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For the first time in Kazakhstan, the comic operatic intermezzo Il Maestro di Cappella by the 18th century Italian composer Domenico Cimarosa will be performed at the Astana Opera’s Marble Hall. An important musical event in the cultural life of the capital will take place on November 14 as part of the Vocal and Symphonic Music Evening program. The Astana Opera Chamber Orchestra will perform under the baton of the Honored Worker of Kazakhstan Abzal Mukhitdin, Astana Opera press office reports.
The concert program promises to delight with the variety and beauty of musical works. The Honored Worker of Kazakhstan, principal oboe of the Astana Opera Symphony Orchestra Damilya Makhpirova will impress the audience with her skills, performing Cimarosa’s Oboe Concerto in B-flat major.
The highlight of the concert will be the premiere of the operatic intermezzo Il Maestro di Cappella performed by the Astana Opera’s soloist, bass-baritone Baurzhan Anderzhanov. Cimarosa himself defined the genre of this monodrama for a bass-baritone as an amusing operatic intermezzo: the work represents an orchestra rehearsal scene. Its main character, or as he used to be called the "maestro di cappella", tries to achieve the ideal sound from the musicians. In order for the singer Baurzhan Anderzhanov to try on the role of the conductor, he will have to utilize his acting skills and at the same time demonstrate his vocal abilities to the audience.
I made acquaintance with Cimarosa’s Il Maestro di Cappella just recently. I was lucky enough to perform it at the Philharmonie Essen in September this year, in a hall seating 2000. It was incredible! And then the idea came to my mind to present this work at home, in my homeland. By an excellent coincidence, this project was completed in the shortest possible time, for which I am grateful to the management and staff of the Astana Opera. This will be the first time for this work to be performed in Kazakhstan, which is not surprising, since it is truly a rare gem in the classical repertoire. Overall, it is very easy to listen to, and it shows the viewers how rehearsals with an orchestra might have previously been run, certainly, exaggerating the entire rehearsal process a little. However, to be honest, it is quite relevant in our times. This is the second big project that I am doing together with the Astana Opera. The first project was Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle, which was enthusiastically received by the audience, who very much loved it. The success of the Petite Messe Solennelle influenced the fact that it became part of the opera house’s permanent repertoire. And now there is a new work by Cimarosa ahead, and I hope that our viewers will like it and fall in love with it, just like with Rossini’s work," Baurzhan Anderzhanov shared.
When asked whether it was difficult to make the audience smile while performing a comic piece, Baurzhan Anderzhanov confidently says that you need to be honest and not just "play" the role.
The more believably you perform a piece, the closer and more understandable it is to the viewers. It does not matter if it is a comedy or drama. The artist must be honest and respectful of the audience, who paid for the tickets and wants to receive emotions in return. Bringing pleasure, excitement, and always surprising the viewers are the most important tasks of any performer."
Let us remind you that Baurzhan Anderzhanov has been the Astana Opera’s soloist since 2013, and also performs as a soloist at the Aalto-Musiktheater in Essen, Germany.
Since I have been working in Europe for more than 10 years, it is not often that I get to come and delight our audience with my performances. Nevertheless, I always strive to find time in my busy schedule to come to my homeland and perform something new, so I always choose the program carefully. Every time it is an exciting and important challenge," the artist concluded.
In parallel with Cimarosa’s music works, the program includes Kazakh composers’ creations. The Astana Opera Chamber Orchestra will present Almas Serkebayev’s Paraphrase on the theme from Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro and Abzal Mukhitdin’s Concertino for Strings, which will give the concert a unique character and special zest.
This musical evening will certainly remain in the viewers’ memory, who will be captivated by the performers’ talent and beauty of the music. And Domenico Cimarosa’s story will undoubtedly cause cheerful smiles in the audience.
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