Program
Music: Teodor Currentzis, Vangelino Currentzis, Andreas Moustoukis, Alexey Retinsky, Alexey Sioumak, FM Einheit
Artistic Director of the production and conductor: Teodor Currentzis
Director: Anna Guseva
Choreographer: Anastasia Peshkova Production
Designer: Yulia Orlova
Lighting Designer: Anatoly Lyapin
Sound Artist: Egor Ananko
Assistant conductor: Ilya Gaysin
Performers:
Eleni-Lydia Stamellou, soprano
Katya Dondukova, soprano
Andrey Nemzer, countertenor
Aisylu Mirhafizkhan, voice
MusicAeterna Choir and Orchestra Soloists
MusicAeterna Dance Troupe:
Evgeny Kalachev
Alevtina Gruntovskaya
Aigulya Buzaeva
Aleksandr Chelidze
Maksim Klochnev
Elena Lisnaya
Timur Ganeyev
Aisylu Mirhafizkhan
Sofia Valiullina
Kirill Nifontov, performer
Sergey Katsev, performer
Details
YOUKALI continues the series of special projects – musical and theatrical tributes to poets and musicians of the past, major figures who influenced world culture. Following the projects commemorating Paul Celan and Charles Baudelaire, the Diaghilev Festival presents a dance performance and concert YOUKALI.
Teodor Currentzis will conduct the perfromance for the first time.
As part of the experimental project, Teodor Currentzis, Vangelino Currentzis, Andreas Moustoukis, Alexey Retinsky, Alexey Sioumak, and FM Einheit have created their own versions of Kurt Weill’s songs set to the texts by Bertold Brecht and other authors. Either arrangements that are close to the original, or radically new author’s readings of songs – all were composed for the performing and creative forces of musicAeterna (the soloists of the choir and orchestra, the choir), and many involve non-academic instruments varying from electronics to theremin, from prepared piano to banjo.
The collection of songs-homages form the basis of a dance performance with the participation of the Dom Radio resident troupe – musicAeterna Dance. Director Anna Guseva and choreographer Anastasia Peshkova have created a large-scale production with the participation of about 50 artists (musicians, performers, and extras) in the genre of surreal cabaret. There is no continuous plot to be found in the play, but there is a strong semantic thread connecting all the variety acts, and an open ending.
The stage production was premiered at Dom Radio, St. Petersburg in May, 2023.