Kazakstan / 2013-2018
© Philippe Chancel
The Golden Cockerel
Opera
Nikolaï Rimski-Korsakov
- Opéra de Lyon
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2 hours
35 min
- In Russian
- Subtitled
Rimsky-Korsakov’s last opera, this masterpiece was censored by Russia’s Imperial family. A satirical take on power and warlike ambition, it opened up traditional Russian opera to include music from the East.
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20:00
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16:00
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About
Synopsis
Lying in bed, Tsar Dodon dreams of retirement. The problem is, people keep invading his country. His astrologer offers him a golden cockerel with magical powers, a weather vane which indicates from which direction danger will come. In his case, it will be from the East in the shape of a charming oriental princess determined to conquer his kingdom.
Monstrous tsar
The Golden Cockerel is a satirical combination of Rimsky-Korsakov’s work and a century of Russian opera. The composer uses the more outlandish elements of Pushkin's story to create multiple comic situations, with nods and winks to Russian culture. When he shows Dodon as a Don Quixote-like figure, suffering from oblomovism, Rimsky-Korsakov is mocking the Tsars. And by developing the Oriental theme — much more than Pushkin does — he is not just using the music to enhance the mysterious oriental princess’s powers of seduction: he is also introducing some echoes of the Russo-Japanese war and the beginnings of the Revolution. Unsurprisingly the Tsar of the time, Nicholas II, largely censored the work and Rimsky-Korsakov therefore never saw his final masterpiece performed. Australian director Barrie Kosky, who is both a Russian opera aficionado and a highly skilled stage director can be trusted to bring all its symbolism and comic energy to the fore.
New production
A co-production with Festival d’Aix-en-Provence et le Komische Oper de Berlin
Cast
Stage Director
Barrie Kosky
Dramaturgy
Rufus Didwiszus
Costumes
Victoria Behr
Lighting
Franck Evin
Video
Pichler Otto
Dramaturgie
Olaf A. Schmitt
Le tsar Dodon
Dmitry Ulyanov
L'astrologue
Andrey Popov
Polkan
Mischa Schelomianski
La reine de Chemakha
Nina Minasyan
Amelfa
Margarita Nekrasova
Le tsarévitch Aphron
Andrey Zhilikhovsky
La voix du Coq d'or
Anna Denisova
Tsar Guidon
Vasily Efimov
My Evening
Why we love it
The Golden Cockerelis a skillful satire on power and the senselessness of war.
Why we love it
Its inspired comedy showcases the best of Russian wit.
Why we love it
This production byBarrie Kosky, a specialist in Russian opera, is eagerly anticipated.