The premiere of Tchaikovsky’s opera “Cherevichki” was successfully held at Helikon

The royal shoes caught fire in the actor’s hands

The opera “Cherevichki” by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky is presented on the stage of the Helikon Opera under the direction of Dmitry Bertman. The production of conductor Philip Selivanov, director Sergei Novikov, artists Rostislav Protasov (scenography), Maria Vysotskaya (costumes) and Denis Enyukov (lighting), as well as the entire Helikon creative team, fit seamlessly into the holiday week. The performance turned out to be festive, bright and uplifting. And even Bes, who became its main character, ended up on the side of good.

Tchaikovsky’s opera Cherevichki has a difficult biography, full of ups and downs. The devilry of Gogol’s plot, which formed the basis of the score, determined the course of events. It all started with the sudden death of composer A.N. Serov, who was commissioned for the opera “The Night Before Christmas”. And then the St. Petersburg Russian Musical Society announces a competition named after Serov for writing the score. 34-year-old Tchaikovsky wins it brilliantly – the opera “Blacksmith Vakula” is born. However, the premiere at the Mariinsky Theater, as Pyotr Ilyich himself commented, “solemnly failed.” A new edition called “Cherevichki” appears only in 1887. The composer himself conducts his score at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow. This is his conducting debut. And it was a huge success.

The opera “Cherevichki” in Tchaikovsky’s work is unique because it is, perhaps, the only comic opera in the composer’s work. In Russian opera classics, this genre is presented very conditionally – there is no such tradition in its pure form. In Russian opera everything is serious, historical, epic, fabulous, satirical. And irony was not at all characteristic of Tchaikovsky: lyricism, drama, tragedy – these were the colors of his genius. But here everything is different. Humor is organically woven into the lyrics. The directors are not afraid of frankly funny scenes, without exaggerating them or falling into buffoonery. The conductor and director are led by music. And this is the best recipe for staging an opera: taste and sense of proportion are guaranteed.

The orchestra under the direction of Maestro Selivanov creates a festive mood: expressive solos of wind instruments, metrical delights, colorful timbre combinations, echoes characteristic of Tchaikovsky, each of which is an independent melody – all this is performed with inspiration and virtuosity.

In the first act, the choir sounds off stage. And this somehow alarmed me: after all, the opera is filled with crowd scenes. But everything was resolved at the beginning of the second act: the magical choir of “Helikon” appeared in all its glory right in the auditorium, involving the audience in a Christmas carol and collecting gifts from them in their bags. These gifts were previously distributed to the public during intermission. The Little Russian flavor, embodied in the visual design and costumes, wittily embodied recognizable ethnic standards – a mud hut, curling smoke from chimneys, wreaths and embroidered shirts on the girls, kusmas and kuntushas on the boys – with a slight stylization. And the fact that the spectacular, stylish Solokha (the benefit role of Irina Reynard) fastens her high boots with a zipper looks quite organic.

As always in Helikon – and here Sergei Novikov follows the tradition of this director’s theater – the selection of actors is precise, as happens in cinema. Konstantin Brzhinsky is a charming Demon who not only steals the month and flies across the sky with Vakula on his back, but also generally claims to be the main role. And he does it well. Although a real belfry, the silhouette of church domes and a cross in the hands of Vakula are a sure way to pacify demonic ambitions. Mikhail Guzhov (Chub), Stanislav Shvets (Golova), David Posulikhin (Osip Nikiforich) – each of these characters manages to create a bright character, delight with wonderful vocals, and also make the audience laugh. Valentina Pravdina (Oksana) is really good – tall, slender, with decent top notes. Dmitry Yankovsky in the role of His Serene Highness is noble and hilariously condescending to the delegation of the Cossacks. This ensemble of actors is led by Igor Morozov in the role of Vakula. One of the best operatic tenors in the Russian theatre, Morozov creates an exemplary character in which the typical Tchaikovsky tenor lyrics (in the melody of this part one can hear both Lensky and even Herman) are in some amazing way not alien to humor and irony.

The performance has a lot of special effects. Still would! This is not only Tchaikovsky, but also Gogol. Video projections on several transparent curtains creating a 3D effect, stunts, a charming scene with mermaids in a pool, demonic slippers “like the Queen’s” blazing into flames and burning right in the artist’s hands – everything is present here in full. Opera is opera: it should impress, surprise, and also educate. And the fact that Oksana refuses the slips in the finale, wanting to pay with love for love, and not for gifts of dubious origin, reveals the true meaning of the ball scene at the “Tsarina”. The demon rules this ball, which is very reminiscent of Woland’s ball – there are very strange characters there, some bad ones. The final chorus puts everything in its place: the Yuletide pagan devilry ends. However, Bes has a different opinion.