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About the performance

This year the organizers of the Festival “Energy of Discoveries” decided to pay the closest attention to Leonid Polovinkin’s works. An outstanding composer, one of the leaders of the Russian musical avant-grade, Leonid Polovinkin was extremely popular in the late 20s - early 30s of the last century. His music was well-known both in Russia and abroad. However, his own destiny and the destiny of his creative heritage turned out to be tragic. The composer was not repressed himself, but his music was. It just disappeared from concert halls. Polovinkin was forced to change his musical language and genre priorities completely, a lot of his works found their place on archive shelves and stayed there for decades - unknown, unpublished and often not even performed.

Within the frames of the Festival “Energy of Discoveries” Radio Orpheus and PJSC UNIPRO carried out painstaking work aimed at finding and restoration of Leonid Polovinkin’s unknown works. A CD was recorded by Symphony Orchestra of Radio Orpheus conducted by Honored Artist of Russia Sergei Kondrashev. Given unconditional historical and cultural value of the musical material, the organizers made a decision not to restrict themselves with the CD. The stage implementation of Leonid Polovinkin’s music was given the title “The Ship Called Happiness”.

The authors of the idea referred to, probably, one of the happiest periods in the composer’s life. In 1930s he worked at the Moscow Children’s Theatre headed by Natalia Sats. They fell head over heels in love. The performance is set on board of the ship “Cape Arkona” on its long way from Hamburg to Argentina. The lovers, famous composer and popular director, are heading to the major international festival, where they are expected to stage two operas at the theatre Colon. It is the time of heady freedom, both personal and creative, when the political intrigues and restrictions imposed by the Soviet system are left behind. There is only the ocean, the world of his own fantasies around and the beloved woman nearby! Success awaited them in Argentina, but what awaited them back at home? She was arrested as the wife of the enemy of the people.....18 years of imprisonment and exiles. He was struck out not of the profession only, he was struck out of life - not noticed, not invited, not published, not performed. They never met again.

Personalities

Leonid Polovinkin
Music by
Leonid Polovinkin
Sergei Kondrashev
Conductor, Honoured Artist of Russia
Sergei Kondrashev
Irina Klenskaya
Text Writer
Irina Klenskaya
Alla Damsker
Playwright
Alla Damsker
Nikolai Androsov
Director and choreographer, Honoured Artist of Russia
Nikolai Androsov
Anatoli Belyi
Theatre and cinema actor, Honoured Artist of Russia
Anatoli Belyi
Katerina Shpitsa
Theatre and cinema actress
Katerina Shpitsa
Farukh Ruzimatov
Principal ballet dancer, People’s Artist of Russia
Farukh Ruzimatov
Marat Shemiunov, Irina Perren
Principal dancer of the St. Petersburg Mikhailovsky Theatre
Marat Shemiunov, Irina Perren
Olga Ionova
Soloist of the Novaya Opera Theatre (soprano)
Olga Ionova
Maria Patrusheva
Soloist of the Bolshoi Theatre (mezzo-soprano)
Maria Patrusheva
Natalia Kreslina
Soloist of the Novaya Opera Theatre (soprano)
Natalia Kreslina
Ivan Ozhogin
Actor of musical theatre, singer, laureate of the National Theatre Award “Golden Mask”
Ivan Ozhogin
Igor Kantukov
Аrranged by
Igor Kantukov

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