“Helikon-Opera”: The impossible has become possible – Russian newspaper

Tenth April 1990 in a tiny room in the old manor Nikitskaya showed Stravinsky’s opera “Mavra”. It was the birthday of “Helikon-Opera”.

No one then thought that a small theater is world-famous, “More Than Big” – write about it London newspapers.

Now, this feature has become a twice more accurately: “Helicon” reborn, and its historic building after reconstruction – one of the main architectural and cultural attractions of our country. Russian President Vladimir Putin in his message Helikon congratulated them with the return of these walls, which have become the theater for a truly native home.

We finished the eight-year construction epic. Behind not only the struggle for survival of the theater in almost unbearable conditions, but also the very idea of ​​the struggle for the transformation of the manor in the opera house in Moscow was too active and noisy small group of journalists, the so-called defenders of antiquity. I’m writing a “so-called” for good reason: they are pathetically defended the integrity of the abandoned yard, which is slowly collapsing under the funny sounds and smells of urine feasts restaurant visitors, there is need to cope. Also drunks and homeless people, the manor courtyard with its magnificent front porch for a century has not been seen – normal people yard avoided, and the theater “Helikon-Opera” is located in a historic building near unsuccessfully fought with unruly neighbors.

Today, the porch can admire the hundreds of thousands of theater audiences, and the yard turned into an opera hall, which according to the original architectural solutions is no equal in the world. Implemented in Moscow project, no doubt, will become an example of bold and intelligent approach to the preservation of historical heritage and its use for the purposes of culture and education.

Read also

It is now a theater and a museum at the same time. Here, carefully restored interiors of dilapidated manor house of the German bomb. There are immortalized the names of great musicians, in different years, the speakers in these halls, and is inextricably linked to the “Helicon”. In the atrium under the glass you can observe the original artifacts related to the world of opera culture. Vintage red porch regained the pristine beauty is now and will serve the “royal lodge”.

Now, ancient manor Shakhovskys-Glebova-Streshnevs Nikitskaya has become not only a monument to a bygone era. It has become a monument to the continuity of generations. Monument to people who were able to defend it for the future and return to her former splendor and importance to the city, country and the world: it has again become home to one of the most famous in the world of Russian theater. It will be a monument and builders who created a real miracle: a half years ago on the site of a luxury room gaped a pit, and few believed that he would see the opening of the theater in the foreseeable future. But the builders have done their job with such enthusiasm, skill and love that their names fit to knock on the front in gold letters.

It will be a lesson for those who have a great idea to protect antiques turned into a blunt resistance to the idea of ​​the city and its culture. They managed to stop several times restoration, on the grounds that they were “the theater purple!”, Which is why this festival for Muscovites and opera lovers for five years too late. Over the years there were new obstacles transshipments, already bearing real danger historic buildings. They not only who claimed: and beauty salons, banks and restaurants – in the halls, which Chaliapin sang, and now could drink up vodka. “Arhnadzorovtsy” lighted candles “lost” values, threw themselves under the excavator buckets, the press spread innuendo, there were direct threats, but perseverance and courage “Helikon” does not hold – attacks both dealers and managed to repel the mob rule. We must pay tribute to the Moscow mayor’s office, which has taken a firm decision to complete the restoration of the theater as soon as possible and everything to do it: your 25th anniversary, “Helicon” and the audience got a wonderful gift. However, even now, when so many already knew who we actually protects the old days, “Arhnazdor” issued another inflammatory statements. Expected loud resonance, however, did not wait – just one of his ally in his commentary promised the theater myself, “couple plop”.

And finally, on Monday, the second in November the grand opening of the renovated historical building “Helikon -opery. ” It was a two-hour gala concert with elements skit, where the theater showed a full arsenal of talents and some of their new technical possibilities. It was cleverly conceived and staged by Dmitry Bertman and Vladimir Ponkin, chief conductor of “Helikon-Opera”. The audience was presented a record number of operatic potpourri and a kind of “hybrid” when sharing a room suddenly at odds seem unconnected: Dargomyzhski with Bernstein, Verdi Dunayevsky, Glinka and Wagner – with high-tech. The concert was attended by friends and honored guests of the theater – the stars of world opera Olga Borodina, Inva Mula and Alexander Antonenko. With movie-theater congratulated with the beginning of a new life Maria Guleghina, Jose Cura and Placido Domingo.

See also

The audience could see and that the updated “Helicon” a rare acoustic performance: in every corner of the hall from the stage can be heard every whisper. And that makes the speakers the highest demands on the quality of vocals: clearly audible not only to every whisper, but any sound marriage, imprecise intonation, ensemble suddenly upset. And I must say, most of the participants gala, the choir and especially the Orchestra of the test with honor.

A separate attraction festive evening was, of course, this very hall, named after Stravinsky, with its glowing windows, “the star air “and space” Helicon “over the head with a textured the walls, reminiscent of the masterpieces of Russian architecture, a skilful illumination box and ceiling, and finally with subtitles, which are located is now the most comfortable for the audience way – on the bottom edge of the stage, easy to read from anywhere in the room.

In the final orange stumpy little car that symbolized the former cash-strapped “Helicon”, had grown wings, rocket engine and headed into deep space world of opera masterpieces. Good flight, theater!

Found a mistake? Highlight the text with error, and press Ctrl + Enter , to tell us about it.