29.10.2012

David Pountney attended "Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk district" performance by D. Shostakovich at the Moscow musical theater "Helikon-Opera"

On October, 28 legendary theatre and opera director David Pountney attended attended "Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk" performance by D. Shostakovich at the Moscow musical theater "Helikon-Opera". Pountney came to Moscow with a delegation of Opera Europa International Association.

David Pountney is a British theatre and opera director and librettist internationally known for his productions of rarely performed operas and new productions of classic works. He has directed over ten world premieres, including three by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies for whom he wrote the librettos of "The Doctor of Myddfai", "Mr Emmet Takes a Walk" and "Kommilitonen"!

Pountney was born in Oxford and educated at St John's College, Cambridge. His first major breakthrough came in 1972 with his production of Ká?a Kabanová for the Wexford Festival.[1] From 1975 to 1980, he was the Director of Productions at Scottish Opera, and, from 1982 to 1993, Director of Productions at English National Opera, where he directed over twenty operas.[2] From 1993 to 2004, he worked as a free-lance director at the Zurich Opera, the Vienna State Opera, the Bavarian State Opera in Munich, and other houses in America, Japan, and the United Kingdom. He has also directed at De Nederlandse Opera and Opera Australia. In December 2003 he became the Intendant of the Bregenz Festival, a post he held until 2011. In April of that year he became a head of the Welsh National Opera with his appointment as chief executive and artistic director.

 In the season 2007/08 the premiere of his production of "Carmen" by Georges Bizet took place at the State Academic Bolshoi Theatre of Russia, Moscow.

David Pountney has worked as a librettist for Sir Peter Maxwell Davies on The Doctor of Myddfai, Mr Emmet Takes a Walk and Kommilitonen!, and has translated opera librettos into English from Russian, Czech, German, and Italian.

Pountney is a Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (a French civilian honor), and a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire).

David Pountney about the production of "Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk district" in “Helikon-opera”:

- This is an absolutely stunning performance by Dmitry Bertman. I produced the "Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District" myself, so I know the score very well. It has everything: murder, open sex, crime, and passion and soul. Just as in Shakespeare’s works. But in Shostakovich’s it is Russian story, naturally, ending with chorus singing of the "golden" soul. I love Russian music all my life, I even think that the Russian world is identical to me at an instinct level. And it struck me how perfectly the troupe of the theatre works n such a confined space. This is a unique company: choir, orchestra and soloists are all great.

David Pountney and Dmitry Bertman at "Helikon-opera"