La scala di seta
THE PICCOLO THEATRE
Gioachino Rossini
La scala di seta
Operatic farsa in one act
Performed in Italian
(with Kazakh and Russian surtitles)
Running time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Please note that the age limit is 10+
Management reserves the right to substitute artists
Having met Rossini in 1822, at the zenith of his fame, Beethoven said: “Never try to write anything else but opera buffa; any other style would do violence to your nature.”
Long before this, the twenty-year-old composer, the future author of Il barbiere di Siviglia, created La scala di seta, a small operatic farsa comica in one act, to a libretto by Giuseppe Maria Foppa, for the Venetian Teatro San Moisè. La scala di seta combines the sparkling sense of humour and lively improvisational style of actors with the virtuosity of vocal and instrumental parts typical for Rossini. The composer praises the sensuality, zeal and ingenuity of young lovers, whose relationship up to a certain time must remain secret.
The action takes place in the 18th century and unfolds around Giulia, who has secretly married her beloved Dorvil. The lawful husband gets to his wife’s bedroom using the silken ladder, which she lowers down to him from the window. Giulia’s guardian, the old Dormont, is unaware of the marriage and tries to marry her off to Blansac. Misunderstandings and confusions constantly multiply to be happily resolved in the end.
ROLES AND PERFORMERS:
Music Director and Conductor – Abzal Mukhitdin, People’s Artist of Kazakhstan
Conductor – Ruslan Baimurzin, Holder of the Order of Kurmet
Stage Director – Ala Simonishvili
Scenographer and Costume Designer – Manana Gunia
Director – Yerenbak Toikenov
Project Technical Director – Viсtor Carare
Opera Company Director – Talgat Mussabayev, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan
Assistant Directors – Meirambekova Gulsara
Responsible Accompanists – Aishabibi Askarova
Project Coordinator – Marzhan Zhakenova
LEAD ROLES AND PERFORMERS:
Giulia – Zhannat BAKTAY, Honoured Artist of Kazakhstan
Assem SEMBINA
Dorvil – Artur GABDIYEV
Alikhan ZEINOLLA
Germano – Rassul ZHARMAGAMBETOV, laureate of the State Youth Prize “Daryn”
Altynbek ABILDA, laureate of the State Youth Prize “Daryn”
Blansac – Yerzhan SAIPOV
Sultan BAKHYTZHAN
Lucilla – Saltanat MURATBEKOVA
Tatyana VITSINSKAYA
Dormont – Ramzat BALAKISHIYEV
Talgat ALLABIRINOV
«ASTANA OPERA» SOLOISTS AND CHAMBER ORCHESTRA