Theatre - Bashkir State Opera and Ballet of Ufa

The pearl of architecture, the treasury of culture, the focus of talents and creative potential of the Republic of Bashkortostan – all these high words are undoubtedly applicable to the Bashkir State Opera and Ballet Theater. In 1909, on the fiftieth anniversary of the death of the great Russian writer S.T. Aksakov, a native of the Ufa province, at the suggestion of the governor, it was decided to build the Aksakov People’s House in Ufa, which would bring art, culture and education to the people. People’s funds were collected from all over the Ufa province, and even from neighbors. Neither war nor revolution prevented the red brick building from growing on the corner of Lenin (Central) and Pushkin streets. The theaters of Bashkir drama began to work here, Russian, young spectators, puppet, and even the famous Gaskarovsk folk dance ensemble took its first steps on this stage. December 14, 1938 for the first time in front of the audience raised the curtain Bashkir State Opera and Ballet Theater - the owner of this house to this day. The first stars of the young theater, graduates of the Moscow Conservatory B. Valeev, Sh. Valiakhmetov, H. Galimov, V. Galkin and others were soloists of the first performance – the opera by D. Paisiello “The Beautiful Mill”. Later, the troupe was joined by talented artists M. Saligaskarov, M. Hismatullin and many others. In 1941, the first graduates of the choreographic school Z. Nasretdinov, H. Safiullin, F. Sattarov came from Leningrad. The whole world glorified Ufa Opera and Ballet Theater pupil of the ballet studio at the theater Rudolf Nureyev. In 1953, he was accepted into the ballet company, where his creative career began. Since March 1993, on the stage of the theater, on the initiative of the outstanding choreographer Yuri Grigorovich, the Nureyev Ballet Festival has been held. Many dancers consider it an honor to perform on the stage, where the "genius of dance" took the first steps to world fame. Over the almost seventy-year history of the theater, professional opera and ballet troupes have been formed that meet European and international criteria and have a huge creative potential. The first national ballet was born within the walls of the theater, the first Bashkir opera was staged, the national school of composers arose and strengthened. Ballet artists - laureates, diploma winners and prize-winners of international and all-Russian competitions - sacredly observe the traditions established by luminaries, pupils of the Leningrad school, strive for spirituality of dance, deep drama and depth of penetration into the image, a combination of technical skill and spirituality of performance. The artistic director of the troupe Shamil Teregulov contributed to the education of dancers who decorated ballet companies of various countries of the world: “San Francisco Ballet”, the Cairo Opera House, the Mariinsky Theatre, ballet groups of many Russian cities – Moscow, Kazan, Chelyabinsk, Yekaterinburg, etc. The name of the great modern choreographer Yuri Grigorovich is associated with the breakthrough of the ballet of Bashkortostan on the world stage. The Master’s productions – “Futile Precaution”, “Don Quixote”, “The Nutcracker”, “Swan Lake” – adorn the repertory poster of the theater for more than one season. The ballet troupe toured successfully in France (1995), USA (1995, 1996), Holland (1996), Belgium (1996), Italy (2000, 2003, 2004), Egypt (2003, 2005), Portugal (2005), Thailand (2006). Soloists of the opera troupe of the theater are permanent participants, laureates, prize-winners and diploma winners of republican, all-Russian and international competitions. In the summer of 1999, the opera troupe successfully performed at the Aspendos Opera Festival in Turkey, presenting J. Verdi’s Rigoletto. In October 2003, Rachmaninoff’s opera “Aleko” was shown on the stage of the Cairo Opera, the leading theater of the Arab East. In March 2006 in Portugal, the troupe of BGTOiB brought to the court of the discerning European public a new production of the opera “Rigoletto” by J. Verdi, and in June of the same year the opera “The Magic Flute” by V.-A. Mozart was performed at the International Music Festival in the capital of Thailand – Bangkok. In memory of the debut of the great Russian singer F. Chaliapin, which took place in Ufa, the International Festival of Opera Art "Shalyapin Evenings in Ufa" has been held annually since 1991 on the stage of the theater - the brightest musical event with the participation of Russian and foreign stars. In December 2006, the theater participated in the VII International Volkovo Festival (Yaroslavl) as a laureate of the Russian Federation Government Award named after Fyodor Volkov-2006 in the nomination “creative team”. BGTOiB with great success showed the ballet of L. Ismagilova “Arkaim”. The team is focused on staging the best samples of foreign and domestic classics. The basis of the repertoire is the works of Tchaikovsky, Borodin, Rimsky-Korsakov, Verdi, Bizet, Puccini, Mozart, Rossini, Minkus, Adan. The last opera premieres of the troupe are the one-act operas “Rural Honor” by P. Mascagni and “Payatsy” by Leoncavallo, “The Magic Flute” by V. A. Mozart, the operetta of I. Kalman “Silva”, the opera “Snow Maiden” by N. Rimsky-Korsakov, two Verdi operas – “Rigoletto” and “Ball Masquerade”. Z.Ismagilov’s folk-musical drama “Kakhym-Turya” was awarded the National Theater Award “Golden Mask” in the nomination “Best Conductor’s Work” (conductor – A. Lyudmilin). The decoration of the repertoire is the national operas Salavat Yulaev, Akmulla and Z. Ismagilov, On the Night of the Lunar Eclipse and S. Nizametdinov’s Memento. The names of our opera stars are widely known: brothers Askar and Ildar Abdrazakov, Yamil Abdulmanov, Rail Kuchukov, Svetlana Arginbayeva, Gennady Rodionov and many others. Among the ballet premieres of recent years are Romeo and Juliet, Cinderella by S. Prokofiev, Giselle by A. Adana, Bayadere by L. Minkus. With great success was the premiere of the ballet L.Ismagilova “Arkaim”. Brilliantly perform soloists of the ballet Gulsin Mavlyukasov, Guzel Suleymanova, Elena Fomina, Ruslan Mukhametov, Ildar Manyapov, Rimma Zakirova, Gulnara Khalitova and others. Much attention in the repertoire plan is paid to performances for children. The staff of the Bashkir State Opera and Ballet Theater, under the leadership of the Director of the Honored Worker of Culture of the Republic of Belarus V.G. Richter, is enthusiastically working on new performances, full of creative ideas. In the near future, the resumption of S. Nizametdinov’s opera “On the Night of the Lunar Eclipse” will take place, art lovers will be pleased with the premieres of the opera “Faust” by S. Guno, the ballet by B. Asafyev “Bakhchisarai Fountain”. In April 2007, the theater will take part in the National Theatre Festival “Golden Mask” with the play “Bal-Masquerade” by J. Verdi, which became a nominee for 5 positions: “Best Performance in Opera”, “Best Director’s Work” (Uwe Schwartz, Germany), “Best Conductor’s Work” (Robert Luther), “Best Female Role” (Alfia Karimova), “Best Male Role” (Vladimir Cheberyak). To the 450th anniversary of the voluntary entry of Bashkiria into Russia in Moscow, within the framework of the Days of Culture of the Republic of Belarus, Z. Ismagilov’s opera “Ambassadors of the Urals” (the premiere will be held in May 2007) and L. Ismagilova’s ballet “Arkaim” will be presented.