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'The Bolshoi Theater hit a high note last Friday with a new production
of "Mazeppa," providing a key to the much-needed reconstruction of its
Russian repertoire
By Raymond Stults
The Moscow Times, Arts & Ideas
Moscow, Russia, Feb. 6-12, 2004
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To stage the first three premieres of its current season, the Bolshoi
Theater has reached out, rather adventurously, to important directors
from the world of spoken drama. The first, Giuseppe Verdi's
opera "Macbeth," largely misfired at the hands of Lithuanian director
Eimuntas Nekrosius. The second, Sergei Prokofiev's ballet "Romeo
and Juliet," with British director Declan Donnellan in overall charge,
proved a startling success.
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Vadim Lynkovsky as Kochubey with Tatyana
Gorbunova in a new "Mazeppa" (ITAR-TASS)
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Last Friday, the Bolshoi unveiled the third of the season's new
productions, Pyotr Tchaikovsky's opera "Mazeppa," in a staging by
Georgian Robert Sturua, longtime artistic director of Tbilisi's
Rustaveli Theater and best known in Moscow for his much acclaimed
version of Shakespeare's "Hamlet" at the Satirikon Theater six years
ago. The result is perhaps as brilliantly conceived and polished an
opera production as has ever been mounted on the Bolshoi stage, with
the majestic sweep and intensity of a true Shakespearean tragedy.
Asked whether he found it different to work with opera singers from
regular stage actors, Sturua responded: "Unfortunately, yes, though I
try to forget about it." But he must surely have been proud of what
his Bolshoi singers achieved last Friday, acting and interacting in a
manner that would not seem out of place in one of Moscow's major
drama theaters.
Designer Georgy Aleksi-Mekhshivili provided "Mazeppa" with a unit
set, backed with a large wall covered by blown-up fragments of a
letter written in Polish by the real Mazeppa himself, and otherwise
left the stage sparsely decorated, relying on lighting and
projections to create the appropriate atmosphere.
Musically, as well, the new "Mazeppa" soared high above the Bolshoi
operatic norm, with firm and knowing direction in the pit from
regular guest conductor Alexander Titov and singing that compared
favorably, on the whole, to the classic "Mazeppa" recording made
during the Bolshoi's golden years just after World War II.
Composed roughly midway between Tchaikovsky's most popular
operas, "Eugene Onegin" and "The Queen of Spades," "Mazeppa" had
an unusual double premiere, first at the Bolshoi on Feb. 3, 1884, and
four days later at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg.
Subsequently staged six times at the Bolshoi, it was last seen there
10 years ago in a much-disliked production by famed actor and
director Sergei Bondarchuk.
The story of "Mazeppa," based on Alexander Pushkin's poem "Poltava,"
depicts actual events and characters from the reign of Peter the
Great. Mazeppa, an aging Cossack hetman (or chieftain) and ruler of
Ukraine, woos and wins the hand of Maria, the daughter of Kochubey, a
wealthy landowner. Kochubey, enraged by what he considers a mismatch,
attempts to avenge himself by dispatching Maria's erstwhile suitor, a
young Cossack named Andrei, to report to Tsar Peter that Mazeppa has
been plotting with the Swedish king to turn Ukraine into an
independent state.
Mazeppa discovers Kochubey's treachery, throws him into prison and
eventually executes him. The opera ends in the aftermath of Peter's
resounding victory over the Swedes at Poltava. Fleeing from Peter's
army, Mazeppa comes upon Kochubey's ruined estate, where he first
meets Andrei, whom he shoots, and then encounters Maria, who has been
driven mad by her father's death. Mazeppa soon continues his flight,
however, leaving Maria to mourn over the dying Andrei, whom, in her
madness, she thinks is her child.
Of Tchaikovsky's 10 operas, "Mazeppa" is the largest in scale.
Composing it proved a difficult task. "No other work has given me
such trouble," wrote the composer. "I don't know whether perhaps my
inspiration is failing me or, possibly, I have become more
demanding." The result, however, except for a few moments when
inspiration did seem to fail, was top-drawer Tchaikovsky, marked
above all by the composer's customary lyricism.
To sing the title role at the premiere, the Bolshoi imported a
veteran of the Mariinsky Theater, baritone Valery Alexeyev. His rich,
beautifully controlled voice and confident stage manner combined to
offer a thoroughly convincing portrayal of the ruthless Cossack
hetman. Young lyric bass Vadim Lynkovsky likewise brought Kochubey
to life and gave a particularly strong account of the long prison
monologue. Fulfilling the promise she has recently shown in other
roles, soprano Lolitta Semenina played a truly touching Maria, though
her lovely singing sometimes disappeared behind the orchestra.
Mikhail Gubsky, while hardly a romantic figure in manner or
appearance, at least brought a clear, robust tenor to Andrei. The
Bolshoi chorus sang at its formidable best.
If the staging and casting of "Mazeppa" can be maintained at the
level of last Friday's premiere -- always a question, and a problem,
when operas are performed sporadically and at wide intervals -- then
the Bolshoi will have certainly found a major building block for the
much-needed reconstruction of its Russian operatic repertoire.
"Mazeppa" plays Tuesday at 7 p.m. and in March, May and June
[2004] at the Bolshoi Theater, located at 1 Teatralnaya Ploshchad.
Metro Teatralnaya, Moscow, Russia, Tel. 250-7317.
http://www.tmtmetropolis.ru/index.php?aid=130403
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