Abai opera staged in Europe

The German city of Mainingen hosted the premier of Abai opera by Akhmet Zhubanov and Latif Khamidi staged by director Ansgar Haag.

Two years ago, as part of The Year of Germany in Kazakhstan, Haag staged Wagner’s ‘Tannhäuser’ in Kazakh State Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet named after Abai in Almaty.

A month ago he decided to open the current theater season with the pieces of Zhubanov and Khamidi, prominent Kazakh composers of the 20th century

It was the first Kazakh opera to stage in Europe; therefore it put huge responsibility on the conductor.

Alan Buribayev conducted the orchestra, the only Kazakh in this international project. All expenses for the performance were covered by German side.

The story was adapted to European perception: the actions were displayed in the prism of 1950s, the post-Stalin era, where the background was decorated with Lenin’s bas-relief and socialist realism style pattern.

Abai’s creations were laid to the basis of libretto and the opera was concluded by an aria set to Goethe’s lines in the original language, sung by German artists in Kazakh traditional clothes.

The premiere drew capacity audience.  

Sophisticated German theatergoers applauded for 15 minutes giving long encore to the soloists.

WKT citing forbes.kz