Romantic Opera in Three Acts - Albert and giselle

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 had 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 have an idea: since the maestro has an idea to stage performances in theaters, being a man with already advanced views on pop performances... I have an idea, similar to when once the great Zeffirelli filmed such operas as "Aida" or when such operas as "Orlando" were filmed... I want to film the opera completely as a video clip, totally, the whole opera, all the hour and a bit more that it lasts, so that there will be interesting costumes, that there will be interesting characters, so that there will be computer graphics and special effects - that is, an opera, which can be watched in the first place at home on a DVD or at the cinema. This is what is the most important for me. And, looking ahead, everyone will later answer all the asked questions. I want to say many thanks to the maestro. I want to say that he is our great living modern classic. A person who in our time is really melodic - the quality I asked mostly to be shown in this opera. It is very understandable to the audience. It is very apprehensible. Some themes can already be sung along with solo artists, and most importantly, there are musical pieces, made so broadly in the musical sense, that they feel, like you know, a result of the influence of perhaps such geniuses before Zhurbian as Bernstein, sometimes as Schnittke. But, you know, it just evokes, I will not go ahead of myself, I do not like to forestall, but in me personally as a singer, as a person and as a spectator... We have long fought, we fought, I threw notes in his face like that and said: "I will not sing it, I'm leaving!" And he replied to me... I told him: "People won't understand it, all those newts, all those minor chords." He said: "No, there is magnetism." We argued, because I asked, "Whom did you write the opera for?" He said: "For you." I said, "Well maestro, than let's really..." I love this opera, and I am happy and thankful to God that in spite of all that I have in my life, with all the merry light songs as they are called, with performances at various opera houses in Europe and with releases of albums abroad and performances here - I have not lived my life in vain, because, Zhurbin has written an opera for me. And it will remain like that forever. Yuri Ryashentsev, composer of the opera "Albert and Giselle", laureate of the State Prize of Bulat Okudzhava I've now understood why Galya and I decided to do it, after listening to my friends. For me, its 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 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 Gautier 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 turns out that there are thing in the afterlife that are of interest to us, the people living today. All of it made our decision final. And the active pressure from Sasha who deeply believes in the work he does, and infects all his colleagues with this faith. And Kolya, who came to listen to the opera. I remember he entered while he was singing, he was already singing. It was all great, but then a long time passed. Now I hear a lot of things which are new to me. I am very glad that it will be performed as a concert because a theatrical version offers something already defined. And this is a classic version, which can be used later in any theater in any way and it is very interesting. I look forward to the 19th, I would really like to attend at least one of the rehearsals, because I want to ask the singers: "You are not singing exercises in vocalization, you are singing a text. Shall something be changed?" For that reason, what I have just been told... It has already been corrected! That is what I am afraid of, to be honest, that is what I am afraid of. But still, I am looking forward to the dress-rehearsal and 19th.