EVENINGS OF THE BOLSHOI THEATRE AT THE RADZIWILL CASTLE-2019

GENERAL PARTNER OF THE PROJECT

The residence of the Radziwill family became the second home and the main summer festival venue for the Belarusian Bolshoi Theatre. For almost ten years, the stars of ballet and opera and musicians of the theatre have eagerly left their home theatre and given the guests of ancient Nesvizh the joy of encounter with masterpieces of world opera and ballet. Within three days, thousands of spectators will be able to see and hear classical and modern works, which will be shown on several stages: in the courtyard and the Theatre Hall of the Radziwill Castle, as well as in one of the most beautiful Baroque churches in Europe – the Church of Corpus Domini.

On 14 June the Theatre Hall of the castle will host a concert comprising immortal hits of the outstanding Klavdiya Shulzhenko, who performed in battlefront concerts – her "Blue Handkerchief" became an anthem of homesickness and hope. In the recital "Portraits. Klavdiya Shulzhenko" the audience will hear main hits of the incomparable singer, which with the inherent acting talent will be performed by the soloist of the Bolshoi Theatre of Belarus Elena Salo accompanied by Tatiana Ivanova.

In the Church of Corpus Domini music fans will enjoy an encounter with the musical heritage of Stanisław Moniuszko, the creator of the Belarusian national classical opera. In the year of the bicentenary of the composer's birth, the Bolshoi Theatre of Belarus has prepared a number of festive programmes, which are also included in our "Evenings at the Radziwill Castle". The concert "Stanisław Moniuszko: Songs of Our Church" will feature organ and vocal and chamber works performed by opera soloists and orchestra players. The concert is directed and hosted by Viktor Skorobogatov.

The same night, two equally respected families in Verona, and more correctly in Nesvizh, where events meet us, conduct internecine battles... In the ancient walls of Nesvizh Castle, William Shakespeare's greatest drama Romeo and Juliet will come to life, in the version and vision of the People's Artist of the USSR and Belarus, laureate of the State Prize of the Republic of Belarus Valentin Elizariev. The new version has premiered this season. The performance will be conducted by Andrei Galanov.

On 15 June, Stanisław Moniuszko's works will be performed again at the Theatre Hall of the castle. The concert programme "Stanisław Moniuszko in the Motherland" performed by leading soloists of the Bolshoi Theatre of Belarus will comprise "Night Song", "To the Nyoman", "Country Songbook", “Domine, ne in furore tuo”, "Gypsy Song", "Italian Aria, or Song", and others. The concert is directed and hosted by Viktor Skorobogatov.

The evening will end with an exciting melodrama by maestro Giacomo Puccini, Tosca. A real love drama of the most beautiful woman in Rome Floria Tosca, her lover, artist Mario Cavaradossi, and obsessed with Tosca Baron Scarpia will unfold on the stage of the courtyard of the castle. The performance will be conducted by Aleh Lessoun.

On June 16, the string quintet Serenada, soprano Tatiana Tretiak and soloists of the opera company invite admirers of chamber music to the Theatre Hall of the Radziwill Castle where they will present the concert programme "Through Life with a Song". The programme includes works from popular movies which make up the golden fund of Soviet cinema.

The large-scale open air of the Belarusian Bolshoi will close with the gala concert "Stars of the Bolshoi in Nesvizh", which will take place on the main stage in the courtyard of the castle on the evening of 16 June. The concert programme includes popular arias, choral scenes, couplets and duets from the golden fund of opera, as well as the brightest fragments, pas de deux, adagios and variations from the ballets loved by the audience. The concert under the baton of Ivan Kostyakhin & Aleh Lessoun will be performed by the stars of the opera and ballet companies of the Bolshoi Theatre of Belarus.

In addition to the extensive musical programme, the guests of the festival will enjoy a rich museum programme presented in the Nesvizh National Historical and Cultural Museum. The Large Exhibition Hall will host a display dedicated to ancient culture – a source of knowledge and inspiration (from the collection and funds of the National Library), and the Small Exhibition Hall will show the works of the woodcarver Alexander Svirid.