vaneyev as the ungra- All the above productions were classical. What was missing, however, in both Alfre- Eugene Onegin. Stanislav Gaudasinsky’s stag-
after his unforgettable performance in cious brother of Igor’s wife, who tried to There was none of the avant-garde cur- do in La Traviata and Ramades in Aida was ing was classical, but the penultimate ball
Khovanshchina. mount an insurrection to overthrow his rently prevalent in Europe. One exception the passionate lyric Italianate tenor sound. scene made spectacular use of chandeliers
Tenor Yevgeny Akimov was very credible brother-in-law. was the scintillating new production of The Mariinsky orchestra was at its best with and draping curtains. Boris Pinkhasovich in
as Igor’s son in this relatively small role. In La Traviata, Viktoria Yastrebova’s Vio- Aida at the Mariinsky Concert Hall. Here, Valery Gergiev in Khovanshchina. Equally the role of Onegin was the real stand-out.
But his love scene with the Khan’s daugh- letta was a real tour de force. She por- director Daniele Finzi Pasca pulled out all stirring and dramatic was the Aida led by Tatiana Ryaguzova as Tatiana delivered a dra-
ter was a very tame affair, devoid of pas- trayed the tragic role of the doomed cour- the stops to give a modern, innovative Andrei Petrenko. In Prince Igor, the orches- matic, impassioned letter scene, with lovely
sion – unlike the fiery tempestuous liaisons tesan to perfection. She successfully float- and riveting production. Towering above tral accompaniment under Pavel Smelkov woodwind and brass orchestral accompani-
of Verdi’s and Puccini’s lovers. In Italian ed her high notes but also exerted won- the stage were glass pillars that changed was not as disciplined as when Gergiev was ment. However, in the more fortissimos pas-
and French operas based on historical derful control in the pianissimo passages. colors. These descended in the final prison in the pit. Nevertheless, in all the operas, sages, she tended to force her voice. The
themes, interpersonal relationships are This is a major voice to be reckoned with. scene to mimic the incarceration of Aida including La Traviata, the orchestral per- sonorous bass Andrey Gonyukov as Prince
paramount; in Russian operas of this Equally exciting was baritone Vasily Gerello and Ramades. This opera also featured formance was of a very high standard. Gremin did a sterling job in extolling
genre, however, these relationships are as Giorgio Germont. Their interaction in Mariinsky principal singers. The most Perhaps the real star in all the performanc- Tatiana’s virtues in his one great aria.