LNOB season will start with the premiere of the ballet “Swan Lake” / Article / LSM.lv

Latvian National Opera and Ballet in the new 2020/2021. The LNOB will offer works in the interpretation of outstanding international teams, luxurious new ballet productions, performances of famous artists in operas, ballets and concerts, which have not been studied at the Latvian National Opera, according to LNOB representatives.

The Latvian National Opera and Ballet will start the new season in a half-empty hall. Under the influence of Covid-19, the new epidemiological safety regulations allow to accommodate only 479 spectators in the Great Hall of the theater. In addition, they will have to reckon with additional security measures. The management of the opera is careful in promising the future of the theater, because in order not to suffer financial losses, the Great Hall should be filled by at least 70 percent instead of the currently allowed 50.

The Latvian National Opera and Ballet will start the new season with the premiere of Peter Tchaikovsky’s ballet “Swan Lake” on September 2. On September 2 and 4, one of the world’s leading ballet dancers, the Prime Minister of the Royal Ballet of London Vadim Muntagirov, will visit Latvia for the first time in the role of Prince Siegfried. His stage partner Odeta-Odilia will be Julia Brauer.

Ballet choreographer-director Aivars Leimanis will preserve the original choreography of Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov in the new performance of “Swan Lake”.

Sophisticated and especially luxurious costumes for the new production are created by one of the most outstanding contemporary American costume artists, Robert Perdziola, who has successfully created the visual image of ballet and opera at the Metropolitan Opera, American Ballet Theater, Boston Ballet, Chicago National Opera, Chicago Lyrical Opera . Inspired by the dream palaces of King Ludwig the Second of Bavaria, Lindenhof and Neuschwanstein, a new, glorious scenography was created by the Spanish artist Juan Guillermo Nova. The premiere of the ballet “Swan Lake” will be conducted by Mārtiņš Ozoliņš.

“After a half-year break, it is not easy with one of the most difficult classic performances, where absolute purity must be.

Must be a perfect technique. But we have enough time to prepare on stage and I hope that everything will be very beautiful, ”notes the artistic director of the Latvian National Ballet Aivars Leimanis.

On September 19, the anniversary performance of the outstanding baritone Samson Izjumov will take place – Giuseppe Verdi’s “Nabucco”, the title will be the anniversary, and the internationally acclaimed soloist Liene Kinča will make her debut in the role of Abigail.

In September and October, the repertoire performances are expected to make the debut of several bright soloists of the Latvian National Opera in new roles.

On September 9, Mikhail Chulpayev will make his debut in the role of Alfreds Germans in Giuseppe Verdi’s opera “Traviata”, Laura Grecka will play the role of Flora for the first time, Violet Valery will be interpreted by Julia Vasilyev, who was successful with this role last season. On September 12, Rinald Kandalincev is expected to make his debut in the play “Traviata” as Georges Germons. On September 20 and 23, Giacomo Puccini’s opera “Madama Butterfly” will have three debuts – we will hear Dan Braman for the first time as Choco-san, Raimonds Braman as Pinkerton, and Ilona Bagel as Suzuki. On October 11, for the first time in Peter Tchaikovsky’s opera The Lady of Spades, the role of Lisa will be interpreted by Tatiana Trenogin, and the role of Hermann will be interpreted by Andris Ludvigs.

On October 4, Giacomo Puccini’s masterpiece “Tosca” will return to the stage of the Latvian National Opera. In a production created by director Dmitry Bertman, the passion of the operas Toscas and the artist Kavaradosi is played out in the glorious interiors of Rome. The luxurious premises have also become the backdrop for the peripetias of Tuscany and the Chief of the Secret Police, as well as the solution that culminates in Tuscany’s subconscious in the last act. Mārtiņš Ozoliņš will perform at the conductor’s stand “Toskas”, the main roles will be a brilliant soloist – Liene Kinča, Rodrigo Porras Garulo and Samsons Izjumovs. The next Toskas performances will take place on October 6 and 15.

On November 27, Giuseppe Verdi’s masterpiece “Simon Bokanegra” under the musical direction of Normunds Vaičs will have his first study at the Latvian National Opera. The title character of this opera becomes the Geneva Dodge, defeating the aristocrat Fiesko in the vote, but they are both connected not only by the struggle for power, but also by a fateful woman. The opera “Simon Bokanegra” was written by Giuseppe Verdi as early as 1857, but the second edition of the work, which premiered in 1881, received special recognition from the public and critics. In the 21st century, Simon Bokanegra is increasingly appearing on the stage of opera houses. The performance at the Latvian National Opera consists of an outstanding creative team from Great Britain – director Stephen Lawless, set designer and costume designer Leslie Travers and choreographer Lynne Hockney. Their performances have been successful in the world’s most important operas and festivals. The light artist of the new production will be Oskars Pauliņš.

Regarding the composition of “Simona Bokanegra”, several guest soloists were planned. We canceled them and stayed with our own soloists also due to the fact that the situation from which the country must be quarantined is very unclear, ”emphasizes Egils Siliņš, Chairman of the Board of the Latvian National Opera and Ballet.

On November 30, for the first time in Latvia, a solo concert will be given by one of the most outstanding basses in the world, Günther Groissböck.

The concert with piano accompaniment will take place in the Great Hall with the iron curtain lowered, providing unique acoustics for chamber music.

On December 16, the world-famous Latvian mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča, accompanied by the Latvian National Opera Orchestra, will give a solo concert in the Great Hall.

In the autumn season, new productions are also expected in the New Hall. Children will be delighted by a theatrical concert “Magic Door at the Opera”, which will allow you to get to know the wonderful world of our theater through the songs of Arvīds Žilinsks. In turn, the young choreographers of the Latvian National Ballet will create a show “Two Meters” for an adult audience, playing the new reality created by the pandemic in dance.

Many bright and outstanding events are also planned for the second half of the season. On the occasion, the audience will be delighted by the traditional New Year’s concerts at the Opera. In March, Inga Kalna will interpret the role of Blānša in the performance of François Pulenka’s opera “Carmelite Dialogues”. A concert performance of Giuseppe Verdi’s opera “Louise Miller” is expected in April, it will be the first performance of this work in Latvia. In April, the premiere is scheduled for the ballet “Dracula”, which will be staged by the prominent Polish choreographer Krzysztof Pastor, and in May – for the premiere of Joaquino Rosini’s opera “Cinderella” at the Latvian National Opera by creative duo-director Reno artist André Barbe.

The season will end with the Riga Opera Festival, in the program of which the production of Giuseppe Verdi’s opera “Aida” with the world-famous Latvian soprano Kristine Opolais in the title role will be renewed. In Peter Tchaikovsky’s opera The Lady of Spades, the role of Hermann will be interpreted by the international opera star Alexander Antonenko.

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