It often happens so that the new operas disappear from the stage right after the first production. Three Sisters by Péter Eötvös – one of the most important contemporary European composers – changed the view of the modern opera as a one-time thing. In the Cambridge opera guide of the 20th century, musicologist Merwin Cook named the Three Sisters the last significant opera of the last century. Since 1998, it withstood two dozen productions – and now it comes to the Russian stage.
The libretto of the Three Sisters is written in Russian, and unlike the Chekhov’s drama, the action develops nonlinearly, and the storyline is divided not into acts, but into ‘progressions’ – each of them tells the story from the point of view of one of the characters: Irina, Masha and Andrei. There is no choir in the opera, but there are two orchestras (one in the pit and one at the back of the stage) and 13 male soloists: the parts of the sisters and Natalia are written for countertenors. However, Eötvös also provided an option for mezzo-soprano – this version will be staged at the Ural Opera. Christopher Alden, the eminent New York director, was invited to the theater for the first time to stage the performance.
Music score is provided by G. RICORDI & CO., Bühnen- und Musikverlag GmbH, Berlin
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