This press conference is dedicated to the premiere of an opera by Alexander Borisovich Zhurbin "Albert and Giselle" which will take place on September 19 at the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory. However, in its concert version.
Alexander Zhurbin, composer of the opera "Albert and Giselle" Honored Artist of Russia
I'll start with the fact that opera is my biggest love of my life. Of all the genres, although I have tried myself as composer in many genres, and in almost all, perhaps, but I still love opera most of all - a classic, real, big opera. And I always wanted to compose an opera, that would come to the people. It is no secret that modern opera,
talking about the opera of the twentieth century - there are masterpieces, there are wonderful operas - but, nevertheless, it has been further and further estranging itself from the people, whom we call "music lovers", people who like Verdi, Puccini, Leoncavallo and other great composers. I thought that maybe now is the time to go back a little, or rather to go forward in the direction of the audience, the audience that loves this kind of opera. My opera, which is called "Albert and Giselle", is an attempt to break through to a public, which in principle does not go to the operas of Alban Berg and Hindemith, or Shostakovich - to those who simply love beautiful music, interesting stories and can even sometimes cry sentimentally. In the opera, people often cry when there are different tragic stories. To conclude, it is an attempt of that sort. Regarding the plot of "Albert and Giselle." I have long dreamed of this story. A long time ago, one can even say, as a child, I noticed that it has a very operatic plot.
And the ballet of Adolphe Adam, who, in general, is a good composer, the music there, in my opinion, nevertheless has not enough drama for this story. And I decided to write a new opera on the subject. And here I must mention one of the creators of the opera, in the truest sense of the word - it is Nikolai Baskov, who appeared at a time when I was thinking much about this opera. He said: "Alex, I want you to write an opera for me." I said, "I even have a story - 'Albert and Giselle'." Kolya immediately appreciated it and said, "Go ahead and write." One could even say that he commissioned the opera, and I will not hide from you - here I have a piano score of the opera in front of me, and here on the first page it reads: "Dedicated to Nikolai Baskov." The next most important, so to speak, author, co-author of this opera - in fact there are two of them - is my old friend Yuri Ryashentsev, with whom we once already wrote a musical in co-authorship, which used to be a great success, and his partner, wife and muse - Galina Polidi.
Nikolai Baskov, People's Artist of Russia, tenor voice of the opera "Albert and Giselle"
We first wanted to, in fact, make a presentation, release a CD, record the opera first. Record the opera, release the CD, organize a premiere and give CDs to the audience. But we will sing first, then we will record the CD. And then I actually had an idea: since the maestro has the idea of staging performances in theaters, being a man with already advanced views on pop performances... I have an idea, similar to when to my friends. For me, it is absolute news that it will have a continuation, that not everything will end on the 19th. I was ready to... Nikolai Baskov It will depend on how I'm going to kiss the hands of Galina Rapoport.
Yuri Ryashentsev, a co-author of the opera
Yes. It is very interesting if it will have such different and long continuations. Why have we dared to undertake this job? It would seem that ballet has nothing to do with poetry, since the most important thing is to be silent there. But what existed in plastique, was put into poetry - and we had a reason, because the origins of the ballet were such... As you know, Heine and Theophile Gaultier are people for whom the word was not the last of their skills and self-expression. Therefore, we became very interested in it. In addition, because there are different cultures - it is extremely interesting: the palace culture, the peasant culture. The culture which is now becoming fashionable and relevant on TV - of something otherworldly. It turnsout that there are things in the afterlife that are of interest to us, to people living today. All of this made our decision final. And the active pressure from Sasha, who deeply believes in the work he does.
