WELCOME TO KAZAKHSTAN

The premiere of Giuseppe Verdi's opera "Rigoletto" at the Astana Opera became one of the key cultural events of autumn in the capital. The production by French director Arnaud Bernard, presented with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan, impressed the public with the scale of the artistic concept, emotional depth and impeccable performance.The leading soloist of the theater, Honored Worker of Kazakhstan and director of the opera troupe, Talgat Mussabayev, who brilliantly embodied the image of Rigoletto, emphasized that this part became one of the deepest and most emotionally complex in his creative career - "a role in which you discover not only the hero, but also yourself." In an interview with Qazaq Culture, the artist shared the specifics of preparing for the performance, talking about the search for the inner truth of the character and how the theater team sought to create an authentic emotional space on stage. In addition, Talgat Mussabayev revealed the plans of the Astana Opera - new international projects and premieres await the audience, which, according to him, will become the next step in the development of the Kazakh opera school.Arnaud Bernard, already familiar to the public for his production of Donizetti's "L'elisir d'amore", presented "Rigoletto" without unnecessary decor - strict scenography, muted colors, and metal structures created a feeling of a closed world where each hero faces his fate. The finale with the storm and the swamp turned into a symbol of catastrophe and purification, making the audience think about the price of love and betrayal.Bernard managed to break the usual opera clichés. The audience saw that his characters live, suffer and contradict themselves. Rigoletto is a sarcastic jester and a tormented father, Gilda is not just a victim, but a girl ready to sacrifice herself for the sake of love, and the Duke of Mantua is a man whose charm becomes a weapon.In the performance of Talgat Mussabayev, Rigoletto appeared as a contradictory and profound character: a sarcastic jester, a proud father, tormented by guilt and love. His aria "Cortigiani, vil razza dannata" became the emotional climax of the performance.This role, according to the singer himself, required not only vocal skills, but also deep emotional immersion."For me, Rigoletto is not a caricatured character, but a person who desperately fights for his daughter and for the right to be heard. In every word of his there is pain, in every gesture there is truth," Mussabayev shared after the premiere.These words perfectly reflect the essence of the entire production - emotional, honest and requiring full commitment from the entire team. According to the artist, the work on the performance was not just another stage of the rehearsal process, but a deep inner transformation, where each of the performers sought their own understanding of love, suffering and forgiveness.As Talgat Mussabayev noted, the preparation for the performance became a serious and inspiring stage, uniting the entire theater team with a common goal."For any theater to have "Rigoletto" in its repertoire is a great pride. This is not just a production, but a colossal team work: from the director to the lighting designers and costume designers. The work was exhausting, two rehearsals every day, eight hours each. All for the sake of two and a half hours on stage, for the sake of that moment when the audience applauds with inspiration," said Talgat Mussabayev.Over a month of preparation, more than 300 costumes were sewn, and the technical team created complex scenography and lighting solutions. According to Mussabayev, it was the dedication of all participants that made it possible to achieve the emotional accuracy and artistic expressiveness that is felt in every note of the performance.Conductor-director Alan Buribayev revealed Verdi's score in all its complexity — from soft lyricism to tragic intensity. The orchestra sounded lively and energetic, maintaining dramatic tension until the last chord.The performers of the role of Gilda — Yulia Zasimova, Saltanat Akhmetova and Leila Alamanova — deserved no less admiration. Their "Caro nome" sounded with impeccable purity and expressive tenderness. The Duke of Mantua was performed by Jean Tapin and Arthur Gabdiev — both created charismatic, but in their own way dangerous, images.The decorations by Riccardo Masiro and the costumes by Anna Verde enhanced the emotional fabric of the performance. The minimalism of the scenography and the historical stylization of the costumes emphasized the eternity of the theme - the conflict between love and power, honor and passion.The audience did not let the artists go for a long time - applause merged with emotions that had not yet subsided. According to the audience, the opera became an event - emotional, visually powerful and musically perfect. The theater audience greeted the performance with enthusiasm, and the artists felt a response that cannot be faked.Mussabayev himself also shared the creative plans of the Astana Opera Theater."Today the theater does not stop there: new productions are ahead, the invitation of young soloists and plans for tours abroad. There is continuous work to improve the current repertoire in the theater, new soloists are invited, changes are made so that the audience gets even more pleasure," Mussabayev noted.The premiere of "Rigoletto" became proof that the Kazakh opera stage is capable of courage, scale and high art - something that is born only when the team lives for its work and believes in the power of art.