"Turandot" – a long-awaited premiere on the stage of the Heydar Aliyev Palace - PHOTO
The premiere of the large-scale production "Turandot" took place on the stage of the Heydar Aliyev Palace. The company of the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater presented a new staging of Giacomo Puccini's famous opera with great success.
The world-renowned tenor, People's Artist of Azerbaijan Yusif Eyvazov, took part in the performance.
As 1news.az reports, Vice President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Leyla Aliyeva attended the premiere.
The new "Turandot," which was performed in Azerbaijan for the first time in the past 98 years, was created especially for the Baku stage.
The stage director of the production is Mikail Mikailov, the production designer is Mustafa Mustafayev, the executing artist is Honored Cultural Worker Tehran Babayev, and the second director is Elnur Ismayilov. The choral part of the production was handled by choirmaster, Honored Art Worker Sevil Hajiyeva. The choreographers are People's Artist Medina Aliyeva and Honored Artist Anar Mikailov.
Three different casts are involved in the production. On each of the three premiere evenings, the parts of Turandot and Calaf will be performed by different soloists, and different musicians will also be at the conductor's stand.
On October 24, the famous part of Calaf was performed by People's Artist of Azerbaijan Yusif Eyvazov — director of the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater, one of the most famous Azerbaijani opera singers on the international stage. This part has become a kind of calling card for Yusif Eyvazov. But in Azerbaijan, the famous tenor performed it for the first time. That same evening, the part of Turandot was performed by Italian soprano Carmen Giannattasio, and Italian conductor Beatrice Venezi was at the conductor's stand.
At a press conference before the start of the performance, Y. Eyvazov called the premiere of "Turandot" a historic event.
"98 years later, 'Turandot' is once again on the Azerbaijani stage. This is a new production, presented at such a high level by stage director Mikal Mikailov together with production designer Mustafa Mustafayev. Foreign opera soloists are performing alongside Azerbaijani artists," the People's Artist noted.
Stage director Mikail Mikailov added that the company had done an enormous amount of work. "We hope that the audience will appreciate our work and enjoy the performance. This is a very significant event, which is of great value for our theatrical culture," he said.
"Turandot" is one of Giacomo Puccini's most famous operas. The production in three acts was created based on the play of the same name by Carlo Gozzi. The libretto for the opera was written by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni. The premiere took place on April 25, 1926, at Milan's La Scala theater under the direction of Arturo Toscanini.
The Baku public first saw the opera in 1928 — just two years after its world premiere. The Baku staging became the first "Turandot" in the Soviet Union.
Puccini worked on "Turandot" from the summer of 1920 until his death in 1924. The composer never managed to complete his famous work. The final part of the opera was completed by Franco Alfano on the basis of Puccini's sketches.
The plot of the opera is built around the love story of the cruel princess Turandot and prince Calaf. As in Gozzi's tale, Turandot tests all the suitors by posing three riddles to them, on the condition that the one who solves them will receive Turandot as his wife, while the one who answers incorrectly will be executed. After a series of trials, Calaf solves the riddles and wins Turandot, who finally yields to the power of feeling.
