The Bright Path: rehearsals of the ethno-opera "Prince Vladimir" are coming to an end in Moscow

Ten days remain until the premiere of the ethno-opera "Prince Vladimir". On February 5 and 6, the epic spectacle will take place in the State Kremlin Palace, and then move to the Ice Palace, where on February 26 the production will be seen by residents and guests of St. Petersburg. Igor Matvienko, the creator, composer and performer of one of the main roles, People's Artist of Russia, will celebrate his anniversary on the Moscow stage. In the image of Prince Vladimir will appear before the audience SHAMAN. "Izvestia" visited the rehearsal and assessed the immersion in the Middle Ages.

SHAMAN under the star

The rehearsal base for the huge team was the Theater of the Russian Army. The artists were given a rehearsal hall under the very star. It's no secret that the theater building is built in the shape of a five-pointed star.

Having passed the confusing corridors and having risen on two elevators, we have got in a hall. The rehearsal was already in full swing. The heated dancers were moving to the beat of the energetic melody. The men were moving two large ladders on wheels, while singing. The floor was covered with colored lines. These are cue marks for the actors who are actively moving. At this time it was announced that SHAMAN had arrived.

Honored Artist of Russia Yaroslav Dronov appeared in a plaid shirt on the release, in sweatpants, white sneakers, with a glass of coffee in his hand.

- At the end of summer 2022 Igor Matvienko offered me to take part in the play, and I did not hesitate to agree, - told "Izvestia" SHAMAN. - And with each rehearsal, everything is more and more interesting. Everything is clearer, how it will look at the premiere - mass scenes, scenery, costumes, graphics.

There is a light, working atmosphere at the rehearsal. The crowd is armed with swords and shields. Choreographer recalls the movements of the dance. This is Prince Vladimir's retinue: it fights with the enemy. Someone's swords in the boutafora blood.

SHAMAN and singer Soya, who plays Rogneda, are preparing to go out. What Vladimir was really like, we can only guess. In the ethno-opera, he is a long-haired blond with blue eyes and an okladist beard. He wears leather clothes, beautiful caftans, and has a sword at his belt. Costumers put rich fur coats up to his shoulders. In this image the prince appears in front of the army under the hand of Rogneda. Behind him - Nikolai Rastorguev. The People's Artist of Russia plays Prince Fedor's mentor in the performance.

- My hero is the right hand of the young ruler, and he leads him to Christianity," says Rastorguev. - The plot of the opera is well-known - the baptism of Russia. Prince Vladimir comes to Orthodoxy, and eventually the Russian state is formed. We do not have an opera in the classical sense. It is a musical performance based on historical events. It involves an orchestra of folk instruments, a choir and a ballet. Igor Matvienko invented a new genre - ethno-opera.

Igor Matvienko is watching from the sidelines, sitting on a bench near the monitors. He has been writing this opera for more than ten years. In the production, the composer will perform the role of the Scandinavian god Odin. This is the first role of the People's Artist in an opera performance.

"The audience will feel a solid testosterone."

- On February 26, "Prince Vladimir" will be presented in St. Petersburg, it will be a completely new phenomenon, because never before has an opera been shown in the Palace of Sports, - Igor Matvienko announced the premiere in the Northern Capital. - We are waiting for all fans of the genre to see this fantastic opera.

The artists themselves are anticipating the performance at the Ice Palace. This will be the third show for the public. The first audience will come to the Kremlin Palace on February 5 and 6.

Meanwhile, a boat on wheels was rolled out to the site. In it SHAMAN and Soya. She put her head on the shoulder of his prince, he embraced. But the couple did not ride for long - it was time for another fight. The desperate warriors ran out on the stage again. The choreographers moved between them, prompting the movements.

- Vladimir gave me this cup and asked me to wash the dishes," smiles Soya, holding a silver goblet. - He thinks I won't wash it, but no, the dishes are clean.

The artists on the set have developed a friendly, trusting relationship. Soya was worried at the stage of preparation. Then it seemed to her that the burden of responsibility is too great. Her first role in the performance, her partners were SHAMAN and her mentors were Igor Matvienko. Now the singer feels very confident and expects that perhaps her nerves will give way closer to the premiere. To prevent this from happening, you need to bring everything to perfection in the rehearsal period.

Soloist of the theater "Helikon Opera" Dmitry Yankovsky plays the leader of the Vikings Hakan.

- We have been working with Igor Matvienko for a long time, and two years ago he invited me to the opera," said the artist. - Igor Igorevich sometimes comes to my performances.

- We were all accused that there are no professionals from the world of opera, so it's not true, here is a living baritone, - suddenly Igor Matvienko himself appeared. - I am very proud that Dmitry agreed.

As Yankovsky says, in this material, he can not hide his emotions, on stage the audience will feel a solid testosterone. Not in all operas you can behave like an "animal". But the role allows the baritone to give himself to the music without a trace.

"So that it doesn't look like cabaret, but like life."

- Someone will see in the play a terrific story, someone will listen to their favorite performers, and someone will be surprised that Igor Matvienko wrote the opera, and will be interested, - says Yankovsky. - There is something to see, listen to and enjoy.

Two hundred artists are involved in the performance. Most of them are ballet.

- We mixed different styles and ethnicity, modern dance and acrobatics," choreographer Olga Nasyrova said. - Each person has a unique plasticity, so for each performer of the main roles we put movements individually. They do not have a lot of dancing, unnecessary movements should not interfere with the artists' singing. SHAMAN himself intuitively searches for his own plastic image, offers his own variants. But in mass scenes everyone has a strict pattern.

The artists must move on points, because the performance involves machinery, there are special effects, and it is important that everyone knows their place. As the choreographer says, the dancers' plasticity should be a bit animal-like. And despite the heaviness of the costumes of the main characters, it is they who help to create the image. The ballet's clothes are lightweight. The performance required universal actors: those who know both folk dance and modern dance, but most importantly, those who can improvise.

- Not everyone is taught to do this. And there are a lot of improvisational tasks in the performance. And to make it not look like a cabaret, but like life, - Olga Nasyrova shares details.

All the dancers went through a rigorous casting process. Those who were not up to the task were weeded out at the rehearsal stage. Only the strongest remained in the team. The singing artists also went through the "sieve" of selection.

- I got into the opera by casting, my wife told me that they were recruiting Vikings, so I immediately got ready," shared Alexander Snegirev, an artist from the Prince's army. - At the casting I met with Igor Matvienko, who noticed that I textured. I wanted to take part in something serious. Kids will ask me: "Dad, who are you?" - "I'm the Viking in the ethno-opera Prince Vladimir." And that sounds really cool. This is a serious event in the life of anyone who touched it.

As Alexander explained, Prince Vladimir arrives in Scandinavia and asks Hakan for voyev (armed formations) and drakkars (Viking ships). With this army, the Russian prince seizes the land, and then the Vikings abandon their pagan god Odin and embrace Orthodoxy.

In the hall prepared to rehearse the second part of the play. The scene where Prince Vladimir rises above the people, the artist must play from the platform. Since the scenery cannot be raised to the ninth floor, it is imitated by a specially prepared construction. It will be possible to see the performance in all its staging power on February 5 and 6 in the Kremlin Palace.