Performing interpretation of the opera in the spectacles of the Opera Studio of the Kharkiv National I. P. Kotlyarevsky University of Arts in the late 20th – the early 21st century.
Problem statement. Musical director’s activity of an opera performance is a complex phenomenon and largely unexplored, in particular, the theoretical aspects of the conductor’s interpretation of the opera have not received a sufficient development in domestic musicology yet. In the theoretical aspect not only the role of the conductor-director, but also co-directors of an opera performance – a director, a choirmaster and others who in cooperation create an artistic image of an opera spectacle is insufficiently investigated. The necessity of exploration of practical issues of the opera’s interpretation for further theoretical generalizations, awareness of specifics of the various performing interpretations determines the relevance of the topic of the offered article. The recent researches and publications by O. Menkov, P. Lando, G. Tkachenko and V. Makarenko emphasize the need of creation of the theory of collective performing, in particular, of the opera works, as well as the conductor’s role as a head of staging process. Admitting all the above, we insist also the necessity of developing a shared position by the all co-creators of the performance (a conductor, a stage director, a choirmaster, a ballet master, a painter and others). The purpose of the study – to reveal the specifics of the creation of the performing interpretation in student’s opera theater on the example of the work of opera studio of the Kharkiv National University of Arts named after I. P. Kotlyarevsky. The methodology of the research includes the interpretive analysis, chosen for understanding and explanation the specifics of the opera performance, as well as retrospective historical observations over the working process in Opera Studio of Kharkiv University of Art on the cusp of the 20th and 21st centuries with followed by generalization. Results. As the research material, the creative activity of the opera studio’s team under the leadership of the People’s Artist of Ukraine, professor of Solo Singing and Opera Training Department of Kharkiv National University of Arts was chosen. During the period since 1989 year to present time about 30 operas were staged in Opera Studio under the leadership of the Maestro. Co-organization persons of the opera studio’s performances were the stage directors I. Ryvina, O. Kolomiytsev, A. Kaloyan, the choirmasters – Honored Arts Workers of Ukraine professor N. Byelik‑Zolotaryova (in performances 1989–2008, from 2013 and to present day) and associate professor I. Verbitska (during the period from 2009 to 2012), which also was executed the functions of the conductor of performances of student’s opera theater. The concertmasters headed by professor L. Kucher carried out studying the musical material of operas by students. According to our explorations, the principles of selection of operas for production in the Opera Studio became: art value of the chosen sample; presence of performance stuff among undergraduates of Department of the Solo Singing to create the main and secondary characters; vocal possibilities of young performers (because the opera studio is the student’s opera theater); the material base for creation of sceneries, tailoring the costumes etc.; demand of the chosen sample in opera theaters. For identification of the specifics of production process in student’s opera theater two representative samples were chosen: the production versions of the operas “The love for three oranges” by S. Prokofiev (18.12.1989, the stage director I. Ryvina, the choirmaster N. Byelik‑Zolotaryova, the painter T. Medvid) and “Dido and Aeneas” by H. Purcell (19.11.2001, the stage director O. Kolomiytsev, the head of the opera’s staging I. Ryvina, the choirmaster N. Byelik‑Zolotaryova, the painter K. Kolesnichenko), under maestro A. V. Kalabukhin’s conducting. The choice of these opera samples by Kharkiv University Opera Studio brightly demonstrates the essence of its repertoire policy, which is concluded in selection for staging the operas of different styles and directions. The performing conception of the opera “The love for three oranges” was built, on the one hand, on the understanding of this musically-scenic opus as the embodiment of the forms of “conditional theater”, on the other hand – as solution to the problem about essence of art, the theatricalized answer to the question, which it should be. The staging of the first English opera “Dido and Aeneas” by H. Purcell was directed on comprehension and acquisition by students of Baroque stylistics in an opera genre. Conclusions. As features of the staging process in the opera studio, it should be noted, at first, the synthesis of creative and pedagogical orientation in the activities of the producers of performances. So, in the student opera the conductor on rehearsals not only builds the structure of the opera whole, seeking an ensemble between performers-soloists, chorus and orchestra, but also is at work with students upon the technique of sound articulation (breathing, diction, phrasing), upon the emotional and meaning content of music. The rehearsals of young singers with stage directors also have a clear pedagogical orientation, presupposing detailed explanations of both the general line of development of the image and the specific situational details of the behavior of the character in different stages of the opera. An integral part of the artistic and pedagogical process, when creating the performance of the opera studio, the work of professional collectives is: choir and orchestra, which helps the student to enter the atmosphere of a real opera art. In the above successful performances of the Opera Studio of Kharkiv National University of Arts, the choir sound (choirmaster N. Byelik-Zolotaryova) featured a magnificent ensemble, a variety of dynamics, expressiveness of the word, intelligent emotionality, spirituality. Under the direction of A. Kalabukhin and I. Verbitska, the orchestra supported young performers by naturally way, and in solo instrumental episodes it showed the timbre saturation and completeness of expression of a musical thought. In the process of ground work on the performance, one should pay attention to certain organizational moments on which its success depends, namely, the drawing up of a clear schedule of rehearsals depending on the employment of students at lectures and the availability of the own premises for orchestral and stage rehearsals and performances. Given the sufficiently limited number of such rehearsals before the premiere, as well as the pedagogic orientation of student opera performance, it is extremely important to coordinate the actions of all the co-directors of the performances. A conductor, a director, a choirmaster, a painter, a costume designer and others have to adhere to the general artistic idea of the work, which clarified by the way of preliminary joint discussion.