State Opera and Ballet Theater
“Astana Opera”
present
VOICE OF ASIA
Press
Representative: Audrey Ross
Carnegie Hall/Perelman Stage
October 27, 2014
The Astana Opera, named after the capital of Kazakhstan,
was founded in 2013 by the President of the Republic. This is an impressive
company especially given its youth and diversity. However, concert music and the
arts are not new to Kazakhstan, which is evident in the various performance
pieces last evening. In 2013, the company staged Verdi’s Attila and Kazakh
composer, Tolebaev’s Birzhan-Sara in the newly built, modern Astana Opera house.
Carnegie Hall is the first stop on their 2014 world tour of Voice of
Asia with pieces that run the gamut from traditional Kazakh music to
western and Russian operas (Rossini, Verdi, Borodin and Bernstein). The
ambitious program began with Rakhmadiev’s Qudasha Duman, a lively, galloping,
symphonic scherzo piece which brought to mind horses thundering over the steppes
of central Asia. This piece was followed by an emotional rendition of
Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35, with Erzhan Kulibaev on
violin, giving a rich and powerful sound to this difficult piece.
We were
then treated to Tolebaev’s Aitys from Birzhan & Sara, with the performers in
traditional, colorful costumes and evocative voices. The remainder of the
program included: Zhubanov-Khamidi’s Aittym salem Kalamkas from Abai with tenor
Medet Chotabayev; Verdi’s Santo di Patria from Attila, sung by Zhupar Gabdullina
with a powerful and sonorous chest voice; Rossini’s Largo al factotum from the
Barber of Seville with a forceful and lusty performance by Sundet Baygozhin;
Offenbach’s Belle Nuit Barcarolle from the Tales of Hoffman was haunting and
expertly sung by Aigul Niyazova and Dina Khamzina; Bernstein’s Glitter and Be
Gay from Candide was a bit shrill, though lively and theatrical. Elijah Rock was
an a cappella rendition of traditional American spiritual music alternating men
and women in line, decked in black and white giving a balanced, melodic sound.
The traditional Kazhak pieces were marvelous and illuminating for this
western reviewer. The Kazakh Folk Songs medley was terrific and the Tugan zher
Motherland Folk duo was beautiful and memorable, played on the dombyra and kobyz
- two-stringed, ancient instruments of Kazakhstan - and accompanied by the
orchestra. The closing number, Polovstsian Dances from Borodin’s Prince Igor,
was big, lively and robust. The 110-plus member orchestra was expansive,
energetic and precise.
The evening was a learning experience that left us
feeling enlightened and interested in the Kazakh culture and anxious to hear
more from Kazakhstan. To learn more about this new and promising opera company,
visit their website at
http://astanaopera.kz/en/
- Gloria Talamas -