International Opera and Ballet Festival

"The Tales of Perrault," "The Brothers Karamazov," and "The Tales of Hoffmann"

03 Feb 2025
Photo: INSTAGRAM / GABT.UZ

The International Opera and Ballet Festival in Tashkent will feature a selection of world-class productions:

"The Brothers Karamazov"

From April 3 to April 5, the festival will showcase Boris Eifman’s ballet The Brothers Karamazov, which will be performed at the Alisher Navoi State Academic Bolshoi Theatre (GABT). Through the language of movement, the production explores Dostoevsky’s eternal questions about faith and doubt, human sin, and spiritual salvation.

The ballet is a modern reinterpretation of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s iconic novel. It is a reworked version of Eifman’s 1995 production, which gained international acclaim. The celebrated choreographer presents a philosophical and emotionally charged narrative, engaging the audience in deep existential reflections that remain just as relevant today.

"The Tales of Perrault"

A ballet production blending classic fairy tales with contemporary choreography and music, "Perrault’s Tales" will be performed by the Yekaterinburg Opera and Ballet Theatre (Ural Opera Ballet) at GABT on 12 and 13 of April.

Premiered in April 2024, the production is a collaboration between choreographers Maxim Petrov, Konstantin Khlebnikov, and Alexander Merkushov, who reimagine Charles Perrault’s timeless fairy tales through a fresh and intricate artistic lens. The ballet’s libretto is inspired by four of Perrault’s most famous works: "Puss in Boots", "Little Red Riding Hood", "Bluebeard", and "Tom Thumb" Framed by a prologue and an epilogue, the performance explores universal themes of love, betrayal, and truth, making for a powerful and immersive storytelling experience. 

"The Tales of Hoffmann"

One of the festival’s most anticipated performances, Jacques Offenbach’s "The Tales of Hoffmann", will be presented by renowned director and scenographer Stefano Poda at GABT from April 25 to 28

Poda’s interpretation is more than just an opera, it is a visually and musically captivating journey that has already enchanted audiences across Europe. His innovative approach blurs the lines between classical opera and contemporary art, bringing a unique aesthetic and deep emotional depth to the stage. This marks Poda’s second production in Tashkent, following his acclaimed staging of G.F. Handel’s "Tamerlano" in 2024, a landmark event in Uzbekistan’s cultural landscape.

Based on the works and life of Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann Hoffmann, the opera fuses reality with fantasy, delving into the writer and composer’s most profound inspirations and struggles. The production brings his memories and artistic visions to life through the characters of Olympia, Antonia, and Giulietta, who serve as symbols of desire, ambition, and temptation, forces that shaped Hoffmann’s creative path.

03 Feb 2025
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