A grand opera premiere is expected at NOVAT in April, 2017. The Theatre has launched ticket sales for Pagliacci opera by Italian composer Ruggero Leoncavallo. The piece is renowned for its emotional, dynamic and tragic music. Stage director of the production, an Honoured Artist of Russia Irkin Gabitov from the Mariinsky Theatre, is well-known to our audience by his interpretation of Tosca by Puccini that is already a long-term resident in our Theatre’s playbill. Maestro Gabitov presents his own vision of Pagliacci, revealing an intention “to stage the production in the most classical manner, but with stylistics of Italian neorealism”. The production team also includes stage designer Vyacheslav Okunev, lighting designer Alexander Kibitkin and choreographer Gali Abaidulov.
The plot is based upon a “domestic homicide” in an Italian village that used to be a country seat of the composer’s father. But that is a timeless story: love, treachery, vengeance. A young actress, her husband who dragged her out of poverty, a young lover, an unsuccessful suitor – aren’t they traditional characters of a theatre performance, so as of real life? They are incarnated in Pagilacci by means of passionate music by Leoncavallo, and the plot boils over an ordinary criminal story.
In his creative work, the composer strived for maximum veracity of portraying the picture of real life and “was inspired by truth”. That is why the stage director’s decision to stage the production in a neorelism style; that which seems surprising at first sight, suddenly becomes reasonable. These characters could easily inhabit the films by Vittorio De Sica or Luchino Visconti.
Let us reveal some details of the future production: in the prologue comedian Tonio has been replaced by another character. In the famous scene that sets the stage for the action, the floor is given to the Composer, who seems to be back to the town of his childhood. He wanders around narrow streets in the morning where nothing has changed; he sees a “Pagliacci” playbill with characters wearing commedia dell’arte costumes on it, who did not change as well; he occupies a table in a café and starts his narration. “Furthermore, - says the stage director, - the composer may appear in the final scene of the opera, after the phrase “la commedia e finita”, there is yet another musical fragment”.
On the top of this, as if gratifying the audience’s curiosity, the stage director will give it a chance to peep in the backstage and see the “flip side” of the Theatre life: during the intermission, the stage of strolling theatre will be set up in front of the public; at first it will picture the comedy of the 2nd act, and then a true tragedy of disappointment, love and dreadful revenge. It took a long time to bring Pagliacci back on the Novosibirsk stage, but now it’s just the moment when “stars are aligned” – the Company is equipped with perfect performers for all the roles and a strong production team.