Thanks to Valery Gergiev Russian opera comes to fashion in China, critics say

MOSCOW, March 21 (Itar-Tass) - Opera “Eugene Onegin” by Pyotr Tchaikovsky jointly staged by the Mariinsky Theatre and the Beijing National Center for the Performing Arts premiered triumphantly in Beijing. Four performances of Russian and Chinese singers became a milestone in the Chinese capital’s cultural life. Artistic and General Director of the Mariinsky Theatre, Valery Gergiev, promises Moscow will also see this performance. “We have most pleasant impressions from our recent tour in China,” Gergiev told Itar-Tass on Friday. “We had a great week in Beijing. Opera “Eugene Onegin” showed on Beijing’s stage from March 14 to March 17 engaged very young soloists of the Mariinsky Theatre. Chinese singers are also young. They sing in Russian, they are well trained. All of them have excellent voices. It is very important that new and young creative forces perform at the main stage.” The world-renowned conductor confessed he was very pleased with a friendly creative atmosphere, great choir and orchestra, and China’s audience. “We have been friends with our colleagues from Beijing for a long while,” Gergiev said. “The theatre, where we have performed, is located in the heart of the city. This is the theatre of the 21st century. Fifteen years ago I received an invitation to unveil this theatre. In 2007 we with artists of the Mariinsky Theatre opened this theatre with “Prince Igor”. For the past several years the young company has received serious support from the government. “Eugene Onegin” has become its 28th performance.” The centre’s production director, Wei Lanfen, says China’s audience has not known the Russian opera before. It knew Tchaikovsky’s ballets, but not his operas. “The staging of Russian operas seems a problem not only for the public, but also for performers, because these operas have practically not been studied in China’s conservatories for the past thirty years,” he said. “That’s why we decided to cooperate with the Mariinsky Theatre, Russia’s best opera theatre.” Tchaikovsky’s “Eugene Onegin” kicked off a grand opera festival that would last in the Chinese capital three months. “Thanks to the Mariinsky Theatre the Russian opera comes to fashion in China,” Chinese critics say. Valery Gergiev’s tour continues. On March 20-22 the maestro will perform with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra in the Netherlands.