From Messiah to The Nutcracker: Sold-out houses and thunderous applause
The Astana Opera’s artists delighted the Dubai audience with their exceptional talent and professionalism during the company’s tour performances at the Dubai Opera. The tour of the capital’s opera house became not only a true cultural event, but also a landmark step in the advancement of Kazakh art abroad. The tour took place with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kazinform News Agency cites the Astana Opera’s press service.
The magic of the Astana Opera’s performances at the Dubai Opera began even before the artists arrived. The sets and costumes of the stunningly beautiful production of The Nutcracker set off on a journey by sea, and even reached their destination before the performers. They became the first heralds of the beginning of a wonderful fairytale, enveloping the Dubai Opera in the atmosphere of a unique story ready to unfold onstage.
The tour program opened on December 13 at the suggestion of the Dubai Opera with the performance of Handel’s oratorio Messiah by the Dubai Festival Chorus and the Astana Opera Symphony Orchestra under the baton of conductor Rob Johnston. Messiah is considered a sublime music work, one of the best created in the Baroque era. The joint performance of the creative teams from the United Arab Emirates and Kazakhstan created a powerful emotional resonance, filling the hall with harmony and exultation. The creative collaboration between the two countries, highlighted by this project, was not only a musical triumph, but also a cultural bridge, connecting the art of Kazakhstan and UAE in a brilliant evening that left unforgettable memories for the audience.
“I have worked with the Dubai Festival Chorus for a number of years now and it has been a great collaboration with the Astana Opera Symphony Orchestra for this project of Handel’s Messiah. Putting this huge work together in such a short space of time is really challenging. And the orchestra has done fantastically well to really get to the grips with the stylistic way that I wanted them to play Handel. Music is a language, and it is a language of its own. So it doesn’t matter where in the world you come from, having that one common language of music brings us all together. Working with the orchestra from Kazakhstan, the chorus from Dubai, myself from the UK, it’s been a wonderful collaboration. And I hope to see more types of this collaboration, where choruses, orchestras, conductors from different parts of the world can come together to rejoice in music-making of such wonderful quality,” Maestro Rob Johnston gave his assessment of the musicians’ performing skills.
Carina Otte from South Africa, who is living in Dubai, emphasized that the Astana Opera Orchestra is an international level team.
“The symphony orchestra is absolutely magnificent. And I could see that every single member was very well prepared, and the conductor got the orchestra to be super enthusiastic, because his enthusiasm and passion shone through each and every member of the orchestra. The unity was as if it was one person playing, not an orchestra. It was one unit. But it was magnificent. I have heard Messiah before and today the performance was at the highest level. Beautiful!”
The baton of the tour performance was taken up by the ballet company, whose artistic director is world ballet star Altynai Asylmutarova. The dancers not only gave masterful performances over three days: an evening performance on December 15, matinee and evening performances on December 16 and 17, but also interacted with the audience, responding with numerous bows to the cries of “bravo”. It is especially important to note the fact that the Astana Opera was able to convey the beauty and depth of its art even to those who came to view a ballet performance for the first time, discovering this incredible world of dance.
Tchaikovsky’s wonderful ballet The Nutcracker is staged all over the world. However, it is Yuri Grigorovich’s production that is considered the pinnacle staging. Since it is this legendary choreographer’s production that is included in the Astana Opera’s repertoire, the management of the Dubai Opera invited the Kazakh team to show this production on tour.
It was warmly received by the audience, leaving an indelible impression in their hearts. The skill of Kazakh principal dancers Aigerim Beketayeva, Madina Unerbayeva, Shugyla Adepkhan, Bakhtiyar Adamzhan, Yerkin Rakhmatullayev, Daniyar Zhumatayev, created an atmosphere of magic onstage. Thunderous applause filled the hall, indicating how powerful and moving the company’s performance was. It is worth noting that the performances received positive reviews in the local media.
“I really enjoyed the choreography. It was a beautifully executed and beautifully performed production. And I think that the dancing was exquisite. The work of the corps de ballet and, of course, of the principal dancers was very strong. They are clearly well-prepared, with good schooling. Overall, based on this performance, it is easy to conclude that ballet in Kazakhstan is at a very high level. As for the design of the production, the costumes are very beautiful, and the lighting really complements the dancing and the costumes. The orchestra performance was beautiful acoustically, and the work of the Kazakh conductor was excellent, it’s been a wonderful experience,” Terence Starr from London said.
“I really liked the ballet. It is a really wonderful production, with incredible visual effects, especially the impression of the snow and the lightning onstage. I have seen The Nutcracker previously, but this production is created at a truly high level. I can see that a lot of work and effort was put into it. So I am really impressed with the stunning choreography and design,” Reka Koszta from Hungary, who is living in Dubai, shared.
“This is one of the best performances that I have ever seen. Everything is perfect! I was particularly impressed with the makeup, the choreography and the professionalism of Kazakh dancers. All the dancers are simply perfect! And they are so very young, but so good, demonstrating a very high international level. And I would love to see some more of the Astana Opera’s beautiful performances, come here more often,” Provati Podder from Bangladesh, who has been living in Dubai for 20 years, said.
The Astana Opera Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Honored Worker of Kazakhstan Abzal Mukhitdin brilliantly conveyed expressiveness and depth of Tchaikovsky’s outstanding music. Incidentally, the Italian Maestro Giuseppe Acquaviva worked with the musicians more than once. Maestro Acquaviva is the opera house’s longstanding partner, who has repeatedly helped organize foreign tours. These include tours to Italy, Spain, Oman and other countries.
“We have implemented many projects. When I came to the Astana Opera for the first time, I was invited to work on the ballet Romeo and Juliet. I was the artistic director of the Teatro Carlo Felice and immediately realized that the two opera houses should, of course, begin to collaborate. This became my main goal. We have truly done many things together. However, in my opinion, one of the very important tours was the performance of the opera Abai in Italy, as well as the ballets Spartacus, Notre Dame de Paris, Swan Lake at the opera house in Genoa. Now the tour to the Dubai Opera has become another step towards expanding the tour geography of the capital’s opera house,” Giuseppe Acquaviva emphasized.
“The Astana Opera’s recent performances at the Dubai Opera showcased exceptional artistic quality, with a focus on the ballet company and orchestra. From the presentation of Handel’s Messiah in collaboration with the Dubai Festival Chorus, uniting singers of diverse backgrounds in a celebration of classical repertoire, to the mesmerizing rendition of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, the performances inspired and captivated our audience.
These endeavors not only highlighted the universal language of music and dance but also emphasized the importance of promoting classic repertoire and establishing traditions. The collaboration with local talent, such as the Dubai Festival Chorus, showcased the rich tapestry of artistic expression from around the world. We are excited to build on these successes, fostering a love for the arts and creating lasting traditions, such as the annual performance of The Nutcracker, to enrich the cultural landscape of our community at the Dubai Opera. We are also grateful to the Astana Opera for their contribution to this artistic endeavor and look forward to more inspiring performances in the future,” Dr. Paolo Petrocelli, Head of Dubai Opera, said.
It is important to note that there was a full house on all the days of the Kazakh company’s performances at the Dubai Opera’s main hall, designed for 2,000 seats. Moreover, the excitement around the tour performances of the capital’s opera house was so great that it could not accommodate everyone who wanted to attend.
Dubai provided a truly warm welcome, from the hot weather: +30 degrees, to the endless applause for the Kazakh company. Such a high rating from the audience confirms the outstanding talent and professionalism of the Astana Opera’s artists, as well as its ability to unite different cultures through the language of art.