‘The Magic Flute’ returns: Novaya Opera Theater and its season plans
The Kolobov Novaya Opera Theater, under the auspices of the Department of Culture of Moscow, has announced the start of its 34 th season. Director Anton Getman shared insights about new productions and other plans during the meeting of the acting company.
Upcoming premieres
The first event of the season, scheduled for October, is John Adams’ opera ‘Doctor Atomic, ’ which tells the life story of the renowned theoretical physicist Robert Oppenheimer, the scientific director of the Manhattan Project during World War II. The narrative unfolds on the eve of the first nuclear bomb test, drawing from original wartime letters, memoirs, declassified government documents, and even ancient Indian texts for its libretto.
The first Russian concert performance of the opera took place at the Novaya Opera Theater in January 2023 and received a lot of positive feedback from professional critics. The musical director and conductor is Fedor Lednev; the lead solo role is performed by guest artist baritone Dmitry Zuev, a soloist at the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Moscow Academic Music Theater.
Early next year, the premiere of ‘Vanessa, ’ an opera by American composer Samuel Barber, is to take place on January 19. The story follows a woman who has been waiting for the return of her lover for 20 years, only to be visited by his son, who brings the heartbreaking news of his father’s death. Vanessa, finding her long-lost love in the young man, falls for him. Peculiar enough, the opera’s creation story parallels its narrative; the composer had searched for an ideal libretto for nearly two decades. Conducting the performance at the Novaya Opera Theater will be Golden Mask Award laureate Andrey Lebedev.
By the end of March, the ballet ‘Carmen in My Mind’ will be presented. Choreographer Tatiana Baganova, a Golden Mask Award winner, will adapt Prosper Mérimée’s novella about the love of Basque José for the gypsy Carmencita. The set design will be created by Larisa Lomakina, who has been inspired by Escher’s infinite staircase that is both ascending and descending, while the costumes will be designed by artist Galya Solodovnikova.
In July, the theater plans to stage ‘The Magic Flute’ by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. This title was first featured in the Novaya Opera Theater repertoire in 2006–2013 and returned in 2020. Audiences can look forward to a reimagining by Yegor Peregudov, the artistic director of the Mayakovsky Theater. While details remain undisclosed, the director promises a fresh perspective on the beloved classic.
‘The Path to Mozart’
In the new season, guests of the theater are invited to a series of symphonic concerts titled ‘The Path to Mozart, ’ expanding on the ‘The Magic Flute’ performance. These concerts will celebrate both the contemporaries and the successors of the composer.
The first, ‘Weber, ’ program features the work of Carl Maria von Weber, who laid the groundwork for the German national opera. On November 7, the theater will present the Konzertstück in F minor for Piano and Orchestra, performed by Olga Davnis, a first-prize laureate and recipient of special awards at the 23 rd International Johann Sebastian Bach Competition in Leipzig. The program also includes the ‘Clarinet Concerto’ (soloist Sergei Yeletsky) and Symphony No. 2.
Scheduled for February 14 is the ‘Schubert’ concert, dedicated to the works of Franz Schubert, one of the founding figures of Romanticism in music. The concert will feature his Symphonies No. 2, 4, and 5, conducted by Clément Nonnet.
The next concert, ‘Haydn, ’ is scheduled for March 12. The audience will have an opportunity to enjoy symphonic works by Joseph Haydn, as well as his Concerto No. 2 for cello and orchestra. Alexander Rudin, celebrated cellist and People’s Artist of Russia, will be the soloist, while Pavel Romanenko will be conducting.
The series will culminate in a grand final concert dedicated to the works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, scheduled for April 29. The program will feature the Mass in C major, K. 167 “in honorem Sanctissimae Trinitatis,” and Piano Concerto No. 23 with orchestra.
Tours, festival, education
From January 19 to February 2, the Novaya Opera Theater will host the traditional Twelfthtide Festival in memory of the theater’s founder, conductor Evgeny Kolobov. During the festival, various theater groups will present their programs, including the opera and ballet acting companies, the choir, and the orchestra.
In its 34 th season, the educational cluster of the Novaya Opera Theater will continue its operations, offering playful and creative programs for participants of all ages, including opera performances for the whole family, choir sessions, courses in stage speech, and much more.
The theater’s cast will set off on a busy tour program. In October, they will head to the federal territory of Sirius, where they will perform concert versions of Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s ‘Iolanta’ and Adolphe Adam’s ‘Le Postillon de Lonjumeau’ at the Sirius University. The Novaya Opera Theater choir will perform a program featuring works by Alfred Schnittke and Arvo Pärt.
In November, the Saint Petersburg Philharmonia will give stage to one of the programs from the ‘Bruckner+’ cycle, featuring compositions by Hans Rott and Anton Bruckner. In March, play ‘War and Peace. Natasha and Andrei’ by Sergei Prokofiev will be performed in Perm.