M. Siksimova, E. Smagina

Music Theater of Tsaritsyn – Stalingrad – Volgograd: on the History of Opera Enterprise

The authors are the first among musicology experts to examine main stages of opera traditions development in the musical culture of Tsaritsyn – Stalingrad – Volgograd. Special emphasis is put to issues of setting up and initial functioning stages of the first permanent opera theater in the city, Volgograd Opera Enterprise started in the 1990s. Relying upon new documents, including newly emerged archive records, the authors cover creative activities of the V. M. Miller’s «Konkordia» theater in Tsaritsyn in the years 1905 to 1915; opera and ballet productions of Stalingrad Music Comedy Theater (between 19040s and 1950s). The story of the first opera company working in Volgograd Opera Enterprise since 1992 to 2004 is detailed. For the first time the exact list of its members is given (T. Teslia, V. Vrzhesinsky, A. Siksimov, N. Semenova etc), emphasizing the creative initiative of V. Venediktov in setting up an opera theater. An consistent report is given on the vast experience of the young Volgograd theater’s cooperation with a number of leading masters of the Russian opera directing: D. Bertman and M. Pandzhavidze (Moscow); V. Milkov (St. Petersburg); V. Raku (Kazan) and others. The research analyzes the repertoire of the first theater seasons of Volgograd Opera Enterprise and the media exposure of several productions. In general, the creative activities of the theater is interpreted within the view of creating further groundwork for opera and ballet genres development in the theater life of Volgograd.

Key words

opera enterprise, «Konkordia» theater, V. Miller, V. Venediktov, T. Teslia, V. Vrzhesinsky, A. Siksimov.

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