Out There :: Russian to the Opera

Russian operas are not generally thought of as economical in terms of their scale, production values or time commitment. But this past weekend the New York-based opera company New Opera NYC challenged that notion when they performed a Russian opera double bill at Cowell Theater, Fort Mason Center. In a collaboration with the Russian Cultural Center of San Francisco, New Opera NYC showcased two Russian operas, "Boris Godunov" and "Iolanta," in a single evening.

One of Tchaikovsky's most popular operas, the one-act "Iolanta" featured Grammy Award nominee Mikhail Svetlov, one of the most acclaimed interpreters of the role of King Rene, which he has sung many times at the Bolshoi Theater and around the world. Soprano Julia Lima performed the title role. The New York Times wrote that Lima "has the right noble temperament for her slow arias." Conductor Lidiya Yankovskaya is riding the crest of a successful career, including opening the concert for a Dallas Opera program for female conductors. The stage dress for Iolanta was designed by Sausalito-based Russian fashion designer Vasily Vein , who has designed gowns for Russian socialites Tatiana Shesterneva and Anjelika Koulebakina attending San Francisco Opera galas.

In the past few years, "Iolanta" has made a major international comeback all over the world, including at the Paris Grand Opera, Salzburg Festival, Metropolitan Opera, and Barcelona Liceo Theater. Prominent opera stars such as Anna Netrebko, Ekaterina Scherbachenko and Veronika Dzhioeva have all sung the part of Iolanta. This "Iolanta" came complete with an interesting visual concept: the production was designed entirely in black and white, the conceit being that the absence of color was equivalent to Iolanta's blindness. The ending brought the introduction of color onstage as Iolanta gained the gift of sight.

Boris Godunov in New Opera NYC's one-act version is a blend of pivotal moments centered around The Boris. The full opera hasn't been performed in large theater settings in SF since 2008. Svetlov performed two roles in the new production: Boris Godunov, the Tsar; and Varlaam, a drunkard monk. This condensed version could be a good way to get familiar with this often four-or-five-hours-long operatic masterpiece.

This "Godunov" was staged in a Soviet concentration camp, Solovki. The character of Boris was projected onto the real-life director of the prisons. The tragic life of this Boris, rising to the heights of power yet feeling unhappy and eventually trapped, resembles the life of the "historic Boris," who finalized the enslaving of Russian peasants by canceling Yury's Day, the one day a year when peasants were allowed to leave their assigned living locations. May God bless and keep the Tsar - far away from us!

Correction Time

"Dear Roberto and all who sail with the B.A.R.,

"Enjoyed David Lamble's interview with the director of 'Love & Mercy' ['A Brian Wilson state of mind,' Arts & Culture, 4/14/16], but a minor correction is in order. [The song] 'Love & Mercy' was not written especially for the movie, but in fact is a song that opened Brian Wilson's solo debut album back in 1988, one that this reader wholeheartedly encourages Lamble to investigate, especially its mini-song-cycle 'Rio Grande.'

"'Writers and documentary filmmakers should always remember that Dumb Old Pop Music must never be taken seriously, while also remembering that nothing in the world is more important.' - Bob Stanley, The [UK] Guardian, May 2008.

"All best meantime, Michael Layne Heath , San Francisco."

Thanks, Michael, we stand corrected!