THE LOVE FOR THREE ORANGES

S. Prokofiev

"Estonia" National Opera (Tallinn, Estonia)

The premiere took place on 28.01.2010.

Conductor Arvo Volmer / Risto Joost
Producer Dmitri Bertman
Sets Igor Nezhnyi
Costumes Tatyana Tulubeva
Lighting Neeme Jõe
King Mart Laur / Priit Volmer
Prince Andres Köster / Mart Madiste / Vassili Jefimov
Princess Clarisse Teele Jõks / Helen Lokuta
Leandro Atlan Karp / Jassi Zahharov
Truffaldino Aleksander Arder / Urmas Põldma
Pantalone Rauno Elp / René Soom
Celio Märt Jakobson / Väino Puura
Fata Morgana Pille Lill / Heli Veskus / Natalia Zagorinskaja
Cook Rauno Elp / Mart Laur
Linetta Maire Haava / Meeli Lass
Nicoletta Maris Liloson / Valentina Taluma
Ninetta Angelika Mikk
Farfarello Aare Saal / René Soom
Smeraldina Riina Airenne / Juuli Lill
Master of ceremonies Aivar Kaseste / Aare Kodasma

"The Love for Three Oranges" is a successor of an Italian commedia dell’arte or improvisation mask comedy, as seen by the Russian composer of the XXth century. Using the free scenic treatment of the same name comedy by Carlo Gozzi (written in 1761), Vsevolod Meyerhold, Konstantin Vogak and Vladimir Soloviev. Prokofiev had written the libretto himself. Gozzi's play is mocking at Carlo Goldoni, a contemporary of a writer, whose ponderous, superficial and naturalistic melodramas, upon Gozzi’s opinion were the reason for Italian theatre's decay. The play, surreal and full of fantasy, inspired Prokofiev to create a masterpiece, where magic, comedy and satire are closely interwoven. "The Love for Three Oranges" has many layers, it can be considered as a performance inside the performance, the witty critics of the XXth century or polemics on the burning issues of the politics by the historian means of commedia dell'arte.