The Stars of the White Nights festival closes with a premiere at the Mariinsky Theater

ST. PETERSBURG. Last weekend in July, St. Petersburg music lovers will be able to visit the Mariinsky Theater, where Rodion Shchedrin’s opera Levsha, written by the composer specifically for this stage, will premiere on the new stage. The performance dedicated to maestro Valery Gergiev was staged by Alexei Stepanyuk.

Rodion Shchedrin is a regular author for the Mariinsky Theater. “The Enchanted Wanderer” and “Dead Souls” were staged on the stage of the theater, and Anna Karenina and The Little Humpbacked Horse enter the ballet repertoire. Symphony concerts, often held at the Mariinsky Theater, also feature works written by Rodion Shchedrin.

The composer turns to the work of Nikolai Leskov for the third time. He had already written the score for the opera The Sealed Angel, The Enchanted Wanderer, and now the composer’s appeal to the plot of Leskov’s most famous novel, Lefty.

According to Rodion Shchedrin, the story is a godsend for the opera. The grotesque narrative, vivid characters, Russian tsars and the English royal court - everything that happens in the story can be interpreted as a parable, as a plot for a farce theater, and can also be read as an epic legend.

If you look into the depth of the narrative, you can see how the story contrasts lifestyles - a rational British and reckless way of Russian life. Even during the rehearsals of the opera, Valery Gergiev repeatedly emphasized that the production of Lefty is a significant event of the season. The opera is designed to be performed by its highly professional team, with strong vocalists and orchestra members.

The premiere of the opera “Lefty will be simultaneously the finale of the Stars of the White Nights festival ending in St. Petersburg. At the premiere, the opera will be conducted by Valery Gergiev.

Ludmila Trautmane © Gallerix.ru