Name: Christmas Eve
Start: 2016-11-25T00:00:00.000Z
End: 2016-11-26T00:00:00.000Z
Location: Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre

Organization

Conductor

Valery Gergiev

Stage director

Olga Malikova

Set designer

Xenia Pantina

Costume designer

Varvara Evchuk

Lighting designer

Gleb Filshtinsky

Video designer

Victoria Zlotnikova

Choreographer

Nadezhda Kalinina

Igor Karmanov

Pianist

Marina Repina

Yevgenia Akishina

Chorus master

Larisa Shveikovskaya

Anna Pipia

Pavel Petrenko

Singer

Bass

Sergei Pleshivtsev

Chub

Soprano

Alena Diyanova

Oksana

Baritone

Vyacheslav Vasilyev

Pan Golova

Mezzo-soprano

Tatiana Makarchuk

Solokha

Tenor

Evgeny Mizin

Vakula the blacksmith

Bass-baritone

Vadim Soloviev

Panas

Vsevolod Marilov

Deacon

Ilya Astafurov

Devil

Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre

Russian

Christmas Eve -  (The Night before Christmas)

Vladivostok

Russia

Big Hall

Christmas Eve

Public

The Night before Christmas

English

Approved

The plot of Gogol’s Christmas Eve enjoyed incredible popularity: the famous poet Polonsky used this short story to write a libretto and the Director of Russian Imperial Theatres organized a contest, commissioning to write an opera based on this script. Rimsky-Korsakov did not take part in that contest, however, historically, it was he who won it: the Korsakov’s Christmas Eve has become the longest-living and most popular repertoire work on the theme. However, the composer did not use Polonsky’s text as he decided to stick to the original Gogol’s version and achieved wonderful results working on the literary material himself. He adapted and presented Gogol’s novel in an extremely delicate way, while using such sparkling humour and such a beautiful and subtle irony, such vivid character types that sometimes one can’t help dissolving into tears of laughter.
As the new opera had been meant to complete the cycle of ceremonial operas, Rimsky-Korsakov further enriched the novel’s principal storylines with new scenes and characters. It is possible that his previous operas The Snow Maiden, May Night and Mlada had anticipated the appearance of new characters from semi-pagan folk beliefs which remained in Christian Christmas Eve festivities: the Devil (Chert), a Witch (Solokha) and a Sorcerer (Patsyuk), Kolyada and Ovsen. Priceless lyrical operatic scores and arias of the principle characters are accompanied by equally beautiful mass ceremonial scenes, which give the opera its peculiar flavour, charm and uniqueness.
Rimsky-Korsakov conveyed through music everything that Gogol had expressed by literary means. That is why opera Christmas Eve is, in the highest and best sense of this word, theatrical: mischievous and eventful, it is real in spite of all its relativity and grotesque. The forces of evil are also presented in a very merry and “gothicism-free” way: Solokha the Witch happens to have a wonderful son who conquers the Devil by force of the Life-Giving Cross. The performance, which was initially created for the Concert Hall and then brought over to the Historic Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre, is regarded as a definite hit premiere. Its staging, sets and lighting are sound, colourful and impress with their spectacularity. The production also has taken advantage of absolutely all theatrical opportunities: a snowstorm, stars playing blindman’s buff, a fantastic flight create a sense of presence, engaging the audience in the events happening onstage. All artists involved in the performance sing, act and dance with great pleasure, energizing the audience by their “drive”. This is a production for all the family — one of those that inspire a real love for opera.

Nadezhda Koulygina

The Night before Christmas by Rimsky-Korsakov, From (2016/2016), Directed by Olga Malikova,, Conductor Valery Gergiev, Pavel Petrenko, Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre, Vladivostok, Russia

Performance credits (Cast & Crew )

Cast

Crew

Programme, About & Synopsis

Photos

Further reading

Performance Dates & Venues

Venues