CULTURAL PROJECTS

European Opera Evenings
In spite of widespread opinion, opera need not be loud or pretentious but, at the same time it can keep its aristocratic glossy appeal and elitism while not being performed on large or small operatic stages.

Thus, to overcome the theatrical and musical inertia, European House, together with the German Economic Unit, American Chamber of Commerce and the Italian Business Club, approximately once a year, organises a musical opera evening for the European Business society in Moscow where the public may see the jewels of musical culture performed by modern Russian authors-experimenters.

An example of this can be found in the melodrama of the Russian composer E.I.Fomin, Orpheus (1763) by the dramatic author Y.Gnashnin - a style which was very popular in the time of Catherine being a combination of declamation, instrumental music with choral and balletic interludes.

The reconstruction of this work was performed in 2000, with a beautiful performance by the soloist of the Helikon Opera - Elena VOSNYESENSKYA (soprano) based on reconstructive work carried out by Natalya Lainer.
According to the traditions of the 18th century - this play includes musical quotations, as arias, from other popular operas of the time - especially by Italian composers such as:- Galuppi, Paiziello, and others.

Another example of the type is the opera Shepherd King by Balthazar Galuppi performed by an ensemble of the Academy of Ancient Music directed by Laureate Tchaikovski Award Winner Tatiana Grendenko ( the first Baroque ensemble in Russia to use real ancient instruments and authentic style of performance).

" Balthazar Galluppi - a contemporary of Vivaldi, and one of the most famous composers of his time, was invited to work at the court of Katherine 2nd. His artistic heritage is currently undergoing a revival. The manuscripts of numerous pieces by Gallupi were long forgotten and buried in the archives of Italian monasteries. The fate of the manuscript version of " The Shepherd King" is unique. Part of them were discovered by accident in a book market in Italy. The search for other scenes from the opera led to the Imperial archives in St. Petersburg. Thanks to the efforts of the Academy of Medieval Music, this antique Opera was recreated and re-introduced to the Italian public in 1998."
The opera performance of B.Gallupi was created to accompany the anniversary celebration of the ascent to the throne of Empress Katherine 2nd and was performed only once before the Court in 1766. The charming music of Balthazar Gallupi wonderfully recaptures the spirit of ancient times where one of the heroes is Alexander the Great. The music is a superb cascade of arias, duets, harmonies, recitative and divertissement

The discovery of these unique pages of Russian history proves that was already great before the appearance of the mighty Rakmaninov, Mussorgski, Tchaikovski, Prokofiev…

For business people, especially foreign ones, the success of their enterprise is largely dependent upon the possibility to understand and appreciate the national character of the country, its psychological and spiritual foundation. Cultural language in that case, is the best possible tool.