www.sptimes.ru/story/38283Opera’s Icy Debut
‘Opera on Ice’ attracts international stars to create a new genre.While at first it may seem like an unlikely pairing, after an impressive debut on Oct. 4, it is clear that opera and ice dancing are the perfect couple.
Premiering at the Yubileyny Sports Palace, “Opera on Ice” showcased champion figure skaters dancing to performances by opera stars, with the icy stage set off with dynamic video projections.
Initiated by Yelena Berezhnaya, head of the St. Petersburg Ice Theater, the theatrical performance included arias from “La Traviata,” “Tosca,” “The Magic Flute” and “Rigoletto.”
“We tried to combine various skating and theatrical genres in this show — from traditionally challenging opera songs to fantastic acrobatics,” she told The St. Petersburg Times.
The performance also marked a return to the ice for the 2002 Olympic figure skating champion after taking an extended break. Together with Vadim Yarkov, Berezhnaya skated to “Con te partiro,” while accompanied by Mariinsky singers Karina Chepurnova and Ilya Rimar. “I am excited to perform on ice again,” she said.
Renowned baritone Vasily Gerello from the Mariinsky took creative control of the opera performances in the show, directing stars such as Swedish opera singer Caroline Sandgren, and soloists Oleg Loza, Alla Petrova, Ilya Rimar, Aleksander Trofimov and Ivan Ozhogin.
The many highlights of the dynamic show included a performance by figure skater Yevgeny Plushenko — his last before the Sochi Winter Olympics next year. The Olympic champion carved elaborate and fierce figures on the ice to music from Puccini’s “Tosca,” performed by Edvin Marton and Ivan Ozhogin, despite recently going through an eight-month recovery period following surgery. His performance included a sneak preview of the elements he is preparing to perform in his skating program in Sochi, much to the delight of the audience.
“This is the future for many skating shows,” he said, immediately accepting the invitation to perform in the show when it was first offered to him.
Equally as impressive in the same performance was Ozhogin’s rendition of Cavaradossi’s grandiose aria from “Tosca.” Best known for his role in “Dance of the Vampires,” Ozhogin’s thrilling performance was matched by world-renowned Hungarian violinist Edvin Marton, who played on one of Stradivari’s rare 17th century violins. Together, the trio held the audience captive for the entire performance.
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