Rosenthal’s Children Can Be Heard at Home

MOSCOW. Work continues on a double CD-album with the opera “Children of Rosenthal” by Desyatnikov.

More than ten years have passed since the resonant premiere of Desyatnikov’s opera. By the intensity of passions, the number of broken copies and critical articles from the category “I haven’t seen, but hate in advance”, Rosenthal’s Children can only be compared to the untimely late “Tannhauser”. The plot with the cloning of brilliant composers, avant-garde scenography, ironic-grotesque libretto, caustic satire seemed to many zealots of morality and purity of a serious genre incompatible with the concept of a familiar and decent opera. Behind ideological disputes, stones in the garden of the theater, which decided on an extravagant staging, beautiful music and witty staging, which delighted the ear and intellect, went unnoticed. The Rosenthal Children were fortunate enough to go on stage at a time more favorable for innovation. Despite allegations of pornography, which was not there at all. It was only supposed to flog the opera publicly, but then no one came up with a criminal prosecution. Times were different.

The double CD, which Melody and the Bolshoi Theater are working on by order and long-standing desire of the latter, is due to be released in the spring. This will make it possible to hear the beautiful opera, abstracting from the scandalous husks, adhering by no means at the request of its creators. Conductor Alexander Vedernikov, soloists Maxim Pasteur and Peter Migunov participated in the legendary production of 2005, therefore their contribution to the creation of the recording of 2016 is so important. The merit of the conductor in the success of the performance is undeniable. Thoughtful and creative reading of the score, talented leadership of all participants in an extraordinary performance. The past years turned out to be the necessary distance that allowed us to evaluate the true value of the once controversial work.

Elena Tanakova © Gallerix.ru