The Mariinsky Theatre continues to enrich its Verdi collection. Today the theatre’s repertoire includes 14 operas by the composer, counting the recent premiere Falstaff, which opened the XXVI Music Festival Stars of the White Nights. At the festival, Giuseppe Verdi’s works will be performed by a different cast in every production. “We consider ourselves lucky. We are very grateful pupils of the greatest masters. One can and must learn from Verdi. Over the recent years, our company has taken on some brilliant singers with astonishing voices. They are very vibrant artists,” says Valery Gergiev. During the festival, the Mariinsky II will host the performances of eight operas by Giuseppe Verdi. On 31 May, the lead roles in Otello (staged by Vasily Barkhatov) based on the eponymous tragedy by William Shakespeare will be played by the famous soloists of the Mariinsky Theatre: Vladimir Galouzine (Otello), Vladislav Sulimsky (Iago), Irina Churilova (Desdemona), Mikhail Petrenko (Lodovico), and Alexander Trofimov (Cassio). The performance will be conducted by Pavel Smelkov.
The premiere performances of the opera Falstaff staged by Andrea De Rosa (12 June, 2.00 p.m. and 7.30 p.m.) at the Stars of the White Nights festival will continue the marathon of Verdi’s works. The audience will also have the opportunity to see it for the second time on 15 July (3.00 p.m. and 7.30 p.m.). On 14 June, the Mariinsky II will host another production by Andrea De Rosa – Simon Boccanegra. Ferruccio Furlanetto, a famous Italian bass, will play the part of Jacopo Fiesco, which he has brilliantly performed at the Mariinsky Theatre on various occasions, including at the premiere in 2016. Other lead roles will be played by Roman Burdenko (Simon Boccanegra), Irina Churilova (Maria Boccanegra, known as Amelia Grimaldi), Migran Agadzhanian (Gabriele Adorno), Gleb Peryazev (Pietro). On 16 June, the playbill of the Mariinsky II will boast Un ballo in maschera staged by Andrei Konchalovsky, a production that has enjoyed over 15 years of success at the Mariinsky Theatre. The lead roles will be played by Maria Guleghina (Amelia), Najmiddin Mavlyanov (Riccardo), Alexei Markov (Renato). On 23 June will take place the performance of the opera Il trovattore (staged by Pier Luigi Pizzi) under the baton of Valery Gergiev. Ekaterina Semenchuk will play one of her signature roles – Azucena, with Irina Churilova appearing as Leonora and Hovannes Ayvazyan as Manrico.
La traviata staged by Claudia Solti with the world famous opera singer Plácido Domingo playing one of the central roles (Giorgio Germont) will open the series of July performances. In 2016, Plácido Domingo already participated in this production at the Stars of the White Nights festival; however, that time he was conducting the performance. During this year’s visit, the singer will be playing a role more customary for him, while Valery Gergiev will be conducting the Mariinsky Theatre Symphony Orchestra (6 July). The casts of the operas Don Carlo (8 July) and Attila (9 July) will consist of the leading soloists of the Mariinsky Opera Company. Irina Churilova and Ekaterina Semenchuk will play the roles of Elizabeth de Valois and Princess Eboli, while Ildar Abdrazakov will appear as the Huns’ leader and Tatiana Serjan as Odabella.
The performance of the opera Macbeth on the historic stage of the Mariinsky Theatre starring Anna Netrebko appearing at the Mariinsky Theatre as Lady Macbeth for the first time (15 June) will be the central event paying tribute to Verdi. She will share the stage with Vladislav Sulimsky (Macbeth), Yusif Eyvazov (Macduff), and Mikhail Petrenko (Banco). The performance will be conducted by Valery Gergiev. The playbill also includes Aida starring Mlada Khudoley (Aida), Olga Savova (Amneris), Roman Burdenko (Amonasro), Yuri Vorobiev (Ramfis) on 8 June, and Rigoletto with Vladislav Sulimsky playing the title role (22 June). On 3 July, the performance of the opera La forza del destino will be dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the production by Elijah Moshinsky at the Mariinsky Theatre. And to top it all, on 29 July, the opera Aida will be performed on the historic stage of the Mariinsky Theatre starring Irina Churilova (Aida), Yulia Matochkina (Amneris) and Oleg Videman (Radames). This performance will conclude the XXVI Music Festival Stars of the White Nights.
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