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Andrei Petrenko, Principal Chorus Master: “For the chorus artists, the new theatre complex represents a completely different level in terms of organising their workspace. I mean the basic day-to-day conditions – luxurious rehearsal rooms, comfortable dressing rooms and well thought out relaxation areas during intervals. Normally few people even consider these things and they are incredibly important. After all, the performers spend a huge part of their lives at the theatre. With the opening of the new theatre we won’t see audiences leaving the auditorium half an hour before public transport stops. At the Mariinsky II there won’t be forty-five or fifty minute intervals – its technical capabilities mean we can change sets almost instantly. In this way, performances can take place in a more compact period, and this will naturally have a positive affect on how they are judged artistically. Big productions at the historic theatre (Boris Godunov, The Maid of Pskov, Khovanshchina and Nabucco among others) require huge casts, at least ninety people. But at the Mariinsky II – we have already checked this during an acoustic test – we can significantly reduce the number of chorus artists without detriment to the sound. The most important thing is that, thanks to the opening of its new stage, the Mariinsky Theatre will be able to realise its full artistic potential. We have the most immense repertoire – over eighty operas. It’s rather too cramped for them all in one building. A performance is a living, breathing organism that begins to fall ill if it does not get any attention, it can wither and even die. But when the fruits of theatre art are shown to the public rather oftener they will, of course, become stronger and have a greater life force.” |
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