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INTERNATIONAL TCHAIKOVSKY COMPETITION: A YEAR BEFORE
PREMIERE OF UMBERTO GIORDANO'S OPERA "SIBERIA"

INTERNATIONAL TCHAIKOVSKY COMPETITION: A YEAR BEFORE

T.Zavialova

The competition will take place at the Grand Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, one of Europe's best, in June 2007. As usual, it will be held in four categories: piano, violin, cello and solo singing. What will be new in the words of the Russian Culture Minister Alexander Sokolov is the concept, which will make the competition a continuous process with regular auditions flashing in-between.

The Tchaikovsky Competition, which will take place for the 13th time, has somewhat lost value in the past few years. Mstislav Rostropovich reflects on what could be done to boost its ratings: "Russia is drawing a particular interest and I think the Tchaikovsky Competition will trigger tremendous interest if well organized. And what is important is not only its title, though the name of Petr Tchaikovsky is impressive enough, but the names on the jury - who will judge it".

The 2007 jury will consist of cellist Natalya Shakhovskaya, violinist Vladimir Spivakov, singer Irina Bogacheva and pianist Nikolai Petrov. Each will pronounce judgment in his or her field. The composition of the foreign jury will be announced later. What makes success, according to Mstislav Rostropovich, is coverage in news media, which in his opinion pays too little attention to classical music: "I recall what a sensation the First Tchaikovsky Competition made in Moscow, then in New York….Now classical music is seldom if at all in the press or on TV, so I think the competition is a step towards revival of interest in classical music and musicians who will carry it to all corners of the globe".

The Tchaikovsky Competition will be preceded by a contest of composers in which they'll select the best pieces for the competition program. There'll be an international competition of violinists. And a decision has been passed to institute additional prizes on top of those provided by the terms of the contest.

PREMIERE OF UMBERTO GIORDANO'S OPERA "SIBERIA"

O.Fedorova

Moscow's Gelikon-Opera has hosted the premiere of the opera "Siberia" by the Italian composer Umberto Giordano. The opera written in 1903 created a furor in the world's major theatres and went into oblivion afterwards. It must be this that inspired director Dmitry Bertman, who heads Gelikon-Opera and is famous for his love of rarities, into seeking the original repertoire.

"Giordano had a Russian wife, - the director says. - He took a fancy of Russia but as a foreigner. For him Russia was like Japan for Puccini, when he wrote "Madam Butterfly", or France for Tchaikovsky when he created "The Maid of Orleans". For a foreigner Russia is a certain set of stereotypes, which is felt in the opera. But there are other remarkable features of Russian mentality, such as self-sacrifice".

A sense of self-sacrifice inherent in a Russian soul is winning over the reading hearts worldwide, particularly in novels by Fedor Dostoevsky and Leo Tolstoy. The opera "Siberia" has similar plotlines and greatly also echoes Nikita Mikhalkov's "Barber of Siberia".

A young officer goes into exile to Siberia for his love to a courtesan on charges of murder and the heroine follows him. She stages an escape for him but is killed by a prison guard.

According to Dmitry Bertman, Siberia in his production is something infinitely greater than a territory where the hero is exiled. This is an image reminiscent of medieval inquisition on the one hand, and serving a model of self-sacrificing love on the other. "For such a love I was able to set a scene with a four-minute kiss! - Bertman exclaims. - After 62 productions I've come to admiring a duet on an empty stage and getting pleasure from enchanting music and splendidly written vocal parts. Vocal is scared for an Italian author but Giordano in his opera has a whole range of popular Russian themes - from the old anthem of tsarist Russia to folk dance tunes and workers songs".

Gelikon-Opera is presenting "Siberia" at an opera festival in Hungary this summer and will then take it to the heart of Siberia, the city of Khanty-Mansiisk.

06/02/2006

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