This repertoire gem which last year resonated twice in concert performance will grace the stage in a production directed by Vladislav Furmanov, featuring set and costume designs by Galina Filatova. Additional premiere performances are scheduled for 10 and 23 February.
I puritani represents the final masterpiece of the distinguished bel canto composer Vincenzo Bellini. He composed it specifically for four virtuosic vocalists: soprano Giulia Grisi, tenor Giovanni Rubini, baritone Antonio Tamburini and bass Luigi Lablache.
The libretto, penned by Carlo Pepoli, draws inspiration from the play Roundheads and Cavaliers by François Ancelot and Joseph Xavier Boniface, known as Saintine. It narrates the tumultuous dilemma between love and the duty of honour, weaving a tale of mortal peril, madness, and mercy. Bellini selected the most compelling episodes and crafted them into a narrative, with Pepoli tasked to translate these into verse. Throughout the process the librettist frequently revised his work to satisfy the demanding composer.
The world premiere of I puritani took place in January 1835 at the Théâtre-Italien in Paris, where it swiftly captured the hearts of the audience. Regrettably, Bellini did not live to fully savour the monumental success of his creation; his untimely demise in September 1835 was a profound loss to opera aficionados. However, the triumph of the soloists, upon whom Bellini had placed his trust, was so immense that they became celebrated as the “Puritani Quartet” continuing to tour the leading opera capitals for several years.
In St Petersburg I puritani was staged merely five years following its global debut – in 1840, the opera was presented at the Grand (Stone) Theatre, from which the Mariinsky Theatre traces its heritage.
For an extended period this opera was a staple in theatres worldwide. However, today I puritani is a rarity on the global stage. Concert performances are infrequent, and fully staged productions are even rarer, despite I puritani being every bit as esteemed as Bellini’s well-known Norma.
The upcoming Mariinsky Theatre premiere is in the capable hands of director Vladislav Furmanov and designer Galina Filatova. The production will adopt a minimalist aesthetic, eschewing ornamental excess for meaningful symbolism and references. The nuances of Puritan life will be accentuated by historically accurate details that will astonish contemporary audiences.
The principal roles will be performed by a distinguished cast, including Elvira by Albina Shagimuratova, Yekaterina Savinkova, Olga Pudova, Oxana Shilova, Anastasia Kalagina, Antonina Vesenina and Kristina Gontsa; Sir George Walton by Maharram Huseynov, Mikhail Petrenko, Yakov Strizhak, Miroslav Molchanov, Yuri Vorobiev, Gevorg Grigoryan and Askar Abdrazakov; Lord Arthur Talbot by Jihoon Son, Alexander Mikhailov, Klim Tikhonov, Boris Stepanov, Denis Zakirov and Kirill Belov; Sir Richard Forth by Vladislav Sulimsky, Roman Burdenko, Vyacheslav Vasilyev, Vladimir Moroz, Yaroslav Petryanik and Vladislav Kupriyanov.
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