Rachmaninov Troika

Rachmaninov Troika

Aleko, The Miserly Knight and Francesca da Rimini are the only operas Sergei Rachmaninov completed. They are gathered here in an exceptional production by Kirsten Dehlholm and her visual arts collective Hotel Pro Forma under the name « Rachmaninov Troïka ».

‘People often say to me : to let go of that melancholy – at your age and with your talent it’s a shame ! But everyone forgets that in addition to (perhaps) being a talented musician I am also a man who expects the same things from life as everyone else.’

Rachmaninov represents the waning of Romanticism in Russia yet, even by Russian standards, he was extremely fatalistic. His three one-act operas with libretti based on writings by Pushkin and Dante are linked by their theme : fate follows in the footsteps of sin, whether it be a matter of jealous murder, greed or illicit passion.

This triptych is a production of la Monnaie and is conducted by Mikhail Tatarnikov and directed by Kirsten Dehlholm.

Rachmaninov Troïka [DVD]

Music : Sergei Rachmaninov (1873-1843)

ALEKO
Opera in one act

Libretto : Vladimir Nemirovich Danchenko, after The Gypsies, Alexander Pushkin

Aleko Kostas Smoriginas
Young gipsy Sergey Semishkur
Old gipsy Alexander Vassiliev
Zemfira Anna Nechaeva
Gipsy woman Yaroslava Kozina

SKUPOJ RYTSAR’
The Miserly Knight
Opera in three scenes

Libretto after Alexander Pushkin

Baron Sergei Leiferkus
Albert, his son Dmitry Golovnin
The duke Ilya Silchukov
Money lender Alexander Kravets
Servant Alexander Vassiliev

FRANCESCA DA RIMINI
Opera in two tableaux, prologue and epilogue

Libretto: Modest Tchaikovsky after Dante

Lancelotto Malatesta Dimitris Tiliakos
Francesca, his wife Anna Nechaeva
Paolo, his brother Sergey Semishkur
Virgil’s shade Alexander Vassiliev
Dante Dmitry Golovnin

Orchestre symphonique et Chœurs de la Monnaie
Conductor Mikhail Tatarnikov

Stage direction Kirsten Dehlholm
in collaboration with Hotel Pro Forma

Co-director Jon R. Skulberg
Set design Maja Ziska
Ligthing Jesper Kongshaug
Costumes Manon Kündig
Dramaturgy Krystian Lada
Video Magnus Pind Bjerre

Chorus direction Martino Faggiani