November 18, 2023 | Svetlanov Hall of the MIPAC
Operetta Gala
Soloists: Elena Zaytseva, soprano
Olga Belokhvostova, soprano
Alexander Babik, tenor
Pavel Ivanov, baritone
Conductor – Konstantin Khvatynets
Frafments from operettas by Lehar, Strauss, Kalman, Stolz, Ábrahám and others
Classical operetta in its best instances is much more than merely a light entertainment. Such masterpieces as "Die Fledermaus" by Johann Strauss and "Die lustige Witwe" by Franz Lehar never leave the affiches of the most famous opera houses in the world and are often staged with star-studded casts of singers. Therefore, it is no wonder that arias and scenes from classical operettas occupy an important part in the repertoire of vocal masters together with opera parts, chamber music and oratorios.
Neither do conductors conceal their flair for operetta. One of them is Konstantin Khvatynets, a former member of the NPR's training programme and now the Principal Conductor and Music Director of the "Moscow Operetta" Theatre. His collaboration with leading opera houses (from the Bolshoi to "Helikon-Opera") and orchestras in a variety of projects displays the versatility of his talent, great skills and sense of style. This genre, seemingly easy, but actually quite crucial for dilettantes and amateurs of bad taste, always succumbs to him. On the NPR's podium, Konstantin Khvatynets has delivered a wide array of programmes, conducting popular classics and rare symphonic tableaus like Glazunov's Symphonies.
The November concert is entirely given to classical operetta. This music is extraordinarily rich in melodies and bright colours, and sparkles with charm and cheerfulness. Arias and scenes from operettas by Lehar, Strauss, Kalman, Stolz, Ábrahám and others will be sung by Elena Zaytseva, Olga Belokhvostova, Alexander Babik and Pavel Ivanov, superb soloists of "Moscow Operetta" Theatre.