Wednesday, January 16, 2008, 7:30 p.m. BAM Brooklyn Academy of Music Howard Gilman House

The Government of Perm, , presents

In celebration of the 135th Anniversary of The Tchaikovsky Opera and Ballet Theatre of Perm, Russia

George Isaakyan, Artistic Director Valery Platonov, Music Director and Principal Conductor Alexander Anissirnov, Principal Guest Conductor Vladimir Nikitenkov, Chorusmaster

MAZEPPA

by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky

An Opera in Three Acts Libretto by Viktor Burenin and Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky based on the epic poem Poltava by Alexander Pushkin Performed in Russian with English supertitles

Conductor - Valery Platonov Stage Director - George Isaakyan Sets and Costumes - Stanislav Fyesko Chorusmaster - Vladimir Nikitenkov Technical Director and Lighting Designer - Sergey Martynov Production Manager - Jonathan Bradley

THE CAST in order of appearance

Maria, Kochubei's daughter Irina Krikunova Lyubov, Kochubei's wife, Maria's mother Tatyana Poluektova Andrei, a young Cossack Pavel Bragin Iskra, Governor of Poltava Sergey Vlasov , Getman Viktor Chernomortsev Kochubei, a Cossack Aleksandr Pogudin Orlik, Mazeppa's henchman Oleg Ivanov Drunken Cossack Vassily Batin

English supertitles by Sonya Haddad

Presented by The Government of Perm, Russia, and Hollywood Entertainment Group

LUKoil Synopsis

Overture: Mazeppa's ride

Act I

Scene 1 - Kochubei's estate on the banks of the Dnieper A group of girls sail on the river, singing of making garlands of flowers to cast on the water as a fortune-telling game. Maria arrives, and they all plead with her to join them, but her father, Kochubei, is entertaining an important guest-Mazeppa, the Cossack leader who rules the Ukraine. Maria refuses, reflecting that girlish pursuits hold no charms for her since the elderly Mazeppa has bewitched her heart. Her childhood friend Andrei overhears her, and tries to comfort her, but when she thanks him for his friendship Andrei reveals he has always loved her. Maria wishes she could return Andrei's love-but fate will not allow it. Andrei rushes off in despair.

In Kochubei's house the guest of honor is entertained by a group of folk dancers, after which Mazeppa pulls Kochubei aside to ask for his daughter's hand in marriage. Kochubei thinks Mazeppa is joking at first-he is, after all, very old. But Mazeppa claims that the passions of an old heart, once lit, are not like those of a young heart that burn brightly but then fade-they smolder forever. Kochubei, outraged, refuses to give his consent and orders Mazeppa to leave the house. Mazeppa, in a fury, calls his guard and demands submission. Kochubei defies him, backed by Andrei and the guests, who condemn Mazeppa's sinful desires. Maria throws herself between the two groups, but, as he leaves, Mazeppa calls for Maria to decide whether she wishes to stay at home and never see him again, or to come with him. She chooses Mazeppa to everyone's surprise and distress.

Scene 2 - A room in Kochubei's manor Lyubov, Maria's mother, mourns the loss of her daughter, with the women of the house trying to comfort her to no avail. She sends them away and tries to stir Kochubei to rouse the Cossacks to go and attack Mazeppa. Kochubei has a better scheme: While Kochubei and Mazeppa were still friends, Mazeppa hinted at a plan to ally with Sweden and fight to overthrow Tsar Peter the Great's rule in the Ukraine. Kochubei plots to betray Mazeppa to the Tsar. Iskra, Kochubei's friend, is all for the plan but argues they need a messenger to go to the Tsar and risk his disbelief by denouncing Mazeppa, his trusted hetman. Andrei, who feels his life is over after having lost Maria, agrees to deliver the message. Everyone curses Mazeppa and relishes the thought of his execution.

Act II

Scene 1 - A dungeon in Mazeppa's castle, night The plan has not gone well. The Tsar, disbelieving Andrei's story, has sided with Mazeppa and has had Kochubei placed at Mazeppa's mercy. Under torture, Kochubei has made a false confession and regrets his loss of honor more than the loss of his life. Thinking he hears the priest coming to take his last confession he sees instead Orlik, Mazeppa's henchman and torturer, who demands to know where Kochubei has hidden his treasures. Kochubei tells Orlik that since Mazeppa has stolen his and his daughter's honor, the only treasure left to him is vengeance, which rests with God. This is not enough for Orlik-the tortures begin again.

Scene 2 - A terrace ofMazeppa's castle. The same night In a room in his castle, Mazeppa ponders the terrible blow that will befall Maria when she learns what he has done to her father. Orlik arrives. Kochubei has revealed nothing about his treasure as yet. The execution is set for dawn, and Orlik is sent off to resume what needs to be done. Maria arrives and complains of Mazeppa's recent neglect, remaining unconvinced by his avowals that he loves Maria more than he loves glory or power. To placate Maria, Mazeppa confides his revolutionary plans to gain independence for the Ukraine, making himself King and Maria queen. Maria thinks the crown would suit him very well. He then begins testing her loyalties-who does she care for more-her husband or her family? Eventually Maria says she would give up indeed, has given up, everything for him. Mazeppa leaves, reassured.

Lyubov arrives, and pleads with Maria to go to Mazeppa to save Kochubei-only she can save him. Maria at first uncomprehending, finally realizes what has happened and, overcome by guilt, falls in a faint. Reviving quickly, she hurries with Lyubov to plead for Kochubei's life.

Scene 3 - By the town ramparts The poor of the city have gathered for the execution. A drunken Cossack singing a cheery little folk song, is berated by the crowd, which bows subserviently to Mazeppa when he rides by. Kochubei and Iskra are dragged on as prisoners and pray to God to forgive them. They are dragged to the stocks, the axes are raised and Maria and Lyubov arrive-just in time to see the axes fall. Lyubov rejects Maria, who collapses in tears as the grim fmal chords of the chorus echo over the stage.

Act III

Orchestral Interlude - The Battle of Poltava - Peter the Great's defeat of Mazeppa and Charles XlI of Sweden

Scene 1 - The ruins ofKochubei's estate, near the battlefield In the ruins of Kochubei's estate, now a battlefield, Andrei, thirsting for vengeance, regrets that he has pursued Mazeppa in vain; he has fought in the Battle of Poltava, but was unable to fmd Mazeppa. He wanders around the ruins of the estate, remembering happier times. Horsemen approach and he hides.

Mazeppa and Orlik are fleeing the battle, Mazeppa brooding over having once been powerful, but having lost everything in one day, sends Orlik off to prepare camp. Andrei springs out with his sword and challenges Mazeppa to a duel. Mazeppa warns Andrei he is armed. Andrei charges at him, sword waving ... and Mazeppa shoots him.

Maria arrives, completely mad. She does not recognize Mazeppa, who tries briefly to bring her to her senses before abandoning her at Orlik's urging to save himself. Alone, Maria comes upon the wounded Andrei. Imagining him to be a sleeping child, she cradles him in her arms and sings him a lullaby. Andrei, coming to, tries in vain to penetrate her delirium, but his eyes fade and he dies with a fmal farewell on his lips, as Maria cradles him in her lap. Meet the Artists

Artistic Director George Isaakyan, a graduate of the State Academy of Theatre, joined the Tchaikovsky Opera and Ballet Theatre of Perm in 1991 as an opera director and was appointed Principal Director of the Perm Opera in 1996. In 2001 he was named Artistic Director of Tchaikovsky Opera and Ballet Theatre of Perm. Since then he has established himself as a highly effective artistic leader, winning a State Prize for his work in conserving the traditional Russian operatic idiom while at the same time bringing to Perm for the first time popular by such non-Russian composers as Mozart, Rossini, Verdi, and others. He also achieved recognition for expanding Perm Opera's repertoire into the contemporary field, producing with great success such rarities as Rodion Shchedrin's Lolita. He also produced for the first time in Russia Handel's Baroque masterpiece Alcina, and Monteverdi's Orfeo-a production that prompted the influential Russian journal Kultura (December 2007) to name Isaakyan "Stage Director of the Year" in the Opera Category. In 2003 Mr. Isaakyan founded the international festival "Diaghilev Seasons-Perm-Petersburg-Paris:' In addition to his other honors, Mr. Isaakyan is a recipient of the Fyodor Volkov Award for distinguished contributions to the theatrical arts in Russia. George Isaakyan was born in Yerevan (Armenian Republic) in 1968.

Music Director and Principal Conductor Valery PIatonov started his career at The Tchaikovsky Opera and Ballet Theatre of Perm after being graduated from the Ural State Conservatory of Yekaterinburg in 1982. Since then, he has guest conducted in major opera houses all over the former . He has also conducted ballet performances in Germany, the Czech Republic, the United States, Ireland, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. In 1992, he became principal conductor of the Bashkortostan State Opera and Ballet Theatre, conducting productions of , II Barbiere di Siviglia, La Boheme, The Queen of Spades, Faust, and several operas based on national Bashkir folklore, in addition to a whole range of ballets. He has acted as music director of such opera festivals as "Chaliapin Evenings in UFA, Germany;" "Irina Arkhipova Presents;" and a festival of ballet in memory of Rudolf Nureyev. Mr. Platonov's repertoire features more than 60 opera and ballet scores and 30 symphonic and choral programs. In 2001 he rejoined the Tchaikovsky Opera and Ballet Theatre of Perm to assume the post of Music Director and Principal Conductor.

Chorusmaster Vladimir Nikitenkov spent five years studying at the St. Petersburg Conservatory and in 1995 he graduated from the choral conduct­ ing department. In the same year he became a winner of the 1st National Competition of chorus conductors and in the next year he received the State Scholarship Award of the Russian Federation. During the period of 1995-1997 he worked as a conductor of the State Choir of Bashkortostan and from 2001 to 2002 of the National Symphony Orchestra of Bashkortostan. In 2002 he worked at St. Petersburg Conservatory under Professor Minin. He served as Chair of Choral Conducting at the UFA State Academy from 2002 to 2006. In 2006 Vladimir Nikitenkov was appointed Chorusmaster of the Tchaikovsky Opera and Ballet Theatre of Perm, where his first artistic project was Mozart's Requiem. His most recent productions included Massenet's Cinderella and Tchaikovsky's [olanta. Tenor Pavel Bragin studied at the Perm State Institute of Arts and Culture under Professor Anzor Shomakhia, and in 1999 he began singing with the Tchaikovsky Opera and Ballet Theatre of Perm. His roles to date include Samozvanets in , Alfredo and Gaston in La Traviata, Remendado in Carmen, Beppo in Pagliacci, the Duke in Rigoletto, Basilio in Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro, Mozart in Rimsky-Korsakov's Mozart and Salieri, Berendei in Snegurochka, Goro in Puccini's Madama Butterfly, the Prince in Dvorak's Rusalka, and tenor roles in Tchaikovsky's The Maid of Orleans {Menestrel, Raymond}, {Triquet}, The Queen of Spades {Chaplitsky}, Mazeppa {Andrey} and lolanta {Almeric}.

Baritone Victor Chernomortsev is the principal soloist of the Kirov Opera {Mariinsky Theatre}. He was graduated from the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory and joined the Saratov Opera and Ballet Theatre in 1974, performing subsequently with the Kuibyshev Opera and Ballet Theatre and the Vienna State Opera. In 1994 he first performed at the Mariinsky Theatre in the role of Scarpia in Puccini's Tosca, joining the Mariinsky Company in 1995 and later touring with that company in the United States, Europe, Israel, and Japan. In 2003 Mr. Chernomortsev was heard in the role of Tsaryov in Prokofiev's Semyon Kotko in a Mariinsky Theatre production at the under the direction of Valery Gergiev. Anthony Tommasini of The New York Times (July 10, 2003) hailed Mr. Chernomortsev as a "standout" in his performance. In May 2007 Mr. Chernomortsev was praised by the New York Sun for his performance as Alberich in a Mariinsky Theatre production of Wagner's Siegfried at the Metropolitan Opera: "Another crafty dwarf was Victor Chernomortsev, the baritone portraying Alberich. He summoned considerable operatic wiles:' (July 20, 2007)

Internationally acclaimed soprano Irina Krikunova is lead soloist of the Rostov-on-Don State Opera and an esteemed guest of the Tchaikovsky Opera and Ballet Theatre of Perm. She frequently performs abroad as well as throughout Russia. In 1996, after giving up a career in engineering, she began vocal training with Professor Belyaeva at the Rachmaninoff State Conservatory in Rostov-on-Don, and was graduated in 2001. She made her debut in Tchaikovsky's lolanta at the Rostov State Academy of Music and then was invited to perform Nedda in Leoncavallo's Pagliacci at the Rostov State Opera. Her repertoire includes Tatiana in Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin, Liza in The Queen of Spades by the same composer, Marfa in Rimsky-Korsakov's Tsar's Bride, Michaela in Carmen , Donna Anna and Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, Violetta in La Traviata, Gilda in Rigoletto, the title roles in , Tosca and Norma, Mimi in La Boheme, Liu in Turandot, Cio-cio-san in Madama Butterfly, Yaroslavna in Borodin's Prince Igor, Sieglinde in Wagner's Die Walkure, Judite in Bartok's Bluebeard's Castle. She participated in the prestigious Golden Masque festival where she presented Cio-cio-san {Madama Butterfly, 2003}, Catherine {Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, 2005} and Gilda {Rigoletto, 2007} and received diplomas of distinction for these works. She performs at the Bolshoi in Moscow and Minsk, Grand Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, throughout Germany, Albert Hall in London, and Teatro Massimo Bellini in . Her interna­ tional career was launched when she sang Aida under the direction of Maestro Alexander Anissimov in Minsk. Ms. Krikunova is noted for her interpretations of dramatic roles in the works of Wagner, Bartok and Shostakovich. She is also a distinguished recitalist, performing frequently in Pergolesi's and Rossini's Stabat Mater, Mozart's and Verdi's Requiem, Bach's Mass in B Minor, Vivaldi's Gloria, Faure's Requiem, Beethoven's Symphony NQ 9, Shostakovich's Symphony No 14.

Bass AIeksandr Pogudin studied at the Gnessinykh State Academy of Music and joined the Tchaikovsky Opera and Ballet Theatre of Perm in 2004, where he sings Konchak in Borodin's Prince Igor, Sob akin in Rimsky­ Korsakov's The Tsars Bride, Pharaon in Aida, the Doctor in La Traviata, as well as Bonza in Stravinsky's Nightingale. In the operas of Tchaikovsky he has sung Rene in Iolanta, Gremin and Zaretsky in Eugene Onegin, and Kochubei in Mazeppa .

A graduate of the Gnessinykh State Academy of Music in Moscow, soprano Tatyana Poluektova has been a soloist with the Tchaikovsky Opera and Ballet Theatre of Perm since 1987 and also with the Moscow New Opera since 1993. In the_early 1990s she participated in performances of Pierre Boulez's Quatre improvisations sur Mallarme under the baton of the composer and in Edison Denisov's opera The Blue Notebook at the Warsaw Music Festival. She sang Tatiana in Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin in Belgrade in 1991 and later in Dublin. She sang the role of Katerina Izmaylova in Shostakovich's Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk in the 1994 Florence Maggio Musicale production. She returned to Florence the following year as Florinda in Schubert's Fierrabrass under conductor Semyon Bychkov. She has sung Maria in Tchaikovsky's Mazeppa in Holland and Liza in Lev Dodin's production of The Queen of Spades, Desdemona in Verdi's Otello in Norway, Emily in the world premiere of Berio's Ouns at La Scala, Militrissa in Rimsky-Korsakov's The Tale of Tsar Saltan at the Florence Maggio Musicale in 1997. Ms. Poluektova's favorite roles include Amneris, Joanna, and Ruggero in Alcina and she sang the title roles in Massenet's Cleopatra and Cinderella, and Dvorak's Rusalka at the Tchaikovsky Opera and Ballet Theatre of Perm.

Tenor Sergey Vlasov was educated at the Musical College in Perm from 1979 to 1983. After three years' army service he went to the Ural State Conservatory of Ekaterinburg to study with Professor Margherita Vladimirova. He sang at the Maly Opera Theatre in Ekaterinburg in 1991 and the following year went to Tchaikovsky Opera and Ballet Theatre of Perm for three years. He was with Bashkortostan State Opera from 1995 to 1999, and then returned to Perm. His repertoire includes the roles of AImaviva in II Barbiere di Siviglia, Ernesto in Don Pasquale, the title role in Gounod's Faust, Ferrando in Cosi fan Tutte, Tarnino in The Magic Flute, Ottavio in Don Giovanni, Nemorino in Eelisir damore, Lensky in Eugene Onegin and the Astrologer in Rimsky-Korsakov's The Golden Cockerel. He took part in the company's recent production of Rodion Shchedrin's Lolita. He made his Opera Ireland debut as Zinovy Ismailov in Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk in November 2000 and sang Tchaplitskiy in The Queen of Spades in November 2002. Company

The Tchaikovsky Opera and Ballet Theatre of Perm is regarded as Russia's third most important opera and ballet company, after the of Moscow and the Mariinsky Theatre of 51. Petersburg. Over the years it has maintained strong historical and cultural ties with the Mariinsky Theatre stemming from the World War II era, when the Kirov Opera and Ballet Company of the Mariinsky Theatre, Leningrad (now 51. Petersburg), sought refuge in distant Perm from the invading German forces. In addition to its importance as a cultural center in the easternmost region of European Russia, Perm was during Soviet times a main military industrial complex dedicated to the manufac­ ture of artillery, ballistic missiles, and jet aircraft, and was a closed, restricted city. Until the end of the Cold War, when it was made accessible to all, Perm did not appear on certain Soviet-made maps. Since then, the city of Perm, which is spectacularly perched above the Kama River, has regained its reputation as a major regional cultural center.

Peter llyich Tchaikovsky was born near Perm; his operas, ballets, and orchestral music have been a leitmotif in programming since the early days of the Perm Theatre. The world-renowned impresario Sergei Diaghilev of the Ballets Russes, Paris, spent his formative years in Perm, and it was at the Tchaikovsky Theatre of Perm that he had his first exposure to the world of the theatre. He later went on to launch the legendary careers of Anna Pavlova, Nijinksy, and Igor Stravinsky in Europe. In 2003, the Tchaikovsky Opera and Ballet Theatre of Perm established the International Festival "Diaghilev Seasons: Perm-Petersburg-Paris," which brings together many of the most noted and creative artists of our time on a biennial basis.

The Tchaikovsky Opera and Ballet Theatre of Perm has, in addition to performing all of Tchaikovsky's operas and ballets, produced such classics as Borodin's Prince Igor; Rimsky-Korsakov's The Tsars Bride, Kaschey the Immortal, and ; and Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov. The company has also presented the operas of Mozart, Verdi, Puccini, Massenet, Leoncavallo, Wagner, Prokofiev, de Falla, Dvorak, Handel, Monteverdi, and, most recently a number of world premieres, including Alexander Tchaikovsky's Three Prozorov Sisters, based on a text by Anton Chekhov, and Rodion Shchedrin's Lolita, after Vladimir Nabokov's notorious masterpiece.

The company is led by Artistic Director George Issalkyan, winner of the State Award of Russia; Music Director and Principal Conductor Valery Platonov, People's Artist of Bashkortostan; Artistic Director of the Ballet Company, Natalya Akhmarova; Principal Chorusmaster, Vladimir Nikitenkov; and Chief Designer, Elena Solovieva.

It has become a tradition for the company to stage co-productions: Grieg's Peer Gynt, choreographed by the American Ben Stevenson; a Russian-Spanish production of Strauss's Salome for the Festival of Madrid; and Rimsky-Korsakov's The Golden Cockerel, staged by Opera Ireland Artistic Director Dieter Kaegie, among many others. A watershed development in the history of the ballet company was the collaboration with the Balanchine and Robbins Foundations; as a result, Perm is the only Russian ballet troupe besides Moscow and SI. Petersburg which regularly includes the work of two great American choreographers in its repertoire. The Tchaikovsky Opera and Ballet Theatre of Perm has toured extensively; recent trips include China, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, and Italy.

Press Representatives Hollywood Entertainment Group Hemsing Associates Igor Levin, Managing Director 212-772-1132 818-760-6854 www.hemsingpr.com www.hegmusic.com

The Tchaikovsky Opera and Ballet Theatre of Perm will perform an all-Tchaikovsky program featuring operatic gems, rare and familiar, with distinguished soloists, full chorus, and orchestra at Carnegie Hall, Friday evening, January 18, 2008 at 8 p.m. Chorus

Valentina Alyabysheva Anna Ivanova Elena Mirochenko Nadezhda Solomatina Vassily Batin Valentina Karpinskaya Sergey Moskalev Makbail Syroegin Svetlana Bogdanova Nadezhda Khorkehli Galina Mukharina Ekaterina Tretyakova Tamara Bogunyak Khoruzheva Evgeniy Nikitin Roza Tselousova Aleksandr Bolotov Danis Khuzin Elena Permyakova Artem Vekovshinin Svetlana Bolotova Vladimir Kozlov Nina Pletneva Viktor Vesnin Oleg Borisenko Nikolay Krasheninnikov Olga Rogozhkikova Margarita Vostrikova Andrey Chernopazov Aleksey Krivtsov Valentina Romanova Irina Yamshanova Larisa Cholushkina Mikhail Lebedev Evgenia Rybakova Andrey Zenko Anastasiya Egorova Yuriy Lobachev Nina Sabirova Olga Fayzrakhmanova Tatyana Mavreshko Sergey Seredkin Alevtina Isaeva Arkadiy Miklin Irina Sokolova

Orchestra

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FIRST VIOLIN VIOLA FLUTE Anatoliy Rozov Boris Gamus. Violetta Tsaloikhina. Margarita Kolpashchikova Valeriy Fedoseev Concertmaster Principal Tatyana Shushkevich Nikolay Burylov Lyudmila Ivonina Svetlana Rysanova Galina Okbapkina Elena Khibovskaya PICCOLO TRUMPET Marina Plotnikova Liliya Vasilyeva Fedor Dmitriev Aleksandr Shpolyanskiy. Payla Shilova Tatyana Savinova Principal LyudmiiaShumilova Anna Shlykova ENGLISH HORN Andrey Petukhov Yuliya Vedmetskaya Siarhei Tretsiak Aliya Fomina Denis Rushchuk Oksana Tatrinova Irina Alferova Sergey Eskov Tatiana Chernousova Ina Hancharonak OBOE Aleksey Chernousov V1adzimir Svirski Alexander Shevtsov. TROMBONE Evgeniya Eskova Principal Evgeney Voitkevich. Irina Buranova CELLO luna Volobueva Principal Maryna Liaudanshaya Yavhen Mikliyev. Yuriy Kachalin Principal CLARINET Sergey Okbapkin SECOND VIOLIN Vladimir Chirkov Nikolay Romanov. Maksim VoIrnenskiy. Tatyana Savinova Principal TUBA Principal Tatyana Sipaylova Yuriy Konovalov Aleksey Sokolov Lyudmila Knyazeva Elena Zhavoronkova Vera Endaltseva Elena Tueva BASS CLARINET PERCUSSION Svetlana Rodionova Aygul Burylova Andrey Tselousov Roman Romashkin Grigoriy Prozorov Vladimir Endaltsev Larisa Oznobikhina DOUBLE BASS BASSOON Mikhail Seygel Lyubov V1asova Vladimir Bryukbov. Dmitry Plotnikov. Igor Avdeev Oksana Denisenko Principal Principal Sergey Buranov Larisa Konovalova Valentin Konnov Sergey Nikulin Dmitriy Iskbakov Harp Andrei Baranau FRENCH HORN Ekaterina Oleynishenko Yauhen Kuzhounik V1adzimir Moliutsin. Daniil Levonuk Principal