"A love story against the backdrop of a story of battles"

On 17 December, a group of JINR staff members, at the invitation of Tatyana Vladimirovna Kadyshevskaya-Rybnikova, was able to attend one of the premiere screenings of Alexey Rybnikov's opera-drama "Le prince Andre. Prince Andrey Bolkonsky" based on the novel by L.N.Tolstoy "War and Peace". The musical performance has been staged at the Moscow Theater and Concert Musical Association "Gradsky Hall" since October this year.

People's Artist of the Russian Federation A.L.Rybnikov performed in this production as a composer, librettist and producer of play. The performers of the main roles are the soloists of Alexey Rybnikov's Creative Studio Nikita and Alexander Pozdnyakovs, Valeria Vorobyova, Roman Orlov and others. About 50 people are involved in the performance. "A love story against the backdrop of a story of battles. To have such a view of Tolstoy's great novel, one needs great courage. To bring it to life on the stage, one needs talent, moreover, in different areas. It is hard to disagree with the authoritative opinion of the writer, journalist, playwright and theater director Andrey Maksimov. The bright, interestingly solved scenes of the snow ball, the coronation of Napoleon are impressive, the rhythm of the infantry attacking is felt and the poignant theme "Je t'aime, Natasha", repeated in several scenes, remains in memory for a long time. Like in Tolstoy's novel, the opera begins with a French speech, the performance includes fragments of Manifesto of Emperor Alexander, Memoirs of Napoleon Bonaparte, the author of the words of the anthem and Napoleon's aria is T.V.Kadyshevskaya-Rybnikova. The costumes of the characters, as close as possible to historical ones, audiovisual effects are worthy of respect. It is today that the performance looks especially relevant and patriotic. The patriotism of the theater is strong - the artists have travelled with a charity performance to the Luhansk People's Republic.

The opera-drama is the first musical performance at Gradsky Hall concert venue and the Alexey Rybnikov Theater has brightly started its 30th anniversary season.

Olga TARANTINA, author's photo