The Broadcast of the Play “Pietro il Grande zar di tutte le Russie” on February 02, 2021

In the winter season, the online project Stay Home with Russian Seasons continues to delight its viewers with vivid impressions of the cultural life of Russia.

On Tuesday, February 02, 2021 Russian Seasons will present the opera “Pietro il Grande zar di tutte le Russie” by G. Donizetti.

Donizetti is familiar to people who appreciate opera as the author of “Lucia di Lammermoor”, “L’elisir d’amore” and “Don Pasquale”. However, few people know that one of the first opuses of the 22-year-old Italian composer was the opera about Peter the Great, written on the plot of the play by Alexander Duvall, popular at that time. However, the score of the opera disappeared after a fire at the La Fenice Teatro (1823). They did not recall opera for 180 years. Yuri Alexandrov rediscovered this masterpiece to the world. The director had to conduct a real investigation in search of the missing score. As a result of the painstaking work of preparing the performance, which lasted several years, the fragments of the score of “Peter”, scattered throughout Italy, were able to be brought together. Thus, the musical work of the great composer was returned to the world, which for a long time was considered lost. The sensational performance began new life of the St. Petersburg Opera. After many years of wandering, having found its home in the cozy mansion of Baron von Derviz on Galernaya Street.

The love-political intrigue of the opera, in which the Russian crowned couple is involved, does not pretend to be believable, but it gives an occasion to create a conditionally playful ironic action, saturated with unpredictable plot twists. The graceful melodic music of Donizetti and the inventive imagination of the director will easily reconcile you with the fact that stage situations have nothing to do with genuine Russian history. The roles of Peter and Catherine are played by the laureates of international competitions - Andrei Zemskov and Larisa Pominova. The conductor is Alexander Goikhman, who is a laureate of many All-Russian competitions and awards, including the prize of the Government of St. Petersburg in the category “Theatrical Art”. The repertoire of the conductor at the St. Petersburg Opera is extensive, including works of various styles and genres.

The broadcast can be viewed on the website - https://www.russianseasons.org/ru/live/